Molecular pathways and biological roles of melatonin and vitamin D; effects on immune system and oxidative stress.

Melatonin and vitamin D are associated with the immune system and have important functions as antioxidants. Numerous attempts have been made to identify up to date activities of these molecules in various physiological conditions. The biosynthetic pathways of melatonin and vitamin D are correlated to sun exposure in an inverse manner.

Innovating Cancer Treatment Through Cell Cycle, Telomerase, Angiogenesis, and Metastasis.

Cancer remains a formidable challenge in the field of medicine, necessitating innovative therapeutic strategies to combat its relentless progression. The cell cycle, a tightly regulated process governing cell growth and division, plays a pivotal role in cancer development. Dysregulation of the cell cycle allows cancer cells to proliferate uncontrollably.

The critical role of circular RNAs in drug resistance in gastrointestinal cancers.

Nowadays, drug resistance (DR) in gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, as the main reason for cancer-related mortality worldwide, has become a serious problem in the management of patients. Several mechanisms have been proposed for resistance to anticancer drugs, including altered transport and metabolism of drugs, mutation of drug targets, altered DNA repair system, inhibited apoptosis and autophagy, cancer stem cells, tumor heterogeneity, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Compelling evidence has revealed that genetic and epigenetic factors are strongly linked to DR.

Oncostatic activities of melatonin: Roles in cell cycle, apoptosis, and autophagy.

Melatonin, the major secretory product of the pineal gland, not only regulates circadian rhythms, mood, and sleep but also has actions in neoplastic processes which are being intensively investigated. Melatonin is a promising molecule which considered a differentiating agent in some cancer cells at both physiological and pharmacological concentrations. It can also reduce invasive and metastatic status through receptors MT1 and MT2 cytosolic binding sites, including calmodulin and quinone reductase II enzyme, and nuclear receptors related to orphan members of the superfamily RZR/ROR.

MicroRNAs and osteosarcoma: Potential targets for inhibiting metastasis and increasing chemosensitivity.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the third most common cancer in young adults after lymphoma and brain cancer. Metastasis, like other cellular events, is dependent on signaling pathways; a series of changes in some proteins and signaling pathways pave the way for OS cells to invade and migrate. Ezrin, TGF-β, Notch, RUNX2, matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), Wnt/β-catenin, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT are among the most important of these proteins and signaling pathways.

The Interaction Network of MicroRNAs with Cytokines and Signaling Pathways in Allergic Asthma.

Allergic asthma is a complicated disease that is affected by many factors. Numerous cytokines and signaling pathways are attributed to the cause of asthma symptoms. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a group of small non-coding single-stranded RNA molecules that are involved in gene silencing and posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression by targeting mRNAs.

Evaluation of Fructosamine 3-kinase and Glyoxalase 1 activity in normal and breast cancer tissues.

Background: Breast cancer is a typical malignancy and the most common in the female and it is the primary reason behind cancer-related deaths of women around the world. The pathological role of the non-enzymatic change of proteins by reducing sugars become frequently shows in different kinds of cancer. Cancer cells generally rely upon aerobic glycolysis as the main source of energy.

Assessment of mucin and alpha-amylase levels in gingival crevicular fluid of chronic periodontitis patients.

Background: Chronic periodontitis is the most common form of periodontitis. Several immune and inflammatory factors responsible for periodontal destruction have been found in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF). The current study was conducted to determine the correlation between mucin and alpha-amylase protein values in GCF with chronic periodontitis.

CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing: A new therapeutic approach in the treatment of infection and autoimmunity.

CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein9) may be viewed as an adaptive bacterial immune system. When a virus infects a bacterium, a fragment of the virus genome is inserted into the CRISPR sequence of the bacterial genome as a memory. When the bacterium becomes infected again with the same virus, an RNA molecule that is a transcript of the memory sequence, directs Cas9, an endonuclease, to the complementary region of the virus genome, and Cas9 disables the virus by a double-strand break.

Comparison of the calcium-related factors in Parkinson's disease patients with healthy individuals.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases (ND). Studies have demonstrated that biochemical markers have an association with PD. We aimed to investigate an association of biochemical markers including calcium, vitamin D, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), parathormone (PTH), and phosphorous with PD.

Critical roles of long noncoding RNAs in breast cancer.

Breast cancer is a major clinical challenge that affects a wide range of the female population and heavily burdens the health system. In the past few decades, attempts have been made to understand the etiology of breast cancer, possible environmental risk factors, and the genetic predispositions, pathogenesis, and molecular aberrations involved in the process. Studies have shown that breast cancer is a heterogeneous entity; each subtype has its specific set of aberrations in different cell signaling pathways, such as Notch, Wnt/β-catenin, transforming growth factor-β, and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways.

MicroRNAs in breast cancer: Roles, functions, and mechanism of actions.

Breast cancer is one of the most lethal malignancies in women in the world. Various factors are involved in the development and promotion of the malignancy; most of them involve changes in the expression of certain genes, such as microRNAs (miRNAs). MiRNAs can regulate signaling pathways negatively or positively, thereby affecting tumorigenesis and various aspects of cancer progression, particularly breast cancer.

The interplay of Klotho with signaling pathway and microRNAs in cancers.

Klotho (KL) gene has been accepted as an "aging suppressor" gene that encodes a single transmembrane protein in human known as Klotho which is commonly expressed in renal tubes. The interruption in the secretion of Klotho protein expedites aging whereas its high expression extends lifespan. The family of Klotho proteins has been reported to act as distinct receptors for endocrine fibroblast growth factors (FGFs), which manage multifarious metabolic processes.

The crosstalk between trace elements with DNA damage response, repair, and oxidative stress in cancer.

DNA damage response (DDR) is a regulatory system responsible for maintaining genome integrity and stability, which can sense and transduce DNA damage signals. The severity of damage appears to determine DDRs, which can include damage repair, cell-cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Furthermore, defective components in DNA damage and repair machinery are an underlying cause for the development and progression of various types of cancers.