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Growth factors play a vital role in the complex web of biological processes, serving as key regulators in various essential events. They exert significant influence over crucial cellular behaviors such as proliferation, differentiation, and survival. Acting as molecular messengers, growth factors facilitate communication between cells and tissues, ensuring coordinated functionality. By exploring the defining characteristics and functions of growth factors, we gain a deeper understanding of their profound contributions to embryonic development, tissue re …

This article provides an overview of the protein Zonulin (function, structure, location). It describes tight junction proteins, leaky gut and Zonulin-related diseases. This includes celiac disease, Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. Key Takeaways: Zonulin is a protein regulating intestinal permeability, or "leaky gut." It modulates tight junctions in the intestines, affecting substance passage into the bloodstream. Dysregulated zonulin levels are linked to autoimmune disorders, celiac disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. Zonulin is involved in diseases like Crohn's and cancer, and its inhibitors are being researched. Elevated zonulin le …

Introduction Cellular senescence is a fascinating phenomenon that plays a crucial role in the aging process and various age-related diseases. It is essential to explore the cellular sources, how cells age, and define the concept of senescence to gain a comprehensive understanding of this complex biological process. Key Takeaways Cellular senescence is a state of irreversible growth arrest with significant implications for aging and age-related diseases. Strategies to counteract senescence include senolytics, targeting key pathways, and lifestyle interventions. Senescent cells contribute to tissue dysfunction and chronic inflammation through the senescence- …

Stem Cells: What are they and how they can help treat diseases Stem cells are a unique population of cells that possess the ability to self-renew and differentiate into specialized cell types. They play crucial roles in tissue maintenance, repair, and regeneration throughout life. Stem cells have the potential to treat diseases, injuries, and degenerative conditions. Stem cells are used medical procedures like bone marrow transplants. Stem cells' versatile nature and vital functions make them a subject of intense scientific exploration and therapeutic potential. { "@context": "https://sc …

Oct-4 stem cells, also known as Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 stem cells, are a fascinating area of study in the field of stem cell research. These stem cells hold great promise due to their unique characteristics and potential applications in regenerative medicine and developmental biology. This article provides information on Oct-4 stem cells, their properties, roles, and therapeutic implications. What are Oct-4 Stem Cells? Octamer-binding transcription factor 4 stem cells (Oct-4) stem cells are a subtype of pluripotent stem cells that express the Oct-4 transcription factor. Belonging to the POU f …

Introduction Phosphorylation is a fundamental biochemical process that plays a crucial role in various cellular functions. It involves the addition of a phosphate group to a molecule, typically a protein or a small organic molecule, leading to the formation of a phosphorylated compound. The phosphate group, known as a phosphoryl group, carries a negative charge and can modify the structure and activity of the target molecule. This post-translational modification serves as a key regulatory mechanism in signal transduction pathways, cellular metabolism, enzyme activity, and gene expression. By adding or removing phosphoryl groups, cells can rapidly and precisely control the functio …

Blood Coagulation Pathways Blood clotting, also known as hemostasis, is a fascinating and intricate process that ensures our bodies can effectively respond to injuries and prevent excessive bleeding. It involves a complex network of interactions, called the coagulation pathways. These pathways consist of a series of enzymatic reactions, triggered by the release of substances called clotting factors that ultimately lead to formation of blood clots. Examples of clotting factors include : Fibrinogen Platelets Calcium The release of these clotting factors is regulated by a number of different mechanisms, including the presence of certain proteins in the blood, the pH of the blood, an …

What is Necrosis? Necrosis is a pathological process characterized by the death of cells or tissues within a living organism. It occurs as a result of various factors, including injury, infection, inadequate blood supply (ischemia), toxins, or disease processes. Unlike programmed cell death (apoptosis), which is a regulated and orderly process, necrosis is typically a chaotic and uncontrolled event. The consequences of necrosis can range from local tissue damage to systemic organ failure, depending on the extent and location of the affected cells or tissues. Understanding the causes, manifestations, and potential complications of necrosis is crucial for diagnosing and managing vari …

Unravel the complexities of bone resorption, a crucial biological process essential for skeletal health and calcium regulation, through the intricate roles of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Key Takeaways Bone resorption is essential for maintaining skeletal health and calcium balance. Osteoclasts dissolve bone tissue, and osteoblasts create new bone, forming a continuous cycle called bone remodeling. Imbalance in bone resorption can lead to conditions like osteoporosis, hyperparathyroidism, or osteopetrosis. Subperiosteal resorption can indicate systemic diseases, particularly hyperparathyroidism. Calcium, stored in bone as hydroxyapatite crystals, plays a vital role in bone res …

Understanding Beta-Oxidation: A Comprehensive Overview Fatty acids provide a highly efficient energy storage mechanism, delivering more energy per gram than common carbohydrates like glucose. This becomes particularly vital in tissues with high energy requirements, such as the heart, where 50–70% of energy is derived from fatty acid beta-oxidation. During this process, long-chain acyl-CoA molecules, the main components of fatty acids, are broken down into acetyl-CoA molecules. Key Takeaways: Beta-oxidation is a metabolic process breaking down fatty acids for energy. It occurs primarily in mitochondria and involves four critical steps. Beta-oxidation generates acet …

Flow Cytometry Protocol The meaning is in the name: Flow = in motion, Cyto = cells, Metry = measure. What is Flow Cytometry? Flow cytometry measures the properties of cells while in a fluid stream. It enables single cell analysis of complex cellular systems (e.g. blood) very rapidly (100s of cells/second) it also allows you to look at various cellular properties such as size, granularity, fluorescence intensity per cell. Flow Cy …

Fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) is a cutting-edge technique used to isolate individual cells from a sample and analyse their properties. In this guide, we will discuss the basics of FACS sorting protocol and how it can be used in a variety of applications. FACS is revolutionizing the field of cell biology and allowing researchers to isolate single cells with an unprecedented accuracy of 99.99%. This makes it an ideal tool for applications where cell purity is important. Key Takeaways FACS enables precise isolation and analysis of individual cells with an accuracy of 99.99%. It uses fluorescent dyes and flow cytometry to sort cells based on va …

Kinases, key enzymes in cellular signaling, phosphorylate proteins to regulate crucial processes, and their modulation has significant implications in disease treatment. Key Takeaways: Kinases are enzymes that phosphorylate proteins, influencing cell processes. They are categorized into serine/threonine, tyrosine, and dual specificity kinases. Kinases are crucial in cell signaling, growth, metabolism, and homeostasis. Dysregulation of kinases is linked to diseases like cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Protein kinase inhibitors hold therapeutic potential in treating various diseases. What are Kinases? Understanding their Functions, Types and Structure Kinases are …

Spindle assembly checkpoint The spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC), or mitotic checkpoint, is the main cell cycle control mechanism that governs mitosis. Incorrect spindle attachment causes the spindle assembly checkpoint to generate a wait anaphase signal that prevents the activation of the anaphase promoting complex (APC), an ubiquitin E3 ligase essential for progression of the cell cycle. Conserved components of the mammalian SAC include Bub1 (Cahill et al., 1998), BubR1 [Chan et al., 1998], Bub3 [Taylor et al.,ÿ1998], Mad1[Jin et al., 1998], Mad2 [Li and Benezra, 1996] and CENP-E [Weaver etÿal., 2003]. The checkpoint becomes activated as a …

What are Stem Cells? Stem cells are primitive, undifferentiated, and unspecialised cells that are found in multicellular organisms. Stem cells can be thought of as "uncommitted cells", as they have not yet assumed a specific function in the body. Embryonic stem (ES) cells are present everywhere during early development before the formation of organs and organ systems. Stem cells are stimulated by their environment into becoming specialized cells, such as muscle cells or brain cells. On top of being able to differentiate into the different types of cells and tissues that make up the human body, stem cells maintain their ab …

by Ryan Wallis, PhD Aging and Disease Imagine a world where everything you do is missing just a little piece and as time goes on you start to lose sense entirely. This is the devastating world of neurodegeneration, a collective term for diseases which include Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Conditions like these have an enormous impact on both the individuals who suffer from them and their families, who must watch their loved ones ebb away into a shell of their former selves. These conditions are as cruel as they are debilitating and, alarmingly, they are on the rise (Alzheimer’s Association, 2017). In fact, almost all conditions associated with ageing ar …

Key Points Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) is a method of gene editing that uses the Cas9 protein and specific guide RNAs to either delete host genes or insert specific gene sequences into the host genome. CRISPR screening is used to find a small number of important genes or genetic sequences within a massive number of genetic sequences such as the entire genome. There are three main types of CRISPR screening assays which include viability-based negative selection screens, viability-based positive selection screens and marker-based selection screens …

RIPA (Radio Immuno Precipitation Assay) buffer is mostly used when carrying out a western blot or immunoprecipatation assay. A RIPA buffer is used in order to lyse cells and extract protein from cultured cells. RIPA buffer cell lysis enables determination of protein concentration. RIPA buffer is an ideal cell lysis reagent since it contains three non-ionic and ionic detergents. Preserving protein:protein interactions When you need to preserve protein-protein interactions or to reduce denaturation its recommended to use a RIPA buffer recipe without SDS (ionic detergent) or Triton X-100 (non-ionic detergent). RIPA buffer recipes …

Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMP) were first discovered in the 1960s by Dr.Marshall Urist, an orthopaedic surgeon at UCLA (Urist 1965). BMPs are classically associated with their roles in limb development, induction of cartilage and bone growth. However, it has been since clarified that Bone Morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are involved in many more diverse biological processes, such as stem cell and organ formation, muscle development, iron metabolism, vascular biology and cancer (D. P. Brazil et al.2015). The BMPs belong to the TGF-β superfamily and are glycosylated, extracellular matrix-associated molecules. The constituents of the BMP signalling pathway have also been implicated in d …

David Melamed, Phd Candidate, Colombia University When I started in the Kalderon Lab five years ago, I had no idea that our work would lead us to drastically revise an entire model system of adult stem cell behavior. I joined the lab straight out of college, setting forth with a wide-eyed passion for stem cell research. The lab was a perfect fit, specializing in the behavior of somatic stem cells found in the fruit fly ovary. Our cells of interest, called Follicle Stem Cells (FSCs), closely mimic the behavior of various somatic adult stem cells in mammals, including those found in the stomach and intestine. Follicle Stem C …

By John Bannon PhD Early Cytokinesis Early cytokinesis; from anaphase to midbody formation cytokinesis is the physical separation of a dividing cell into two identical daughter cells [Eggert et al., 2006]. Cytokinesis begins following the separation of DNA during anaphase, and the consequent APC-mediated destruction of the Cdk1-cyclin B complex, which negatively regulates many proteins essential for cytokinesis [Hummer and Mayer, 2009; Jiang et al., 1998; Mishima et al., 2004]. Microtubule Alignment During early anaphase microtubules are rearranged to form the central spi …

Polo-like kinase (Plk1) Polo-like kinase (Plk1), is a serine/threonine kinase that is active during mitosis (Hamanaka et al., 1995). Its name is derived from its original characterisation as a homolog of a Drosophila mitotic kinase encoded by the Polo gene (Fenton et al., 1993; Martin et al., 2006). There are five Plk kinases identified in humans, although only Plk1 has been extensively characterised as a mitotic kinase (Martin et al., 2006; Lens et al., 2010). Polo-like Kinase family members Other members of the family have largely non-mitotic functions: Plk2 and Plk4 are involved in centriole duplication (Warnke et al., 2004; …

Alex Lloyd PhD Candidate, Dublin Institute of Technology Did you know that roughly 17.5 million people worldwide die annually from Cardiovascular diseases (CVD)? According to the World Health Organisation in 2013, one third of global death was attributed to CVDs. In Ireland, it is estimated that 10,000 people die annually from these diseases. However, what if there was a cheap available food-based preparation that could decrease disease progression, improve quality of life and reduce healthcare costs. The direct economic cost of these diseases is about two billion euros each year not to mention indirect costs and the effects on quality of life. …

By Francisco Algaba Chueco In this post we discuss a topic that everyone will have heard of. Let’s talk about migraines, a disorder that hides a huge physiological and molecular background, and having an impact alarmingly high around the globe. We are going to enter the etiology of the disease, in all molecular and supramolecular processes that trigger it and we are going to finally talk about the traditional therapies, the most novel therapies and, of course, prophylaxis or prevention of migraines.This post is not intended to be a review, but a somewhat more scientific than is generally known about migraines, explained so that everyone can und …