Search results for "CHIMICA"
showing 10 items of 4450 documents
Non-conventional Ce:YAG nanostructures via urea complexes
2019
AbstractCe:YAG nanostructures (Ce:YAG = Cerium in Yttrium Aluminium Garnet), easy to control and shape, have been prepared via templating approach using natural and synthetic materials (i.e. paper, cotton wool and glass wool) previously soaked with a gel-like metals precursor and then thermally treated to achieve the wished morphology. The final material, otherwise difficult to process, can be easily moulded, it is lightweight, portable and forms, at the nanoscale, homogeneous layers of interconnected but not agglomerated nanoparticles (15 ± 5 nm). Using the same synthetic route, called Urea-Glass-Route, but in absence of a template, extremely pure Ce:YAG nanoparticle (45 ± 5 nm) can be als…
Involvement of Thyroid Hormones in Brain Development and Cancer
2021
Simple Summary Development and function of the mammalian brain clearly require precise regulation of gene expression at both the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level. Thyroid hormones have been recognized to play a fundamental role in these processes, by acting at multiple levels and in different brain cell types, through direct effects on transcription, mediated by nuclear receptors, and also by triggering transduction pathways at the plasma membrane. At the same time, due to their effects on proliferation, differentiation, and cell metabolism, thyroid hormones may have a critical role in different kinds of cancer, including brain cancer. Abstract The development and maturation o…
Cell-to-Cell Communication in Learning and Memory: From Neuro- and Glio-Transmission to Information Exchange Mediated by Extracellular Vesicles
2019
Most aspects of nervous system development and function rely on the continuous crosstalk between neurons and the variegated universe of non-neuronal cells surrounding them. The most extraordinary property of this cellular community is its ability to undergo adaptive modifications in response to environmental cues originating from inside or outside the body. Such ability, known as neuronal plasticity, allows long-lasting modifications of the strength, composition and efficacy of the connections between neurons, which constitutes the biochemical base for learning and memory. Nerve cells communicate with each other through both wiring (synaptic) and volume transmission of signals. It is by now…
Lactate as a Metabolite and a Regulator in the Central Nervous System
2016
More than two hundred years after its discovery, lactate still remains an intriguing molecule. Considered for a long time as a waste product of metabolism and the culprit behind muscular fatigue, it was then recognized as an important fuel for many cells. In particular, in the nervous system, it has been proposed that lactate, released by astrocytes in response to neuronal activation, is taken up by neurons, oxidized to pyruvate and used for synthesizing acetyl-CoA to be used for the tricarboxylic acid cycle. More recently, in addition to this metabolic role, the discovery of a specific receptor prompted a reconsideration of its role, and lactate is now seen as a sort of hormone, even invol…
“Open Sesame?”: biomarker status of the human equilibrative nucleoside transporter-1 and molecular mechanisms influencing its expression and activity…
2020
Simple Summary Despite the enormous advance in biomarker discovery, many potential biomarkers of drug activity are unable to satisfy the clinical need due to inadequate sensitivity and specificity. The nucleoside transporter hENT-1 has been studied as a potential biomarker to predict the effect of the widely used anticancer drug gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer. However, several studies showed controversial results regarding the predictive value of hENT-1, prompting new analyses with larger cohorts of patients and standardized methodologies. Improved insights on molecular mechanisms underlying hENT-1 expression and activity should also help in the identification of subsets of patients who a…
Suppressive role exerted by microRNA-29b-1-5p in triple negative breast cancer through SPIN1 regulation
2017
MiR-29 family dysregulation occurs in various cancers including breast cancers. We investigated miR-29b-1 functional role in human triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) the most aggressive breast cancer subtype. We found that miR-29b-1-5p was downregulated in human TNBC tissues and cell lines. To assess whether miR- 29b-1-5p correlated with TNBC regenerative potential, we evaluated cancer stem cell enrichment in our TNBC cell lines, and found that only MDA-MB-231 and BT-20 produced primary, secondary and tertiary mammospheres, which were progressively enriched in OCT4, NANOG and SOX2 stemness genes. MiR-29b-1-5p expression inversely correlated with mammosphere stemness potential, and miR-29b…
Aquaporins and Brain Tumors
2016
Brain primary tumors are among the most diverse and complex human cancers, and they are normally classified on the basis of the cell-type and/or the grade of malignancy (the most malignant being glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), grade IV). Glioma cells are able to migrate throughout the brain and to stimulate angiogenesis, by inducing brain capillary endothelial cell proliferation. This in turn causes loss of tight junctions and fragility of the blood–brain barrier, which becomes leaky. As a consequence, the most serious clinical complication of glioblastoma is the vasogenic brain edema. Both glioma cell migration and edema have been correlated with modification of the expression/localization …
An overview of recent molecular dynamics applications as medicinal chemistry tools for the undruggable site challenge
2018
Molecular dynamics (MD) has become increasingly popular due to the development of hardware and software solutions and the improvement in algorithms, which allowed researchers to scale up calculations in order to speed them up. MD simulations are usually used to address protein folding issues or protein-ligand complex stability through energy profile analysis over time. In recent years, the development of new tools able to deeply explore a potential energy surface (PES) has allowed researchers to focus on the dynamic nature of the binding recognition process and binding-induced protein conformational changes. Moreover, modern approaches have been demonstrated to be effective and reliable in …
Effects of Apirolio Addition and Alfalfa and Compost Treatments on the Natural Microbial Community of a Historically PCB-Contaminated Soil
2018
Abstract Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ubiquitous and persistent organic pollutants generated exclusively from human sources and found in the environment as several congeners (e.g. Apirolio, produced in Italy and used for electrical transformers). To evaluate the ability of the natural microbial community of historically PCB-contaminated soil to transform or degrade PCBs after fresh contamination through the addition of Apirolio, a microcosm experiment was conducted in a greenhouse for approximately 8 months. Compost and Medicago sativa (alfalfa) were additionally used in the microcosms to stimulate microbial PCB degradation. Chemical analyses were performed to evaluate PCB concentra…
Rapid generation of hydrogen peroxide contributes to the complex cell death induction by the angucycline antibiotic landomycin E
2017
Landomycin E (LE) is an angucycline antibiotic produced by Streptomyces globisporus. Previously, we have shown a broad anticancer activity of LE which is, in contrast to the structurally related and clinically used anthracycline doxorubicin (Dx), only mildly affected by multidrug resistance-mediated drug efflux. In the present study, cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the anticancer activity of landomycin E towards Jurkat T-cell leukemia cells were dissected focusing on the involvement of radical oxygen species (ROS). LE-induced apoptosis distinctly differed in several aspects from the one induced by Dx. Rapid generation of both extracellular and cell-derived hydrogen peroxide alr…