Monthly Archives: June 2018
A turn of the head can cause a stroke
The major arteries of the neck cumulatively constitute the cervical arteries. They are highly important because they are the blood supply for the brain. There are four major cervical arteries: the right and left carotid arteries and
Prevalence of anti-DFS70 antibodies in patients with and without systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases
The main role of the immune system is to protect the body from a wide range of foreign invaders. In some cases, the immune system recognizes a part of the body as “foreign” and starts to attack
Back to the future: Italian folk remedies to heal headache (XIX-XX century)
According to the World Health Organization, headache is, nowadays, among most common disorder of nervous system, resulting in serious problems and disability, but it is reasonable to state headache has existed as long as humankind. The purpose
How well do parents understand sexualised behaviour in their children?
While school-based programs are commonly used to help children protect themselves from sexual abuse, these programs tend to rely on children themselves to prevent and report sexual abuse. This asks much (perhaps too much) of the child.
mRNA Interactome Capture: a frontier method to discover mRNA-bound proteomes in plants
Cells are the structural and functional basic units of a given organism to support its life. The phenotype of an organism is highly determined by proteins at the molecular level in each cell. Imbalance of gene expression
Nischarin regulates energy metabolism
Nischarin is a novel protein that is discovered by us. We demonstrated that it functions as a molecular scaffold that holds and interacts with several protein partners in a number of biological processes. Previously we have shown
Novel anti-inflammatory adjuvants for vaccines to prevent and/or treat autoimmune diseases
The increase during the last 30 years in the incidence of autoimmune diseases (AD) in the developed countries, points to environmental rather than genetic risk factors. Indeed, studies have shown that ADs are rare in countries where
Plateau-like versus sawtooth-like force-extension response of macromolecules
In recent years, the folding and unfolding of single macromolecules has been largely investigated through atomic – force microscopes (AFM), laser optical tweezers (LOT) and magnetic tweezers (MT), which are able to apply external forces directly to
Why genomic research must be diverse and inclusive
In April 2003, the world witnessed the completion of the human genome project: a grand scientific feat comparable to man’s first steps on the moon. This 13-year, publicly funded undertaking determined the DNA sequence of the human
Generating hit molecules against pathogenic DNA motifs in silico
Genome (all the information that is encoded in DNA or RNA and is capable of being passed on to an offspring) is the blueprint of an organism. It consists of a sequence of letters A, G, C,
The dichotomy of exosomes in cancer: targets and treatment vehicles
Exosomes are extracellular vesicles released by all cell types that mediate intercellular communication. Exosomes exist in healthy as well as pathological conditions, but it is in cancer research that they are gaining increasing attention. Exosomes released by
Metformin and AMPK link cancer stem cell elimination with the potential eradication of HIV
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are cancer cells that exhibit several stem cell-like qualities that are characteristic of embryonic or adult stem cells, including self-renewal, differentiation, and the ability to initiate tumorigenesis. CSCs, similar to adult stem cells
Increased blood immune regulation in autoimmunity?
Through centuries, the immune system evolved to become highly proficient in protecting the human body from invading threats. Part of its strength relies on antibodies produced within germinal centres (GC). These structures form intricate networks of immune
Differential diagnosis of neurodevelopmental syndromes using blood episignatures
Neurodevelopmental syndromes refer to a group of inborn diseases that present with impairments of the growth and development of the brain, and facial and somatic dimorphism. The differential diagnosis of these disorders is challenging because of the
Curing glioblastoma with oncolytic virus and immune checkpoint blockade
Cancer immunotherapy utilizes the patient’s immune system to recognize and/or destroy tumors. The immune system has both positive activator/effector and negative inhibitory functions. Immune checkpoints are one such inhibitory function that can be overcome by immune checkpoint
Friendly supporter or unfriendly disrupter? Understanding extraordinary phenomena under high humidity for novel oxychloride photocatalysts
Water, a strongly polar molecule made up of hydrogen and oxygen, is indispensable for human beings as well as all living organisms. We obtain energy for our activities mostly from oxidation of food, but tracing this back
Soft-diet feeding impairs olfactory functions via changes in neural connections
Mastication ability correlates with cognitive impairment in elderly persons. A longitudinal study of aging and Alzheimer’s disease indicates that participants with the fewest teeth had the highest prevalence and risk of incidence of dementia. There are abnormalities
Keyhole heart valve surgery after previous heart transplantation
Advances in heart transplant techniques and medication that control rejection and infections resulted in improved survival and quality of life. These improved long term outcomes are unfortunately paralleled by a variety of associated coronary-, mitral- and tricuspid
