Black tea in chemo-prevention of cancer and other human diseases

Tea is the most popular functional beverage in the world and has been gaining more and more attention for its health beneficial properties.Among common teas,black tea is consumed more than green tea and oolong tea worldwide.Numerous studies have shown the biological activities of black tea and its polyphenols that include anti-oxidant,anti-tumor,anti-inflammation and metabolic regulation.Tea polyphenols such as theaflavins and catechins are considered to be multifunctional compounds that could be effective in the prevention or treatment of various cancers,cardiovascular disease,chronic inflammation,obesity,metabolic syndrome,and neurodegenerative diseases.In this review,we summarized the up-to-date research and underlying molecular mechanisms of black tea and its polyphenols.©2013 Beijing Academy of Food Sciences.Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.All rights reserved.

Mesenchymal stem cell-derived small extracellular vesicles in the treatment of human diseases:Progress and prospect

Mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)are self-renewing,multipotent cells that could differentiate into multiple tissues.MSC-based therapy has become an attractive and promising strategy for treating human diseases through immune regulation and tissue repair.However,accumulating data have indicated that MSC-based therapeutic effects are mainly attributed to the properties of the MSC-sourced secretome,especially small extracellular vesicles(sEVs).sEVs are signaling vehicles in intercellular communication in normal or pathological conditions.sEVs contain natural contents,such as proteins,mRNA,and microRNAs,and transfer these functional contents to adjacent cells or distant cells through the circulatory system.MSC-sEVs have drawn much attention as attractive agents for treating multiple diseases.The properties of MSC-sEVs include stability in circulation,good biocompatibility,and low toxicity and immunogenicity.Moreover,emerging evidence has shown that MSC-sEVs have equal or even better treatment efficacies than MSCs in many kinds of disease.This review summarizes the current research efforts on the use of MSC-sEVs in the treatment of human diseases and the existing challenges in their application from lab to clinical practice that need to be considered.

The Olfactory Receptor Pseudo-pseudogene: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Human Diseases

Recently, Prieto-Godino et al.[1] found that the olfactory receptor 75a （Ir75a） gene is a functional pseudo-pseudogene in Drosophila sechellia. For a long time, Ir75a has been regarded as an acetic acid receptor that detects acetic acid and induces obvious olfactory responses in olfactory sensory neurons （OSNs）f2J. Nonetheless, Prieto-Godino et al. confirmed that Ir75a lost its sensitivity to acetic acid in D. sechellia. Thus, the D. sechelfia Ir75a gene is generally recognized as a pseudogene in OSNs.

Advances in pig models of human diseases

Animal models of human diseases play a critical role in medical research.Pigs are anatomically and physiologically more like humans than are small rodents such as mice,making pigs an attractive option for modeling human diseases.Advances in recent years in genetic engineering have facilitated the rapid rise of pig models for use in studies of human disease.In the present review,we summarize the current status of pig models for human cardiovascular,metabolic,neurodegenerative,and various genetic diseases.We also discuss areas that need to be improved.Animal models of human diseases play a critical role in medical research.Advances in recent years in genetic engineering have facilitated the rapid rise of pig models for use in studies of human disease.In the present review,we summarize the current status of pig models for human cardiovascular,metabolic,neurodegenerative,various genetic diseases and xenotransplantation.

Measuring the Association of Overweight and Obesity with Human Disease and Other Factors in Bangladesh

Overweight and obesity in people are epidemic in North America and internationally. In the United States, the number of overweight children and adolescents has doubled in the last two to three decades, and similar increasing rates are being observed worldwide, including developing countries as Bangladesh where an increase in Westernization of behavioral and dietary lifestyles is evident. Human diseases associated with overweight and obesity are similar in children as in the adult population. The main purpose of this study was to examine the association between overweight and obesity with human disease and other factors in Bangladesh. We have attempted to estimate the relationship between associated variables by using the Pearson Chi-Square test. It also showed how important an individual variable is by itself. The study also employed a statistical technique namely, logistic regression analysis which has been used to find out the association of overweight and obesity with human disease and other factors. We have seen that 16.96% people are overweight and 4.14% people are obese, i.e. 21.1% people are overweight or obese in Bangladesh. From the logistic regression analysis technique among the independent variables type of place of residence, Highest educational level, Wealth index, Current marital status, Ever had vaccination, Had fever in last two weeks, Had cough in last two weeks, Short, rapid breaths, Problem in the chest or blocked or running nose have significant effect on dependent variable BMI classification.

Zooming in and out of ferroptosis in human disease

Ferroptosis is defined as an iron-dependent regulated form of cell death driven by lipid peroxidation.In the past decade,it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases that together involve almost every organ of the body,including various cancers,neurodegenerative diseases,cardiovascular diseases,lung diseases,liver diseases,kidney diseases,endocrine metabolic diseases,iron-overload-related diseases,orthopedic diseases and autoimmune diseases.Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis and its regulatory pathways could provide additional strategies for the management of these disease conditions.Indeed,there are an expanding number of studies suggesting that ferroptosis serves as a bona-fide target for the prevention and treatment of these diseases in relevant pre-clinical models.In this review,we summarize the progress in the research into ferroptosis and its regulatory mechanisms in human disease,while providing evidence in support of ferroptosis as a target for the treatment of these diseases.We also discuss our perspectives on the future directions in the targeting of ferroptosis in human disease.

MicroRNAs in Common Human Diseases

MicroRNAs （miRNAs） are a class of short non-coding RNA molecules that have attracted tremendous attention from the biological and biomedical research communities over the past decade. With over 1900 miRNAs discovered in humans to date, many of them have already been implicated in common human disorders. Facilitated by high-throughput genomics and bioinformatics in conjunction with traditional molecular biology techniques and animal models, miRNA research is now positioned to make the transition from laboratories to clinics to deliver profound benefits to public health. Herein, we overview the progress of miRNA research related to human diseases, as well as the potential for miRNA to becoming the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics.

Genetically Modified Pig Models for Human Diseases

Genetically modified animal models are important for understanding the pathogenesis of human disease and developing therapeutic strategies. Although genetically modified mice have been widely used to model human diseases, some of these mouse models do not replicate important disease symptoms or pathology. Pigs are more similar to humans than mice in anatomy, physiology, and genome. Thus, pigs are considered to be better animal models to mimic some human diseases. This review describes genetically modified pigs that have been used to model various diseases including neurological, cardiovascular, and diabetic disorders. We also discuss the development in gene modification technology that can facilitate the generation of transgenic pig models for human diseases,

JMJD3 in the regulation of human diseases

In recent years,many studies have shown that histone methylation plays an important role in maintaining the active and silent state of gene expression in human diseases.The Jumonji domain-containing protein D3(JMJD3),specifically demethylate di-and trimethyllysine 27 on histone H3(H3K27me2/3),has been widely studied in immune diseases,infectious diseases,cancer,developmental diseases,and aging related diseases.We will focus on the recent advances of JMJD3 function in human diseases,and looks ahead to the future of JMJD3 gene research in this review.

The potential of using blood circular RNA as liquid biopsy biomarker for human diseases

Circular RNA(circRNA)is a novel class of single-stranded RNAs with a closed loop structure.The majority of circRNAs are formed by a back-splicing process in pre-mRNA splicing.Their expression is dynamically regulated and shows spatiotemporal patterns among cell types,tissues and developmental stages.CircRNAs have important biological functions in many physiological processes,and their aberrant expression is implicated in many human diseases.Due to their high stability,circRNAs are becoming promising biomarkers in many human diseases,such as cardiovascular diseases,autoimmune diseases and human cancers.In this review,we focus on the translational potential of using human blood circRNAs as liquid biopsy biomarkers for human diseases.We highlight their abundant expression,essential biological functions and significant correlations to human diseases in various components of peripheral blood,including whole blood,blood cells and extracellular vesicles.In addition,we summarize the current knowledge of blood circRNA biomarkers for disease diagnosis or prognosis.

DNA methylation in human diseases

Even though the importance of epigenetics was first recognized in light of its role in tissue development,an increasing amount of evidence has shown that it also plays an important role in the development and progression of many common diseases.We discuss some recent findings on one representative epigenetic modification,DNA methylation,in some common diseases.While many new risk factors have been identified through the population-based epigenetic epidemiologic studies on the role of epigenetics in common diseases,this relatively new field still faces many unique challenges.Here,we describe those promises and unique challenges of epigenetic epidemiological studies and propose some potential solutions.

RT-ABCDE Strategy for Management and Prevention of Human Diseases

In this article, the authors summarized the RT-ABCDE strategy for the management and prevention of human diseases, which includes ReTro-ABCDE （Examination regularity, Disease and risk factor control, Changing lifestyle and reducing pathways of infection and spread, Biochemical and Antagonistic index control and therapeutic treatment as well as RT- Routine and Right Treatment）. The RT-ABCDE strategy, a novel concept and an essential method, should be a routine strategy for disease control and prevention, It should be proposed and applied in both clinical and preventive medicine.

CRISPR-mediated genome editing and human diseases

CRISPR(Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)technology has emerged as a powerful technology for genome editing and is now widely used in basic biomedical research to explore gene function.More recently,this technology has been increasingly applied to the study or treatment of human diseases,including Barth syndrome effects on the heart,Duchenne muscular dystrophy,hemophilia,b-Thalassemia,and cystic fibrosis.CRISPR/Cas9(CRISPR-associated protein 9)genome editing has been used to correct diseasecausing DNA mutations ranging from a single base pair to large deletions in model systems ranging from cells in vitro to animals in vivo.In addition to genetic diseases,CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing has also been applied in immunology-focused applications such as the targeting of C-C chemokine receptor type 5,the programmed death 1 gene,or the creation of chimeric antigen receptors in T cells for purposes such as the treatment of the acquired immune deficiency syndrome(AIDS)or promoting anti-tumor immunotherapy.Furthermore,this technology has been applied to the genetic manipulation of domesticated animals with the goal of producing biologic medical materials,including molecules,cells or organs,on a large scale.Finally,CRISPR/Cas9 has been teamed with induced pluripotent stem(iPS)cells to perform multiple tissue engineering tasks including the creation of disease models or the preparation of donor-specific tissues for transplantation.This review will explore the ways in which the use of CRISPR/Cas9 is opening new doors to the treatment of human diseases.

An everlasting role of animal models in understanding human disease

Model organisms have been widely used to dissect important biological phenomena, as well as to explore potential causes and treatments for human disorders. Much of our knowledge on molecular mechanisms underlying the heredity, development as well as physiology is largely derived from the researches of model organisms. We have witnessed an explosive increase in the development and application of genetic modified model organisms in the last decade.

LncRNA KCNQ1OT1:Molecular mechanisms and pathogenic roles in human diseases

Long non-coding RNAs(lncRNAs)exhibit a length more than 200 nucleotides and they are characterized by non-coding RNAs(ncRNA)not encoded into proteins.Over the past few years,the role and development of lncRNAs have aroused the rising attention of researchers.To be specific,KCNQ1OT1,the KCNQ1 opposite strand/antisense transcript 1,is clearly classified as a regulatory ncRNA.KCNQ1OT1 is capable of interacting with miRNAs,RNAs and proteins,thereby affecting gene expression and various cell functions(e.g.,cell proliferation,migration,epithelialemesenchymal transition(EMT),apoptosis,viability,autophagy and inflammation).KCNQ1OT1 is dysregulated in a wide range of human diseases(e.g.,cardiovascular disease,cancer,diabetes,osteoarthritis,osteoporosis and cataract),and it is speculated to act as a therapeutic target for treating various human diseases.On the whole,this review aims to explore the biological functions,underlying mechanisms and pathogenic roles of KCNQ1OT1 in human diseases.

New glimpses of caveolin-1 functions in embryonic development and human diseases

Caveolin-1(Cav-1)isoforms,including Cav-1αand Cav-1β,were identified as integral membrane proteins and the major components of caveolae.Cav-1 proteins are highly conserved during evolution from Caenorhabditis elegans to human and are capable of interacting with many signaling molecules through their caveolin scaffolding domains to regulate the activities of multiple signaling pathways.Thus,Cav-1 plays crucial roles in the regulation of cellular proliferation,differentiation and apoptosis in a cell-specific and contextual manner.In addition,Cav-1 is essential for embryonic development of vertebrates owing to its regulation of BMP,Wnt,TGF-βand other key signaling molecules.Moreover,Cav-1 is mainly expressed in terminally differentiated cells and its abnormal expression is often associated with human diseases,such as tumor progression,cardiovascular diseases,fibrosis,lung regeneration,and diseases related to virus.In this review,we will further discuss the potential of Cav-1 as a target for disease therapy and multiple drug resistance.

Special Issue on "Biomarkers for Human Diseases and Translational Medicine"

The journal Genomics, Proteomics ＆ Bioinformatics （GPB） is now inviting submissions for a special issue （to be published in the fall of 2016） on the topic of ＂Biomarkers for Human Diseases and Translational Medicine＂. In the personalized medicine era, disease biomarkers have potential application in diagnosis, prognosis, and guidance for treatment, and are important tools in translational medicine. Diagnosis upon biomarkers would aid in early and more efficient intervention, while prognostic biomarkers could lead to right decision of medical treatment.

Special Issue on “Biomarkers for Human Diseases and Translational Medicine”

The journal Genomics, Proteomics ＆ Bioinformatics （GPB） is now inviting submissions for a special issue （to be published in the fall of 2016） on the topic of ＂Biomarkers for Human Diseases and Translational Medicine＂. In the personalized medicine era, disease biomarkers have potential application in diagnosis, prognosis, and guidance for treatment, and are important tools in translational medicine. Diagnosis upon biomarkers would aid in early and more efficient intervention, while prognostic biomarkers could lead to right decision of medical treatment.

Special Issue on ‘‘Biomarkers for Human Diseases and Translational Medicine”

The journal Genomics, Proteomics ＆ Bioinformatics （GPB） is now inviting submissions for a special issue （to be published in the fall of 2016） on the topic of ＂Biomarkers for Hunlan Diseases and Translational Medicine＂.

Sino-UK Symposium on Developmental Biology and Human Diseases Held in Tsinghua

The Sino-UK Symposium on Developmental Biology and Human Diseases opened in Tsinghua May 6, 2006. TheSymposium, which ran through May 8, 2006, was hosted by the Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Tsinghua University.