Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Mol Reprod Dev 2021 Apr 12. Epub 2021 Apr 12.

Faculty of Biotechnology, College of Applied Life Sciences, Jeju National University, Jeju-si, Jeju Province, Korea.

This study investigated the effect of the antioxidant dieckol, a component of Ecklonia cava, on maturation and developmental competence of porcine oocytes exposed to oxidative stress in vitro. Oocytes were matured in in vitro maturation (IVM) medium containing various concentrations of dieckol. The blastocyst formation rate was highest in the 0. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2021 Mar 5;13(5). Epub 2021 Mar 5.

Department of Pediatrics, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.

Protein Kinase CK2 (Casein Kinase 2 or CK2) is a constitutively active serine-threonine kinase overactive in human malignancies. Increased expression and activity of CK2 in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is associated with a poor outcome. CK2 promotes AML cell survival by impinging on multiple oncogenic signaling pathways. Read More

Animals (Basel) 2021 Mar 3;11(3). Epub 2021 Mar 3.

Research Station of the Institute of Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences in Popielno, 12-220 Ruciane-Nida, Poland.

Retained fetal membranes (RFM) is one of the most common post-partum diseases of a complex etiology. Moreover, its pathogenesis is still not elucidated. Detailed transcriptomic analysis of physiological and retained placenta may bring profound insight in the pathogenesis of the disease. Read More

Animals (Basel) 2021 Mar 8;11(3). Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Veterinary Medical Center and College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Embryology and Biotechnology (VETEMBIO), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea.

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is a cytokine essential for cell development, proliferation and survival. However, its role in oocyte maturation is largely unknown. To investigate the effects of IL-7 on the in vitro maturation (IVM) of porcine oocytes, we analyzed nuclear maturation, intracellular glutathione (GSH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and subsequent embryonic developmental competence after parthenogenetic activation (PA) under several concentrations of IL-7. Read More

Front Immunol 2021 10;12:587440. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.

Vitiligo is an pigmentation disorder caused by a variety of pathogenic factors; its main pathophysiological conditions include oxidative stress, immune activation, and genetic background. Additionally, DNA methylation is often associated with the pathogenesis of vitiligo; however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In the present study, we used the Human Methylation 850K BeadChip platform to detect DNA methylation changes in the vitiligo melanocytes. Read More

Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2021 Mar;25(5):2206-2220

School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Dubai, UAE.

Objective: Chrysin, one of the main active constituents of flavonoids, is known for demonstrating protective effects against various types of cancer including cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to determine apoptosis induction and antiproliferative action of chrysin on human cervical cancer cells.

Materials And Methods: In this study, attempts have been made to establish anticancer role of chrysin on HeLa cells. Read More

Front Immunol 2021 26;12:627922. Epub 2021 Feb 26.

Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology of Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-induced protein-1 (MCPIP-1) is a potent inhibitor of inflammatory response to pathogens. Acting as endonuclease against transcripts of inflammatory cytokines or transcription factors MCPIP-1 can significantly reduce the cytokine storm, thus limiting the tissue damage. As the adequate resolution of inflammation depends also on the efficient clearance of accumulated neutrophils, we focused on the role of MCPIP-1 in apoptosis and retention of neutrophils. Read More

BMC Cardiovasc Disord 2021 Mar 11;21(1):132. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Department of Cardiology, Shanghai Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197, Shanghai Ruijin Er Road, Shanghai, 200025, China.

Background: The development of atrial fibrillation (AF) following valvular heart disease (VHD) remains a common disease and is associated with substantial adverse complications. However, valid molecular diagnostic and therapeutic tools for post-VHD AF have not been fully established. This study was conducted to discover the molecular mechanisms and immune microenvironment underlying AF following VHD. Read More

J Biochem Mol Toxicol 2021 Mar 8:e22755. Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Mississippi State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State, United States, USA.

Past assassinations and terrorist attacks demonstrate the need for a more effective antidote against nerve agents and other organophosphates (OP) that cause brain damage through inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Our lab has invented a platform of phenoxyalkyl pyridinium oximes (US patent 9,277,937) that demonstrate the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier in in vivo rat tests with a sarin surrogate nitrophenyl isopropyl methylphosphonate (NIMP) and provide evidence of brain penetration by reducing cessation time of seizure-like behaviors, accumulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and hippocampal neuropathology, as opposed to the currently approved oxime, 2-pyridine aldoxime methyl chloride (2-PAM). Using two of the novel oximes (Oximes 1 and 20), this project examined whether gene expression changes might help explain this protection. Read More

Animals (Basel) 2021 Feb 12;11(2). Epub 2021 Feb 12.

Department of Reproduction and Clinic of Farm Animals, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, 50-366 Wroclaw, Poland.

Apoptosis is a crucial process in spermatogenesis, responsible for the elimination of abnormal sperm cells and testicular regression out of breeding season. The aim of this study was to assess if the expression of apoptosis-related genes in testicular tissue of domestic cats differed: (1) between normozoospermic and teratozoospermic donors, and (2) between reproductive and non-reproductive season. The expression of genes: , , , and caspases (, and ) was analyzed by qRT-PCR in testicular tissue samples. Read More

Cell Mol Neurobiol 2021 Mar 5. Epub 2021 Mar 5.

Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Tumor Biology and Bioactive Compounds, Post Graduate Program in Health Science, São Francisco University (USF), Avenida São Francisco de Assis, 218, Jardim São José, Bragança Paulista, São Paulo, 12916-900, Brazil.

Single-nucleotide variant (SNV) is a single base mutation at a specific location in the genome and may play an import role in epilepsy pathophysiology. The aim of this study was to review case-control studies that have investigated the relationship between SNVs within microRNAs (miRs) sequences or in their target genes and epilepsy susceptibility from January 1, 2010 to October 31, 2020. Nine case-control studies were included in the present review. Read More

Nat Commun 2021 02 26;12(1):1316. Epub 2021 Feb 26.

Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany.

Repeated retroviral infections of vertebrate germlines have made endogenous retroviruses ubiquitous features of mammalian genomes. However, millions of years of evolution obscure many of the immediate repercussions of retroviral endogenisation on host health. Here we examine retroviral endogenisation during its earliest stages in the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), a species undergoing germline invasion by koala retrovirus (KoRV) and affected by high cancer prevalence. Read More

Fish Shellfish Immunol 2021 Apr 10;111:208-219. Epub 2021 Feb 10.

ICAR-National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources, Canal Ring Road, P.O. Dilkusha, Lucknow, 226002, Uttar Pradesh, India. Electronic address:

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is one of the most important aquaculture species farmed worldwide. However, the recent emergence of tilapia lake virus (TiLV) disease, also known as syncytial hepatitis of tilapia, has threatened the global tilapia industry. To gain more insight regarding the host response against the disease, the transcriptional profiles of liver in experimentally-infected and control tilapia were compared. Read More

Oncol Lett 2021 Mar 7;21(3):192. Epub 2021 Jan 7.

School of Life Sciences, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Flavonoids, a subclass of polyphenols, have been shown to be effective against several types of cancer, by decreasing proliferation and inducing apoptosis. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to assess the anti-carcinogenic potential of luteolin on HeLa human cervical cancer cells, through the use of a cell viability assay, DNA fragmentation assay, mitochondrial membrane potential assay, cell cycle analysis using Annexin/PI staining and flow cytometry, gene expression analysis and a protein profiling array. Luteolin treatment exhibited cytotoxicity towards HeLa cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner, and its anti-proliferative properties were confirmed by accumulation of luteolin-treated cells in sub-G phases. Read More

Cancers (Basel) 2021 Jan 19;13(2). Epub 2021 Jan 19.

Cancer Signalling Unit, Navarrabiomed, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra (CHN), Universidad Pública de Navarra (UPNA), 31008 Pamplona, Spain.

(1) Background: Despite the indisputable effectiveness of dexamethasone (DEXA) to reduce inflammation in glioblastoma (GBM) patients, its influence on tumour progression and radiotherapy response remains controversial. (2) Methods: We analysed patient data and used expression and cell biological analyses to assess effects of DEXA on GBM cells. We tested the efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in vitro and in vivo. Read More

Front Cell Dev Biol 2020 14;8:584497. Epub 2020 Dec 14.

Department of Molecular Biology, Research Centre for Medical Genetics, Moscow, Russia.

Introduction: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are applied as the therapeutic agents, e.g., in the tumor radiation therapy. Read More

Pathol Res Pract 2021 Feb 13;218:153318. Epub 2020 Dec 13.

Department of Gastroenterology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China. Electronic address:

Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), an effective antimalarial drug, has been widely investigated as an anti-tumor agent. Although previous studies have indicated the potential therapeutic effects of DHA on multiple malignancies, its detailed molecular mechanisms in gastric cancer (GC) are still undocumented. In the present study, we applied network pharmacology and bioinformatics (gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses) to obtain the collective targets of DHA and GC and analyzed their involvement in constructing a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Read More

Biochemistry (Mosc) 2020 Oct;85(10):1169-1177

Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP), Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123007, Russia.

Cell senescence leads to a number of changes in the properties of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). In particular, the number of damaged structures is increased producing negative effect on intracellular processes. Elimination of the damaged molecules and organelles occurs via autophagy that can be important in the context of aging. Read More

Brief Bioinform 2021 03;22(2):1279-1290

Gyuilin Medical University.

Objectives: Patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) may be susceptible to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). However, anti-CRC/COVID-19 treatment options are currently unavailable. Since niacin is a vitamin with cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory functions, this study aimed to evaluate the possible functional roles and underlying mechanisms of action of niacin as an anti-COVID-19 and -CRC therapy. Read More

Oncogene 2021 01 3;40(2):355-368. Epub 2020 Nov 3.

Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) harboring EGFR mutations prevails in Asian population. However, the inter-patient and intra-tumor heterogeneity has not been addressed at single-cell resolution. Here we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of total 125,674 cells from seven stage-I/II LUAD samples harboring EGFR mutations and five tumor-adjacent lung tissues. Read More

Hum Cell 2021 Mar 29;34(2):564-569. Epub 2020 Oct 29.

Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Oncological Gynecology, Medical University of Silesia, Bytom, Poland.

Endometrial cancer remains the most common malignancy of the female genital system in developed countries. Tumor suppressor genes are responsible for controlling the cells fate in the cell cycle and preventing cancerogenesis. Gene expression affects cancer progression and is modulated by microRNAs defined as both tumor suppressors and oncogenes. Read More

Int J Fertil Steril 2020 Oct 12;14(3):161-170. Epub 2020 Oct 12.

Faculty of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran.

Background: Although application of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) in industry and medicine has increased, their potential toxicity in reproductive cells remains a controversial issue. This study was undertaken to address the response of sperm, oocyte, and resultant blastocyst to dextran-coated SPIONs (D-SPIONs) treatment during murine fertilization (IVF).

Materials And Methods: In this experimental study, murine mature oocytes were randomly divided into three groups: control, and low- and high-dose groups in which fertilization medium was mixed with 0, 50 and 250 μg/ml of DSPIONs, respectively. Read More

BMC Cancer 2020 Oct 21;20(1):1017. Epub 2020 Oct 21.

Health Research Institute of Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Santiago de Compostela, Spain.

Background: Thirty to forty percent of patients with Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) have an adverse clinical evolution. The increased understanding of DLBCL biology has shed light on the clinical evolution of this pathology, leading to the discovery of prognostic factors based on gene expression data, genomic rearrangements and mutational subgroups. Nevertheless, additional efforts are needed in order to enable survival predictions at the patient level. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 10 20;10(1):17777. Epub 2020 Oct 20.

Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Autonomous University of Barcelona, 08193, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.

Members of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) family of cytokines are important for reproductive function that are mediated through changes in gene and miRNA expression. Herein, we characterized the expression of miR-21, miR-155, miR-34c and miR-146a in bovine oocytes and cumulus cells during in vitro maturation (IVM) with leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), IL-6 and IL-11 or unsupplemented controls. LIF-exposed COCs showed higher expression of miR-21 and miR-155 in oocytes, whereas miR-146a expression was increased in oocytes matured with IL-6 and IL-11. Read More

Drug Resist Updat 2020 12 28;53:100728. Epub 2020 Sep 28.

Department of Hematology, Amsterdam UMC, VU University Medical Center, Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Electronic address:

Alternative splicing is a tightly regulated process whereby non-coding sequences of pre-mRNA are removed and protein-coding segments are assembled in diverse combinations, ultimately giving rise to proteins with distinct or even opposing functions. In the past decade, whole genome/transcriptome sequencing studies revealed the high complexity of splicing regulation, which occurs co-transcriptionally and is influenced by chromatin status and mRNA modifications. Consequently, splicing profiles of both healthy and malignant cells display high diversity and alternative splicing was shown to be widely deregulated in multiple cancer types. Read More

Hum Gene Ther 2020 Dec 7. Epub 2020 Dec 7.

Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.

Retroviral insertional mutagenesis (RIM) is both a relevant risk in gene therapy and a powerful tool for identifying genes that enhance the competitiveness of repopulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). However, focusing only on the gene closest to the retroviral vector insertion site (RVIS) may underestimate the effects of RIM, as dysregulation of distal and/or multiple genes by a single insertion event was reported in several studies. As a proof of concept, we examined the common insertion site (CIS) , which revealed seven genes located within ±150 kb from the RVIS for our study. Read More

Int J Mol Sci 2020 Sep 25;21(19). Epub 2020 Sep 25.

Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Autonomous University of Barcelona, ES-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.

Oocyte cryopreservation has a significant impact on subsequent embryonic development. Herein, we investigated whether supplementing in vitro maturation medium with Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) prior to vitrification affects embryo development and gene expression at different embryo developmental stages. A panel of genes including maternal effect, epigenetics, apoptosis and heat stress was relatively quantified. Read More

BioData Min 2020 24;13:15. Epub 2020 Sep 24.

Integrative Dept.3 (Geriatrics Dept), Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.

Background: Chinese medicine Toujie Quwen granule (TJQW) has proven to be effective in the treatment of mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases by relieving symptoms, slowing the progression of the disease, and boosting the recovery of patients. But the bioactive compounds and potential mechanisms of TJQW for COVID-19 prevention and treatment are unclear. This study aimed to explore the potential therapeutic mechanism of TJQW in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on an integrated network pharmacology approach. Read More

Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2020 11 11;406:115237. Epub 2020 Sep 11.

Department of Toxicology "Akademik Danilo Soldatović", Center for Toxicological Risk Assessment, University of Belgrade - Faculty of Pharmacy, Serbia. Electronic address:

Improvement of COVID-19 clinical condition was seen in studies where combination of antiretroviral drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir, as well as immunomodulant antimalaric, chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine together with the macrolide-type antibiotic, azithromycin, was used for patient's treatment. Although these drugs are "old", their pharmacological and toxicological profile in SARS-CoV-2 - infected patients are still unknown. Thus, by using in silico toxicogenomic data-mining approach, we aimed to assess both risks and benefits of the COVID-19 treatment with the most promising candidate drugs combinations: lopinavir/ritonavir and chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine + azithromycin. Read More

Gynecol Oncol 2020 11 8;159(2):539-545. Epub 2020 Sep 8.

Division of Medical Oncology & Hematology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. Electronic address:

Objective: We sought to evaluate the role of intrinsic chromosomal aberrations in determining favorable outcome to weekly paclitaxel (WP) in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Methods: We evaluated the common genomic aberrations of two patients with EOC and exceptional WP response in the GENIUS study (NCT03740503). We then searched for potential markers of unusual outcomes to WP in a validation cohort. Read More