Vol 31, No 6 (2024)

Adenosine and its analogues play an important role as bioregulators of metabolic processes in animal cells, affecting a variety of metabolic functions by acting through the purinergic signaling system. Synthesis and structure-activity relationship for some known purine nucleosides bearing chiral substituents are considered in this work. These compounds represent a promising potential as drug prototypes for targeted therapy of cancer, metabolic dysfunctions, and neuronal disorders due to their enhanced selectivity to receptors of the purinergic signaling system. Derivatives of adenosine and guanosine containing a chiral substituent also manifest antiviral activity.

Diabetes is now afflicting an expanding population, and it has become a major source of concern for human health. Diabetes affects several organs and causes chronic damage and dysfunction. It is one of the three major diseases that are harmful to human health. Plasmacytoma variant translocation 1 is a member of long non-coding RNA. PVT1 expression profile abnormalities have been reported in diabetes mellitus and its consequences in recent years, suggesting that it may contribute to the disease's progression. Relevant literature from the authoritative database "PubMed" are retrieved and summarized in detail. Mounting evidence reveals that PVT1 has multiple functions. Through sponge miRNA, it can participate in a wide variety of signal pathways and regulate the expression of a target gene. More importantly, PVT1 is crucially implicated in the regulation of apoptosis, inflammation, and so on in different types of diabetes-related complications. PVT1 regulates the occurrence and progression of diabetes-related diseases. Collectively, PVT1 has the potential to be a useful diagnostic and therapeutic target for diabetes and its consequences.

According to Global Cancer Statistics, breast cancer is the second leading cause of mortality in women. While there are several treatments for breast cancer, they are not always effective. In most cases, after initial treatment, patients may present a low response to therapy, more severe relapses, and even drug resistance. Hence, more effective and targeted therapies are needed. Recently, the use of nanoparticles has emerged as a promising alternative that will allow the controlled release of drugs in response to stimuli, precise delivery to the site of action, lower levels of toxicity, and fewer side effects. In this review, we provide an overview of the recent evidence proposing the delivery of inhibitory molecules encapsulated in nanoparticles as a new therapy for breast cancer that targets the signaling pathways governing the processes of tumor formation, maintenance, and expansion.

Background:Several studies investigated circulating levels of serotonin (5- HT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). More limited literature focused on ASD adults or on populations with subthreshold autism spectrum manifestations, such as relatives of ASD probands. This study aimed to investigate 5-HT and BDNF levels in adults with autism spectrum conditions. Correlations between levels of biochemical variables and ASD symptoms were also evaluated.

Methods:a sample of ASD adults, their first-degree relatives (Broad autism phenotype, BAP group), and controls were recruited and assessed with psychometric scales. Blood samples were collected from all participants. 5-HT and BDNF levels were measured by means of ELISA kits.

Results:ASD adults showed significantly lower platelet-poor plasma (PPP) 5-HT levels than BAP and control groups. No significant difference was found among groups for PPP BDNF levels and intra-platelet 5-HT levels. 5-HT levels were reported to be specifically correlated with some autism symptoms.

Conclusion:This work highlighted the presence in ASD adults of reduced PPP 5-HT levels than in other groups, without significant differences with respect to BDNF levels, supporting the hypothesis that biochemical correlates of ASD in adults may be different from those typically reported in children.