Statins: Good for the heart, but do they impact the brain?
High cholesterol, termed hyperlipidemia, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Therefore, keeping cholesterol levels low through diet and exercise has proven benefits for reducing heart disease risk. For adults who cannot meet their cholesterol targets through
Risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in patients with type-1 diabetes
In this modern world non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common forms of chronic liver disease. It is defined as the presence of fatty liver disease in the absence of excess alcohol or
Got blood!
Blood has been recognized as a life giving force from time immemorial. The first recorded attempt at human to human transfusion was recorded in 1492 when Pope Innocent VII succumbed in an attempt at a transfusion. Successful
Not frozen in time: the past matters to the relationship between body weight and insulin
Insulin is a hormone which regulates how your food fuels your body. The food you eat is digested and converted into glucose, which then travels through your blood to reach all of the organs and tissues in
Lipid membrane nanosensors for environmental monitoring
Research on environmental and food biosensing remains blooming for two decades now, attracting scientists from diverse fields. From an analytical viewpoint, biosensors offer a number of benefits when compared to the conventional techniques (e.g., chromatography or immunoassays),
Butyrate enhances mitochondria respiration when challenged with oxidative stress
Butyrate is a ubiquitous short-chain fatty acid (4 carbons in length) that has been shown to have many health benefits. Butyrate is principally produced by the trillions of microbial cells that live in our intestine commonly known
Arthropod-specific viruses: where did they come from, what are they doing and where are they going?
Among the hundreds of arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses), some, for example dengue, West Nile, and yellow fever, cause significant human infections. Millions of infections with symptoms ranging from mild fever to fatal encephalitis occur annually. The suffering is
Healthy commuting – exposure to particulate matter using different transport modes
Atmospheric particulate matter is one of the leading risk factors for premature death worldwide. Short-term exposure leads to worsening of respiratory symptoms, especially for patients with pulmonary diseases like asthma and COPD whereas long-term exposure increases the
Hypertrophic scarring: the rabbit ear model for studying dermal fibrosis
Skin is the largest organ in body with multiple vital functions. Apart from its significant role in maintaining the body temperature and prevention of water loss, the appearance of skin has a significant effect on one’s psychological
Macrophages in atherosclerosis; the good, the bad and the foamy?
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory condition in which arteries are narrowed due to the deposition of plaque material to the artery walls. This narrowing can give rise to other cardiovascular events like thrombosis or a stroke. One
Compounded medication for patients with rare diseases
Pharmaceutical compounding is the preparation of unlicensed medicines in order to meet specific patient needs that do not have a licensed (commercial) medicine available on the market. Especially for patients with rare diseases it is complementary when
The importance of immature cancer cells in predicting patient outcome
The word “cure” for breast or any other type of cancer might be unfair to a patient since this will give the individual a false sense of comfort. The misuse of `cure’ is evident in breast cancer
Surgical strategies to preserve the right heart function during tetralogy of Fallot repair
Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital heart defect which consists of 4 components: the aorta overriding both ventricles of the heart, a hole between both ventricles, narrowing of the right ventricle outlet and thickening of the right
Negative regulators of cell death signalling pathways in cancer
Cancer is a primary cause of human death with a global economic toll of around US$1.4 trillion each year. It is estimated that about 12 million people will yearly die of cancer by 2030. Conventional cancer therapies such
Training the immune system to treat Niemann-Pick type C1 disease
Every year, at least 1 in 100,000 people worldwide is born with Niemann-Pick type C1 (NPC1) disease, a lysosomal storage disease. Lysosomes are cellular compartments which process an array of substrates – from DNA to nutrients –
Do you want a specific signal? Go local! Imaging our way to targeted therapy
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is a ubiquitous intracellular second messenger, a small molecule that conveys the information carried by hormones, neurotransmitters and other extracellular stimuli to the intracellular environment. cAMP is generated at the plasma membrane when
Are there differences in structural and mechanical properties of R15, R16 and R17 spectrin domains?
Spectrin is a cytoskeletal protein that plays an important role in maintenance of plasma membrane integrity and cytoskeletal structure. It determines the strength, mechanical stability and capacity for deformation of cells. Spectrin forms a reverse parallel heterodimer
The cellular protein (cFLIP) downregulates IFN-alpha, a signaling protein involved in the pathogenesis of SLE
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disorder that manifests itself within various organs of the body. It is observed in women more often than men. While clinical presentations may vary widely, hallmarks of SLE include
Circadian rhythm in the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis
Circadian rhythm constitutes key photobiological signals for successive growth of cyanobacteria in variable environment conditions (Cohen and Golden 2015). The endogenous property of diurnal rhythm may alter optimum growth and production of cyanobacterial products in variable environmental
Cellular stress and AMPK links metformin and jumping genes with the creation of human life
The evolution of the human genome has been facilitated to a great extent by the activity of transposable elements (TEs), also known as “jumping genes”. As the name implies, TEs are DNA sequences capable of moving or
