Search results for "differentiation"
showing 10 items of 1605 documents
Effects of mutations in Wnt/β-catenin, hedgehog, Notch and PI3K pathways on GSK-3 activity—Diverse effects on cell growth, metabolism and cancer
2016
Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3) is a serine/threonine kinase that participates in an array of critical cellular processes. GSK-3 was first characterized as an enzyme that phosphorylated and inactivated glycogen synthase. However, subsequent studies have revealed that this moon-lighting protein is involved in numerous signaling pathways that regulate not only metabolism but also have roles in: apoptosis, cell cycle progression, cell renewal, differentiation, embryogenesis, migration, regulation of gene transcription, stem cell biology and survival. In this review, we will discuss the roles that GSK-3 plays in various diseases as well as how this pivotal kinase interacts with multiple sign…
The Role of ERK Signaling in Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis
2017
Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling plays a crucial role in regulating immune cell function and has been implicated in autoimmune disorders. To date, all commercially available inhibitors of ERK target upstream components, such as mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase/ERK kinase (MEKs), but not ERK itself. Here, we directly inhibit nuclear ERK translocation by a novel pharmacological approach (Glu-Pro-Glu (EPE) peptide), leading to an increase in cytosolic ERK phosphorylation during T helper (Th)17 cell differentiation. This was accompanied by diminished secretion of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), a cytokine influencing the encephalitogenicity …
Cutaneous manifestations associated with anosmia, ageusia and enteritis in SARS-CoV-2 infection - a possible pattern? Observational study and review …
2021
BACKGROUND: The cutaneous manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been covered insufficiently in the literature. METHODS: Thirty-nine patients admitted to the study hospital with confirmed COVID-19 who experienced various skin manifestations during hospitalization or in the convalescence period, were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients with COVID-19, admitted to the study hospital between 23 March and 12 September 2020, had intra-infectious rash or lesions of cutaneous vasculitis during convalescence. The most common cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 were erythematous and erythematous papular rash. Twenty-seven of the 39 patients had anosmia (69.2%)…
Myeloid cells do not contribute to gender-dependent differences in disease outcome in murine cutaneous leishmaniasis.
2015
Gender-associated differences in the outcome of infections are well known. Apart from behavior-released differences in their incidence, immunological factors also contribute to disease outcome. The underlying mechanisms are often unknown. Here, we show that in murine experimental leishmaniasis, female mice develop larger skin lesions that harbor significantly more parasites, exhibit increased parasite dissemination to visceral organs associated with a shift towards T helper (Th) 2 immunity with increased levels of IL-4. Antigen presenting cells (APC) responsible for T cell priming, such as macrophages or dendritic cells, were not involved in the process. Additionally, in adoptive transfer e…
Aging-associated genes and let-7 microRNAs: a contribution to myogenic program dysregulation in oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy
2019
Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a late-onset muscle disease caused by an abnormal (GCN) triplet expansion within the polyadenylate-binding protein nuclear 1 gene and consequent mRNA pr...
NT3/TrkC Pathway Modulates the Expression of UCP-1 and Adipocyte Size in Human and Rodent Adipose Tissue
2021
Neurotrophin-3 (NT3), through activation of its tropomyosin-related kinase receptor C (TrkC), modulates neuronal survival and neural stem cell differentiation. It is widely distributed in peripheral tissues (especially vessels and pancreas) and this ubiquitous pattern suggests a role for NT3, outside the nervous system and related to metabolic functions. The presence of the NT3/TrkC pathway in the adipose tissue (AT) has never been investigated. Present work studies in human and murine adipose tissue (AT) the presence of elements of the NT3/TrkC pathway and its role on lipolysis and adipocyte differentiation. qRT-PCR and immunoblot indicate that NT3 (encoded by NTF3) was present in human re…
Galectin-3 is a marker of favorable prognosis and a biologically relevant molecule in neuroblastic tumors
2014
Childhood neuroblastic tumors are characterized by heterogeneous clinical courses, ranging from benign ganglioneuroma (GN) to highly lethal neuroblastoma (NB). Although a refined prognostic evaluation and risk stratification of each tumor patient is becoming increasingly essential to personalize treatment options, currently only few biomolecular markers (essentially MYCN amplification, chromosome 11q status and DNA ploidy) are validated for this purpose in neuroblastic tumors. Here we report that Galectin-3 (Gal-3), a β-galactoside-binding lectin involved in multiple biological functions that has already acquired diagnostic relevance in specific clinical settings, is variably expressed in m…
Silencing of hepatic fate-conversion factors induce tumorigenesis in reprogrammed hepatic progenitor-like cells
2016
Abstract Background Several studies have reported the direct conversion of mouse fibroblasts to hepatocyte-like cells with different degrees of maturation by expression of hepatic fate-conversion factors. Methods We have used a combination of lentiviral vectors expressing hepatic fate-conversion factors with Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and Myc to convert mouse embryonic fibroblasts into hepatic cells. Results We have generated hepatic cells with progenitor-like features (iHepL cells). iHepL cells displayed basic hepatocyte functions but failed to perform functions characteristic of mature hepatocytes such as significant Cyp450 or urea cycle activities. iHepL cells expressed multiple hepatic-specific …
Intranasal Administration of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Human Teeth Stem Cells Improves Motor Symptoms and Normalizes Tyrosine Hydroxylase E…
2018
Abstract Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder affecting millions of people worldwide. At present, there is no effective cure for PD; treatments are symptomatic and do not halt progression of neurodegeneration. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can cross the blood–brain barrier and represent promising alternative to the classical treatment strategies. In the present study, we examined therapeutic effects of intranasal administration of EVs derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth stem cells (SHEDs) on unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) medial forebrain bundle (MFB) rat model of PD. CatWalk gait tests revealed that EVs effectively suppressed 6-OHDA-…
The maternal hormone in the male brain: Sexually dimorphic distribution of prolactin signalling in the mouse brain.
2018
Research of the central actions of prolactin is highly focused on females, but this hormone has also documented roles in male physiology and behaviour. Here, we provide the first description of the pattern of prolactin-derived signalling in the male mouse brain, employing the immunostaining of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (pSTAT5) after exogenous prolactin administration. Next, we explore possible sexually dimorphic differences by comparing pSTAT5 immunoreactivity in prolactin-supplemented males and females. We also assess the role of testosterone in the regulation of central prolactin signalling in males by comparing intact with castrated prolactin-supp…