Cell Signaling

Tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease is known to hamper several cellular functions including  microtubule dynamics, proteostasis etc. Tau is a microtubule-stabilizing protein, playing an important role in maintaining the integrity of the axonal microtubules [1,2].

Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae (sdAVFs) are rare (5-10 per million per year), often misdiagnosed vascular lesions most commonly found in the thoracolumbar spine [1-7]. These lesions commonly present with progressive myelopathy in male (approximately 80%) patients who are usually in their 7th decade of life [3-6,8]. 

The skeletal system consists mostly of extracellular matrix and mineral salts. Osteoblasts and chondrocytes create enormous amounts of extracellular matrix proteins for skeletal systems to grow and sustain. Many skeletal metabolism related proteins are produced by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and secrete outside cell membrane then form to extracellular oligometric matrix proteins and collagens. 

The discovery of proper sensitizers for immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treatment represents a significant breakthrough in the field of cancer therapy, but it is still in initial stage [1,2].

Radiation is omnipresent in the universe. Since the primitive period, chemical evolution led to a biological evolution somehow driven by the ionizing and non-ionizing radiation on the Earth’s atmosphere [1,2].

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a disorder affecting cortisol biosynthesis in the adrenal cortex [1]. 21-hydroxylase deficiency is the most frequent reason for CAH, with an incidence between 1:10.000 and 1:20.000 [2]. Due to the lack of enzyme function, patients with any enzyme deficiency cannot synthesize cortisol effectively. 

The design of safe drug delivery systems that locally allow efficacious concentration of curative molecules has become the latest frontier in nanomedicine. It usually relies on the entrapment of drugs into micro/nano carriers guaranteeing for the controlled release of the drugs while protecting them from degradation and fast clearance.

Arrestins were discovered as key players in the conserved two-step homologous desensitization of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs): they specifically bind active phosphorylated GPCRs, precluding their coupling to cognate G proteins, thereby stopping (“arresting”) G protein-mediated receptor signaling [1]. 

Antibiotic misuse contributes to the emergence of multidrug-resistant organisms, resulting in infections that cause over one million deaths annually [1-3]. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new antimicrobial methods. Traditional antibiotic therapy is often incomplete due to the emergence of drug-resistant strains, leading to relapse. 

The NOTCH receptors are mechanosensing proteins that require cell-cell contact and physical force for activation. While most receptors have evolved to respond to one or a few unique ligands, the four NOTCH receptors can respond to any of the five Delta/Serrate/Lag-2 (DSL) ligands - Jagged (JAG) 1, 2, and Delta-like (DLL) 1, 3, 4 [1].

Homocysteine (Hcy) metabolism is at the intersection of two metabolic pathways: remethylation and trans-sulfuration, which abnormality can result in hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy). In the past few years our team has been working on the molecular mechanism of HHcy development.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a member of the ErbB family. It is involved in biological processes such as cell proliferation, angiogenesis, inhibition of apoptosis, adhesion, metastasis, and is associated with the progression of lung cancer [1-3].

Optogenetics utilizes the fusion of naturally occurring light-sensing proteins with target proteins to induce conformational changes, oligomerization, or dissociation in response to illumination of light with specific wavelengths.

Gliocentric paradigms showcase functional association of neurons with astrocytes, as in tripartite glutamatergic synapses. Astrocytes, activated by Glu:3Na(+) symport apply GABAergic inhibitory feedback on synaptic excitation via GABA efflux by GAT-3 reversal and subsequent GABAA activation (astrocytic Glu/GABA exchange [1-3]).

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a growing global health challenge, impacting over 800 million individuals worldwide [1]. Numerous evidences have shown that women are more resistant to CKD than men before menopause, however this beneficial effect is diminished in those with post-menopause, highlighting the pivotal role of estrogen in kidney disease [2-5].

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world has changed significantly with newchallenges constantly arising (Figure 1) [1]. One of the main challenges is the increased prevalence of a prolonged post-COVID-19 syndrome, widely known as "Post COVID", which is currently regarded as a public health issue worldwide [2].

Cardiac hypertrophy is one of the most common manifestations of Fabry disease (FD) [1] and it can be the only clinical expression, in the so called cardiac variant, as result of specific mutation of
alpha-galactosidase-A gene (GLA), as the N215S one [2].

Metastasis of cancer is the process by which the primary tumor spreads from the original site to other parts of the body. Palliative care is the most common treatment option available for patients with metastatic cancer, but most patients eventually succumb to the disease due to the lack of therapeutics that can specifically target disseminated tumors [1].

CD226 is a transmembrane glycoprotein with a well-defined structural organization, which is primarily expressed on natural killer (NK) cells, cytotoxic T cells, and some subsets of B cells [1,2]. Its primary structure consists of an extracellular domain, a transmembrane domain, and a cytoplasmic tail [1]. Each of these domains contributes to the protein's overall function.

Angiopoietin-like 4 (ANGPTL4) is a multifaceted secreted protein discovered by three different institutions in 2000 simultaneously [1]. It is expressed in adipose tissues, liver, muscle, heart, kidney, skin, and other tissues. The nutritional, metabolic, and inflammatory status of the organism regulate the expression of ANGPTL4 [2-4].