976,300 results match your criteria: "Department of Biochemistry; Juntendo University School of Medicine; Bunkyo-ku[Affiliation]"

1-Deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXPS) is a unique thiamin diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the formation of DXP, a branchpoint metabolite required for the biosynthesis of vitamins and isoprenoids in bacterial pathogens. DXPS has relaxed substrate specificity and utilizes a gated mechanism, equipping DXPS to sense and respond to diverse substrates. We speculate that pathogens utilize this distinct gated mechanism in different ways to support metabolic adaptation during infection.

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Guarding Drinking Water Safety against Harmful Algal Blooms: Could UV/Cl Treatment Be the Answer?

Environ Sci Technol

January 2025

Environmental Engineering and Science, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (ChEE), University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio 45221, United States.

Frequent and severe occurrences of harmful algal blooms increasingly threaten human health by the release of microcystins (MCs). Urgent attention is directed toward managing MCs, as evidenced by rising HAB-related do not drink/do not boil advisories due to unsafe MC levels in drinking water. UV/chlorine treatment, in which UV light is applied simultaneously with chlorine, showed early promise for effectively degrading MC-LR to values below the World Health Organization's guideline limits.

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This study investigates the structural and dynamic properties of ternary mixtures composed of NaPF, ethylene carbonate (EC), and the ionic liquid choline glycine (ChGly), with a focus on their potential as electrolytes for supercapacitors. The combination of NaPF-EC, known for its high ionic conductivity, with the biodegradable and environmentally friendly ChGly offers a promising approach to enhancing electrolyte performance. Through molecular simulations, we analyze how the inclusion of small concentrations of ChGly affects key properties such as density, cohesive energy, and ion mobility.

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Purpose: Diabetes mellitus is a global health challenge that leads to severe complications, negatively impacting overall health, life expectancy, and quality of life. Herbal medicines, valued for their accessibility and therapeutic benefits with minimal side effects, have been promoted as potential treatments. Managing conditions like diabetes, characterized by free radical production and cytokine-driven inflammation, is vital due to the active components in plants that exert direct pharmacological effects.

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Nigerian medicinal plants with potential anticancer activity-a review.

Explor Target Antitumor Ther

December 2024

Center for Natural Products Discovery (CNPD), School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK.

Despite the fact that life expectancies are increasing and the burden of infectious diseases is decreasing, global cancer incidence rates are on the rise. Cancer outcome metrics are dismal for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including sub-Saharan Africa, where adequate resources and infrastructure for cancer care and control are lacking. Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, exemplifies the miserable situation.

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Introduction: Skeletal muscle satellite cells (MuSCs or stem cells) play a crucial role in muscle development, maintenance, and regeneration, supporting both hypertrophy and regenerative myogenesis. Syndecans (SDCs) act as communication bridges within the muscle microenvironment, regulating interactions with extracellular matrix components and contributing significantly to tissue repair and inflammation. Specifically, syndecan-4 (SDC4) is involved in muscle regeneration at multiple stages.

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The p53-MDM2 pathway plays a crucial role regulating tumor suppression and is a focal point of cancer research. This literature review delves into the complex interplay between the tumor suppressor protein p53 and its main regulator MDM2, highlighting their interaction and implications in cancer development and progression. The review compiles and summarizes the existing understanding of the biology and regulation of p53 and MDM2, emphasizing their roles in various cellular processes, including cell cycle regulation, DNA repair, apoptosis, and metabolism.

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Introduction: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is a metabolic disorder marked by Q10 hyperglycemia that can negatively affect both mothers and newborns. The increasing prevalence of GDM and the limitations associated with the standard diagnostic test highlight the urgent need for early screening strategies that promote timely interventions.

Methods: This study aims to investigate the metabolic profile associated with GDM through an untargeted metabolomic analysis using mass spectrometry (MS)- based omics.

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This review article studies the complex field of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in cancer biology, focusing on their potential use as biomarkers and therapeutic targets. NcRNAs include circular RNAs (circRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs). We discuss how ncRNAs affect gene expression in cancerous cells, the spread of cancer, and metastasis.

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Biotechnology Notes: A Year of Milestones.

Biotechnol Notes

November 2024

NUS Synthetic Biology for Clinical and Technological Innovation (SynCTI), National University of Singapore, Singapore.

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The placenta is a unique organ with various immunological and endocrinological roles that modulate maternal and fetal physiology to promote maternal-fetal tolerance, pregnancy maintenance, and parturition at term. During pregnancy, the hormone prolactin (PRL) is constitutively secreted by the placenta and is necessary for implantation, progesterone support, fetal development, and overall immune modulation. While PRL is essential for pregnancy, studies suggest that elevated levels of serum PRL (hyperprolactinemia) are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including miscarriage, preterm birth, and preeclampsia.

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In this study, a nanocomposite based on copper oxide-zinc oxide nanoparticles and Gum Arabic (GA@CuO-ZnO nanocomposite) was successfully synthesized using green method. Characterization results revealed that the prepared nanocomposite appeared at the nanoscale level, showed excellent dispersion, and formed stable colloidal nano-solutions. The bimetallic GA@CuO-ZnO nanocomposite was evaluated for its anticancer, antibacterial, and antifungal properties.

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Background And Aim: Carnitine deficiency contributes to various comorbidities in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. This study aims to assess the impact of levocarnitine supplementation on hematological and serum iron profile parameters, comparing the efficacy of oral versus intravenous (IV) administration in these patients.

Materials And Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized controlled trial was conducted on patients undergoing MHD at the hemodialysis unit of our study center in Karachi, Pakistan.

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Anti-gene oligonucleotide clamps invade dsDNA and downregulate expression.

Mol Ther Nucleic Acids

December 2024

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, ANA Futura, Alfred Nobels Allé 8, 14152 Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.

Anti-gene oligonucleotides belong to a group of therapeutic compounds, which, in contrast to antisense oligonucleotides, bind to DNA. Clamp anti-gene oligonucleotides bind through a double-stranded invasion mechanism. With two arms connected by a linker, they hybridize to one of the DNA strands forming Watson-Crick and Hoogsteen hydrogen bonds.

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Cysimiditides: RiPPs with a Zn-Tetracysteine Motif and Aspartimidylation.

Biochemistry

January 2025

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States.

Aspartimidylation is a post-translational modification found in multiple families of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs). We recently reported on the imiditides, a new RiPP family in which aspartimidylation is the class-defining modification. Imiditide biosynthetic gene clusters encode a precursor protein and a methyltransferase that methylates a specific Asp residue, converting it to aspartimide.

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Background: The rapid rise of non-communicable diseases, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), poses a significant global public health challenge, with South Asia experiencing an increasingly severe burden. This study aimed to analyse historical trends of T2DM across South Asia from 1990 to 2021 and forecast incidence through 2031.

Research Design And Methods: We carried out analysis based on the data from the 2021 Global burden of disease study.

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Aβ40 Fibril Assembly on Human Cerebral Smooth Muscle Cells Impairs Cell Viability.

Biochemistry

January 2025

George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island 02881, United States.

Cerebral vascular deposition of the amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide, a condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), is associated with intracerebral hemorrhaging and contributes to disease progression in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). Familial mutations at positions 22 and 23 within the Aβ peptide lead to early onset and severe CAA pathology. Here, we evaluate the effects of fibrillar Aβ peptides on the viability of primary-cultured human cerebral smooth muscle (HCSM) cells, which are the major site of amyloid deposition in cerebral blood vessel walls.

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Porous Materials for Early Diagnosis of Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Adv Healthc Mater

January 2025

Department of Biomaterials, Saveetha Dental College and Hospitals, SIMATS, Saveetha University, Chennai, 600077, India.

Neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, present formidable challenges in modern medicine due to their complex pathologies and the absence of curative treatments. Despite advances in symptomatic management, early diagnosis remains essential for mitigating disease progression and improving patient outcomes. Traditional diagnostic methods, such as MRI, PET, and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker analysis, are often inadequate for the early detection of these diseases.

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Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) is the standard-of-care treatment for patients with locally advanced breast cancer (LABC), providing crucial benefits in tumor downstaging. Clinical parameters, such as molecular subtypes, influence the therapeutic impact of NACT. Moreover, severe adverse events delay the treatment process and reduce the effectiveness of therapy.

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Background: Considering the significant participation of the microenvironment in the local aggressiveness of odontogenic keratocysts, this study aims to evaluate the expression of ADAMTS-1 and its substrates, versican, aggrecan and brevican in this locally invasive odontogenic cyst.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were conducted on 30 cases of odontogenic keratocysts (OKCs) and 20 dental follicles (DFs).

Results: The immunohistochemical expression of these proteins was predominantly cytoplasmic and granular across all samples.

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mRNA vaccines in the context of cancer treatment: from concept to application.

J Transl Med

January 2025

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Binzhou Medical University, 346 Guanhai Road, Yantai, 264003, P. R. China.

Immuno-oncology has witnessed remarkable advancements in the past decade, revolutionizing the landscape of cancer therapeutics in an encouraging manner. Among the diverse immunotherapy strategies, mRNA vaccines have ushered in a new era for the therapeutic management of malignant diseases, primarily due to their impressive impact on the COVID-19 pandemic. In this comprehensive review, we offer a systematic overview of mRNA vaccines, focusing on the optimization of structural design, the crucial role of delivery materials, and the administration route.

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Avian coccidiosis is one of the many disorders that seriously harm birds' digestive systems. Nowadays the light is shed on using Phytochemical/herbal medicines as alternative natural anti-coccidial chemical-free standards. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the impact of lawsonia inermis powder (LIP), and Acacia nilotica aqueous extract (ANAE), on growth performance, serum biochemical, antioxidant status, cytokine biomarkers, total oocyst count and intestinal histopathology of broiler chickens challenged with coccidiosis.

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Automatic image generation and stage prediction of breast cancer immunobiological through a proposed IHC-GAN model.

BMC Med Imaging

January 2025

Electronics and Communications, Arab Academy for Science, Heliopolis, Cairo, 2033, Egypt.

Invasive breast cancer diagnosis and treatment planning require an accurate assessment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) expression levels. While immunohistochemical techniques (IHC) are the gold standard for HER2 evaluation, their implementation can be resource-intensive and costly. To reduce these obstacles and expedite the procedure, we present an efficient deep-learning model that generates high-quality IHC-stained images directly from Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) stained images.

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Background: Children are among the most vulnerable groups for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, which was linked with an increased risk of anemia. H.

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