Saundersqvist0541

Drug development for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases has to confront numerous problems occurring, in particular, because of attempts to address only one of the causes of the pathogenesis of neurological disorders. Recent advances in multitarget therapy research are gaining momentum by utilizing pharmacophores that simultaneously affect different pathological pathways in the neurodegeneration process. The application of such a therapeutic strategy not only involves the treatment of symptoms, but also mainly addresses prevention of the fundamental pathological processes of neurodegenerative diseases and the reduction of cognitive abilities. Neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, dysregulation of the expression of histone deacetylases, and aggregation of pathogenic forms of proteins are among the most common and significant pathological features of neurodegenerative diseases. In this review, we focus on the molecular mechanisms and highlight the main aspects, including reactive oxygen species, the cell endogenous antioxidant system, neuroinflammation triggers, metalloproteinases, α-synuclein, tau proteins, neuromelanin, histone deacetylases, presenilins, etc. The processes and molecular targets discussed in this review could serve as a starting point for screening leader compounds that could help prevent or slow down the development of neurodegenerative diseases.In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of diseases caused by bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. Infections affect plants at different stages of agricultural production. Depending on weather conditions and the phytosanitary condition of crops, the prevalence of diseases can reach 70-80% of the total plant population, and the yield can decrease in some cases down to 80-98%. Plants have innate cellular immunity, but specific phytopathogens have an ability to evade that immunity. This article examined phytopathogens of viral, fungal, and bacterial nature and explored the concepts of modern plant protection, methods of chemical, biological, and agrotechnical control, as well as modern methods used for identifying phytopathogens.The spread of antibiotic resistance among pathogens represents a threat to human health around the world. In 2017, the World Health Organization published a list of 12 top-priority antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria for which new effective antibiotics or new ways of treating the infections caused by them are needed. This review focuses on Acinetobacter baumannii, one of these top-priority pathogens. The pathogenic bacterium A. baumannii is one of the most frequently encountered infectious agents in the world; its clinically significant features include resistance to UV light, drying, disinfectants, and antibiotics. This review looks at the various attempts that have been made to tackle the problem of drug resistance relating to A. baumannii variants without the use of antibiotics. The potential of bacteriophages and antimicrobial peptides in the treatment of infections caused by A. baumannii in both planktonic and biofilm form is assessed. Such topics as research into the development of vaccines based on the outer membrane proteins of A. baumannii and the use of silver nanoparticles, as well as photodynamic and chelate therapy, are also covered.One of the approaches used to eliminate tumor cells is directed destruction/modification of their RNA molecules. In this regard, ribonucleases (RNases) possess a therapeutic potential that remains largely unexplored. It is believed that the biological effects of secreted RNases, namely their antitumor and antiviral properties, derive from their catalytic activity. However, a number of recent studies have challenged the notion that the activity of RNases in the manifestation of selective cytotoxicity towards cancer cells is exclusively an enzymatic one. In this review, we have analyzed available data on the cytotoxic effects of secreted RNases, which are not associated with their catalytic activity, and we have provided evidence that the most important factor in the selective apoptosis-inducing action of RNases is the structural organization of these enzymes, which determines how they interact with cell components. check details The new idea on the preponderant role of non-catalytic interactions between RNases and cancer cells in the manifestation of selective cytotoxicity will contribute to the development of antitumor RNase-based drugs.About 90% of all malignant tumors are of epithelial nature. The epithelial tissue is characterized by a close interconnection between cells through cell-cell interactions, as well as a tight connection with the basement membrane, which is responsible for cell polarity. These interactions strictly determine the location of epithelial cells within the body and are seemingly in conflict with the metastatic potential that many cancers possess (the main criteria for highly malignant tumors). Tumor dissemination into vital organs is one of the primary causes of death in patients with cancer. Tumor dissemination is based on the so-called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process when epithelial cells are transformed into mesenchymal cells possessing high mobility and migration potential. More and more studies elucidating the role of the EMT in metastasis and other aspects of tumor progression are published each year, thus forming a promising field of cancer research. In this review, we examine the most recent data on the intracellular and extracellular molecular mechanisms that activate EMT and the role they play in various aspects of tumor progression, such as metastasis, apoptotic resistance, and immune evasion, aspects that have usually been attributed exclusively to cancer stem cells (CSCs). In conclusion, we provide a detailed review of the approved and promising drugs for cancer therapy that target the components of the EMT signaling pathways.A recent experimental study found that the binding affinity between the cellular receptor human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and receptor-binding domain (RBD) in the spike (S) protein of novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is more than tenfold higher than that of the original severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). However, main chain structures of the SARS-CoV-2 RBD are almost the same with that of the SARS-CoV RBD. Understanding the physical mechanism responsible for the outstanding affinity between the SARS-CoV-2 S and ACE2 is an "urgent challenge" for developing blockers, vaccines, and therapeutic antibodies against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Taking into account the mechanisms of hydrophobic interaction, hydration shell, surface tension, and the shielding effect of water molecules, this study reveals a hydrophobic-interaction-based mechanism by means of which SARS-CoV-2 S and ACE2 bind together in an aqueous environment. The hydrophobic interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 S and ACE2 protein is found to be significantly greater than that between SARS-CoV S and ACE2.