In the last couple of decades, we have experienced increased use of nutraceuticals worldwide with a demand for organic foods, which has been elevated to an extent probably unmatched with other ...periods of our civilization. One of the nutraceuticals that gained attention is epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol in green tea. It has been suggested that diseases of the central nervous system can benefit from consuming some antioxidants, despite current results showing little evidence for their use in preventing and treating these diseases. ECGC may be beneficial in delaying the neurodegeneration of the substantia nigra regardless of the origin of Parkinson's disease (PD). This review covers the effect of EGCG on vitro and animal models of PD, the potential mechanisms of neuroprotection involved and summaries recent clinical trials in human PD. This review also aims to provide an investigative analysis of the current knowledge in this field and to identify putative crucial issues. Environmental factors such as dietary habits, drug use and social interaction are all factors that influence the evolution of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, the use of nutraceuticals requires further investigation.
Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is a polyphenol suggested helping as a remedy for Parkinson's disease. Intracellular signaling pathways play central functions in EGCG‐promoted neuronal protection against a variety of extracellular insults. This review examines the in vitro and in vivo experiments and clinical studies associated with EGCG and Parkinson‐s disease.
Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is the inflammation of the liver with clear-cut interface hepatitis and piecemeal necrosis located at the boundary between portal areas and periportal hepatocytes, and ...characterized by autoimmunity to hepatocytes with an increase in the antinuclear antibody. After the disastrous SARS-CoV-2 pandemic flagellated several countries, several vaccines have been commercialized and have become a ground for social responsibility. The mRNA vaccines, issued by Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) and Moderna (mRNA-1273), do not use prebuilt viruses to supply the antigen in the subject’s body and are not perfect but have been useful in tackling the pandemic. Nevertheless, both myocarditis and AIH have been reported as side effects of the vaccination programs in addition to thromboembolic events. Here, we explore this topic and give a data-based perspective, gathering a comparison between the titin protein of the sarcomere and myocarditis. The isolation of a
Drosophila
gene using the serum from a patient with autoimmune scleroderma recognized an epitope on chromosomes (condensed mitotic form) in both human cultured cells and early
Drosophila
embryos. It revealed that this gene encodes a
Drosophila
homolog of the vertebrate titin (D-Titin). Moreover, anti-titin antibodies have been found in a subset of patients with
myasthenia gravis
, a neuromuscular junction disease that is mostly associated with autoimmune antibodies, such as the anti-acetylcholine receptor antibody. The co-existence of
myasthenia gravis
and autoimmune hepatitis is rare, and a cohort of patients with
myasthenia gravis
anti-titin antibodies seems to be highly relevant. In consideration of these data and the number of patients who may not be symptomatic, we postulated that autoimmune phenomena may not be exceedingly rare, following the administration of mRNA technology-based vaccines, and a balance between pros and cons in administrating boosters is critical.
Abstract
An imbalance between protein aggregation and protein degradation may induce ‘stress’ in the functionality of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). There are quality control (QC) mechanisms to ...minimize misfolding and to eliminate misfolded proteins before aggregation becomes lethal for the cell. Proper protein folding and maturation is one of the crucial functions of the ER. Chaperones of the ER and folding enzymes guarantee correct conformational maturation of emerging secretory proteins. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) 6 (HDAC6) is a masterpiece coordinating the cell response to protein aggregate formation. The balance between HDAC6 and its partner Valosin-containing protein/p97 determines the fate of polyubiquitinated misfolded proteins. WT161 is a terrific, selective, and bioavailable HDAC6 inhibitor. WT161 selectively inhibits HDAC6 and adequately increases levels of acetylated α-tubulin. This compound induces accumulation of acetylated tubulin and cytotoxicity in multiple myeloma (MM) cells. In this journal, Sun et al. (Biosci. Rep.41, DOI: 10.1042/BSR20203905) identified that WT161 suppresses the cell growth of osteosarcoma cells. This discovery opens the door to future chemotherapeutic regimens of this bone neoplasm.
The last two decades have shown impressive advances in high-throughput assays for gene expression (genomics), proteins (proteomics), and metabolites (metabolomics). As a result, the quest for an ...equivalent need for human biological samples has increased exponentially. Translational investigations require good quality specimens to guarantee research results' integrity, probity, and reproducibility. A biorepository is a bank of specimens or specimens-derived neosamples (e.g., organoids, nucleic acids) linked to a database containing information related to these specimens. Two requirements must be met to safeguard the authenticity and stability of such a repository. First, the information provided should comprise relevant clinical and therapeutic communication, and second, the chain of custody is assured, guarded, versatile, and accessible. Completing these requirements is crucial for consistency, accuracy, verifiability, and disclosability of scientific and clinical outcomes. This commentary emphasizes that advocacy for standardization of operational workflows is a sine qua non for good science. Safe procedures for clinical trials are crucial to maintaining biorepositories' validity for all researchers.
In the last couple of decades, biomarkers have been on the rise for diagnostic and predictive value. There has been a rush to identify new markers using new technologies and drug repurposing ...approaches. SMARCB1 acronym arises from the SWI/SNF (SWItch/Sucrose Non-Fermentable) related Matrix-associated Actin-dependent Regulator of Chromatin subfamily B member 1 (SMARCB1). It is a molecule, whose role is associated with the sucrose metabolism. SMARCB1 is also called INI1 (Integrase Interactor 1). The molecule was discovered in the mid-1990s. Its role as a loss-of-function marker for malignant rhabdoid tumors (MRT) of renal and extra-renal origin has enormously expanded the spectrum of involved neoplasms since that time. Several tumors have been characterized by genetic aberrations in the SMARCB1 gene. They include reduction of expression, loss of expression, and mosaic expression. Most of the tumors are sarcomas, but a variegated group of tumors with mixed phenotypes has also been delineated. It is well known that the outcome of patients harboring genetic aberrations in the SMARCB1 gene has been poor. Guo et al. reported that reduced SMARCB1 expression occurred in 70% of osteosarcomas. Their data significantly correlated with poor neo-adjuvant response. These authors emphasize a shorter progression-free and overall survival of the patients demonstrating an altered expression of this gene. Interestingly, mRNA in-silico analysis established that SMARCB1 expression correlates with the response to chemotherapy of osteosarcoma patients, but there was no reliable correlation between SMARCB1 expression level and metastasis, response to neoadjuvant therapy, overall survival, and progression-free survival. The study involved a tissue microarray (TMA) on bone tumors that may limit the full evaluation of the gene expression. Nevertheless, Guo et al.'s study is remarkable. It expands the list of the tumors harboring an altered SMARCB1 gene expression and suggests that this marker should be investigated in every pathology workup for potential predictive value. On the other side, much work needs to be done if we hope that we strive to provide additional therapeutic strategies for osteosarcoma patients with altered SMARCB1 gene expression.
Healthcare is at the edge of a profound renovation or collapse due to the rapid inflow of machine learning protocols and procedures able to optimize several processes. Clinical trials are key for the ...progress of science and the correct interpretation of data. Rickard et al., in this journal, report that data on misidentification rates in medical trials are scarce. In five trials involving more than 800 blood or histology specimens examined, data clarification forms (DCFs) were issued for 21% of instances, and 67% were related to sample identification. The authors suggest that a suitable number of de- recognized data points is critical. Moreover, a formalized process involving the specimen accession employed in routine care is key to mitigate recognition errors and their potential profound impact on clinical research and outcome. We fully agree with the authors and their report is highly relevant today that we face transformation in healthcare. We suggest that 3D barcoding may mitigate several issues on misidentification.
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