In Vitro Cell-Based MTT and Crystal Violet Assays for Drug Toxicity Screening.

The development of novel drug candidates is a current challenge in pharmacology where therapeutic benefits must exceed side effects. Toxicology testing is therefore a fundamental step in drug discovery research. Herein, we describe the first line of toxicology testing program, consisting in cell-based high-throughput screening assays, which have the advantage of being easy, rapid, cheap, and reproducible while providing quantitative information.

Exploring the 1,3-benzoxazine chemotype for cannabinoid receptor 2 as a promising anti-cancer therapeutic.

The discovery of selective agonists of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB) is strongly pursued to successfully tuning endocannabinoid signaling for therapeutic purposes. However, the design of selective CB agonists is still challenging because of the high homology with the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB) and for the yet unclear molecular basis of the agonist/antagonist switch. Here, the 1,3-benzoxazine scaffold is presented as a versatile chemotype for the design of CB agonists from which 25 derivatives were synthesized.

DNA-Protein-Interaction (DPI)-ELISA Assay for PPAR-γ Receptor Binding.

Dysregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ has been described in a plethora of pathological conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, inflammatory-related diseases, and cancer. Therefore, identifying novel drugs that are able to restore PPAR-γ activity is a current challenge, which is however slowed down by the lack of a rapid and reproducible activity assay. To date, only a few methods are able to characterize PPAR-γ activity and most of them are expensive, time-consuming, and not always quantitative.

Platelet-Derived miR-126-3p Directly Targets AKT2 and Exerts Anti-Tumor Effects in Breast Cancer Cells: Further Insights in Platelet-Cancer Interplay.

Among the surrounding cells influencing tumor biology, platelets are recognized as novel players as they release microvesicles (MVs) that, once delivered to cancer cells, modulate signaling pathways related to cell growth and dissemination. We have previously shown that physiological delivery of platelet MVs enriched in miR-126 exerted anti-tumor effects in different breast cancer (BC) cell lines. Here, we seek further insight by identifying AKT2 kinase as a novel miR-126-3p direct target, as assessed by bioinformatic analysis and validated by luciferase assay.

Comparative Analysis of Phenolic Composition of Six Commercially Available Chamomile ( L.) Extracts: Potential Biological Implications.

Several phytochemical-containing herbal extracts are increasingly marketed as health-promoting products. In particular, chamomile ( L.) is well known for its anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antitumor properties.

Molecular Research on Platelet Activity in Health and Disease 2.0.

Hsia and collaborators [...

The Impact of Whole Grain Intake on Gastrointestinal Tumors: A Focus on Colorectal, Gastric, and Esophageal Cancers.

Cereals are one of staple foods in human diet, mainly consumed as refined grains. Nonetheless, epidemiological data indicate that whole grain (WG) intake is inversely related to risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and several cancer types, as well as to all-cause mortality. Particularly responsive to WG positive action is the gastrointestinal tract, daily exposed to bioactive food components.

The "Janus Face" of Platelets in Cancer.

Besides their vital role in hemostasis and thrombosis, platelets are also recognized to be involved in cancer, where they play an unexpected central role: They actively influence cancer cell behavior, but, on the other hand, platelet physiology and phenotype are impacted by tumor cells. The existence of this platelet-cancer loop is supported by a large number of experimental and human studies reporting an association between alterations in platelet number and functions and cancer, often in a way dependent on patient, cancer type and treatment. Herein, we shall report on an update on platelet-cancer relationships, with a particular emphasis on how platelets might exert either a protective or a deleterious action in all steps of cancer progression.

Stone Milling versus Roller Milling in Soft Wheat: Influence on Products Composition.

Wholegrain wheat flours are in great demand from consumers worldwide because they are considered healthier then refined flours. They can be obtained by either stone milling, which is experiencing a revival in Europe, or roller milling. In order to study compositional differences due to the milling technology and to explore the possibility of a better qualification of wholegrain flours by means of nutritionally oriented quality parameters, eight mixes of soft wheat grains were stone milled and roller milled and the milling products were analyzed for their protein, ash, lipids, total dietary fibre, total polyphenols and alkylresorcinols content.