Search results for "therapeutic target"
showing 10 items of 12 documents
The endoplasmic reticulum unfolded protein response in neurodegenerative disorders and its potential therapeutic significance
2017
In eukaryotic cells, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is the cell compartment involved in secretory protein translocation and quality control of secretory protein folding. Different conditions can alter ER function, resulting in the accumulation of unfolded or misfolded proteins within the ER lumen. Such a condition, known as ER stress, elicits an integrated adaptive response known as the unfolded protein response (UPR) that aims to restore proteostasis within the secretory pathway. Conversely, in prolonged cell stress or insufficient adaptive response, UPR signaling causes cell death. ER dysfunctions are involved and contribute to neuronal degeneration in several human diseases, including Al…
Transcription factor NRF2 as a therapeutic target for chronic diseases: a systems medicine approach
2018
Systems medicine has a mechanism-based rather than a symptom- or organ-based approach to disease and identifies therapeutic targets in a nonhypothesis-driven manner. In this work, we apply this to transcription factor nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2) by cross-validating its position in a protein-protein interaction network (the NRF2 interactome) functionally linked to cytoprotection in low-grade stress, chronic inflammation, metabolic alterations, and reactive oxygen species formation. Multiscale network analysis of these molecular profiles suggests alterations of NRF2 expression and activity as a common mechanism in a subnetwork of diseases (the NRF2 diseasome). This netw…
A novel rationale for targeting FXI: Insights from the hemostatic microRNA targetome for emerging anticoagulant strategies
2021
Therapeutic targeting of blood coagulation is a challenging task as it interferes with the delicate balance of pro- and anticoagulant activities. Anticoagulants are employed in millions of thrombophilic patients worldwide each year. The treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism has changed drastically. Traditional vitamin K antagonists are being replaced by direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), which selectively target coagulation factors Xa or IIa. However for a growing population with comorbidities satisfying therapeutic options are still lacking and the quest for novel therapeutics continues. Recently, targeting factors XI or XII have emerged as new therapeutic strategies. As thes…
Promising Strategies for Preserving Adult Endothelium Health and Reversing Its Dysfunction: From Liquid Biopsy to New Omics Technologies and Noninvas…
2022
The endothelium has multiple functions, ranging from maintaining vascular homeostasis and providing nutrition and oxygen to tissues to evocating inflammation under adverse conditions and determining endothelial barrier disruption, resulting in dysfunction. Endothelial dysfunction represents a common condition associated with the pathogenesis of all diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as of diseases of all of the other systems of the human body, including sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and COVID-19 respiratory distress. Such evidence is leading to the identification of potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for preserving, reverting, or restoring endothelium in…
Aging and neuroinflammatory disorders: New biomarkers and therapeutic targets
2019
: Chronic neuroinflammation is a common feature of the pathogenic mechanisms involved in various neurodegenerative age-associated disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia. : In particular, persistent low-grade inflammation may disrupt the brain endothelial barrier and cause a significant increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines and immune cells into the cerebral tissue that, in turn, leads to microglia dysfunction and loss of neuroprotective properties. : Nowadays, growing evidence highlights a strong association between persistent peripheral inflammation, as well as metabolic alterations, and neurodegenerative disorder susceptibility. The…
1p36 deletion results in a decrease in glycosaminoglycans which is associated with aggressiveness in neuroblastic tumors
2018
Despite our deep understanding of neuroblastic tumors, some patients still suffer treatment failure, so pre-treatment risk stratification still requires improvement and the search for new therapeutic targets must continue. Here we correlated prognostic clinical and biological features of neuroblastic tumors with the density of extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycans (the main components of the extracellular matrix ‘ground substance’), in nearly 400 primary samples. We also studied the relationship between the density of extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycans and the expression of B3GALT6, an enzyme required for their synthesis. We associated a decrease in glycosaminoglycans with neuroblast…
Therapeutic targeting of SNAIL, RKIP, and YY1 in tumor metastasis and drug resistance
2020
Abstract Cancer is the leading cause of deaths worldwide and is of great importance. Metastasis-inducing the majority of cancer related deaths is a principal problem in cancer treatment. Therefore, therapy regimes preventing metastasis formation are of prominent importance to improve the outcome of malignant diseases. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a predominant process associated with the onset of metastasis and converts epithelial cells to mesenchymal cells. In this chapter, we concentrated on three proteins involved in the metastasis and EMT: RKIP, SNAIL, and YY1. Briefly, SNAIL and YY1 are overexpressed in many cancers, while RKIP is downregulated. Therefore, these prote…
Neurotensin up-regulation is associated with advanced fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with MAFLD
2020
Background & aims: Neurotensin (NTS), a 13-aminoacid peptide localized in central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract, is involved in lipid metabolism and promotes various cancers onset mainly by binding to neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1). Increased plasma levels of pro-NTS, the stable NTS precursor, have been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), cardiovascular diseases and metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). We aimed to evaluate 1) the impact of NTS rs1800832 and NTSR1 rs6090453 genetic variants on liver damage in 1166 MAFLD European individuals, 2) the relation between NTS variant and circulating pro-NTS and 3) the hepatic NTS expression by RNAseq transcriptomic a…
Focal DNA Copy Number Changes in Neuroblastoma Target MYCN Regulated Genes
2013
Neuroblastoma is an embryonic tumor arising from immature sympathetic nervous system cells. Recurrent genomic alterations include MYCN and ALK amplification as well as recurrent patterns of gains and losses of whole or large partial chromosome segments. A recent whole genome sequencing effort yielded no frequently recurring mutations in genes other than those affecting ALK. However, the study further stresses the importance of DNA copy number alterations in this disease, in particular for genes implicated in neuritogenesis. Here we provide additional evidence for the importance of focal DNA copy number gains and losses, which are predominantly observed in MYCN amplified tumors. A focal 5 kb…
A novel rationale for targeting FXI: Insights from the hemostatic miRNA targetome for emerging anticoagulant strategies
2018
Abstract The treatment and prevention of thrombosis is currently under a period of rapid change with the replacement of traditional anticoagulant vitamin K antagonists, which impair the biosynthesis of a wide range of blood coagulation factors, with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), which specifically target factors FXa or FIIa. Nevertheless therapeutic targeting of blood coagulation is an inherently difficult task as it interferes with the delicate balance of pro- and anticoagulant activities. Although anticoagulants are employed in millions of thrombophilic patients worldwide each year, for a growing population with comorbidities who exhibit an increased risk of bleeding with DOAC treat…