scholarly journals Small RNAs, Big Diseases

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (16) ◽  
pp. 5699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iwona Rzeszutek ◽  
Aditi Singh

The past two decades have seen extensive research done to pinpoint the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) that have led to discovering thousands of miRNAs in humans. It is not, therefore, surprising to see many of them implicated in a number of common as well as rare human diseases. In this review article, we summarize the progress in our understanding of miRNA-related research in conjunction with different types of cancers and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as their potential in generating more reliable diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.

Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 887
Author(s):  
Josephine Trichka ◽  
Wen-Quan Zou

The process of neuroinflammation contributes to the pathogenic mechanism of many neurodegenerative diseases. The deleterious attributes of neuroinflammation involve aberrant and uncontrolled activation of glia, which can result in damage to proximal brain parenchyma. Failure to distinguish self from non-self, as well as leukocyte reaction to aggregation and accumulation of proteins in the CNS, are the primary mechanisms by which neuroinflammation is initiated. While processes local to the CNS may instigate neurodegenerative disease, the existence or dysregulation of systemic homeostasis can also serve to improve or worsen CNS pathologies, respectively. One fundamental component of systemic homeostasis is the gut microbiota, which communicates with the CNS via microbial metabolite production, the peripheral nervous system, and regulation of tryptophan metabolism. Over the past 10–15 years, research focused on the microbiota–gut–brain axis has culminated in the discovery that dysbiosis, or an imbalance between commensal and pathogenic gut bacteria, can promote CNS pathologies. Conversely, a properly regulated and well-balanced microbiome supports CNS homeostasis and reduces the incidence and extent of pathogenic neuroinflammation. This review will discuss the role of the gut microbiota in exacerbating or alleviating neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases, and potential microbiota-based therapeutic approaches to reduce pathology in diseased states.


Genes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosita Stanzione ◽  
Maria Cotugno ◽  
Franca Bianchi ◽  
Simona Marchitti ◽  
Maurizio Forte ◽  
...  

Epigenetics is the branch of molecular biology that studies modifications able to change gene expression without altering the DNA sequence. Epigenetic modulations include DNA methylation, histone modifications, and noncoding RNAs. These gene modifications are heritable and modifiable and can be triggered by lifestyle and nutritional factors. In recent years, epigenetic changes have been associated with the pathogenesis of several diseases such as diabetes, obesity, renal pathology, and different types of cancer. They have also been related with the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases including ischemic stroke. Importantly, since epigenetic modifications are reversible processes they could assist with the development of new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of human diseases. In the present review article, we aim to collect the most recent evidence concerning the impact of epigenetic modifications on the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke in both animal models and humans.


Cells ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Maia Acuña ◽  
Lucile Maria Floeter-Winter ◽  
Sandra Marcia Muxel

An inflammatory response is essential for combating invading pathogens. Several effector components, as well as immune cell populations, are involved in mounting an immune response, thereby destroying pathogenic organisms such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites. In the past decade, microRNAs (miRNAs), a group of noncoding small RNAs, have emerged as functionally significant regulatory molecules with the significant capability of fine-tuning biological processes. The important role of miRNAs in inflammation and immune responses is highlighted by studies in which the regulation of miRNAs in the host was shown to be related to infectious diseases and associated with the eradication or susceptibility of the infection. Here, we review the biological aspects of microRNAs, focusing on their roles as regulators of gene expression during pathogen–host interactions and their implications in the immune response against Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Toxoplasma, and Plasmodium infectious diseases.


2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 237-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Moutinho ◽  
Juan F. Codocedo ◽  
Shweta S. Puntambekar ◽  
Gary E. Landreth

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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 235-235

In the Review Article entitled “An Emerging Role of Endometrial Inflammasome in Reproduction: New Therapeutic Approaches” published in Protein & Peptides Letters, 2018, Vol. 26, No. 5, the affiliations of authors are revised due to recent restructuring that took place within the Institution for which the authors work for. The revised affiliation is as follows: </p><p> Fiorella Di Nicuoloa,b,*, Monia Specchiac, Lorenza Trentavizic, Alfredo Pontecorvid, Giovanni Scambiacc,e and Nicoletta Di Simoneb,c </p><p> aIstituto Scientifico Internazionale Paolo VI, ISI, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italia; bFondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, U.O.C. di Ostetricia e Patologia Ostetrica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Roma, Italia; cUniversità Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Istituto di Clinica Ostetrica e Ginecologica, Roma, Italia; dFondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Dipartimento di Scienze Gastroenterologiche, Endocrino- Metaboliche e Nefro-Urologiche, Roma, Italia; eFondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, U.O.C. di Ginecologia Oncologica, Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute della Donna e del Bambino, Roma, Italia


Scientifica ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madhav Bhatia

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a well-known toxic gas that is synthesized in the human body from the amino acids cystathionine, homocysteine, and cysteine by the action of at least two distinct enzymes: cystathionine-γ-lyase and cystathionine-β-synthase. In the past few years, H2S has emerged as a novel and increasingly important biological mediator. Imbalances in H2S have also been shown to be associated with various disease conditions. However, defining the precise pathophysiology of H2S is proving to be a complex challenge. Recent research in our laboratory has shown H2S as a novel mediator of inflammation and work in several groups worldwide is currently focused on determining the role of H2S in inflammation. H2S has been implicated in different inflammatory conditions, such as acute pancreatitis, sepsis, joint inflammation, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Active research on the role of H2S in inflammation will unravel the pathophysiology of its actions in inflammatory conditions and may help develop novel therapeutic approaches for several, as yet incurable, disease conditions.


1980 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Cameron ◽  
Donald Meichenbaum

For the past decade we have been attempting to understand the role of cognition in psychopathology and behaviour modification. The purpose of the present paper is to highlight and discuss what we consider to be some of the most important findings and issues that have emerged. While many other investigators are conducting related research, we have limited our review and discussion to work conducted by Meichenbaum and his colleagues. The research program and the field in general have been reviewed in more detail by Meichenbaum (1977). See an annual newsletter on cognitive-behaviour modification for further detailed reviews (Meichenbaum, 1975–1979). Initially, we were interested in developing and evaluating treatment procedures that blended cognitive and behavioural components. While this work continued, we have become interested in attempting to formulate an integrative model of behaviour change (Meichenbaum, 1977). The following review and discussion will describe the research program that led us to highlight the role of cognition in behaviour change.


Litera ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 162-170
Author(s):  
Ziwei Zhu

&nbsp; This article is dedicated to the analysis of the female image of Claire and its variant in the works of Gaito Gazdanov. This character type in the works of G. Gazdanov often resembles the past in the present, i.e. an important part of the &ldquo;lost world&rdquo; for the protagonist. However, deliberate examination allows following the gradual transformation of the authors attitude towards the character of Claire throughout his creative path. In the novel &ldquo;Ab Evening with Clair&rdquo;, the author adheres to priority of that past world over the present, while in the novel of his later period &ldquo;The Fate of Salome&rdquo;, the narrator tends to release from the shadow of the past. The underlying cause for such change lies in the transition of the writer from the romantic theurgical worldview towards phenomenal. In the later period, Gazdanov reconsidered the real world and justified the earthly existence due to the fact that submerging into the own inner world can entail loneliness and dissolution &ldquo;Self&rdquo; in one&rsquo;s mind. The goal of this research consists in tracing the transformation of the role of Claire in the works of Gaito Gazdanov, as well as in description of different types of relations between the protatonist and the heroine in order to prove the evolution of the writer's reasoning on the problem of &ldquo;two-worldness&rdquo;. The relevance of this article consists in explication of the type of Claire in Gazdanov&rsquo;s artistic system of &ldquo;two-worldness&rdquo; as a literary technique, as well as from the new perspective of studying the evolution the writer&rsquo;s worldview. &nbsp;


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Zhu ◽  
Wen Yi

The modification on proteins with O-linked N-acetyl-β-D-glucosamine (O-GlcNAcylation) is essential for normal cell physiology. Dysregulation of O-GlcNAcylation leads to many human diseases, such as cancer, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases. Recently, the functional role of O-GlcNAcylation in different physiological states has been elucidated due to the booming detection technologies. Chemical approaches for the enrichment of O-GlcNAcylated proteins combined with mass spectrometry-based proteomics enable the profiling of protein O-GlcNAcylation in a system-wide level. In this review, we summarize recent progresses on the enrichment and proteomic profiling of protein O-GlcNAcylation.


Author(s):  
Ronak Warasthe

Abstract The number of Public-Private Partnerships in the education sector is growing in developing and emerging economies. Traditionally governments are the main financial contributor to education however, the involvement of the private sector is an increasing one. While more established in primary and secondary education, PPPs in tertiary education are a phenomenon rather slowly growing in the past decades (Patrinos, Barrera-Osorio, & Guaqueta, 2009). There are various concepts of PPPs in higher education each targeting different goals. In order to give an insight into different types of PPPs, the typology according to Mabizela has been briefly displayed and the case of a PPP in Namibia is given. The framework of the partnership was compiled to give an outlook on the practicability of partnerships. The paper exemplifies that both partners within a PPP can benefit from the added value they may generate for their target group. Thus, the benefit depends on quality, relevance and execution of the partnership.


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