MiR-193b deregulation is associated with Parkinson's disease

PGC-1α/FNDC5/BDNF has found to be a critical pathway in neurodegeneration. MicroRNAs (miR(NA)s) are non-coding regulatory RNAs whose dysregulation has been observed in multiple neurological disorders, and miRNA-mediated gene deregulation plays a decisive role in PD. Here, candidate miRNA was chosen based on the literature survey and in silico studies. Chronic and acute models of PD were created using MPP+-treated SH-SY5Y cells. Twenty PD patients and 20 healthy volunteers were recruited. RT-qPCR was performed to assess the expression of miRNA and genes. Severe mitochondrial dysfunction induced by acute MPP+ treatment instigated compensatory mechanisms through enhancing expression of PGC-1α/FNDC5/BDNF pathway genes, while chronic MPP+ toxicity led to down-regulated levels of the genes in SH-SY5Y cells. PD peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) also showed decreased expression of target genes. There were significant changes in the level of miR-193b in both models, as well as PD PBMCs. Moreover, miR-193b overexpression significantly affected PGC-1α, FNDC5 and TFAM levels. Interestingly, down-regulations of PGC-1α, FNDC5, BDNF and TFAM were inversely correlated with miR-193b up-regulation in PD PBMCs. This study showed the deregulation of PGC-1α/FNDC5/BDNF pathway in PD models and PBMCs, verifying its importance in neurodegeneration. Our findings also revealed that miR-193b functions in PD development, possibly through regulating PGC-1α/FNDC5/BDNF pathway, suggesting miR-193b as a potential biomarker for PD diagnosis.     

Evaluation of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activity of Water-Soluble Peptides Extracted from Iranian Traditional Kefir

International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics - Kefir, a traditional fermented milk product, is considered as a rich source of biofunctional compounds like peptides that are beneficial...     

Recent advances of dendrimer in targeted delivery of drugs and genes to stem cells as cellular vehicles

Stem cells can be used to repair dysfunctional and injured (or cancerous) tissues by delivering therapeutics. However, in comparison with other cells, it is harder to transfect drugs or genes into stem cells. Dendrimers have been considered as efficient vectors to deliver both genes and drugs to stem cells due to their unique properties including adjustable molecular weight and size, low toxicity, high loading capacity, and having multiple peripheral chemical agents which can be functionalized to improve deliverance efficiency. In this review, we discuss dendrimer-mediated drug and gene delivery to stem cells as cellular vehicles and the role of this strategy in treating a variety of disorders via regenerative medicine approaches.     

Sodium Hydrosulfide Modulates Membrane Integrity,Cation Homeostasis,and Accumulation of Phenolics and Osmolytes in Zucchini Under Nickel Stress

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - In this study, the role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in growth and metabolism of zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.) was explored in a hydroponic culture system under...     

The effect of substance P and its specific antagonist (aprepitant) on the expression of MMP-2, MMP-9, VEGF,and VEGFR in ovarian cancer cells

Molecular Biology Reports - Substance P (SP) has a crucial role in cancer initiation and progression via binding to its specific receptor (NK1R). Various evidence confirmed the overexpression of...     

Differentiation of multipotent stem cells to insulin-producing cells for treatment of diabetes mellitus: bone marrow- and adipose tissue-derived cells comparison

Molecular Biology Reports - Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from human adipose tissue and bone marrow have a great potential for use in cell therapy due to their ease of isolation, expansion, and...     

Fish genomics and its impact on fundamental and applied research of vertebrate biology

Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries - The living fishes span a unique and interesting set of animals because of their vast diversity, morphology, ecology, genetics and genomics, and higher...     

Enhancement of galegine production in cell suspension culture of Galega officinalis through elicitation

In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Plant - Galega officinalis L. is known for its dominant secondary metabolite “galegine” a guanidine derivative used in the synthesis of...