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SUBHASH CHANDRA^1,2, SANTWANA PALAI³, EDINARDO FAGNER FERREIRA-MATIAS⁴, IVO CAVALCANTE PITA-NETO⁴, CíCERO LUCAS GOMES-RAMALHO⁴, EDLANE MARTINS DE ANDRADE⁴, RAY SILVA DE ALMEIDA⁵, MARCELLO IRITI^6,7,*, HENRIQUE DOUGLAS MELO-COUTINHO^5,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 677-695, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026081
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Antimicrobial Resistance: From Basic Science to Applied Approaches)
Abstract Indian medicinal plants are referred to as the “nectar of life” owing to their phytochemicals and bioactive complexes that are beneficial in treating diseases. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global health issue without any proper medication. The indigenous plants of India can be exploited to control the precise signs of SARS-CoV-2. The Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) has advised routine usage of medicinal plants for COVID-19. Medicinal plants like Zingiber officinalis, Azadirachta indica, Ocimum sanctum, Nigella sativa, Withania somnifera, Curcuma longa, Piper nigrum, Allium sativum, Tinospora cordifolia, etc. have immunity-boosting, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant… More >

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JIA LIU^1,2,#, FAPING WANG^1,2,#, BO YUAN³, FENGMING LUO^1,2,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 697-705, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026148
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Bioinformatics Study of Diseases)
Abstract Runt-related transcription factor-1 (RUNX1), also known as the core-binding factor alpha 2 subunit, is closely related to human leukemia. The functions of RUNX1 in modulating cell proliferation, differentiation, and survival in multiple systems have been gradually discovered with the emergence of transgenic mice. RUNX1 is a powerful transcription factor implicated in diverse signaling pathways and cellular mechanisms that participate in lung development and pulmonary diseases. RUNX1 has recently been identified as a target regulator of fibrotic remodeling diseases, particularly in the kidney. However, the role of RUNX1 in pulmonary fibrosis is unclear. Pulmonary fibrosis is characterized by obscure nosogenesis, limited… More >

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PRIYANKA SOLANKI¹, NISARG RANA¹, PRAKASH C. JHA², ANU MANHAS^1,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 707-729, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026615
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Bioinformatics Study of Diseases)
Abstract Cancer is considered one of the most lethal diseases responsible for causing deaths worldwide. Although there have been many breakthroughs in anticancer development, cancer remains the major cause of death globally. In this regard, targeting cancer-causing enzymes is one of the efficient therapeutic strategies. Biological functions like cell cycle, transcription, metabolism, apoptosis, and other depend primarily on cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs). These enzymes help in the replication of DNA in the normal cell cycle process, and deregulation in the functioning of any CDK can cause abnormal cell growth, which leads to cancer. This review is focused on anticancer drug discovery against… More >

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KAMILA CZUBAK-PROWIZOR^*, MARIA SWIATKOWSKA
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 731-737, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.025677
Abstract Junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A), also known as the F11 receptor (F11R), is one of the tight junction components. JAM-A is a transmembrane glycoprotein that regulates many cellular processes, i.e., angiogenesis, leukocyte transendothelial migration, intercellular permeability, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, and platelet activation. Of note, it is involved in the pathogenesis of various cancer types, including gynecological cancers. Only a few studies are available about this cancer type. Observed aberrant JAM-A expression in gynecological cancers correlates with poor patient prognosis. To the best of our knowledge, conflicting JAM-A roles in various cancer types suggest that its involvement is complex and tumor-type specific. The… More >

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JIAWEI FU^1,2,3,#, CHUNSHUAI WU^1,2,3,#, GUANHUA XU^1,2,3, JINLONG ZHANG¹, YIQIU LI¹, CHUNYAN JI^1,2,3, ZHIMING CUI^1,2,3,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 739-749, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026881
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Neuroimmune Interactions at the Crossroads of Health and Disease)
Abstract Spinal cord injury (SCI), a complex neurological disorder, triggers a series of devastating neuropathological events such as ischemia, oxidative stress, inflammatory events, neuronal apoptosis, and motor dysfunction. However, the classical necrosome, which consists of receptor-interacting protein (RIP)1, RIP3, and mixed-lineage kinase domain-like protein, is believed to control a novel type of programmed cell death called necroptosis, through tumour necrosis factor-alpha/tumour necrosis factor receptor-1 signalling or other stimuli. Several studies reported that necroptosis plays an important role in neural cell damage, release of intracellular pro-inflammatory factors, lysosomal dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Recent research indicates that necroptosis is crucial to the… More >

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LAKSHANA SADU^#, R.HARI KRISHNAN^#, R.L. AKSHAYA, I. SARANYA, UDIPT RANJAN DAS, SNEHA SATISHKUMAR, N. SELVAMURUGAN^*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 751-760, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026911
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Non-Coding RNAs in the Regulation of Human Cancers)
Abstract MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that regulate the expression of their target mRNAs post-transcriptionally. Since their discovery, thousands of highly conserved miRNAs have been identified and investigated for their role in human health and diseases. MiR-214 has been increasingly reported to have an association with the regulation of bone metabolism. Reports suggested that miR-214 controls the critical aspects of osteoblasts (bone-forming cells), including their differentiation, proliferation, viability, and migration. Studies have also reported the functional significance of miR-214 in bone diseases and suggested its candidature as a diagnostic and therapeutic target. Further, targeting miR-214 by other ncRNAs, such… More >

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QIAO ZHOU^1,2,3, JIAN LIU^2,4, LING XIN⁴, YANYAN FANG^2,4, LEI WAN^2,4, DAN HUANG^2,4, JINCHEN GUO¹, JIANTING WEN^2,4
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 761-772, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026698
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochemical and Epigenetics Changes in Health and Disease)
Abstract The pathophysiology of osteoarthritis (OA) is multifactorial, with the primary risk factors being obesity, age, environmental variables, and genetic predisposition. The available evidence suggests that genetic diversity does not adequately account for all clinical characteristics and heterogeneity of OA. Genetics has emerged as a nascent and crucial area of research in OA. The epigenetic module presents a potential link between genetic and environmental risk factors and the susceptibility and pathogenesis of OA. As a critical epigenetic alteration, DNA methylation has been shown to have an important role in the etiology of OA and is a viable biomarker for predicting disease… More >

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JINGYAO XU^1,#, SHUANGLI HAO^1,#, KAIYUE HAN^1,#, WANXI YANG^1,*, HONG DENG^2,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 773-788, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026618
Abstract As a pathway that plays a role in nutrient absorption, anabolic response, cell growth and survival, the important role of AKT/mTOR in tumorigenesis has also come to light. For cancer patients, most deaths are caused by the growth of metastatic tumors outside the primary focus. Therefore, migration and invasion in the late stage of tumor progression are the main unresolved issues in the study of tumor pathogenesis, and AKT/mTOR has been found to participate in the migration and invasion of cancer cells, which means that the study of this pathway may contribute to a solution for the problem. Because of… More >

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AAYUSHI RANDHAWA^1,2, SAYAN DEB DUTTA¹, KEYA GANGULY¹, TEJAL V. PATIL^1,2, RACHMI LUTHFIKASARI¹, KI-TAEK LIM^1,2,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 789-808, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026217
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Cell-Based Regenerative Therapies)
Abstract Tissues are made up of cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) which surrounds them. These cells and tissues are actively adaptable to enduring significant stress that occurs in daily life. This astonishing mechanical stress develops due to the interaction between the live cells and the non-living ECM. Cells in the matrix microenvironment can sense the signals and forces produced and initiate a signaling cascade that plays a crucial role in the body’s normal functioning and influences various properties of the native cells, including growth, proliferation, and differentiation. However, the matrix’s characteristic features also impact the repair and regeneration of the… More >

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KANWAL REHMAN¹, AMMARA AFZAAL², MUHAMMAD SAJID HAMID AKASH^2,*, MUHAMMAD IMRAN^3,4, MOHAMMED A. ASSIRI^3,4
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 809-823, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.025850
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Cell-Based Regenerative Therapies)
Abstract The cytokine channel’s mechanism for self-regulation involves the application of antagonistic cytokines that are synthesized to connect to the receptors and release soluble cytokine receptors. The very first receptor antagonist of cytokine that was naturally present was interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra). The IL-1Ra protein forms are disinfected from supernatants of cultured monocytes on stacked IgG. The family of IL-1 consists of IL-1α, IL-1β and IL-1Ra. Human monocytes regulate the production of IL-Ra. IL-Ra takes part in normal physiological functions by using specific antibodies, and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. IL-Ra is synthesized in the tissues during the period of active… More >

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YIFAN XU^1,#, DONGMEI CHENG^1,#, LEI HU¹, XIN DONG², LIYING LV², CHEN ZHANG², JIAN ZHOU^1,3,4,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 825-836, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026122
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Cell-Based Regenerative Therapies)
Abstract The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is the main target of tooth regeneration regulation. Treatment of cells with AZD2858 stimulates the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, yet the function of this pathway in tooth regeneration remains unclear. Here, we found that AZD2858 promotes the accumulation of β-catenin in the nuclei of stem cells from the apical papilla (SCAPs) and enhances cell proliferation. Single-cell sequencing was performed on SCAPs treated with AZD2858. Eight clusters were identified, namely SCAPs-CNTNAP2, SCAPs-DTL, SCAPs-MYH11, SCAPs-MKI67, SCAPs-CXCL8, SCAPs-TPM2, SCAPs-IFIT2 and SCAPs-NEK10. The pseudo-time trajectory analysis showed that AZD2858 enhanced the evolution of SCAPs from SCAPs-TMP2 clusters to SCAPs-MYH11, SCAPs-CNTNAPs and… More >

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WEI XIA¹, NING YANG², XIAOYAN FENG³, TING XIN¹, YONGLE JING¹, YUMING LI^4,*, CHENGZHI LU^1,5,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 837-847, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026161
Abstract Background: Preeclampsia (PE), characterized by hypertension and proteinuria, leads to serious maternal and infant complications. Uridine-cytidine kinase 2 (UCK2) belongs to the UCK family, a class of enzymes that catalyzes the conversion of uridine and cytidine to monophosphate form. However, the role of UCK2 in PE has not been reported. Methods: The expression of UCK2 was detected in the placenta of PE patients and N(ω)-nitro-L-arginine methyl esterinduced PE mouse model. Through forced up-regulation or down-regulation of UCK2 in vitro, we examined the effects of UCK2 on the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of trophoblast cells. Stattic, the inhibitor of STAT3… More >

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XIAOSU SONG, FEN GAO, HONG LI, WEIWEI QIN, CHANJUAN CHAI, GUOJUAN SHI, HUIYU YANG^*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 849-858, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026545
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Biochemical and Epigenetics Changes in Health and Disease)
Abstract Background: Vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) undergo a conversion from a contractile phenotype to a proliferative synthetic phenotype, contributing to the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Semaphorin 7A (SEMA7A) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane protein that plays an important role in vascular homeostasis by regulating endothelial cell behaviors. However, the expression and role of SEMA7A in VSMCs remain unclear.Methods: In this study, we screened for VSMC-regulating genes in publicly available datasets and analyzed the expression of SEMA7A in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells (hCASMCs) treated with platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). The effects of SEMA7A overexpression and knockdown on hCASMC proliferation and… More >

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YU ZHANG^1,2, XI’AN ZHOU^1,2, CHUNYAN ZHANG^1,2, DENGNI LAI⁵, DONGBO LIU^1,3,4, YANYANG WU^1,2,3,4,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 859-868, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026429
Abstract Background: Hyperglycemia is a typical symptom of diabetes. High glucose induces apoptosis of islet β cells. While autophagy functions in cytoprotection and autophagic cell death. The interaction between autophagy and apoptosis is important in the modulation of the function of islet β cells. Vitamin B3 can induce autophagy and inhibit islet β apoptosis.Method: The mechanism of vitamin B3-mediated protective effect on the function of islet β cells was explored by the method of western blot, immunofluorescence and flow cytometry.Results: In the present study, high glucose stress increased the apoptosis rate, while vitamin B3 reduced the apoptosis rate. The effect of… More >

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WEI SHI^1,2,3,#, JIANXIA LIN^1,2,3,#, RONG JIN^1,2,3, XIANJING XIE^1,2,3, YAN LIANG^1,2,3,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 869-877, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026037
Abstract Background: LncRNA DLX6-AS1 has been uncovered to exert effects on various cancers. Nevertheless, the impacts of DLX6-AS1 on endometrial cancer (EC) development remained obscure. The study explored the influence of DLX6-AS1 on EC progression via the microRNA (miR)-374a-3p/zinc-finger protein (ZFX) axis.Methods: EC cell lines were collected and DLX6-AS1, miR-374a-3p, and ZFX levels in EC cell lines were detected. The EC cells were transfected with DLX6-AS1, miR-374a-3p, and ZFX constructs to examine the biological functions of EC cells. The xenograft model was established for detecting tumor growth. Rescue experiments were conducted to verify the interaction of DLX6-AS1, miR-374a-3p, and ZFX in… More >

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TINGTING SUN, XUE SUN, XIN WANG, RUI GUO, YUANHUA YU^*, LE GAO^*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 879-889, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026229
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Bioinformatics Study of Diseases)
Abstract Background: Aldo-keto oxidoreductase (AKR) inhibitors could reverse the resistance of several cancer cells to cis-platin, but their role in resistance remains unclear.Methods: We verified the difference of AKR1Cs expression by Western blot, RNA sequencing and qRT-PCR. The differences of AKR1Cs expression were analyzed and inferred. Use Assay of NADH and NAD⁺ content to verify the inference. The Docking experience was used to verify the affinity between MPA, MCFLA, MLS and AKR1C3.Results: Our RNA-seq results showed de novo NAD biosynthesis-related genes and NAD(P)H-dependent oxidoreductases were significantly upregulated in cis-platin-resistant HepG2 hepatic cancer cells (HepG2-RC cells) compared with HepG2 cells. At least… More >

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ZEINAB KLAAB¹, AZIZA HASSAN², JAWAHER ALBAQAMI¹, FAIZAH A. ALMALKI^1,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 891-904, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026556
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Herbal Active Ingredients: Potential for the Prevention and Treatment of Cancer)
Abstract Cancer remains to be one of the most severe sicknesses globally. Cases have kept rising over the years. Breast cancer (BC), which is among the leading types of cancers and predominantly affects women, is the second leading cause of cancer mortality. Researchers have developed interventions over the years; however, the BC survival rate has not improved since the 1980s. This has created the need for novel drug interventions that would manage and treat BC more effectively. This study focused on using a combination of natural product extracts such as phytoestrogen (Ziziphus jujube) and Tannin nanoparticles (NP99) together, which we have… More >

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XIAOHONG FU^1,#, JIE ZHAO^3,#, DANDAN CAO^1,2, CHENGXING HE^1,2, ZIYI WANG¹, YIBEI JIANG¹, JIANFENG LIU^1,*, GUIXIA LIU^1,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 905-917, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026930
（This article belongs to this Special Issue: Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plant Stress Tolerance)
Abstract Allium senescens, is an important economic and ecological grassland plant with drought-resistant characteristics. A TCP protein transcription factor is important in the regulation of plant development and adverse responses. However, the mechanism by which TCP transcription functions in drought resistance in Allium senescens is still not clear. Here, we obtained a total of 190,305 transcripts with 115,562 single gene clusters based on RNA-Seq sequencing of Allium senescens under drought stress. The total number of bases was 97,195,096 bp, and the average length was 841.06 bp. Furthermore, we found that there were eight genes of the TCP family that showed an… More >

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JUAN C. STOCKERT^1,2,*, SILVINA A. ROMERO¹, MARCELO N. FELIX-POZZI³, ALFONSO BLÁZQUEZ-CASTRO⁴
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 919-928, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026631
Abstract

The ¹⁰boron neutron-capture therapy (BNCT) is an emerging antitumoral method that shows increasing biomedical interest. BNCT is based on the selective accumulation of the ¹⁰boron isotope within the tumor, which is then irradiated with low-energy thermal neutrons, generating nuclear fission that produces ⁷lithium, ⁴helium, and γ rays. Simple catechol-borate esters have been rather overlooked as precursors of melanin biosynthesis, and therefore, a proof-of-concept approach for using dopamine-borate (DABO) as a suitable boron-containing candidate for potential BNCT is presented here. DABO can spontaneously oxidize and autopolymerize in vitro, giving a soluble, eumelanin-like brown-black poly-DABO product. Melanotic melanoma cell cultures treated with… More >

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JULIANA A. PORTES¹, ROSSIANE C. VOMMARO¹, LUCIO AYRES CALDAS², ERICA S. MARTINS-DUARTE^3,*
BIOCELL, Vol.47, No.4, pp. 929-950, 2023, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2023.026629
Abstract Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan of worldwide distribution and the agent of toxoplasmosis. It is estimated that 30%–50% of the world population could be infected with this parasite. Although the infection in immunocompetent individuals is mostly asymptomatic, the disease in immunosuppressed and pregnant is a risk condition. As a member of the phylum Apicomplexa, T. gondii has an obligatory intracellular lifestyle; therefore, invading a host cell and establishing it inside a parasitophorous vacuole (PV) are mandatories for the survival of this parasite. The construction of a perfect intracellular niche for T. gondii requires the secretion of an arsenal of proteins… More >

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