Curcumin and Berberine Arrest Maturation and Activation of Dendritic Cells Derived from Lupus Erythematosus Patients.

Background: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex autoimmune disease recognized by elevated activity of autoimmune cells, loss of tolerance, and decreased regulatory T cells producing inhibitory cytokines. Despite many efforts, the definitive treatment for lupus has not been fully understood. Curcumin (CUR) and berberine (BBR) have significant immunomodulatory roles and anti-inflammatory properties that have been demonstrated in various studies.

Antitumor effects of curcumin: A lipid perspective.

Lipid metabolism plays an important role in cancer development due to the necessities of rapidly dividing cells to increase structural, energetic, and biosynthetic demands for cell proliferation. Basically, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other related diseases, and cancer are associated with a common hyperactivated "lipogenic state." Recent evidence suggests that metabolic reprogramming and overproduction of enzymes involved in the synthesis of fatty acids are the new hallmarks of cancer, which occur in an early phase of tumorigenesis.

Phytochemical Analysis and Cytotoxicity Evaluation of Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff.

Background: Kelussia odoratissima Mozaff. (Apiaceae) is an edible, indigenous, and ethnomedicinal plant that grows only in Iran. Although antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of K.

MicroRNAs: New Therapeutic Targets for Familial Hypercholesterolemia?

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is the most common inherited form of dyslipidemia and a major cause of premature cardiovascular disease. Management of FH mainly relies on the efficiency of treatments that reduce plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations. MicroRNAs (miRs) have been suggested as emerging regulators of plasma LDL-C concentrations.

HDL abnormalities in familial hypercholesterolemia: Focus on biological functions.

Although a selective strong elevation in the plasma level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the hallmark of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), also other plasma lipoprotein and lipid subspecies are changed in these patients. Several studies in FH patients have pointed to the qualitative abnormalities of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles, including their triglyceride and sphingomyelin enrichment, reduced capacity to promote cholesterol efflux from macrophages, impaired anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities, and reduced plasma levels of miRs regulating HDL-dependent cholesterol efflux from macrophage foam cells, typical of atherosclerotic lesions. Thus, accurate understanding of HDL functionality and its disturbances in FH may serve a better estimation of the prognosis and also provide additional clues when searching for novel therapeutic choices in this disease.

Curcumin: A Naturally Occurring Modulator of Adipokines in Diabetes.

Curcumin, the bioactive component of turmeric, has been used for the treatment of several diseases including diabetes and its complications. Curcumin has been shown to exert pleiotropic effects by modulating different signaling molecules, including transcription factors, chemokines, cytokines, and adipokines. Disturbed regulation of adipokines, which include adiponectin, leptin, resistin, and visfatin, are implicated in the development of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.

Regulation of PCSK9 by nutraceuticals.

PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin type 9) is a liver secretory enzyme that regulates plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (LDL-C) levels through modulation of LDL receptor (LDLR) density on the surface of hepatocytes. Inhibition of PCSK9 using monoclonal antibodies can efficiently lower plasma LDL-C, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lipoprotein (a). PCSK9 inhibition is also an effective adjunct to statin therapy; however, the cost-effectiveness of currently available PCSK9 inhibitors is under question.

Cytokine networks and their association with Helicobacter pylori infection in gastric carcinoma.

Cytokine networks as dynamic networks are pivotal aspects of tumor immunology, especially in gastric cancer (GC), in which infection, inflammation, and antitumor immunity are key elements of disease progression. In this review, we describe functional roles of well-known GC-modulatory cytokines, highlight the functions of cytokines with more recently described roles in GC, and emphasize the therapeutic potential of targeting the complex cytokine milieu. We also focus on the role of Helicobacter pylori (HP)-induced inflammation in GC and discuss how HP-induced chronic inflammation can lead to the induction of stem cell hyperplasia, morphological changes in gastric mucosa and GC development.

PCSK9 and diabetes: is there a link?

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Inhibitors of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) have emerged as effective low-density lipoprotein cholesterol-lowering compounds. Although the results of available epidemiological, preclinical, and clinical studies suggest a positive association of plasma PCSK9 levels with glycemic parameters and risk of type 2 DM (T2DM), genetic findings have shown contradictory results.

Therapeutic effects of curcumin in inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases: A nature-made jack-of-all-trades?

Curcumin is a dietary polyphenol from turmeric with numerous pharmacological activities. Novel animal and human studies indicate that curcumin can affect different immune cells, such as various T lymphocyte subsets, macrophages, dendritic cells, B lymphocytes and natural killer cells, which results in decreasing severity of various diseases with immunological etiology. The present review provides a comprehensive overview of the effects of curcumin on different immune cells and immune system-related diseases.

Curcumin: A potentially powerful tool to reverse cisplatin-induced toxicity.

Curcumin is a naturally occurring polyphenol isolated from Curcuma longa that has gained considerable interest over the last decades due to its beneficial effects for human health. Moreover, the usage of cisplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapeutic, is associated with several adverse effects affecting the quality of life of the patients. Also, cisplatin therapy is jeopardized by a great challenge of resistance which reduces the efficacy of this drug.

Isolation, identification, and characterization of cancer stem cells: A review.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) or tumor-initiating cells (TICs) as a small subset of neoplastic cells are able to produce a tumor (tumorigenesis), maintain the population of tumorigenic cells (self-renewal), and generate the heterogeneous cells constructing the entire tumor (pluripotency). The research on stationary and circulating CSCs due to resistance to conventional therapies and inability in complete eradication of cancer is critical for developing novel therapeutic strategies for a more effective reduction in the risk of tumor metastasis and cancer recurrence. This review compiles information about different methods of detection and dissociation, side population, cellular markers, and establishment culture of CSCs, as well as characteristics of CSCs such as tumorigenicity, and signaling pathways associated with self-renewal and the capability of the same histological tumor regeneration in various cancers.

Tolerogenic probiotics: potential immunoregulators in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Probiotics are commensal or nonpathogenic microbes that colonize the gastrointestinal tract and confer beneficial effects on the host through several mechanisms such as competitive exclusion, anti-bacterial effects, and modulation of immune responses. There is growing evidence supporting the immunomodulatory ability of some probiotics. Several experimental and clinical studies have been shown beneficial effect of some probiotic bacteria, particularly Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria strains, on inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

Neutralizing human recombinant antibodies against herpes simplex virus type 1 glycoproteins B from a phage-displayed scFv antibody library.

The HSV-1 envelope glycoprotein B (gB) plays a critical role in virus entry into host cells. Neutralizing antibodies can therefore potentially prevent virus entry into target cells and cell-to-cell spread of infection. Our present study focused on the selection of neutralizing single-chain Fv (scFv) antibodies of a phage-displayed nonimmune human scFv antibody library against gB of HSV-1.

Curcumin as a MicroRNA Regulator in Cancer: A Review.

Curcumin is a natural dietary polyphenol for which anti-tumor effects have been documented. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties of curcumin, along with its immunomodulatory, proapoptotic, and antiangiogenic properties, are often referred to as the main mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor effects. At the molecular level, inhibition of NF-kB, Akt/PI3K, and MAPK pathways and enhancement of p53 are among the most important anticancer alterations induced by curcumin.

Role of microRNAs in the Therapeutic Effects of Curcumin in Non-Cancer Diseases.

Curcumin is a bioactive polyphenol occurring in the rhizomes of Curcuma longa. It is well-reputed for its chemopreventive and anticancer properties; however, recent evidence has revealed numerous biological and pharmacological effects of curcumin that are relevant to the treatment of non-cancer diseases. Mechanistically, curcumin exerts its pharmacological effects through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms via interaction with different signaling molecules and transcription factors.

Difluorinated Curcumin: A Promising Curcumin Analogue with Improved Anti-Tumor Activity and Pharmacokinetic Profile.

Background: Curcumin, a polyphenol from turmeric, is a dietary phytochemical with a diversity of health benefits including strong anti-tumor effects. Curcumin undergoes a rapid metabolism resulting in a low oral bioavailability. 3, 4-difluorobenzylidene curcumin or (CDF) is a novel fluorinated curcumin analogue which has been shown to be about 3 times more bioavailable than curcumin.