Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Wolfram Ruf
Summary: Oral anticoagulant therapy has evolved due to the significant role of FXa in thrombosis, hemostasis, and immune reactions. Recent data demonstrates that FXa mediates immune reactions through PAR2 signaling, primarily in extravascular environments by macrophages. This research will enhance the understanding of FXa as a central regulator of immune and hematopoietic systems.
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND THROMBOLYSIS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Agnieszka Wnuk, Joanna Rzemieniec, Karolina Przepiorska, Bernadeta Angelika Pietrzak, Marzena Mackowiak, Malgorzata Kajta
Summary: Triclocarban is identified as a neurodevelopmental risk factor that targets ESR1, affects apoptosis and autophagy in a sex-specific manner, and disrupts the epigenetic status of brain tissue while dysregulating the postnatal expression of neurogenesis- and neurotransmitter-related genes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Paulina Srednicka, Edyta Juszczuk-Kubiak, Michal Wojcicki, Monika Akimowicz, Marek L. Roszko
Summary: Food contaminations pose a serious threat to global food safety, and probiotics offer a promising approach to reduce the risk related to the presence of xenobiotics in foodstuffs. Probiotics have been proven to be an effective tool in preventing dysbiosis and alleviating toxicity induced by xenobiotics.
FOOD AND CHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Michal Scur, Brendon D. Parsons, Sayanti Dey, Andrew P. Makrigiannis
Summary: Our understanding of CTLRs has expanded beyond their initial roles in pathogen recognition, now encompassing scavenger receptor activity, cell death and cell transformation sensing, and immune response regulation. The diversity in expression and signaling activity among individual CTLR members, as well as the discovery of new receptor binding capabilities and interactions, cellular expression profiles, and receptor structures and signaling mechanisms, has revealed the defining roles of CTLRs in immunity. NK cell receptors, specifically the NKRP1 family of CTLRs, exemplify this functional diversity, displaying essential immune functions beyond NK cells. It is crucial to better understand the functional potential of these receptor families in immune defense and pathology, given the ever-expanding evidence for their involvement in various biological processes.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shoib Sarwar Siddiqui
Summary: Siglecs are a type of I-type lectins that bind with sialic acid ligands. They have a role in immune regulation and can either inhibit or activate immune cells depending on their structure and interactions with proteins. This review focuses on the non-canonical functions and interactions of Siglec receptors, as well as their expression and function on non-immune cells. It provides valuable insights for researchers interested in Siglecs and sialic acid biology.
MOLECULAR ASPECTS OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Caroline Schnelle, Dirk Baier, Andreas Hadjar, Klaus Boehnke
Summary: The core debate in authoritarianism research revolves around whether authoritarianism is a dispositional phenomenon or impacted by external factors. While individual authoritarian tendencies may be stable, there is empirical evidence for the dynamic influence of external conditions, particularly threats. This review article provides a multilevel framework for studying authoritarianism with insights into socialization and situational influences.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Zdenek Dvorak, Hao Li, Sridhar Mani
Summary: Xenobiotic receptors play a crucial role in regulating host physiological pathways and have recently been explored for their interaction with microbial metabolites. This review focuses on the potential development of chemical mimics of microbial metabolites as therapeutic drugs for diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease.
DRUG METABOLISM AND DISPOSITION
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jose L. Nieto-Torres, Andrew M. Leidal, Jayanta Debnath, Malene Hansen
Summary: The ATG8 family proteins are key players in autophagy, participating in cargo recruitment, biogenesis, transport, and fusion with lysosomes. Recent studies have shown their involvement in diverse processes such as vesicle maturation and cargo specification, with complex regulatory mechanisms that are still not fully understood. Individual roles of different ATG8 family members in canonical or non-canonical pathways remain unclear. This review highlights the molecular questions surrounding ATG8s that are only beginning to be explored.
TRENDS IN BIOCHEMICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Linwei Zhang, Fan Yang, Yong Li, Huabin Cao, Aimin Huang, Yu Zhuang, Caiying Zhang, Guoliang Hu, Yaqing Mao, Junrong Luo, Chenghong Xing
Summary: The study found that cadmium induced oxidative stress in rabbit livers by inhibiting NXRs and the antioxidation response, leading to mitophagy, but these harmful changes could be alleviated by selenium.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Mengya Wang, Huayuan Liu, Zegang Ma
Summary: Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease influenced by the cannabinoid system in the basal ganglia. Modulating the endogenous cannabinoid levels can have an anti-movement disorder effect, suggesting the development of drugs targeting the cannabinoid system as a novel strategy for Parkinson's disease treatment.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Kevin M. Andre, Eliet H. Sipos, Julie Soutourina
Summary: Mediator is a large multiprotein complex conserved in eukaryotes with a crucial role in regulating RNA polymerase II transcription. Studies have revealed its relationship with chromatin architecture, its role in connecting transcription with DNA repair, and proposed an emerging mechanism of phase separation involving Mediator condensates. Recent developments point to multiple functions of Mediator beyond transcriptional processes, explaining its involvement in various human pathologies.
TRENDS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Roberta Piovesana, Adam J. Reid, Ada Maria Tata
Summary: The communication between neurons and glial cells has been well-documented in various stages of development and disease. Neurotransmitters, especially acetylcholine, play a significant role in regulating the development and physiology of glial cells. This review focuses on the contribution of neurotransmitter receptors, particularly the M2 muscarinic receptor and the alpha 7 nicotinic receptor, in influencing the phenotype and functioning of Schwann cells. Understanding these interactions can help identify potential therapeutic targets for pathological conditions involving glial cells.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luana Beatriz dos Santos Nascimento, Massimiliano Tattini
Summary: Flavonoids play diverse roles in plant terrestrialization, such as modulating auxin transport and signaling, promoting symbiosis with fungi, and enhancing nutrient acquisition and biotic stress defense.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Gengchen Wang, Qian Zhou, Yan Xu, Baobing Zhao
Summary: Pleckstrin-2, a member of the pleckstrin family, has well-defined structural features and has been studied for 20 years. Recent evidence suggests it plays important roles in erythropoiesis, tumorigenesis, and metastasis, making it a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker and treatment target for cancers.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Su Young Ki, Yong Taek Jeong
Summary: Taste receptors are not only found in taste receptor cells, but also in non-gustatory organs, and they have been found to have physiological functions beyond taste. Tuft cells, a type of specialized epithelial cells, are considered to be related to type II taste receptor cells, and the ectopic expression of taste receptors can be categorized into taste receptors in TRC-like cells outside taste buds and taste receptors expressed in completely different cell types.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Yong He, Dechun Feng, Seonghwan Hwang, Bryan Mackowiak, Xiaolin Wang, Xiaogang Xiang, Robim M. Rodrigues, Yaojie Fu, Jing Ma, Tianyi Ren, Yeni Ait-Ahmed, Mingjiang Xu, Suthat Liangpunsakul, Bin Gao
Summary: IL-20 selectively inhibits hepatic IL-6 production rather than exerting IL-10-like broad anti-inflammatory properties. Unlike IL-22, IL-20 aggravates acute hepatitis and bacterial infection. Thus, anti-IL-20 therapy could be a promising option to control acute hepatitis and bacterial infection.
JOURNAL OF HEPATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Sydney Stern, Jill Coghlan, Vishalakshi Krishnan, Sam G. Raney, Andrew Babiskin, Wenlei Jiang, Robert Lionberger, Xiaoming Xu, Anna Schwendeman, James E. Polli
Summary: Complex generics are generic drug products with complex characteristics, such as complex active ingredients, formulations, and routes of delivery, making them challenging to develop. The FDA established the Center for Research on Complex Generics to address these challenges, conducting a survey to prioritize research and educational initiatives for developing complex generics.
PHARMACEUTICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Sydney Stern, Ritika Kurian, Hongbing Wang
Summary: This review focuses on the role of the constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) in metabolic disorders and cancer development. CAR, which is known for its involvement in drug metabolism and detoxification, has also been found to regulate glucose, lipid, and bile acid homeostasis as well as cell proliferation and tissue repair.
DRUG METABOLISM AND DISPOSITION
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Tao Hu, Chengjifu Tang, Sydney Stern, Luan Yang, Tom Du
Summary: The synthetic progestogen 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) has been found to inhibit cytokine production in COVID-19 patients, reducing clinical symptoms. This study provides pharmacological evidence supporting the potential use of 17-OHPC in treating cytokine release syndrome associated with COVID-19.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Sydney Stern, Dongdong Liang, Linhao Li, Ritika Kurian, Caitlin Lynch, Srilatha Sakamuru, Scott Heyward, Junran Zhang, Kafayat Ajoke Kareem, Young Wook Chun, Ruili Huang, Menghang Xia, Charles C. Hong, Fengtian Xue, Hongbing Wang
Summary: CN06 is a dual activator of CAR and Nrf2, enhancing the bioactivation of CPA and decreasing the cytotoxicity of DOX in vitro. In a multicellular coculture model, CN06 increased the toxicity of CPA/DOX towards TNBC cells, while protecting cardiomyocytes from DOX-induced cardiotoxicity by selectively activating Nrf2-antioxidant signaling.
Article
Substance Abuse
Bryan Mackowiak, Mingjiang Xu, Yuhong Lin, Yukun Guan, Wonhyo Seo, Ruixue Ren, Dechun Feng, Jace W. Jones, Hongbing Wang, Bin Gao
Summary: The study found that mice chronically fed with ethanol responded less severely to multiple binge ethanol consumption compared to a single binge. The upregulation of the Cyp2b10 gene after binge ethanol intake can indirectly modify ethanol metabolism and reduce acute-on-chronic ethanol-induced liver injury.
ALCOHOL-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Oncology
Silvia Stacchiotti, Hans Roland Duerr, Inga-Marie Schaefer, Klaus Woertler, Rick Haas, Annalisa Trama, Augusto Caraceni, Jyoti Bajpai, Giacomo Giulio Baldi, Nicholas Bernthal, Jean-Yves Blay, Kjetil Boye, Javier-Martin Broto, Wei-Wu Tom Chen, Paolo Angelo Dei Tos, Jayesh Desai, Stephan Emhofer, Mikael Eriksson, Alessandro Gronchi, Hans Gelderblom, Jendrik Hardes, Wolfgang Hartmann, John Healey, Antoine Italiano, Robin L. Jones, Akira Kawai, Andreas Leithner, Herbert Loong, Eric Mascard, Carlo Morosi, Nadine Otten, Emanuela Palmerini, Shreyaskumar R. Patel, Peter Reichardt, Brian Rubin, Piotr Rutkowski, Claudia Sangalli, Kathrin Schuster, Beatrice M. Seddon, Morena Shkcodra, Eric L. Staals, William Tap, Matt van de Rijn, Kirsten van Langevelde, Filip M. M. Vanhoenacker, Andrew Wagner, Lisette Wiltink, Sydney Stern, Michiel Van de Sande, Sebastian Bauer
Summary: Tenosynovial giant cell tumour (TGCT) is a rare, locally aggressive tumor that arises from the joints, bursa, and tendon sheaths. There are two types of TGCT: nodular and diffuse, with the former exhibiting a slow disease course and the latter showing locally aggressive behavior. Although not life-threatening, TGCT can cause chronic pain and negatively impact function and quality of life. CSFR1 inhibitors are effective in treating TGCT but are not widely available. The lack of guidelines and uncertainty in selecting appropriate therapy lead to inconsistent adoption of new treatments and suboptimal outcomes for patients. A global consensus meeting was held in June 2022 to develop evidence-based recommendations for the optimal management of TGCT.
CANCER TREATMENT REVIEWS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Bryan Mackowiak, Bin Gao
Review
Cell Biology
Sydney Stern, Hongbing Wang, Nakissa Sadrieh
Summary: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a major concern in the pharmaceutical industry and global health due to its high attrition rates and complex pathogenesis. In vitro co-culture models that incorporate the immune system have shown promise in investigating idiosyncratic DILI (iDILI). Human-based 3D multicellular models have been developed to mimic the hepatic microenvironment and provide a more accurate representation of iDILI. However, more research is needed to harmonize and compare the characteristics of these models, as well as address challenges such as disease-related endpoints and multi-cellular mechanisms.
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Kaiyan Liu, Sydney Stern, Emily L. Heil, Linhao Li, Rula Khairi, Scott Heyward, Hongbing Wang
Summary: This study characterized the hepatotoxicity of Remdesivir (RDV) and its interaction with dexamethasone (DEX) in the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. The findings showed that RDV has hepatotoxic effects in vitro, but co-treatment with DEX can partially reverse the cytotoxic responses. Furthermore, the combination of RDV and DEX was associated with a reduced likelihood of elevated serum AST and ALT levels in COVID-19 patients compared to RDV alone.
HEPATOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Review
Substance Abuse
Taylor Lehner, Bin Gao, Bryan Mackowiak
Summary: This review explores the effects of ethanol metabolism, specifically alcohol dehydrogenase and aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2), on drinking behaviors. The role of genetic polymorphisms in these enzymes in altering the risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD) is discussed, as well as potential interventions that modulate ethanol metabolism. The paper highlights the use of disulfiram, RNAi strategies, and kudzu/isoflavones to influence ALDH2 activity and decrease drinking behavior, while also mentioning other metabolism-centric therapeutic targets.
ALCOHOL AND ALCOHOLISM
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jane P. F. Bai, Audra L. Stinchcomb, Jie Wang, Justin Earp, Sydney Stern, Robert N. Schuck
Summary: The Accelerating Rare Disease Cures (ARC) program of the US FDA aims to develop and use regulatory and scientific tools for rare disease drug development. To facilitate this, a virtual workshop was hosted by the FDA in collaboration with the University of Maryland, discussing the potential utility of quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) and proposing a roadmap for its implementation in this field.
CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Jing Ma, Adrien Guillot, Zhihong Yang, Bryan Mackowiak, Seonghwan Hwang, Ogyi Park, Brandon J. Peiffer, Ali Reza Ahmadi, Luma Melo, Praveen Kusumanchi, Nazmul Huda, Romil Saxena, Yong He, Yukun Guan, Dechun Feng, Pau Sancho-Bru, Mengwei Zang, Andrew MacGregor Cameron, Ramon Bataller, Frank Tacke, Zhaoli Sun, Suthat Liangpunsakul, Bin Gao
Summary: Two distinct patterns of intrahepatic neutrophil infiltration are observed in severe alcoholic hepatitis (SAH) patients, suggesting separate mechanisms driving liver injury.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2022)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Xiaolin Wang, Yong He, Bryan Mackowiak, Bin Gao
Summary: MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that play crucial roles in regulating liver functions and are associated with various liver diseases, making them promising for early diagnosis and treatment strategies. Continued research on miRNAs in the liver may lead to the identification of biomarkers and therapeutic targets for liver diseases in the future.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Ramon Martinez, Weiliang Huang, Ramin Samadani, Bryan Mackowiak, Garrick Centola, Lijia Chen, Ivie L. Conlon, Kellie Hom, Maureen A. Kane, Steven Fletcher, Paul Shapiro
Summary: This study identified a novel compound that exhibited biological activity in A375 melanoma cells with mutated BRAF (V600E) and had global effects on gene and protein levels. The compound interacted with ERK2, including forming a covalent adduct on cysteine 252 near the ERK/FXF (DEF) motif, selectively inhibiting ERK1/2-related functions. Furthermore, the compound inhibited proliferation of A375 cells through a ROS-dependent mechanism.
JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS
(2021)
