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Biomolecules
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Biomolecules and Their Impact on Biology and Translational Applications: Celebrating...
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Biomolecules and Their Impact on Biology and Translational Applications: Celebrating the Pioneering Work of Prof. Ho Jeong Kwon

A special issue of Biomolecules (ISSN 2218-273X). This special issue belongs to the section "Cellular Biochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 2454

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Eun-Woo Lee

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Metabolic Regulation Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon 34141, Republic of Korea
Interests: ferroptosis; lipid metabolism; cancer metabolism; cardiovascular diseases; drug development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hye Jin Kang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Interests: GPCR pharmacology; chemogenetics; tool compounds; pain and itch

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the publication of Professor Ho Jeong Kwon’s paper (PNAS, 95:3356, 1998), in which he reported a new inventory of biological tools using “depudecin’ as a pharmacologically active compound for the study of, and for medical intervention in, basic biological processes. This paper stimulated the interest of many researchers and physicians to explore the biological role of histone deacetylases in gene regulation.

The addition of depudecin to pharmacopoeia has the potential to contribute to both basic and clinical science; for instance, its novel structure has already contributed to the understanding of the enzymatic mechanisms of action of the deacetylases, and it may further have unique advantages for therapeutic purposes. The past 25 years have witnessed intense scientific efforts to discover new biomolecules for advancing biology and biomedical applications. Professor Kwon has been at the forefront of these innovative efforts, conducting pioneering research on some of the angiogenesis- and autophagy-regulating biomolecules such as terpestacin, curcumin, kaempferide, Rg3, sertraline, artemisinate, daptomycin, voacangine, crytotashinone, etc., as well as on the biological roles of the targets of these biomolecules and their translational applications in health and disease, providing insights into the “biomolecule-target-phenotype’ link in biology and translational applications.

This Special Issue aims to focus on the role of biomolecules and their impact on biology and translational applications. It will begin with a brief review of Professor Kwon’s contributions to this field, followed by original research articles and reviews on all aspects of the molecular mechanisms and functional actions of biomolecules and their applications in health and disease.

Dr. Eun-Woo Lee
Dr. Hye Jin Kang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Biomolecules is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biomolecules
  • cancer
  • angiogenesis
  • autophagy
  • GPCRs
  • translational applications
  • target identification
  • proximity-labeling
  • molecular docking
  • molecular probe
  • molecular pharmacology

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4488 KiB  
Article
IFN-γ-Preconditioned Human Gingival-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Inhibit Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells via Adenosine
by William de Jesús Ríos-Ríos, Sorely Adelina Sosa-Luis, Alexia Almaraz-Arreortua, Patricia Vargas-Benitez, Héctor Ulises Bernardino-Hernández, Jaime Vargas-Arzola, Luis Alberto Hernández-Osorio, María de los Ángeles Romero-Tlalolini, Sergio Roberto Aguilar-Ruiz and Honorio Torres-Aguilar
Biomolecules 2024, 14(6), 658; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14060658 - 4 Jun 2024
Viewed by 547
Abstract
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are vital players in antiviral immune responses because of their high levels of IFN-α secretion. However, this attribute has also implicated them as critical factors behind the immunopathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, and no currently available therapy can efficiently inhibit [...] Read more.
Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) are vital players in antiviral immune responses because of their high levels of IFN-α secretion. However, this attribute has also implicated them as critical factors behind the immunopathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, and no currently available therapy can efficiently inhibit pDCs’ aberrant activation. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) possess stromal immunomodulatory functionality, regulating immune cell activation through several mechanisms, including the adenosinergic (CD39/CD73/adenosine) pathway. The IFN-γ preconditioning of bone marrow MSCs improves their inhibitory properties for therapy applications; however, isolating human gingival tissue-derived MSCs (hGMSCs) is more accessible. These cells have shown better immunomodulatory effects, yet the outcome of IFN-γ preconditioning and its impact on the adenosinergic pathway has not been evaluated. This study first validated the immunoregulatory properties of primary-cultured hGMSCs, and the results showed that IFN-γ preconditioning strengthens CD39/CD73 coexpression, adenosine production, and the regulatory properties of hGMSC, which were confirmed by describing for the first time their ability to reduce pDC activation and their IFN-α secretion and to increase the frequency of CD73+ pDC. In addition, when CD73′s enzymatic activity was neutralized in hGMSCs, adenosine production and the IFN-γ preconditioning effect were restrained. This evidence might be applied to design hGMSCs- and adenosine-based immunotherapeutic strategies for treating inflammatory disorders that are associated with pDC overactivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomolecules and Their Impact on Biology and Translational Applications: Celebrating the Pioneering Work of Prof. Ho Jeong Kwon)
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21 pages, 5374 KiB  
Article
Lysophosphatidic Acid Stimulates Mitogenic Activity and Signaling in Human Neuroblastoma Cells through a Crosstalk with Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase
by Simona Dedoni, Maria C. Olianas and Pierluigi Onali
Biomolecules 2024, 14(6), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14060631 - 28 May 2024
Viewed by 500
Abstract
Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a well-documented pro-oncogenic factor in different cancers, but relatively little is known on its biological activity in neuroblastoma. The LPA effects and the participation of the tyrosine kinase receptor anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in LPA mitogenic signaling were studied [...] Read more.
Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a well-documented pro-oncogenic factor in different cancers, but relatively little is known on its biological activity in neuroblastoma. The LPA effects and the participation of the tyrosine kinase receptor anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in LPA mitogenic signaling were studied in human neuroblastoma cell lines. We used light microscopy and [3H]-thymidine incorporation to determine cell proliferation, Western blot to study intracellular signaling, and pharmacological and molecular tools to examine the role of ALK. We found that LPA stimulated the growth of human neuroblastoma cells, as indicated by the enhanced cell number, clonogenic activity, and DNA synthesis. These effects were curtailed by the selective ALK inhibitors NPV-TAE684 and alectinib. In a panel of human neuroblastoma cell lines harboring different ALK genomic status, the ALK inhibitors suppressed LPA-induced phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), which are major regulators of cell proliferation. ALK depletion by siRNA treatment attenuated LPA-induced ERK1/2 activation. LPA enhanced ALK phosphorylation and potentiated ALK activation by the ALK ligand FAM150B. LPA enhanced the inhibitory phosphorylation of the tumor suppressor FoxO3a, and this response was impaired by the ALK inhibitors. These results indicate that LPA stimulates mitogenesis of human neuroblastoma cells through a crosstalk with ALK. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomolecules and Their Impact on Biology and Translational Applications: Celebrating the Pioneering Work of Prof. Ho Jeong Kwon)
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22 pages, 6558 KiB  
Article
Unlocking Potential: Low Bovine Serum Albumin Enhances the Chondrogenicity of Human Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells in Pellet Cultures
by Isabel Casado-Losada, Melanie Acosta, Barbara Schädl, Eleni Priglinger, Susanne Wolbank and Sylvia Nürnberger
Biomolecules 2024, 14(4), 413; https://doi.org/10.3390/biom14040413 - 28 Mar 2024
Viewed by 884
Abstract
Bovine serum albumin (BSA) plays a crucial role in cell culture media, influencing cellular processes such as proliferation and differentiation. Although it is commonly included in chondrogenic differentiation media, its specific function remains unclear. This study explores the effect of different BSA concentrations [...] Read more.
Bovine serum albumin (BSA) plays a crucial role in cell culture media, influencing cellular processes such as proliferation and differentiation. Although it is commonly included in chondrogenic differentiation media, its specific function remains unclear. This study explores the effect of different BSA concentrations on the chondrogenic differentiation of human adipose-derived stromal/stem cells (hASCs). hASC pellets from six donors were cultured under chondrogenic conditions with three BSA concentrations. Surprisingly, a lower BSA concentration led to enhanced chondrogenesis. The degree of this effect was donor-dependent, classifying them into two groups: (1) high responders, forming at least 35% larger, differentiated pellets with low BSA in comparison to high BSA; (2) low responders, which benefitted only slightly from low BSA doses with a decrease in pellet size and marginal differentiation, indicative of low intrinsic differentiation potential. In all cases, increased chondrogenesis was accompanied by hypertrophy under low BSA concentrations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing improved chondrogenicity and the tendency for hypertrophy with low BSA concentration compared to standard levels. Once the tendency for hypertrophy is understood, the determination of BSA concentration might be used to tune hASC chondrogenic or osteogenic differentiation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biomolecules and Their Impact on Biology and Translational Applications: Celebrating the Pioneering Work of Prof. Ho Jeong Kwon)
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