scholarly journals Development of cancer metabolism as a therapeutic target: new pathways, patient studies, stratification and combination therapy

2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian L. Harris
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Trial Design ◽  
Cancer Metabolism ◽  
Aerobic Glycolysis ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Preclinical Models ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Patient Studies

AbstractCancer metabolism has undergone a resurgence in the last decade, 70 years after Warburg described aerobic glycolysis as a feature of cancer cells. A wide range of techniques have elucidated the complexity and heterogeneity in preclinical models and clinical studies. What emerges are the large differences between tissues, tumour types and intratumour heterogeneity. However, synergies with inhibition of metabolic pathways have been found for many drugs and therapeutic approaches, and a critical role of window studies and translational trial design is key to success.

scholarly journals Peroxisome Metabolism in Cancer

Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1692 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jung-Ae Kim
Keyword(s):  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Cancer Metabolism ◽  
Cell Metabolism ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Acid Oxidation ◽  
Metabolic Dysregulation ◽  
Human Disorders ◽  
Peroxisomal Function ◽  
Target Cancer

Peroxisomes are metabolic organelles involved in lipid metabolism and cellular redoxbalance. Peroxisomal function is central to fatty acid oxidation, ether phospholipid synthesis, bile acidsynthesis, and reactive oxygen species homeostasis. Human disorders caused by genetic mutations inperoxisome genes have led to extensive studies on peroxisome biology. Peroxisomal defects are linkedto metabolic dysregulation in diverse human diseases, such as neurodegeneration and age-relateddisorders, revealing the significance of peroxisome metabolism in human health. Cancer is a diseasewith metabolic aberrations. Despite the critical role of peroxisomes in cell metabolism, the functionaleects of peroxisomes in cancer are not as well recognized as those of other metabolic organelles,such as mitochondria. In addition, the significance of peroxisomes in cancer is less appreciated thanit is in degenerative diseases. In this review, I summarize the metabolic pathways in peroxisomesand the dysregulation of peroxisome metabolism in cancer. In addition, I discuss the potential ofinactivating peroxisomes to target cancer metabolism, which may pave the way for more eectivecancer treatment.

scholarly journals Specialized Pro-Resolving Lipid Mediators in Neonatal Cardiovascular Physiology and Diseases

Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 933
Author(s):  
Andrea Gila-Diaz ◽  
Gloria Herranz Carrillo ◽  
Pratibha Singh ◽  
David Ramiro-Cortijo
Keyword(s):  
Tissue Repair ◽  
Cardiovascular Health ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Potential Effect ◽  
Lipid Mediators ◽  
Physiological Effects ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Long Chain

Cardiovascular disease remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide. Unresolved inflammation plays a critical role in cardiovascular diseases development. Specialized Pro-Resolving Mediators (SPMs), derived from long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), enhances the host defense, by resolving the inflammation and tissue repair. In addition, SPMs also have anti-inflammatory properties. These physiological effects depend on the availability of LCPUFAs precursors and cellular metabolic balance. Most of the studies have focused on the impact of SPMs in adult cardiovascular health and diseases. In this review, we discuss LCPUFAs metabolism, SPMs, and their potential effect on cardiovascular health and diseases primarily focusing in neonates. A better understanding of the role of these SPMs in cardiovascular health and diseases in neonates could lead to the development of novel therapeutic approaches in cardiovascular dysfunction.

Wildlife management and the debate on the ethics of animal use. II. A challenge for the animal protection movement.

2012 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Lunney
Keyword(s):  
Wildlife Management ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Animal Liberation ◽  
Ethical Imperative ◽  
Animal Protection ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Animal Use

How people coexist and interact with animals has become an intensely debated issue in recent times, particularly with the rise of the animal protection movement following the publication of Peter Singer’s book Animal Liberation in 1975. This paper discusses some shortcomings of the philosophical positions taken in this complex debate. Singer has helped put animals on a new footing as a group that cannot morally be ignored, but his focus is mainly on individual, familiar animals that are used or abused by humans. The argument of this paper is that the ethics of managing wildlife hinges on a broader view of animals, and their contexts, than is apparent from Singer’s text. Wildlife managers aim to conserve populations of a wide range of species, and their habitats, but some mechanisms for achieving these aims, such as research and the control of invasive animals, are frequently opposed by elements of the animal protection movement. We need to adapt our attitude to animals, particularly wildlife, away from the traditional legacy of a few familiar species to embrace an ethic that is more ecological and relevant to Australian contexts. The case argued here has been to see the critical role of context — geographical, ecological, historical, relational — as a basis for a degree of reconciliation between conservation-oriented wildlife managers and the rising interest in the ethics of animal use. There is much to be gained for zoologists, wildlife managers and conservation biologists by framing key elements of their case in ethical arguments. Conversely, the challenge for those in the animal protection movement is to expand their philosophical ideas to include the ethical imperative of the conservation of populations of wildlife.

scholarly journals The Duality of Caspases in Cancer, as Told through the Fly

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (16) ◽  
pp. 8927
Author(s):  
Caitlin Hounsell ◽  
Yun Fan
Keyword(s):  
Tumour Progression ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Dual Role ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Cancer Treatments ◽  
Aspartic Proteases ◽  
Critical Components ◽  
Established Role

Caspases, a family of cysteine-aspartic proteases, have an established role as critical components in the activation and initiation of apoptosis. Alongside this a variety of non-apoptotic caspase functions in proliferation, differentiation, cellular plasticity and cell migration have been reported. The activity level and context are important factors in determining caspase function. As a consequence of their critical role in apoptosis and beyond, caspases are uniquely situated to have pathological roles, including in cancer. Altered caspase function is a common trait in a variety of cancers, with apoptotic evasion defined as a “hallmark of cancer”. However, the role that caspases play in cancer is much more complex, acting both to prevent and to promote tumourigenesis. This review focuses on the major findings in Drosophila on the dual role of caspases in tumourigenesis. This has major implications for cancer treatments, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, with the activation of apoptosis being the end goal. However, such treatments may inadvertently have adverse effects on promoting tumour progression and acerbating the cancer. A comprehensive understanding of the dual role of caspases will aid in the development of successful cancer therapeutic approaches.

scholarly journals A Novel Therapeutic Target, BACH1, Regulates Cancer Metabolism

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiyoung Lee ◽  
Joselyn Padilla
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Cells ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Transcriptional Activation ◽  
Pyruvate Dehydrogenase ◽  
Therapeutic Target ◽  
Metabolic Pathways ◽  
Cancer Metabolism ◽  
Aerobic Glycolysis ◽  
Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase ◽  
Migration And Invasion

BTB domain and CNC homology 1 (BACH1) is a highly expressed transcription factor in tumors including breast and lung, relative to their non-tumor tissues. BACH1 is known to regulate multiple physiological processes including heme homeostasis, oxidative stress response, senescence, cell cycle, and mitosis. In a tumor, BACH1 promotes invasion and metastasis of cancer cells, and the expression of BACH1 presents a poor outcome for cancer patients including breast cancer patients. Recent studies identified novel functional roles of BACH1 in the regulation of metabolic pathways in cancer cells. BACH1 inhibits mitochondrial metabolism through transcriptional suppression of mitochondrial membrane genes. In addition, BACH1 suppresses activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), a key enzyme that converts pyruvate to acetyl-CoA for the citric acid (TCA) cycle through transcriptional activation of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK). Moreover, BACH1 increases glucose uptake and lactate secretion in aerobic glycolysis through the expression of metabolic enzymes involved such as hexokinase 2 (HK2) and glyceraldehyde 3- phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). Pharmacological or genetic inhibition of BACH1 could reprogramme metabolic pathways, subsequently rendering metabolic vulnerability of cancer cells. Furthermore, inhibition of BACH1 decreased antioxidant-induced glycolysis rates as well as reduced migration and invasion of cancer cells, suggesting BACH1 as a potentially useful cancer therapeutic target.

scholarly journals Nuclear Receptors as Therapeutic Targets for Neurodegenerative Diseases: Lost in Translation

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Moutinho ◽  
Juan F. Codocedo ◽  
Shweta S. Puntambekar ◽  
Gary E. Landreth
Keyword(s):  
Animal Models ◽  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Nuclear Receptors ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
New Findings ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Preclinical And Clinical Studies ◽  
Lost In Translation

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by a progressive loss of neurons that leads to a broad range of disabilities, including severe cognitive decline and motor impairment, for which there are no effective therapies. Several lines of evidence support a putative therapeutic role of nuclear receptors (NRs) in these types of disorders. NRs are ligand-activated transcription factors that regulate the expression of a wide range of genes linked to metabolism and inflammation. Although the activation of NRs in animal models of neurodegenerative disease exhibits promising results, the translation of this strategy to clinical practice has been unsuccessful. In this review we discuss the role of NRs in neurodegenerative diseases in light of preclinical and clinical studies, as well as new findings derived from the analysis of transcriptomic databases from humans and animal models. We discuss the failure in the translation of NR-based therapeutic approaches and consider alternative and novel research avenues in the development of effective therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.

scholarly journals LSD1, a double-edged sword, confers dynamic chromatin regulation but commonly promotes aberrant cell growth

F1000Research ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan M Kozub ◽  
Ryan M Carr ◽  
Gwen L Lomberk ◽  
Martin E Fernandez-Zapico
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Chromatin Remodeling ◽  
Cellular Differentiation ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Histone Demethylase ◽  
Epigenetic Changes ◽  
Lysine Specific Demethylase ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Histone Modifying Enzymes

Histone-modifying enzymes play a critical role in chromatin remodeling and are essential for influencing several genome processes such as gene expression and DNA repair, replication, and recombination. The discovery of lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), the first identified histone demethylase, dramatically revolutionized research in the field of epigenetics. LSD1 plays a pivotal role in a wide range of biological operations, including development, cellular differentiation, embryonic pluripotency, and disease (for example, cancer). This mini-review focuses on the role of LSD1 in chromatin regulatory complexes, its involvement in epigenetic changes throughout development, and its importance in physiological and pathological processes.

scholarly journals Personalized Dentistry: Approaching a New Way for Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Romeo Patini
Keyword(s):  
In Vivo Studies ◽  
Oral Microbiota ◽  
Oral Diseases ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Bacterial Populations ◽  
Treatment Techniques ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Analysis Of Results

For years, it has been thought that the field of dentistry was referring exclusively to some diseases that strictly affect the oral cavity. Dental caries, periodontal disease, and pathologies associated with their worsening were considered almost the only interest in scientific research in dentistry. Recent studies have begun to shed light on the effect of the oral microbiota on general health and on the crucial role of dentistry in its maintenance. In this way, we came to understand that the bacterial populations that make up the oral microbiota can vary profoundly between individuals and that contribute in a fundamental way to outlining the so-called “oral signature”. This characteristic is called into question to evaluate the susceptibility, or lack thereof, of the subject to the contraction of a wide range of pathologies, apparently not connected with oral health. From this evidence, it will also be possible to study therapeutic approaches aimed at the eradication of species considered at risk or colonization with species considered protective; thus, giving life to so-called “personalized dentistry”. Therefore, this Special Issue is aimed at spreading the scientific knowledge over the current limits in terms of new molecular and culturomic approaches towards the diagnosis of oral microbiota and the treatment techniques of eventually associated systemic diseases. In vivo studies and systematic literature reviews with quantitative analysis of results, when possible, will be given a high priority.

scholarly journals What Neuroscientific Studies Tell Us about Inhibition of Return

Vision ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Satel ◽  
Nicholas R. Wilson ◽  
Raymond M. Klein
Keyword(s):  
Inhibition Of Return ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Direct Methods ◽  
Brain Structures ◽  
Developmental Studies ◽  
Unit Recording ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Lesion Studies

An inhibitory aftermath of orienting, inhibition of return (IOR), has intrigued scholars since its discovery about 40 years ago. Since then, the phenomenon has been subjected to a wide range of neuroscientific methods and the results of these are reviewed in this paper. These include direct manipulations of brain structures (which occur naturally in brain damage and disease or experimentally as in TMS and lesion studies) and measurements of brain activity (in humans using EEG and fMRI and in animals using single unit recording). A variety of less direct methods (e.g., computational modeling, developmental studies, etc.) have also been used. The findings from this wide range of methods support the critical role of subcortical and cortical oculomotor pathways in the generation and nature of IOR.

scholarly journals Heme oxygenase: the key to renal function regulation

2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (5) ◽  
pp. F1137-F1152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nader G. Abraham ◽  
Jian Cao ◽  
David Sacerdoti ◽  
Xiaoying Li ◽  
George Drummond
Keyword(s):  
Renal Function ◽  
Heme Oxygenase ◽  
Vascular Dysfunction ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Renal Tissue ◽  
Renal Physiology ◽  
Oxygen Species ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Clinical Potential

Heme oxygenase (HO) plays a critical role in attenuating the production of reactive oxygen species through its ability to degrade heme in an enzymatic process that leads to the production of equimolar amounts of carbon monoxide and biliverdin/bilirubin and the release of free iron. The present review examines the beneficial role of HO-1 (inducible form of HO) that is achieved by increased expression of this enzyme in renal tissue. The influence of the HO system on renal physiology, obesity, vascular dysfunction, and blood pressure regulation is reviewed, and the clinical potential of increased levels of HO-1 protein, HO activity, and HO-derived end products of heme degradation is discussed relative to renal disease. The use of pharmacological and genetic approaches to investigate the role of the HO system in the kidney is key to the development of therapeutic approaches to prevent the adverse effects that accrue due to an impairment in renal function.

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