scholarly journals THE EFFECT OF THYMOSIN β4 ON THE FUNCTIONAL ACTIVITY OF THE IMMUNE AND NERVOUS SYSTEM COMPONENTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1S) ◽  
pp. 164-166
Author(s):  
V P Ivanova

The data on properties of thymosin β4, a conserved multifunctional polypeptide of mammals is summarized. Attention has been focused on regulatory activity of thymosin β4 in regard to immune and nervous system components. In these systems thymosin β4 is present in different cell types both stationary and mobile ones. Besides intracellular localization thymosin β4 is also located in extracellular fluids. Inside cells, thymosin β4 has been postulated to regulate actin polymerization as a G-actin-sequestering molecule. But molecular mechanisms of thymosin β4 located extra cells on cell functions remain unclear. The structural-functional organization of thymosin β4 is also discussed. Thymosin β4 is a perspective medicine preparation for the therapy of diseases related to immune and neurological disturbances in patients.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 2484
Author(s):  
David Gonzalez ◽  
Miguel L. Allende

Following an injury, axons of both the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) degenerate through a coordinated and genetically conserved mechanism known as Wallerian degeneration (WD). Unlike central axons, severed peripheral axons have a higher capacity to regenerate and reinnervate their original targets, mainly because of the favorable environment that they inhabit and the presence of different cell types. Even though many aspects of regeneration in peripheral nerves have been studied, there is still a lack of understanding regarding the dynamics of axonal degeneration and regeneration, mostly due to the inherent limitations of most animal models. In this scenario, the use of zebrafish (Danio rerio) larvae combined with time-lapse microscopy currently offers a unique experimental opportunity to monitor the dynamics of the regenerative process in the PNS in vivo. This review summarizes the current knowledge and advances made in understanding the dynamics of the regenerative process of PNS axons. By using different tools available in zebrafish such as electroablation of the posterior lateral line nerve (pLLn), and laser-mediated transection of motor and sensory axons followed by time-lapse microscopy, researchers are beginning to unravel the complexity of the spatiotemporal interactions among different cell types during the regenerative process. Thus, understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the degeneration and regeneration of peripheral nerves will open new avenues in the treatment of acute nerve trauma or chronic conditions such as neurodegenerative diseases.


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1074
Author(s):  
Giuseppina Divisato ◽  
Silvia Piscitelli ◽  
Mariantonietta Elia ◽  
Emanuela Cascone ◽  
Silvia Parisi

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have the extraordinary properties to indefinitely proliferate and self-renew in culture to produce different cell progeny through differentiation. This latter process recapitulates embryonic development and requires rounds of the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). EMT is characterized by the loss of the epithelial features and the acquisition of the typical phenotype of the mesenchymal cells. In pathological conditions, EMT can confer stemness or stem-like phenotypes, playing a role in the tumorigenic process. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a subpopulation, found in the tumor tissues, with stem-like properties such as uncontrolled proliferation, self-renewal, and ability to differentiate into different cell types. ESCs and CSCs share numerous features (pluripotency, self-renewal, expression of stemness genes, and acquisition of epithelial–mesenchymal features), and most of them are under the control of microRNAs (miRNAs). These small molecules have relevant roles during both embryogenesis and cancer development. The aim of this review was to recapitulate molecular mechanisms shared by ESCs and CSCs, with a special focus on the recently identified classes of microRNAs (noncanonical miRNAs, mirtrons, isomiRs, and competitive endogenous miRNAs) and their complex functions during embryogenesis and cancer development.


2017 ◽  
Vol 216 (10) ◽  
pp. 3405-3422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasja Urbančič ◽  
Richard Butler ◽  
Benjamin Richier ◽  
Manuel Peter ◽  
Julia Mason ◽  
...  

Filopodia have important sensory and mechanical roles in motile cells. The recruitment of actin regulators, such as ENA/VASP proteins, to sites of protrusion underlies diverse molecular mechanisms of filopodia formation and extension. We developed Filopodyan (filopodia dynamics analysis) in Fiji and R to measure fluorescence in filopodia and at their tips and bases concurrently with their morphological and dynamic properties. Filopodyan supports high-throughput phenotype characterization as well as detailed interactive editing of filopodia reconstructions through an intuitive graphical user interface. Our highly customizable pipeline is widely applicable, capable of detecting filopodia in four different cell types in vitro and in vivo. We use Filopodyan to quantify the recruitment of ENA and VASP preceding filopodia formation in neuronal growth cones, and uncover a molecular heterogeneity whereby different filopodia display markedly different responses to changes in the accumulation of ENA and VASP fluorescence in their tips over time.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mar Pacheco-Herrero ◽  
Luis O. Soto-Rojas ◽  
Charles R. Harrington ◽  
Yazmin M. Flores-Martinez ◽  
Marcos M. Villegas-Rojas ◽  
...  

The current pandemic caused by the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a public health emergency. To date, March 1, 2021, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused about 114 million accumulated cases and 2.53 million deaths worldwide. Previous pieces of evidence suggest that SARS-CoV-2 may affect the central nervous system (CNS) and cause neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients. It is also known that angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2), the primary receptor for SARS-CoV-2 infection, is expressed in different brain areas and cell types. Thus, it is hypothesized that infection by this virus could generate or exacerbate neuropathological alterations. However, the molecular mechanisms that link COVID-19 disease and nerve damage are unclear. In this review, we describe the routes of SARS-CoV-2 invasion into the central nervous system. We also analyze the neuropathologic mechanisms underlying this viral infection, and their potential relationship with the neurological manifestations described in patients with COVID-19, and the appearance or exacerbation of some neurodegenerative diseases.


‘Neuroanatomy and neurophysiology’ covers the anatomy and organization of the central nervous system, including the skull and cervical vertebrae, the meninges, the blood and lymphatic vessels, muscles and nerves of the head and neck, and the structures of the eye, ear, and central nervous system. At a cellular level, the different cell types and the mechanism of transmission across synapses are considered, including excitatory and inhibitory synapses. This is followed by a review of the major control and sensory systems (including movement, information processing, locomotion, reflexes, and the main five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell). The integration of these processes into higher functions (such as sleep, consciousness and coma, emotion, memory, and ageing) is discussed, along with the causes and treatments of disorders of diseases such as depression, schizophrenia, epilepsy, addiction, and degenerative diseases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 695-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Schaub ◽  
Habib Hamidi ◽  
Lalita Subramanian ◽  
Matthias Kretzler

The kidney is a complex organ responsible for maintaining multiple aspects of homeostasis in the human body. The combination of distinct, yet interrelated, molecular functions across different cell types make the delineation of factors associated with loss or decline in kidney function challenging. Consequently, there has been a paucity of new diagnostic markers and treatment options becoming available to clinicians and patients in managing kidney diseases. A systems biology approach to understanding the kidney leverages recent advances in computational technology and methods to integrate diverse sets of data. It has the potential to unravel the interplay of multiple genes, proteins, and molecular mechanisms that drive key functions in kidney health and disease. The emergence of large, detailed, multilevel biologic and clinical data from national databases, cohort studies, and trials now provide the critical pieces needed for meaningful application of systems biology approaches in nephrology. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current state in the evolution of the field. Recent successes of systems biology to identify targeted therapies linked to mechanistic biomarkers in the kidney are described to emphasize the relevance to clinical care and the outlook for improving outcomes for patients with kidney diseases.


Author(s):  
Christian J. Hendriksz ◽  
Francois Karstens

There are 8 different types of diseases of the mucopolysaccharides, each caused by a deficiency in one of 10 different enzymes involved in the degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Partially degraded GAGs accumulate within the lysosomes of many different cell types and lead to clinical symptoms and excretion of large amounts of GAGs in the urine. Heritability is autosomal recessive except for MPS type II, which is X-linked. The disorders are chronic and progressive and, although the specific types all have their individual features, they share an abundance of clinical similarities. All involve the musculoskeletal, the cardiovascular, the pulmonary and the central nervous system.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siamak Yousefi ◽  
Hao Chen ◽  
Jesse F. Ingels ◽  
Melinda S. McCarty ◽  
Arthur G. Centeno ◽  
...  

SUMMARYSingle cell RNA sequencing has enabled quantification of single cells and identification of different cell types and subtypes as well as cell functions in different tissues. Single cell RNA sequence analyses assume acquired RNAs correspond to cells, however, RNAs from contamination within the input data are also captured by these assays. The sequencing of background contamination as well as unwanted cells making their way to the final assay Potentially confound the correct biological interpretation of single cell transcriptomic data. Here we demonstrate two approaches to deal with background contamination as well as profiling of unwanted cells in the assays. We use three real-life datasets of whole-cell capture and nucleotide single-cell captures generated by Fluidigm and 10x technologies and show that these methods reduce the effect of contamination, strengthen clustering of cells and improves biological interpretation.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenhua You ◽  
Xiangyu Li ◽  
Peng Wang ◽  
Bowen Sha ◽  
Yuan Liang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) is a highly aggressive biliary epithelial malignancy. Tumor invasion and metastasis contributed to the high mortality of GBC patients. However, molecular mechanisms involved in GBC metastases are still little known. Methods: We performed single-cell RNA sequencing on GBC liver metastasis tissue and analyzed the data based on different cell types.Results: In this study, 8 cell types, including T cells, B cells, malignant cells, fibroblasts, endothelial cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and mast cells were identified. Malignant cells displayed a high degree of intra-tumor heterogenicity and neutrophils could promote GBC progression in vitro. Besides, cytotoxic CD8+ T cells became exhausted and CD4+ Tregs presented immunosuppressive characteristics. Macrophages played an important role in the tumor microenvironment. We identified three distinct macrophage subsets and emerged M2 polarization. We also found that cancer-associated fibroblasts exhibited heterogeneity and promoted GBC metastasis. Conclusions: In conclusion, our work provided a landscape view at the single-cell level and may clear the way for the therapy of GBC metastases.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document