Articles

Sudden cardiac death: focus on the genetics of channelopathies and cardiomyopathies

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) describes a natural and unexpected death from cardiac causes occurring within a short period of time (generally within 1 h of symptom onset) in the absence of any other potentially l...

Authors: Simona Magi, Vincenzo Lariccia, Marta Maiolino, Salvatore Amoroso and Santo Gratteri

Lrp, a global regulator, regulates the virulence of Vibrio vulnificus

An attenuated mutant (designated NY303) of Vibrio vulnificus, which causes serious wound infection and septicemia in humans, was isolated fortuitously from a clinical strain YJ016. This mutant was defective in cy...

Authors: Yu-Chi Ho, Feng-Ru Hung, Chao-Hui Weng, Wei-Ting Li, Tzu-Hung Chuang, Tsung-Lin Liu, Ching-Yuan Lin, Chien-Jung Lo, Chun-Liang Chen, Jen-Wei Chen, Masayuki Hashimoto and Lien-I Hor

Long non-coding RNA and tumor hypoxia: new players ushered toward an old arena

Hypoxia is a classic feature of the tumor microenvironment with a profound impact on cancer progression and therapeutic response. Activation of complex hypoxia pathways orchestrated by the transcription factor...

Authors: Jing-Wen Shih and Hsing-Jien Kung

Baicalin attenuates chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension via adenosine A_2A receptor-induced SDF-1/CXCR4/PI3K/AKT signaling

Baicalin, an important flavonoid in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi extracts, exerts a variety of pharmacological effects. In this study, we explored the effects of baicalin on chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary ar...

Authors: Xiaoying Huang, Peiliang Wu, Feifei Huang, Min Xu, Mayun Chen, Kate Huang, Guo-ping Li, Manhuan Xu, Dan Yao and Liangxing Wang

Role of free fatty acids in endothelial dysfunction

Plasma free fatty acids levels are increased in subjects with obesity and type 2 diabetes, playing detrimental roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. Increasing evidence show...

Authors: Arijit Ghosh, Lei Gao, Abhimanyu Thakur, Parco M. Siu and Christopher W. K. Lai

Leptin OB3 peptide suppresses leptin-induced signaling and progression in ovarian cancer cells

Obesity and its comorbidities constitute a serious health burden worldwide. Leptin plays an important role in diet control; however, it has a stimulatory potential on cancer cell proliferation. The OB3 peptide...

Authors: Yu-Tang Chin, Le-Ming Wang, Meng-Ti Hsieh, Ya-Jung Shih, André Wendindondé Nana, Chun A. Changou, Yu-Chen S. H. Yang, Hsien-Chung Chiu, Earl Fu, Paul J. Davis, Heng-Yuan Tang and Hung-Yun Lin

New insights into Blimp-1 in T lymphocytes: a divergent regulator of cell destiny and effector function

B lymphocyte-induced maturation protein-1 (Blimp-1) serves as a master regulator of the development and function of antibody-producing B cells. Given that its function in T lymphocytes has been identified with...

Authors: Shin-Huei Fu, Li-Tzu Yeh, Chin-Chen Chu, B. Lin-Ju Yen and Huey-Kang Sytwu

Drug candidates in clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major form of senile dementia, characterized by progressive memory and neuronal loss combined with cognitive impairment. AD is the most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide,...

Authors: Shih-Ya Hung and Wen-Mei Fu

Erratum to: Significance of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator and its receptor in the progression of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in clinical and mouse models

Authors: Jin-Shuen Chen, Li-Chien Chang, Chung-Ze Wu, Tzu-Ling Tseng, Jui-An Lin, Yuh-Feng Lin and Chao-Wen Cheng

LncRNA SNHG15 contributes to proliferation, invasion and autophagy in osteosarcoma cells by sponging miR-141

LncRNA small nucleolar RNA host gene 15 (SNHG15) was reported to play an oncogenic role in tumors. However, the role of SNHG15 and its molecular mechanism in osteosarcoma (OS) cells are largely unknown.

Authors: Ke Liu, Yi Hou, Yunke Liu and Jia Zheng

Klf8 regulates left-right asymmetric patterning through modulation of Kupffer’s vesicle morphogenesis and spaw expression

Although vertebrates are bilaterally symmetric organisms, their internal organs are distributed asymmetrically along a left-right axis. Disruption of left-right axis asymmetric patterning often occurs in human...

Authors: Che-Yi Lin, Ming-Yuan Tsai, Yu-Hsiu Liu, Yu-Fen Lu, Yi-Chung Chen, Yun-Ren Lai, Hsin-Chi Liao, Huang-Wei Lien, Chung-Hsiang Yang, Chang-Jen Huang and Sheng-Ping L. Hwang

PA-6 inhibits inward rectifier currents carried by V93I and D172N gain-of-function K_IR2.1 channels, but increases channel protein expression

The inward rectifier potassium current I_K1 contributes to a stable resting membrane potential and phase 3 repolarization of the cardiac action potential. KCNJ2 gain-of-function mutations V93I and D172N associate ...

Authors: Yuan Ji, Marlieke G. Veldhuis, Jantien Zandvoort, Fee L. Romunde, Marien J. C. Houtman, Karen Duran, Gijs van Haaften, Eva-Maria Zangerl-Plessl, Hiroki Takanari, Anna Stary-Weinzinger and Marcel A. G. van der Heyden

V-J combinations of T-cell receptor predict responses to erythropoietin in end-stage renal disease patients

Anemia is common among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients who undergone hemodialysis. The total reduction of red blood cell (RBC) count is associated with poor prognosis in these patients. Although erythr...

Authors: Henry Sung-Ching Wong, Che-Mai Chang, Chih-Chin Kao, Yu-Wen Hsu, Xiao Liu, Wen-Chang Chang, Mai-Szu Wu and Wei-Chiao Chang

Crossroads between peripheral atherosclerosis, western-type diet and skeletal muscle pathophysiology: emphasis on apolipoprotein E deficiency and peripheral arterial disease

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory process that, in the presence of hyperlipidaemia, promotes the formation of atheromatous plaques in large vessels of the cardiovascular system. It also affects periphe...

Authors: Peggy Sfyri and Antonios Matsakas

Nuclear factor-kappa B influences early phase of compensatory lung growth after pneumonectomy in mice

Compensatory lung growth (CLG) is a well-established lung regeneration model. However, the sequential mechanisms, including unknown molecular triggers or regulators, remain unclear. Nuclear factor- kappa B (NF...

Authors: Yusuke Takahashi, Noriyuki Matsutani, Hitoshi Dejima, Takashi Nakayama, Hirofumi Uehara and Masafumi Kawamura

Clinical predictors of dengue fever co-infected with leptospirosis among patients admitted for dengue fever – a pilot study

Dengue and leptospirosis infections are currently two major endemics in Malaysia. Owing to the overlapping clinical symptoms between both the diseases, frequent misdiagnosis and confusion of treatment occurs. ...

Authors: Jeyanthi Suppiah, Shie-Yien Chan, Min-Wern Ng, Yam-Sim Khaw, Siew-Mooi Ching, Lailatul Akmar Mat-Nor, Naematul Ain Ahmad-Najimudin and Hui-Yee Chee

Decoy receptor 3: an endogenous immunomodulator in cancer growth and inflammatory reactions

Decoy receptor 3 (DcR3), also known as tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily member 6b (TNFRSF6B), is a soluble decoy receptor which can neutralize the biological functions of three members of tumo...

Authors: Shie-Liang Hsieh and Wan-Wan Lin

Dl-3-n-butylphthalide protects the heart against ischemic injury and H9c2 cardiomyoblasts against oxidative stress: involvement of mitochondrial function and biogenesis

Myocardial infarction (MI) is an acute and fatal condition that threatens human health. Dl-3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) has been used for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. Mitochondria may play a protective ...

Authors: Xiaochao Tian, Weiliang He, Rong Yang and Yingping Liu

Quantitative proteomics in lung cancer

Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide, less than 7% of patients survive 10 years following diagnosis across all stages of lung cancer. Late stage of diagnosis and lack of effec...

Authors: Chantal Hoi Yin Cheung and Hsueh-Fen Juan

Metaproteomic analysis of human gut microbiota: where are we heading?

The human gut is home to complex microbial populations that change dynamically in response to various internal and external stimuli. The gut microbiota provides numerous functional benefits that are crucial fo...

Authors: Pey Yee Lee, Siok-Fong Chin, Hui-min Neoh and Rahman Jamal

Cancer immunotherapy by targeting immune checkpoints: mechanism of T cell dysfunction in cancer immunity and new therapeutic targets

Immune checkpoints or coinhibitory receptors, such as cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen (CTLA)-4 and programmed death (PD)-1, play important roles in regulating T cell responses, and they were proven to be effect...

Authors: Hwei-Fang Tsai and Ping-Ning Hsu

Improving the regenerative potential of olfactory ensheathing cells by overexpressing prostacyclin synthetase and its application in spinal cord repair

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OEC), specialized glia that ensheathe bundles of olfactory nerves, have been reported as a favorable substrate for axonal regeneration. Grafting OEC to injured spinal cord appears ...

Authors: May-Jywan Tsai, Chi-Ting Huang, Yong-San Huang, Ching-Feng Weng, Song-Kun Shyue, Ming-Chao Huang, Dann-Ying Liou, Yan-Ru Lin, Chu-Hsun Cheng, Huai-Sheng Kuo, Yilo Lin, Meng-Jen Lee, Wen-Hung Huang, Wen-Cheng Huang and Henrich Cheng

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2*2 knock-in mice show increased reactive oxygen species production in response to cisplatin treatment

The aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) enzyme family metabolizes and detoxifies both exogenous and endogenous aldehydes. Since chemotherapeutic agents, such as cisplatin, generate cytotoxic aldehydes and oxidative ...

Authors: Jeewon Kim, Che-Hong Chen, Jieying Yang and Daria Mochly-Rosen

Comparing adult renal stem cell identification, characterization and applications

Despite growing interest and effort, a consensus has yet to be reached in regards to the identification of adult renal stem cells. Organ complexity and low turnover of renal cells has made stem cell identifica...

Authors: Jennifer Huling and James J. Yoo

Nintedanib antiangiogenic inhibitor effectiveness in delaying adenocarcinoma progression in Transgenic Adenocarcinoma of the Mouse Prostate (TRAMP)

In recent times, anti-cancer treatments have focused on Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) and Vascular-Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) pathway inhibitors so as to target tumor angiogenesis and cellular prolifera...

Authors: Raquel Frenedoso da Silva, Ellen Nogueira-Pangrazi, Larissa Akemi Kido, Fabio Montico, Sarah Arana, Dileep Kumar, Komal Raina, Rajesh Agarwal and Valéria Helena Alves Cagnon

Characteristics of _L-citrulline transport through blood-brain barrier in the brain capillary endothelial cell line (TR-BBB cells)

_L-Citrulline is a neutral amino acid and a major precursor of _L-arginine in the nitric oxide (NO) cycle. Recently it has been reported that _L-citrulline prevents neuronal cell death an...

Authors: Kyeong-Eun Lee and Young-Sook Kang

Differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into cardiomyocytes is regulated by miRNA-1-2 via WNT signaling pathway

Bone marrow derived stem cells (BMSCs) have the potential to differentiate into cardiomyocytes, but the rate of differentiation is low and the mechanism of differentiation is unclear completely. Here, we aimed...

Authors: Xing Shen, Bo Pan, Huiming Zhou, Lingjuan Liu, Tiewei Lv, Jing Zhu, Xupei Huang and Jie Tian

Adducin family proteins possess different nuclear export potentials

The adducin (ADD) family proteins, namely ADD1, ADD2, and ADD3, are actin-binding proteins that play important roles in the stabilization of membrane cytoskeleton and cell-cell junctions. All the ADD proteins ...

Authors: Chia-Mei Liu, Wen-Hsin Hsu, Wan-Yi Lin and Hong-Chen Chen

KB-R7943 reduces 4-aminopyridine-induced epileptiform activity in adult rats after neuronal damage induced by neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment

Neonatal monosodium glutamate (MSG) treatment triggers excitotoxicity and induces a degenerative process that affects several brain regions in a way that could lead to epileptogenesis. Na⁺/Ca²⁺ exchangers (NCX1-3...

Authors: Mariana Hernandez-Ojeda, Monica E. Ureña-Guerrero, Paola E. Gutierrez-Barajas, Jazmin A. Cardenas-Castillo, Antoni Camins and Carlos Beas-Zarate

Cancer immunotherapies targeting the PD-1 signaling pathway

Immunotherapy has recently emerged as the fourth pillar of cancer treatment, joining surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. While early immunotherapies focused on accelerating T-cell activity, current immune-ch...

Authors: Yoshiko Iwai, Junzo Hamanishi, Kenji Chamoto and Tasuku Honjo

Associations of estradiol levels and genetic polymorphisms of inflammatory genes with the risk of ischemic stroke

Estrogen plays an important role as an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective agent in ischemic stroke. In this study, we analyzed the effect of a polygenic risk score (PRS) constructed using inflammatory genes...

Authors: Yi-Chen Hsieh, Fang-I Hsieh, Yih-Ru Chen, Chaur-Jong Hu, Jiann-Shing Jeng, Sung-Chun Tang, Nai-Fang Chi, Huey-Juan Lin, Li-Ming Lien, Giia-Sheun Peng and Hung-Yi Chiou

Development and validation of a high-throughput calcium mobilization assay for the orphan receptor GPR88

GPR88 is an orphan G protein-coupled receptor highly expressed in the striatum and is implicated in basal ganglia-associated disorders. However, the receptor functions of GPR88 are still largely unknown due to...

Authors: Ann M. Decker, Elaine A. Gay, Kelly M. Mathews, Taylor C. Rosa, Tiffany L. Langston, Rangan Maitra and Chunyang Jin

Serotonergic system in hypoxic ventilatory response in unilateral rat model of Parkinson’s disease

Malfunctioning of the serotonergic system in Parkinson’s disease may contribute to non-motor symptoms such as respiratory complications. Thus the aim of our study was to investigate the role of serotonin 5-HT₂ re...

Authors: Kryspin Andrzejewski, Katarzyna Kaczyńska and Małgorzata Zaremba

Tailored design of NKT-stimulatory glycolipids for polarization of immune responses

Natural killer T (NKT) cell is a distinct population of T lymphocytes that can rapidly release massive amount of Th1 and Th2 cytokines upon the engagement of their T cell receptor with glycolipids presented by...

Authors: Jung-Tung Hung, Jing-Rong Huang and Alice L. Yu

Evaluation of the use of therapeutic peptides for cancer treatment

Cancer along with cardiovascular disease are the main causes of death in the industrialised countries around the World. Conventional cancer treatments are losing their therapeutic uses due to drug resistance, ...

Authors: Susan Marqus, Elena Pirogova and Terrence J. Piva

Selective activation of miRNAs of the primate-specific chromosome 19 miRNA cluster (C19MC) in cancer and stem cells and possible contribution to regulation of apoptosis

The human chromosome 19 miRNA cluster (C19MC) of 43 genes is a primate-specific miRNA cluster that may have biological significance in the genetic complexity of the primate. Despite previous reports on individ...

Authors: Phan Nguyen Nhi Nguyen, Chiu-Jung Huang, Shigeki Sugii, Soon Keng Cheong and Kong Bung Choo

ALDH2 polymorphism and alcohol-related cancers in Asians: a public health perspective

The occurrence of more than 200 diseases, including cancer, can be attributed to alcohol drinking. The global cancer deaths attributed to alcohol-consumption rose from 243,000 in 1990 to 337,400 in 2010. In 20...

Authors: Jeffrey S. Chang, Jenn-Ren Hsiao and Che-Hong Chen

Fast magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging techniques in human brain- applications in multiple sclerosis

Multi voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) is an important imaging tool that combines imaging and spectroscopic techniques. MRSI of the human brain has been beneficially applied to different c...

Authors: Oun Al-iedani, Jeannette Lechner-Scott, Karen Ribbons and Saadallah Ramadan

Effects of sarcosine and N, N-dimethylglycine on NMDA receptor-mediated excitatory field potentials

Sarcosine, a glycine transporter type 1 inhibitor and an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor co-agonist at the glycine binding site, potentiates NMDA receptor function. Structurally similar to sarcosine, N,N-...

Authors: Mei-Yi Lee, Yi-Ruu Lin, Yi-Shu Tu, Yufeng Jane Tseng, Ming-Huan Chan and Hwei-Hsien Chen

Treatment of chronic non-healing ulcers using autologous platelet rich plasma: a case series

Non-healing ulcers are a major health problem worldwide and have great impact at personal, professional and social levels, with high cost in terms of human and material resources. Recalcitrant non-healing ulce...

Authors: Manish Suthar, Saniya Gupta, Suhail Bukhari and Venkatesh Ponemone

State of the art in anti-cancer mAbs

Following Milstein’s discovery, the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) became a basic tool for biomedical science. In cancer field, since the first mAb was approved by the FDA a great improvement took place making o...

Authors: S. M. Chiavenna, J. P. Jaworski and A. Vendrell

Neuroblastoma treatment in the post-genomic era

Neuroblastoma is an embryonic malignancy of early childhood originating from neural crest cells and showing heterogeneous biological, morphological, genetic and clinical characteristics. The correct stratifica...

Authors: Maria Rosaria Esposito, Sanja Aveic, Anke Seydel and Gian Paolo Tonini

Oxidized LDL-induced JAB1 influences NF-κB independent inflammatory signaling in human macrophages during foam cell formation

Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) mediates the transformation of macrophages (MΦ) to cholesterol-rich foam cells and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines during atherogenesis. JAB1 (Jun activation ...

Authors: Anja Schwarz, Gabriel A. Bonaterra, Hans Schwarzbach and Ralf Kinscherf

Macrophage activation and polarization in post-infarction cardiac remodeling

Adverse cardiac remodeling leads to impaired ventricular function and heart failure, remaining a major cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with acute myocardial infarction. It have been shown that, ev...

Authors: Aleksandra Gombozhapova, Yuliya Rogovskaya, Vladimir Shurupov, Mariya Rebenkova, Julia Kzhyshkowska, Sergey V. Popov, Rostislav S. Karpov and Vyacheslav Ryabov

Marrow adipocytes inhibit the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts via suppressing BMP-signaling

Reduced bone formation is associated with increased bone marrow fat in many bone-loss related diseases including aging, post-menopause, and anorexia nervosa. Several lines of evidence suggested the regulation ...

Authors: Basem M. Abdallah

Escape from IFN-γ-dependent immunosurveillance in tumorigenesis

Immune interferon (IFN), also known as IFN-γ, promotes not only immunomodulation but also antimicrobial and anticancer activity. After IFN-γ binds to the complex of IFN-γ receptor (IFNGR) 1-IFNGR2 and subseque...

Authors: Chiou-Feng Lin, Chih-Ming Lin, Kang-Yun Lee, Szu-Yuan Wu, Po-Hao Feng, Kuan-Yuan Chen, Hsiao-Chi Chuang, Chia-Ling Chen, Yu-Chih Wang, Po-Chun Tseng and Tsung-Ting Tsai

Current use of autologous adipose tissue-derived stromal vascular fraction cells for orthopedic applications

Autologous adipose stromal vascular fractions (SVFs) containing adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ASCs) are currently being used in clinical settings for various orthopedic applications for human patients. Du...

Authors: Jaewoo Pak, Jung Hun Lee, Kwang Seung Park, Moonhee Park, Lin-Woo Kang and Sang Hee Lee

Kv7 voltage-activated potassium channel inhibitors reduce fluid resuscitation requirements after hemorrhagic shock in rats

Recent evidence suggests that drugs targeting Kv7 channels could be used to modulate vascular function and blood pressure. Here, we studied whether Kv7 channel inhibitors can be utilized to stabilize hemodynam...

Authors: Sean P. Nassoiy, Kenneth L. Byron and Matthias Majetschak

Harnessing the early post-injury inflammatory responses for cardiac regeneration

Cardiac inflammation is considered by many as the main driving force in prolonging the pathological condition in the heart after myocardial infarction. Immediately after cardiac ischemic injury, neutrophils ar...

Authors: Bill Cheng, H. C. Chen, I. W. Chou, Tony W. H. Tang and Patrick C. H. Hsieh

Aberrant methylation of DACT1 and DACT2 are associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The DACT (Dishevelled-associated antagonist of β-catenin) family of scaffold proteins may play important roles in tumorigenesis. However, the epigenetic changes of DACT1, 2, 3 and their effect on esophageal squam...

Authors: Yan-li Guo, Bao-En Shan, Wei Guo, Zhi-Ming Dong, Zhen Zhou, Su-Peng Shen, Xin Guo, Jia Liang and Gang Kuang