International Journal of Molecular Sciences, Volume 24, Issue 10

Cardiomyopathies are mostly determined by genetic mutations affecting either cardiac muscle cell structure or function. Nevertheless, cardiomyopathies may also be part of complex clinical phenotypes in the spectrum of neuromuscular (NMD) or mitochond...

Calcium (Ca²⁺) flux acts as a central signaling pathway in B cells, and its alterations are associated with autoimmune dysregulation and B-cell malignancies. We standardized a flow-cytometry-based method using various stimuli to investigate the Ca²⁺...

A small protein, Mitoregulin (Mtln), localizes in mitochondria and contributes to oxidative phosphorylation and fatty acid metabolism. Mtln knockout mice develop obesity on a high-fat diet, demonstrating elevated cardiolipin damage and suboptimal cre...

Mutations in the GBA1 gene, encoding the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase), cause Gaucher disease (GD) and are the most common genetic risk factor for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Pharmacological chaperones (PCs) are being developed as a...

Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most common malignancies among men worldwide. Inevitably, all advanced PCa patients develop metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), an aggressive phase of the disease. Treating mCRPC is challenging...

Some new Bis-pyrazoline hybrids 8–17 with dual EGFR and BRAF^V600E inhibitors have been developed. The target compounds were synthesized and tested in vitro against four cancer cell lines. Compounds 12, 15, and 17 demonstrated strong antiprolife...

Current worldwide mRNA vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 by intramuscular injection using a needled syringe has greatly protected numerous people from COVID-19. An intramuscular injection is generally well tolerated, safer and easier to perform on a lar...

Methionine adenosyl transferases (MATs) catalyze the synthesis of the biological methyl donor adenosylmethionine (SAM). Dysregulation of MATs has been associated with carcinogenesis in humans. We previously found that downregulation of the MAT1A gene...

Haloxylon ammodendron and Haloxylon persicum, as typical desert plants in arid areas, show strong drought tolerance and environmental adaptability and are therefore ideal model plants for studying the molecular mechanisms of drought tolerance. A meta...

[3+2] cycloaddition reactions play a crucial role in synthesizing complex organic molecules and have significant applications in drug discovery and materials science. In this study, the [3+2] cycloaddition (32CA) reactions of N-methyl-C-4-methyl phen...

Acinetobacter baumannii is a critical priority nosocomial pathogen that produces a variety of capsular polysaccharides (CPSs), the primary receptors for specific depolymerase-carrying phages. In this study, the tailspike depolymerases (TSDs) encoded...

Temperature-sensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels (so-called “thermoTRPs”) are multifunctional signaling molecules with important roles in cell growth and differentiation. Several “thermoTRP” channels show alte...

Torin-2, a synthetic compound, is a highly selective inhibitor of both TORC1 and TORC2 (target of rapamycin) complexes as an alternative to the well-known immunosuppressor, geroprotector, and potential anti-cancer natural compound rapamycin. Torin-2...

Tyrosinase is a copper-containing enzyme which is widely distributed in nature (e.g., bacteria, mammals, fungi) and involved in two consecutive steps of melanin biosynthesis. In humans, an excessive production of melanin can determine hyperpigmentati...

Several pieces of evidence point to an allergic component as a trigger of acute appendicitis. As the Th2 immune response is characterized by eosinophil mobilization to the target organ and release of their cationic granule proteins, it is reasonable...

Among cardiovascular diseases, chronic obliterating lesions of the arteries of lower extremities, which are one of the important problems of modern healthcare, are distinguished. In most cases, the cause of damage to the arteries of lower extremities...

Human noroviruses (HuNoV) are major causes of acute gastroenteritis around the world. The high mutation rate and recombination potential of noroviruses are significant challenges in studying the genetic diversity and evolution pattern of novel strain...

Guanine-rich DNA sequences can fold into non-canonical nucleic acid structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s). These nanostructures have strong implications in many fields, from medical science to bottom-up nanotechnologies. As a result, ligands interac...

In this study, we investigated the role of ferroptosis in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the leading cause of renal cancer-related death. We analyzed single-cell data from seven ccRCC cases to determine c...

Several studies in recent years have demonstrated that gut microbiota–host interactions play an important role in human health and disease, including inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. Dysbiosis has been linked to not only well-known inf...

Antibiotic tolerance has become an increasingly serious crisis that has seriously threatened global public health. However, little is known about the exogenous factors that can trigger the development of antibiotic tolerance, both in vivo and in vitr...

Targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) has been burgeoning worldwide, with several radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of metastatic cancers being approved for clinical use [...]

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver diseases and its prevalence is increasing worldwide. It is reported that NAFLD is associated with colorectal polyps. Since identifying NAFLD in its early stages could p...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious chronic metabolic disease that is associated with hyperglycemia and several complications including cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease. DM is caused by high levels of blood sugar in the body associat...

Disease modeling in non-human subjects is an essential part of any clinical research. To gain proper understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of any disease, experimental models are required to replicate the disease process. Due to the huge...

The use of illicit substances continues to pose a substantial threat to global health, affecting millions of individuals annually. Evidence suggests the existence of a ‘brain–gut axis’ as the involving connection between the central...

Human neuroimaging has demonstrated the existence of large-scale functional networks in the cerebral cortex consisting of topographically distant brain regions with functionally correlated activity. The salience network (SN), which is involved in det...

Powdery mildew and rust fungi are major agricultural problems affecting many economically important crops and causing significant yield losses. These fungi are obligate biotrophic parasites that are completely dependent on their hosts for growth and...

In mice, the contraction of the ciliary muscle via the administration of pilocarpine reduces the zonular tension applied to the lens and activates the TRPV1-mediated arm of a dual feedback system that regulates the lens’ hydrostatic pressure gr...

Iron is an essential element because it functions as a cofactor of many enzymes, but excess iron causes cell damage. Iron hemostasis in Escherichia coli was transcriptionally maintained by the ferric uptake regulator (Fur). Despite having been studie...

Cry11 proteins are toxic to Aedes aegypti, the vector of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Cry11Aa and Cry11Bb are protoxins, which when activated present their active-toxin form in two fragments between 30 and 35 kDa respectively. Previous stud...

The development of immunogens that elicit broadly reactive neutralising antibodies (bNAbs) is the highest priority for an HIV vaccine. We have shown that a prime-boost vaccination strategy with vaccinia virus expressing the envelope glycoprotein gp12...

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease affecting the central nervous system (CNS) due to an autoimmune attack on axonal myelin sheaths. Epigenetics is an open research topic on MS, which has been investigated in search of biomarkers and treatme...

Fisetin, a well-known plant flavonol from the natural flavonoid group, is found in traditional medicines, plants, vegetables, and fruits. Fisetin also has anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. This study investigated the anti-infla...

BRAF V600E and KRAS mutations that occur in colorectal cancer (CRC) define a subpopulation of patients with an inferior prognosis. Recently, the first BRAF V600E-targeting therapy has been approved and novel agents targeting KRAS G12C are being evalu...

Mutation research is crucial for detecting and treating SARS-CoV-2 and developing vaccines. Using over 5,300,000 sequences from SARS-CoV-2 genomes and custom Python programs, we analyzed the mutational landscape of SARS-CoV-2. Although almost every n...

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a poorly treatable disease due to the fast development of tumor recurrences and high resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy. To overcome the highly adaptive behavior of GBMs, especially multimodal therapeutic approaches also incl...

This comprehensive literature review assessed the effectiveness of precision medicine approaches in individualizing P2Y12 de-escalation strategies, such as platelet function testing guidance, genetic testing guidance, and uniform de-escalation, for a...

Protein molecular machines, also known as proton pumps, are the most important element of biological membranes [...]

Although radiation therapy plays a crucial role in cancer treatment, and techniques have improved continuously, irradiation induces side effects in healthy tissue. Radiation cystitis is a potential complication following the therapeutic irradiation o...

An RNA aptamer that strongly binds to a target molecule has the potential to be a nucleic acid drug inside living human cells. To investigate and improve this potential, it is critical to elucidate the structure and interaction of RNA aptamers inside...

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease and the most frequent cause of progressive dementia in senior adults. It is characterized by memory loss and cognitive impairment secondary to cholinergic dysfunction and N-methyl-...

Rare Diseases (RD) do not have an exact definition since local authorities define the criteria in different ways, from fewer than 5 people in 10,000, according to the European Union, to the standard world average of 40 cases per 100,000 people [...]

Bone is a vital tissue as it carries out various metabolic functions: support of the body, protection of the internal organs, mineral deposit and hematopoietic functions [...]

We are pleased to present this Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, entitled “Physiology and Pathophysiology of Placenta” [...]

Parasites and microorganisms (protozoa, bacteria, and viruses) are still a concern despite progress in hygiene and anti-infectious therapy [...]

Gaining insight into the in situ receptor–ligand binding is pivotal for revealing the molecular mechanisms underlying the physiological and pathological processes and will contribute to drug discovery and biomedical application. An important is...

The reactivity of the new flexible potentially pentadentate N₃O₂ aminophenol ligand H₄L^r (2,2′-((pyridine-2,6-diylbis(methylene))bis(azanediyl))diphenol) towards different dysprosium salts and holmium(III) nitrate was investigated. Accordingly,...

The quality and maturation of an oocyte not only play decisive roles in fertilization and embryo success, but also have long-term impacts on the later growth and development of the fetus. Female fertility declines with age, reflecting a decline in oo...

Autoimmunity is a chronic process resulting in inflammation, tissue damage, and subsequent tissue remodelling and organ fibrosis. In contrast to acute inflammatory reactions, pathogenic fibrosis typically results from the chronic inflammatory reactio...