scholarly journals Exploring the molecular mechanisms of parasite-host interactions with a view towards new therapeutics and vaccines

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 370-376
Author(s):  
Megan Cross ◽  
Emma Klepzig ◽  
Madeleine Dallaston ◽  
Neil D Young ◽  
Ulla-Maja Bailey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
The Body ◽  
Parasitic Nematodes ◽  
Protein Targets ◽  
Host Interactions ◽  
Blood Flukes ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Genomic Studies

Despite the massive disease burden worldwide caused by parasitic nematodes and other infectious pathogens, the molecular basis of many infectious diseases caused by these pathogens has been unduly neglected for a long time. Therefore, accelerated progress towards novel therapeutics, and ultimately control of such infectious diseases, is of crucial importance. Capitalising on the wealth of data becoming available from proteomic and genomic studies, new protein targets at the pathogen-host interface can be identified and subjected to protein-based explorations of the molecular basis of pathogen-host interactions. By combining the use of systems and structural biology methodologies, insights into the structural and molecular mechanisms of these interactions can assist in the development of therapeutics and/or vaccines. This brief review examines two different proteins from the body wall of blood flukes – annexins and the stress-induced phosphoprotein 1 – both of which are presently interesting targets for the development of therapeutics.

scholarly journals Mangiferin as New Potential Anti-Cancer Agent and Mangiferin-Integrated Polymer Systems—A Novel Research Direction

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 79
Author(s):  
Svetlana N. Morozkina ◽  
Thi Hong Nhung Vu ◽  
Yuliya E. Generalova ◽  
Petr P. Snetkov ◽  
Mayya V. Uspenskaya
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Biological Activities ◽  
Research Direction ◽  
Biological Action ◽  
The Body ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Polymer Systems ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Cancer Agent

For a long time, the pharmaceutical industry focused on natural biologically active molecules due to their unique properties, availability and significantly less side-effects. Mangiferin is a naturally occurring C-glucosylxantone that has substantial potential for the treatment of various diseases thanks to its numerous biological activities. Many research studies have proven that mangiferin possesses antioxidant, anti-infection, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, cardiovascular, neuroprotective properties and it also increases immunity. It is especially important that it has no toxicity. However, mangiferin is not being currently applied to clinical use because its oral bioavailability as well as its absorption in the body are too low. To improve the solubility, enhance the biological action and bioavailability, mangiferin integrated polymer systems have been developed. In this paper, we review molecular mechanisms of anti-cancer action as well as a number of designed polymer-mangiferin systems. Taking together, mangiferin is a very promising anti-cancer molecule with excellent properties and the absence of toxicity.

scholarly journals Chromosome-level genome assembly of Scapharca kagoshimensis reveals the expanded molecular basis of heme biosynthesis in ark shell

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teng Weiming ◽  
Xie Xi ◽  
Hongtao Nie ◽  
Yamin Sun ◽  
Liu Xiangfeng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genome Assembly ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Heme Biosynthesis ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Conserved Genes ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Muddy Sediments ◽  
Chromosome Level

Ark shells are commercially important clam species that inhabit in muddy sediments of shallow coasts in East Asia. For a long time, the lack of genome resources has hindered scientific research of ark shells. Here, we reported a high-quality chromosome-level genome assembly of Scapharca kagoshimensis, with an aim to unravel the molecular basis of heme biosynthesis, and develop genomic resources for genetic breeding and population genetics in ark shells. Nineteen scaffolds corresponding to 19 chromosomes were constructed from 938 contigs (contig N50=2.01 Mb) to produce a final high-quality assembly with a total length of 1.11 Gb and scaffold N50 around 60.64 Mb. The genome assembly represents 93.4% completeness via matching 303 eukaryota core conserved genes. A total of 24,908 protein-coding genes were predicted and 24,551 genes (98.56%) of which were functionally annotated. The enrichment analyses suggested that genes in heme biosynthesis pathways were expanded and positive selection of the hemoglobin genes was also found in the genome of S. kagoshimensis, which gives important insights into the molecular mechanisms and evolution of the heme biosynthesis in mollusca. The valuable genome assembly of S. kagoshimensis would provide a solid foundation for investigating the molecular mechanisms that underlie the diverse biological functions and evolutionary adaptations of S. kagoshimensis.

Role of Common Kitchen Remedies in Prevention of Infectious Diseases with a particular perspective of Covid-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1378-1383
Author(s):  
Kanyaka Bagde ◽  
Bharat Rathi ◽  
Renu Rathi ◽  
Prem Badwaik ◽  
Swapnali Khabde
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
The Body ◽  
Self Healing ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Common Man ◽  
Natural Way

The greatness of Ayurveda medicine is that it works on your immune system and helps to build up the body to fight against viral invasions. It is the safest, economical and natural way of self-healing. It can quickly spread among masses from rich to poor all over the country. Ayurveda has been dealing with plenty of herbs for a very long time. These herbs include some rare to prevalent herbs which we can found some in the kitchen even though if that is of any commoners. The concern is that these viral infections are very prone to attack weak immunity and take the chance to affect the country to the globe. So the prevalent herbs of Ayurveda available in the kitchen will always be helpful to get through this viral invasion. These herbs are always there to make tasty food as well as to protect the body from infectious diseases by building the immunity strong. Herbs from the kitchen are not complicated to take as a medicine. Regular use of a few herbs in the straightforward form proves its importance as a medicine. In this article a review of herbs is done which we are available in our kitchen, we are using it in our daily life, and we are getting the benefit of these which a common man might not be fully aware of about. 

The Basics of Infectious Diseases

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heinz-Josef Schmitt
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Asymptomatic Infection ◽  
Host Tissue ◽  
The Body ◽  
Symptomatic Disease ◽  
Immune Mediated ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Micro Organisms ◽  
Underlying Diseases

Infectious Diseases result from exposure and contact between a host (human being) and an (uninvited) guest (micro-organism). Given the fact that billions of micro-organisms are in and around us at any time, overall, infectious diseases are comparatively rare; of the millions of different microbial species, only about 300 are known to cause human diseases. Besides exposure and contact, factors on the side of the host (genetic background, environment, underlying diseases and their therapy) and on the side of the micro-organisms (pathogenicity / virulence factors) are necessary to result in an infectious disease. “Colonization” means that a micro-organism can attach on skin or mucous membrane for some time or even indefinitely but does not invade host tissue and does not cause any symptoms. Colonizers may even induce an immune response. “Infection” is defined as a micro-organism invading through skin or mucous membranes the tissue of a host, leading to no disease (“asymptomatic infection”); or symptomatic disease. It is followed by health, disability, or death. Following the infection, microorganisms may persist in the body for a long time or even for life without causing any symptoms, which is called “latent infection”. Infectious diseases may not only be due to pathogenicity factors of a micro-organism, but may also result from (i.) direct destruction of host tissues (e.g., from viral replication); (ii.) the acute host (immune-) response; and from late immune responses resulting in immune-mediated “post-infectious diseases”. Some infections may cause an immune response that is directed against host-tissue, resulting in an “autoimmune-disease”. Given the increasing number of microbes, the increasing number of exposures, and the increasing number and fraction of susceptible/predisposed humans, it is obvious that infectious diseases will increase in the future. Vaccines and vaccination may help solve this problem.

Nutritional Recommendation for COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 753-757
Author(s):  
Anagha Gulhane ◽  
Shamli Hiware
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Immune Function ◽  
The Body ◽  
Health Issue ◽  
System Quality ◽  
Life Phase ◽  
Global Health Issue ◽  
Nutritional Recommendation

It is the most unreliable truth that anybody can get infected by the COVID-19, and nobody can escape from the danger of getting tainted by the virus. Yet, the line of hope is that anyone and everyone can boost their resistance, thus avoid the risk of getting affected by the illness. The immunity of humans pulls down as they grow older. If their immune system is robust, them falling sick is feeble. If their resistance is weak, them getting ill is sound. Several factors affect the immune system and its ability, including its nourishment. A two-way connection between nutrition, infection and immunity presents. Changes in one part will affect the others part in our body that's the nature's rule. Well defined immune system quality which is present between each life phase may influence the type, generality and the degree of infections. At the same time, low nutrition to the body will decrease the immune function and expose the body to the danger of getting infected by infectious diseases. Different quantity of micronutrients is required for increasing the immunity power of our body. Generally the vitamins A,C,D,E,B2,B6,B12, iron, zinc and selenium.The deficiencies of micronutrients are acknowledged as a global health issue, and also low nutrition makes it prone to establishes the infections in the body.

Urtica dioica in the Management of Benign Prostate Hyperplasia (BPH)

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 535-542
Author(s):  
Mohaddese Mahboubi
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Urtica Dioica ◽  
Urinary Flow ◽  
Prostate Hyperplasia ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Preclinical And Clinical Studies ◽  
Benign Prostate ◽  
Maximum Urinary Flow

Background:: Benign Prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is known as a disease prevalent in men after the age of 50 years old. Ninety percent of men with the age of 80 years and over have BPH. BPH is associated with functional problems like dysuria, nocturia, polyuria, urinary incontinence and recurrent urinary tract infections. Urtica dioica or nettle is a popular medicinal plant for management of BPH in men. Objective:: This article evaluates the efficacy and safety of nettle and its related possible mechanisms in the management of BPH. Methods:: For the preparation of this manuscript, all the information was gathered from accessible and inaccessible resources (Web, Books, Thesis, etc.). Results:: The results of preclinical and clinical studies confirmed the efficacy of nettle roots extracts (methanol, ethanol, and petroleum ether) in the improvement of BPH in term of IPSS score, and patient's life quality. An increase in mean and maximum urinary flow rates and a reduction in prostate volume and residual urine level were observed after treatment with nettle extract. Nettle roots should be used for 6-12 months as its use is possible for a long time without any serious adverse effects. Conclusion:: Designing the clinical trials to compare the efficacy of different extracts from roots or leaves and investigation of molecular mechanisms of action could be the approaches for future.

Toxicology

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Laumbach ◽  
Michael Gochfeld
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Molecular Targets ◽  
Toxicity Testing ◽  
The Body ◽  
Toxic Substances ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Mechanisms Of Toxicity ◽  
Body Distribution ◽  
Threshold Doses

This chapter describes the basic principles of toxicology and their application to occupational and environmental health. Topics covered include pathways that toxic substances may take from sources in the environment to molecular targets in the cells of the body where toxic effects occur. These pathways include routes of exposure, absorption into the body, distribution to organs and tissues, metabolism, storage, and excretion. The various types of toxicological endpoints are discussed, along with the concepts of dose-response relationships, threshold doses, and the basis of interindividual differences and interspecies differences in response to exposure to toxic substances. The diversity of cellular and molecular mechanisms of toxicity, including enzyme induction and inhibition, oxidative stress, mutagenesis, carcinogenesis, and teratogenesis, are discussed and the chapter concludes with examples of practical applications in clinical evaluation and in toxicity testing.

scholarly journals HLA and Infectious Diseases

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 370-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenefer M. Blackwell ◽  
Sarra E. Jamieson ◽  
David Burgner
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Human Leukocyte Antigen ◽  
Molecular Basis ◽  
Selective Pressure ◽  
Human Leukocyte ◽  
Acquired Immunity ◽  
Leukocyte Antigen ◽  
Extreme Variability ◽  
Classical Human Leukocyte Antigen

SUMMARY Following their discovery in the early 1970s, classical human leukocyte antigen (HLA) loci have been the prototypical candidates for genetic susceptibility to infectious disease. Indeed, the original hypothesis for the extreme variability observed at HLA loci (H-2 in mice) was the major selective pressure from infectious diseases. Now that both the human genome and the molecular basis of innate and acquired immunity are understood in greater detail, do the classical HLA loci still stand out as major genes that determine susceptibility to infectious disease? This review looks afresh at the evidence supporting a role for classical HLA loci in susceptibility to infectious disease, examines the limitations of data reported to date, and discusses current advances in methodology and technology that will potentially lead to greater understanding of their role in infectious diseases in the future.

scholarly journals Insights into how environment shapes post-mortem RNA transcription in mouse brain

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Severino Bonadio ◽  
Larissa Barbosa Nunes ◽  
Patricia Natália S. Moretti ◽  
Juliana Forte Mazzeu ◽  
Stefano Cagnin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lipid Metabolism ◽  
Mouse Brain ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Cell Communication ◽  
Rna Degradation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Post Mortem ◽  
Gene Expression Alterations ◽  
Upregulated Genes

AbstractMost biological features that occur on the body after death were already deciphered by traditional medicine. However, the molecular mechanisms triggered in the cellular microenvironment are not fully comprehended yet. Previous studies reported gene expression alterations in the post-mortem condition, but little is known about how the environment could influence RNA degradation and transcriptional regulation. In this work, we analysed the transcriptome of mouse brain after death under three concealment simulations (air exposed, buried, and submerged). Our analyses identified 2,103 genes differentially expressed in all tested groups 48 h after death. Moreover, we identified 111 commonly upregulated and 497 commonly downregulated genes in mice from the concealment simulations. The gene functions shared by the individuals from the tested environments were associated with RNA homeostasis, inflammation, developmental processes, cell communication, cell proliferation, and lipid metabolism. Regarding the altered biological processes, we identified that the macroautophagy process was enriched in the upregulated genes and lipid metabolism was enriched in the downregulated genes. On the other hand, we also described a list of biomarkers associated with the submerged and buried groups, indicating that these environments can influence the post-mortem RNA abundance in its particular way.

scholarly journals Unveiling the Dynamics of KRAS4b on Lipid Model Membranes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cesar A. López ◽  
Animesh Agarwal ◽  
Que N. Van ◽  
Andrew G. Stephen ◽  
S. Gnanakaran
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Hypervariable Region ◽  
Small Gtpase ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Regulatory Function ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Cell Growth And Differentiation ◽  
State Models

AbstractSmall GTPase proteins are ubiquitous and responsible for regulating several processes related to cell growth and differentiation. Mutations that stabilize their active state can lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation and cancer. Although these proteins are well characterized at the cellular scale, the molecular mechanisms governing their functions are still poorly understood. In addition, there is limited information about the regulatory function of the cell membrane which supports their activity. Thus, we have studied the dynamics and conformations of the farnesylated KRAS4b in various membrane model systems, ranging from binary fluid mixtures to heterogeneous raft mimics. Our approach combines long time-scale coarse-grained (CG) simulations and Markov state models to dissect the membrane-supported dynamics of KRAS4b. Our simulations reveal that protein dynamics is mainly modulated by the presence of anionic lipids and to some extent by the nucleotide state (activation) of the protein. In addition, our results suggest that both the farnesyl and the polybasic hypervariable region (HVR) are responsible for its preferential partitioning within the liquid-disordered (Ld) domains in membranes, potentially enhancing the formation of membrane-driven signaling platforms. Graphic Abstract

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