scholarly journals Connexins—Therapeutic Targets in Cancers

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (23) ◽  
pp. 9119
Author(s):  
Magdalena Nalewajska ◽  
Małgorzata Marchelek-Myśliwiec ◽  
Martyna Opara-Bajerowicz ◽  
Violetta Dziedziejko ◽  
Andrzej Pawlik
Keyword(s):  
Intercellular Communication ◽  
Cancer Biology ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Cancer Cell Growth ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Important Challenge ◽  
Transmembrane Channels ◽  
Intercellular Channels ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies

Connexins (Cx) are members of a protein family that forms intercellular channels localised in gap junction (GJ) plaques and single transmembrane channels called hemichannels. They participate in intercellular communication or communication between the intracellular and extracellular environments. Connexins affect cell homeostasis, growth and differentiation by enabling the exchange of metabolites or by interfering with various signalling pathways. Alterations in the functionality and the expression of connexins have been linked to the occurrence of many diseases. Connexins have been already linked to cancers, cardiac and brain disorders, chronic lung and kidney conditions and wound healing processes. Connexins have been shown either to suppress cancer tumour growth or to increase tumorigenicity by promoting cancer cell growth, migration and invasiveness. A better understanding of the complexity of cancer biology related to connexins and intercellular communication could result in the design of novel therapeutic strategies. The modulation of connexin expression may be an effective therapeutic approach in some types of cancers. Therefore, one important challenge is the search for mechanisms and new drugs, selectively modulating the expression of various connexin isoforms. We performed a systematic literature search up to February 2020 in the electronic databases PubMed and EMBASE. Our search terms were as follows: connexins, hemichannels, cancer and cancer treatment. This review aims to provide information about the role of connexins and gap junctions in cancer, as well as to discuss possible therapeutic options that are currently being studied.

scholarly journals The Cancer Clock Is (Not) Ticking: Links between Circadian Rhythms and Cancer

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 435-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica N. Morgan ◽  
Sapir Dvuchbabny ◽  
Chloe-Anne Martinez ◽  
Bernadette Kerr ◽  
Peter A. Cistulli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Cancer Biology ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Cancer Drug ◽  
Cancer Cell Growth ◽  
Clock Gene Expression ◽  
Central Pacemaker

Circadian rhythms regulate many physiological and behavioral processes, including sleep, metabolism and cell division, which have a 24-h oscillation pattern. Rhythmicity is generated by a transcriptional–translational feedback loop in individual cells, which are synchronized by the central pacemaker in the brain and external cues. Epidemiological and clinical studies indicate that disruption of these rhythms can increase both tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Environmental changes (shift work, jet lag, exposure to light at night), mutations in circadian regulating genes, and changes to clock gene expression are recognized forms of disruption and are associated with cancer risk and/or cancer progression. Experimental data in animals and cell cultures further supports the role of the cellular circadian clock in coordinating cell division and DNA repair, and disrupted cellular clocks accelerate cancer cell growth. This review will summarize studies linking circadian disruption to cancer biology and explore how such disruptions may be further altered by common characteristics of tumors including hypoxia and acidosis. We will highlight how circadian rhythms might be exploited for cancer drug development, including how delivery of current chemotherapies may be enhanced using chronotherapy. Understanding the role of circadian rhythms in carcinogenesis and tumor progression will enable us to better understand causes of cancer and how to treat them.

Exercise in intensive care units, safety and hemodynamic monitoring

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Giulliano Gardenghi
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care ◽  
Intensive Care Units ◽  
Hemodynamic Monitoring ◽  
Artificial Respiration ◽  
Exercise Physiology ◽  
Ventilatory Support ◽  
Early Mobilization ◽  
Cycle Ergometer ◽  
Search Terms

Introduction: Patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) have several deleterious effects of immobilization, including weakness acquired in the ICU. Exercise appears as an alternative for early mobilization in these patients. Objective: This work aims to highlight the hemodynamic repercussions and the applicability of exercise in the ICU. Methods: An integrative literature review was carried out, with articles published between 2010 and 2018, in the Lilacs, PubMed and Scielo databases, using the following search terms: exercise, cycle ergometer, intensive care units, early mobilization, mechanical ventilation, artificial respiration. Results: 13 articles were included, addressing hemodynamic monitoring and the role of exercise as early mobilization, with or without ventilatory support. The exercise sessions were feasible and safe within the ICU environment. Conclusion: Physical exercise can be performed safely in an ICU environment, if respecting a series of criteria such as those presented here. It is important that the assistant professional seeks to prescribe interventions based on Exercise Physiology that can positively intervene in the functional prognosis in critically ill patients.Keywords: exercise, intensive care units, patient safety.

The Renin Angiotensin System and Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 520-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izabela Guimarães Barbosa ◽  
Giulia Campos Ferreira ◽  
Diomildo Ferreira Andrade Júnior ◽  
Cássio Rocha Januário ◽  
André Rolim Belisário ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Cardiovascular Diseases ◽  
Renin Angiotensin System ◽  
Plasma Renin ◽  
Angiotensin Receptors ◽  
Angiotensin System ◽  
Renin Angiotensin ◽  
Search Terms

Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a chronic a multifactorial psychiatric illness that affects mood, cognition, and functioning. BD is associated with several psychiatric conditions as well clinical comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular diseases. The neurobiology of BD is complex and multifactorial and several systems have been implicated. Considering that the Renin Angiotensin System (RAS) plays an important role in cardiovascular diseases and that recently evidence has suggested its role in psychiatric disorders, the aim of the present study is to summarize and to discuss recent findings related to the modulation of RAS components in BD. A systematic search of the literature using the electronic databases MEDLINE and LILACS was conducted through March 2019. The search terms were: “Bipolar Disorder”; “Renin Angiotensin System”; “Angiotensin 2”; “Angiotensin receptors”; “Angiotensin 1-7”; “ACE”; “ACE2”; “Mas Receptor”. We included original studies assessing RAS in BD patients. Two hundred twenty-two citations were initially retrieved. Eleven studies were included in our systematic review. In the majority of studies (6 of 8), the ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism did not differ between BD patients and controls. BD patients presented higher plasma renin activity in comparison with controls. The studies evaluating the RAS molecules in BD are very scarce and heterogeneous. The literature suggests a potential role of RAS in BD. Further studies are necessary to investigate this relationship.

Is Immune Response Relevant in Interstitial Lung Disease?

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-27
Author(s):  
Manzoor M. Khan
Keyword(s):  
Immune Response ◽  
Interstitial Lung Disease ◽  
Lung Disease ◽  
Lung Fibrosis ◽  
Lymphocytic Infiltration ◽  
Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Mediators Of Inflammation ◽  
Acquired Immune Responses ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies

Interstitial lung disease, a term for a group of disorders, causes lung fibrosis, is mostly refractory to treatments and has a high death rate. After diagnosis the survival is up to 3 years but in some cases the patients live much longer. It involves a heterogenous group of lung diseases that exhibit progressive and irreversible destruction of the lung due to the formation of scars. This results in lung malfunction, disruption of gas exchange, and eventual death because of respiratory failure. The etiology of lung fibrosis is mostly unknown with a few exceptions. The major characteristics of the disease are comprised of injury of epithelial type II cells, increased apoptosis, chronic inflammation, monocytic and lymphocytic infiltration, accumulation of myofibroblasts, and inability to repair damaged tissue properly. These events result in abnormal collagen deposition and scarring. The inflammation process is mild, and the disease is primarily fibrotic driven. Immunosuppressants do not treat the disease but the evidence is evolving that both innate and acquired immune responses a well as the cytokines contribute to at least early progression of the disease. Furthermore, mediators of inflammation including cytokines are involved throughout the process of lung fibrosis. The diverse clinical outcome of the disease is due to different pattern of inflammatory markers. Nonetheless, the development of novel therapeutic strategies requires better understanding of the role of the immune response. This review highlights the role of the immune response in interstitial lung disease and considers the therapeutic strategies based on these observations. For this review several literature data sources were used to assess the role of the immune response in interstitial lung disease and to evaluate the possible therapeutic strategies for the disease.

A Comparative Study of 1D Descriptors Supported CoMFA and CoMSIA QSAR Models to Gain Novel Insights into 1,2,4-Triazoles Acting As Antitubercular Agents

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajdeep Ray ◽  
Gautham Shenoy ◽  
N V Ganesh Kumar Tummalapalli
Keyword(s):  
External Validation ◽  
Antitubercular Activity ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Rational Approach ◽  
Antitubercular Drugs ◽  
Comfa Model ◽  
Qsar Models ◽  
Structural Insights ◽  
The Way

: Tuberculosis is one of the leading cause for deaths due to infectious disease worldwide. There is an urgent need for developing new drugs due to the rising incidents of drug resistance. Triazoles have previously been reported to show antitubercular activity. Various computational tools pave the way for a rational approach in understanding the structural importance of these compounds in inhibiting Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth. The aim of this study is to develop and compare two different QSAR models based on a set of previously reported molecules and use the best one for gaining structural insights in to the Triazole molecules. In the current study, two separate models were generated with CoMFA and CoMSIA descriptors respectively based on a dataset of triazole molecules showing antitubercular activity. Several one dimensional (1D) descriptors were added to each of the models and the validation results and the contour data generated from them were compared. The best model was studied to give a detailed understanding of the triazole molecules and their role in the antitubercular activity.The r2, q2, predicted r2 and SEP (Standard error of prediction) for the CoMFA model were 0.866, 0.573, 0.119 and 0.736 respectively and for the CoMSIA model the r2, q2, predicted r2 and SEP were calculated to be 0.998, 0.634, 0.013 and 0.869 respectively. Although both the QSAR models produced acceptable internal and external validation scores but the CoMSIA results were significantly better. The CoMSIA contours also provided a better match than CoMFA with most of the features of the active compound 30b. Hence, the CoMSIA model was chosen and its contours were explored for gaining structural insights on the triazole molecules. The CoMSIA contours helped us to understand the role of several atoms and groups of the triazole molecules in their biological activity. The possibilities for substitution in the triazole compounds that would enhance the activity were also analysed. Thus, this study paves the way for designing new antitubercular drugs in future.

Microbiota-Immune System Interactions in Human Neurological Disorders

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 509-526
Author(s):  
Qin Huang ◽  
Fang Yu ◽  
Di Liao ◽  
Jian Xia
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Host Immune System ◽  
Gut Dysbiosis ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies

: Recent studies implicate microbiota-brain communication as an essential factor for physiology and pathophysiology in brain function and neurodevelopment. One of the pivotal mechanisms about gut to brain communication is through the regulation and interaction of gut microbiota on the host immune system. In this review, we will discuss the role of microbiota-immune systeminteractions in human neurological disorders. The characteristic features in the development of neurological diseases include gut dysbiosis, the disturbed intestinal/Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) permeability, the activated inflammatory response, and the changed microbial metabolites. Neurological disorders contribute to gut dysbiosis and some relevant metabolites in a top-down way. In turn, the activated immune system induced by the change of gut microbiota may deteriorate the development of neurological diseases through the disturbed gut/BBB barrier in a down-top way. Understanding the characterization and identification of microbiome-immune- brain signaling pathways will help us to yield novel therapeutic strategies by targeting the gut microbiome in neurological disease.

Role of MicroRNAs in Colon Cancer Progression and Metastasis

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shruthi Sanjitha Sampath ◽  
Sivaramakrishnan Venkatabalsubramanian ◽  
Satish Ramalingam
Keyword(s):  
Colon Cancer ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Tumour Progression ◽  
Intestinal Barrier ◽  
Colon Cancer Progression ◽  
Bowel Diseases ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies

: MicroRNAs regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level by binding to the mRNA of their target genes. The dysfunction of miRNAs is strongly associated with the inflammation of the colon. Besides, some microRNAs are shown to suppress tumours while others promote tumour progression and metastasis. Inflammatory bowel diseases include Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative colitis which increase the risk factor for inflammation-associated colon cancer. MicroRNAs are shown to be involved in gastrointestinal pathologies, by targeting the transcripts encoding proteins of the intestinal barrier and their regulators that are associated with inflammation and colon cancer. Detection of these microRNAs in the blood, serum, tissues, faecal matter, etc will enable us to use these microRNAs as biomarkers for early detection of the associated malignancies and design novel therapeutic strategies to overcome the same. Information on MicroRNAs can be applied for the development of targeted therapies against inflammation-mediated colon cancer.

scholarly journals Cathepsin L plays a key role in SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans and humanized mice and is a promising target for new drug development

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Miao-Miao Zhao ◽  
Wei-Li Yang ◽  
Fang-Yuan Yang ◽  
Li Zhang ◽  
Wei-Jin Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Drug Development ◽  
Cathepsin L ◽  
Human Cells ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Disease Course ◽  
Promising Target ◽  
First Time

AbstractTo discover new drugs to combat COVID-19, an understanding of the molecular basis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is urgently needed. Here, for the first time, we report the crucial role of cathepsin L (CTSL) in patients with COVID-19. The circulating level of CTSL was elevated after SARS-CoV-2 infection and was positively correlated with disease course and severity. Correspondingly, SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection increased CTSL expression in human cells in vitro and human ACE2 transgenic mice in vivo, while CTSL overexpression, in turn, enhanced pseudovirus infection in human cells. CTSL functionally cleaved the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and enhanced virus entry, as evidenced by CTSL overexpression and knockdown in vitro and application of CTSL inhibitor drugs in vivo. Furthermore, amantadine, a licensed anti-influenza drug, significantly inhibited CTSL activity after SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus infection and prevented infection both in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, CTSL is a promising target for new anti-COVID-19 drug development.

scholarly journals Cancer Stem Cells Are Possible Key Players in Regulating Anti-Tumor Immune Responses: The Role of Immunomodulating Molecules and MicroRNAs

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1674
Author(s):  
Sara Tomei ◽  
Ola Ibnaof ◽  
Shilpa Ravindran ◽  
Soldano Ferrone ◽  
Cristina Maccalli
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cancer Stem Cells ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
Antigen Processing ◽  
Aberrant Expression ◽  
Immunological Profile ◽  
Malignant Lesions ◽  
Novel Therapeutic Strategies ◽  
Antigen Processing And Presentation

Cancer cells endowed with stemness properties and representing a rare population of cells within malignant lesions have been isolated from tumors with different histological origins. These cells, denominated as cancer stem cells (CSCs) or cancer initiating cells (CICs), are responsible for tumor initiation, progression and resistance to therapies, including immunotherapy. The dynamic crosstalk of CSCs/CICs with the tumor microenvironment orchestrates their fate and plasticity as well as their immunogenicity. CSCs/CICs, as observed in multiple studies, display either the aberrant expression of immunomodulatory molecules or suboptimal levels of molecules involved in antigen processing and presentation, leading to immune evasion. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) that can regulate either stemness properties or their immunological profile, with in some cases dual functions, can provide insights into these mechanisms and possible interventions to develop novel therapeutic strategies targeting CSCs/CICs and reverting their immunogenicity. In this review, we provide an overview of the immunoregulatory features of CSCs/CICs including miRNA profiles involved in the regulation of the interplay between stemness and immunological properties.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document