Open Access

VIEWPOINT

NOUR HIJAZI, DON C. ROCKEY^*, ZENGDUN SHI^*
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2003-2007, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.020171 - 18 May 2022
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Tumor Microenvironment and Cytoskeletal Dynamics)
Abstract Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are the primary effector cells in liver fibrosis. In the normal liver, HSCs serve as the primary vitamin A storage cells in the body and retain a “quiescent” phenotype. However, after liver injury, they transdifferentiate to an “activated” myofibroblast-like phenotype, which is associated with dramatic upregulation of smooth muscle specific actin and extracellular matrix proteins. The result is a fibrotic, stiff, and dysfunctional liver. Therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms that govern HSC function is essential for the development of anti-fibrotic medications. The actin cytoskeleton has emerged as a key component of More >

View

2480

Download

910

Open Access

VIEWPOINT

JULIANA SOARES^1,2,#, DOUGLAS G. FREITAS^1,3,#, PEDRO S. LOURENÇO^1,4, JEFTE FARIAS^1,5, BRUNO PONTES^1,2,3,4,5,*
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2009-2013, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.019969 - 18 May 2022
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Molecular and Cellular Nanobiotechnology)
Abstract Mammalian cell surfaces consist of the plasma membrane supported by an underneath cortical cytoskeleton. Together, these structures can control not only the shape of cells but also a series of cellular functions ranging from migration and division to exocytosis, endocytosis and differentiation. Furthermore, the cell surface is capable of exerting and reacting to mechanical forces. Its viscoelastic properties, especially membrane tension and bending modulus, are fundamental parameters involved in these responses. This viewpoint summarizes our current knowledge on how to measure the viscoelastic properties of cell surfaces employing optical tweezers-based tether assays, paving the way More >

View

2149

Download

1006

Open Access

REVIEW

MARLA DE CERQUEIRA ALVES¹, MONISE OLIVEIRA SANTOS¹, NASSIB BEZERRA BUENO¹, ORLANDO ROBERTO PIMENTEL DE ARAÚJO², MARÍLIA OLIVEIRA FONSECA GOULART^2,3,4, FABIANA ANDRÉA MOURA^1,5,*
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2015-2047, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.020407 - 18 May 2022
Abstract

The roots of the vegetal Curcuma due to its high content of polyphenols, has been used successfully in several clinical situations. This review assessed the effect of curcumin/Curcuma longa on symptoms and metabolic changes in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). A systematic review of animal models and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) was conducted by searching the following electronic databases: PubMed, CENTRAL, LILACS, Science Direct, and ClinicalTrials.gov. From 997 found records, 62 were included. More than 90% of the animal studies reported an improvement in macroscopic, histologic and/or functional activity; 80% identified decreased oxidative and/or inflammatory biomarkers in

View

1878

Download

930

Open Access

VIEWPOINT

ALEKSANDRA GORNOSTAEVA, ELENA ANDREEVA^*, LUDMILA BURAVKOVA^*
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2049-2052, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.019993 - 18 May 2022
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Secretome and Biomaterials: Regenerative Medicine Application)
Abstract Multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are actively involved in reparation and inflammation processes, providing damaged tissue reparation and suppressing immune cell responses in vivo. The effects are mostly due to the production of a wide range of paracrine factors, including growth factors and immunomodulatory mediators. To induce immunosuppressive activity, MSCs are primed by inflammatory cytokines, which results in an increased production of immunomodulatory molecules. However, stimulation of reparative properties is also necessary. This viewpoint manuscript highlights the possibilities of inflammatory priming to increase the production of growth factors by MSCs. More >

View

2150

Download

1046

Open Access

VIEWPOINT

DANILA BOBKOV^1,2,3,*, ANASTASIA POLYANSKAYA¹, ANASTASIA MUSORINA¹, GALINA POLJANSKAYA¹
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2053-2058, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.019469 - 18 May 2022
Abstract All non-immortalized mesenchymal stem cells have a limited proliferative potential, that is, replicative senescence (RS) is an integral characteristic of the life of all mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). It is known that one of the important signs of RS is a decrease of cell motility, and that violations of migration processes contribute to the deterioration of tissue regeneration. Therefore, the characterization of the properties of the cell line associated with RS is a prerequisite for the effective use of MSCs in restorative medicine. One of the key proteins regulating cell motility is the small GTPase More >

View

1608

Download

732

Open Access

VIEWPOINT

SHELDON R. GORDON^*
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2059-2063, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.019873 - 18 May 2022
Abstract Much of our understanding of the events which underlie cell migration has been derived from studies of cells in tissue culture. One of the components that mediates this process is the dynamic actin-based microfilament system that can reorganize itself into so-called stress fibers that are considered essential components for cell motility. In contrast, relatively few studies have investigated cell movement along an extracellular matrix (ECM) which is known to influence both cellular organization and behavior. This opinion/viewpoint article briefly reviews cell migration during corneal endothelial wound repair along the tissue’s natural basement membrane, Descemet’s membrane. More >

View

1257

Download

632

Open Access

ARTICLE

XUYI WANG¹, WEN ZHANG², LEI GAO², KUANXIN LI^1,3,*
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2065-2072, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.018265 - 18 May 2022
Abstract Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a serious traumatic disease of the central nervous system, and there is currently no effective treatment for SCI because of its complicated pathophysiology. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have multidirectional differentiation abilities. Our study aims to explore the effects of bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP-7)-modified BMSCs transplantation on the repair of SCI in rats. Methods: In this study, a rat spinal cord injury model was established with the modified Allen method. Then, BMSCs transfected with the BMP7 gene were transplanted to treat the spinal cord injury in rats. Forty… More >

View

1533

Download

1034

Like

1

Open Access

ARTICLE

YAN ZHANG, CHAOJUN ZHANG^*, ZHEN CAO, ZHANWEI ZHAO, LIN CHEN^*
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2073-2080, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.020635 - 18 May 2022
Abstract Gastric cancer (GC) was referred to a malignant tumor of the digestive tract originating from the epithelium of gastric mucosa. Transcription factor DLX5 was verified as an oncogene in various types of tumors, while miR-376a-3p was speculated as a tumor suppressor. Based on the bioinformatics database, we hypothesized that miR-376a participated in the regulation of GC development by targeting DLX5. Compared with adjacent tissue, a significant increase of DLX5 expression was determined in GC tissues, but the expression level is significantly reduced in miR-376a. Similar expression signature of DLX5 and miR-376a was also determined between… More >

View

1237

Download

699

Open Access

ARTICLE

LIANGYING ZHANG¹, SHAOTING ZHANG¹, ZHAOYANG FAN¹, ZONGYING JIANG^1,2, ANBU LIU¹, SHUJING LI^1,2, JIANMIN SUN^1,*
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2081-2087, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.020109 - 18 May 2022
（This article belongs to the Special Issue: Recent Advancement in Cancer Molecular Signaling)
Abstract PI3 kinases are important for KIT signaling and KIT mutants mediated cell transformation. In order to know the difference of PI3 kinase isoforms p110α and p110δ in the signaling of wild-type KIT and the often occurred KIT mutation D816V in hematopoietic malignancy mastocytosis, the predominant PI3 kinase isoform p110δ in hematopoietic tissues was knocked out in hematopoietic cells. We found that loss of p110δ expression dramatically inhibits PI3 kinase activation mediated by both wild-type KIT and KIT/D816V. By over expression of p110α in p110δ knock out cells, wild-type KIT mediated PI3 kinase activation was not More >

View

1835

Download

770

Open Access

ARTICLE

XIAOFANG WANG¹, XIAOLIN TU^1,2,*, YUFEI MA¹, JIE CHEN¹, YANG SONG³, GUANGLIANG LIU¹
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2089-2099, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.020069 - 18 May 2022
Abstract The limited bioactivity of scaffold materials is an important factor that restricts the development of bone tissue engineering. Wnt3a activates the classic Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway which effects bone growth and development by the accumulation of β-catenin in the nucleus. In this study, we fabricated 3D printed PCL scaffold with Wnt3a-induced murine bone marrow-derived stromal cell line ST2 decellularized matrix (Wnt3a-ST2-dCM-PCL) and ST2 decellularized matrix (ST2-dCM-PCL) by freeze-thaw cycle and DNase decellularization treatment which efficiently decellularized >90% DNA while preserved most protein. Compared to ST2-dCM-PCL, Wnt3a-ST2-dCM-PCL significantly enhanced newly-seeded ST2 proliferation, osteogenic differentiation and upregulated osteogenic More >

View

1404

Download

782

Open Access

ARTICLE

EUN NA¹, SUN YOUNG LIM^2,*
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2101-2109, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.019807 - 18 May 2022
Abstract We investigated the diversity and composition of microflora in feces of Lycopus lucidus Turcz.-fed mice. In addition, we evaluated the production of major cytokines (Interleukin-6 and -10) which are related to inflammation and fatty acid composition of several tissues. 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing-based microbiome taxonomic profiling analysis was performed utilizing the EzBioCloud data base. Male mice fed on L. lucidus showed a significantly reduced number of lactic acid bacteria and coliform in the feces compared with the control group (p < 0.05). 16S rDNA sequencing analysis of fecal samples showed that L. lucidus supplementation decreased the community of… More >

View

1836

Download

1050

Open Access

ARTICLE

NERGIZ HACER TURGUT^1,*, HUSEYIN GUNGOR², MEHMET EKICI³, MUMIN ALPER ERDOGAN⁴, MEHMET ONDER KARAYIGIT⁵, HAKI KARA²
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2111-2122, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.020383 - 18 May 2022
Abstract Side effects of cisplatin, especially dose-dependent nephrotoxicity, are major factors limiting its use in cancer. Boldine ((S)-2, 9-dihydroxy-1, 10-dimethoxy-aporphine) is a natural alkaloid known for its strong antioxidant activity present in leaves/bark of boldo tree (Peumus boldus Molina), a native tree in Chile. Here, we aimed to investigate the nephroprotective effect of boldine and its underlying mechanisms on cisplatin-induced rat renal injury. Thirty Wistar albino rats divided into 5 groups (Control, Cis, Bold.40, Cis + Bold.20, Cis + Bold.40 groups) were used. Rats received boldine (20 or 40 mg/kg/day), or vehicle (saline) intraperitoneal for 14… More >

View

2147

Download

1043

Open Access

ARTICLE

FENG ZHU^*, QINQIN ZHANG, YANGKAI ZHOU, QIPING ZHANG, MENGYAO CAO, ZHAOLIN JI
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2123-2131, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.020229 - 18 May 2022
Abstract The NAC (NAM, ATAF, and CUC) superfamily is one of the largest plant-specific families containing transcription factors. An increasing number of studies suggest that NAC1 is involved in plants response to different biotic and abiotic stimulis. Nicotiana benthamiana is a widely used system for evaluating plant-pathogen interactions. In order to study the biochemical function of NbNAC1, NbNAC1 protein and antibody are essential. Therefore, we focused on developing a prokaryotic expression system for producing the Nicotiana benthamiana NbNAC1 protein of in Escherichia coli and the preparation of its polyclonal antibody. Firstly, we constructed two different molecular weight prokaryotic expression More >

View

1254

Download

715

Open Access

ARTICLE

ZHENKUI CUI^1,#,*, GUIQIN SUN^2,#,*, QUANZHI ZHAO¹
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2133-2144, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.020512 - 18 May 2022
Abstract Cotton is widely distributed worldwide, and improving the quality of its fiber is one of the most important tasks in cotton breeding. Cotton fibers are primarily composed of cellulose, which is synthesized by CesA complexes (CSCs). However, the functions of CesA genes in cotton fiber development have not been comprehensively analysed. In this study, the cotton transcriptome and metabolome were used to investigate the function of CesA genes in fiber development. Finally, 321 metabolites were obtained, 84 of which were associated with the corresponding genes. Interestingly, a target gene named Gh_A08G144300, one of the CesA gene family members, More >

View

1255

Download

730

Open Access

ARTICLE

JUN SUN^1,*, MING XIE¹, JIACHEN HAO¹, NAN MAO¹, LIJING CHEN^2,*, YUANYUAN QIN³
BIOCELL, Vol.46, No.9, pp. 2145-2149, 2022, DOI:10.32604/biocell.2022.020500 - 18 May 2022
Abstract Hazelnut husk brown rot has been identified as a new disease in Liaoning Province in recent years. The objective of this study as to identify the pathogen. [Method] In this study, a standard sample of hazelnut husk brown rot was collected from Songmudao Base in Dalian City, Liaoning Province. The pathogen was identified by the studies of the morphology, pathogenicity, and analyses of ITS and LSU sequences. The pathogen was isolated and purified, which was confirmed by Koch’s postulates. The symptoms after inoculation were the same as those collected directly from a diseased tree, which More >

View

1374

Download

751