Publications by authors named "Elettra Musolino"
Background: Heart failure is typical in the elderly. Metabolic remodeling of cardiomyocytes underlies inexorable deterioration of cardiac function with aging: glycolysis increases at the expense of oxidative phosphorylation, causing an energy deficit contributing to impaired contractility. Better understanding of the mechanisms of this metabolic switching could be critical for reversing the condition.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThree-dimensional (3D) chromatin organization has a key role in defining the transcription program of cells during development. Its alteration is the cause of gene expression changes responsible for several diseases. Thus, we need new tools to study this aspect of gene expression regulation.
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- Scientists studied how cells change during early development and wanted to see if similar changes happen in cancer cells, specifically in a type of pediatric cancer called Ewing sarcoma.
- They found that a protein called EWS-FLI1 creates special connections in the cell’s DNA that help the cancer cells grow.
- When they took away EWS-FLI1, the DNA connections changed back to a more normal state, which might allow the cells to behave more like healthy stem cells.
Cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death worldwide, has been characterized at the molecular level by alterations in gene expression that contribute to the etiology of the disease. Such alterations have been shown to play a critical role in the development of atherosclerosis, cardiac remodeling, and age-related heart failure. Although much is now known about the cellular and molecular mechanisms in this context, the role of epigenetics in the onset of cardiovascular disease remains unclear.
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- * Epigenetics, which regulates gene expression and is linked to disease development, faces challenges in treatment due to the toxicity of current epigenetic drugs.
- * This review explores how epigenetics can influence nanoparticle toxicity and the use of nanoparticles to deliver safer "epi-drugs," aiming to encourage further discussion and interest in the intersection of these fields.
Article Synopsis
- - Aging increases the risk for diseases like cancer and cardiovascular issues due to a mix of genetic and environmental factors that affect gene expression and lead to decreased physiological function.
- - Epigenetics involves mechanisms that control gene expression without altering DNA, altering the chromatin structure or transcription processes.
- - Disruptions in epigenetic regulation can lead to changes in gene expression associated with aging and related diseases, with a focus on cancer and cardiovascular diseases in this review.