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Circulation. Cardiovascular Imaging Apr 2017Cardiovascular diseases are a consequence of genetic and environmental risk factors that together generate arterial wall and cardiac pathologies. Blood vessels connect... (Review)
Review
Cardiovascular diseases are a consequence of genetic and environmental risk factors that together generate arterial wall and cardiac pathologies. Blood vessels connect multiple systems throughout the entire body and allow organs to interact via circulating messengers. These same interactions facilitate nervous and metabolic system's influence on cardiovascular health. Multiparametric imaging offers the opportunity to study these interfacing systems' distinct processes, to quantify their interactions, and to explore how these contribute to cardiovascular disease. Noninvasive multiparametric imaging techniques are emerging tools that can further our understanding of this complex and dynamic interplay. Positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging and multichannel optical imaging are particularly promising because they can simultaneously sample multiple biomarkers. Preclinical multiparametric diagnostics could help discover clinically relevant biomarker combinations pivotal for understanding cardiovascular disease. Interfacing systems important to cardiovascular disease include the immune, nervous, and hematopoietic systems. These systems connect with classical cardiovascular organs, such as the heart and vasculature, and with the brain. The dynamic interplay between these systems and organs enables processes, such as hemostasis, inflammation, angiogenesis, matrix remodeling, metabolism, and fibrosis. As the opportunities provided by imaging expand, mapping interconnected systems will help us decipher the complexity of cardiovascular disease and monitor novel therapeutic strategies.
Topics: Animals; Biomarkers; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cardiovascular System; Genetic Markers; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Hematopoietic System; Humans; Inflammation Mediators; Multimodal Imaging; Neuroimmunomodulation; Phenotype; Predictive Value of Tests; Prognosis; Systems Biology; Systems Integration
PubMed: 28360260
DOI: 10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.116.005613 -
Journal of Medicine and Life 2010Acute stress increases resistance to infection. The alteration of this mechanism in chronically stressed people impairs the organism's ability to mount a strong immune... (Review)
Review
Acute stress increases resistance to infection. The alteration of this mechanism in chronically stressed people impairs the organism's ability to mount a strong immune response with a resultant increase in morbidity. Acute stress induces a probable sympatho-adrenergically mediated increase in chemotaxis and adhesion molecules expression, thus promoting immune cells migration to sites of infection and/or inflammation, while chronic stress impairs this mechanism. Protracted stressful conditions decrease NK cytotoxic capacity. There is a substance P, which under stressful circumstances mediates the increase in macrophage cytokine production. Acute stress increases T cell mobilization through a beta2-adrenergically mediated process, which is blunted during chronic stress. Psychological stress impairs the immune system's ability to produce antibodies in response to a vaccine, thereby making the organism more vulnerable to infections.
Topics: Chemotaxis; Humans; Immune System; Immunity, Cellular; Immunity, Humoral; Killer Cells, Natural; Stress, Psychological; T-Lymphocytes
PubMed: 20302192
DOI: No ID Found -
Genetics Nov 2015Fruit flies of the genus Drosophila have been an attractive and effective genetic model organism since Thomas Hunt Morgan and colleagues made seminal discoveries with...
Fruit flies of the genus Drosophila have been an attractive and effective genetic model organism since Thomas Hunt Morgan and colleagues made seminal discoveries with them a century ago. Work with Drosophila has enabled dramatic advances in cell and developmental biology, neurobiology and behavior, molecular biology, evolutionary and population genetics, and other fields. With more tissue types and observable behaviors than in other short-generation model organisms, and with vast genome data available for many species within the genus, the fly's tractable complexity will continue to enable exciting opportunities to explore mechanisms of complex developmental programs, behaviors, and broader evolutionary questions. This primer describes the organism's natural history, the features of sequenced genomes within the genus, the wide range of available genetic tools and online resources, the types of biological questions Drosophila can help address, and historical milestones.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila; Models, Biological; Models, Genetic
PubMed: 26564900
DOI: 10.1534/genetics.115.183392 -
General and Comparative Endocrinology Feb 2018This review analyzes what could be regarded as the "clandestine organs" of the endocrine system: the gut microbiome, the immune system, and the stress system. The immune... (Review)
Review
This review analyzes what could be regarded as the "clandestine organs" of the endocrine system: the gut microbiome, the immune system, and the stress system. The immune system is very closely related to the endocrine system, with many intertwined processes and signals. Many researchers now consider the microbiome as an 'organ' that affects the organism at many different levels. While stress is certainly not an organ, it affects so many processes, including endocrine-related processes, that the stress response system deserved a special section in this review. Understanding the connections, effects, and feedback mechanisms between the different "clandestine organs" and the endocrine system will provide us with a better understanding of how an organism functions, as well as reinforce the idea that there are no independent organs or systems, but a complex, interacting network of molecules, cells, tissues, signaling pathways, and mechanisms that constitute an individual.
Topics: Endocrine System; Humans; Immune System
PubMed: 28822775
DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2017.08.017 -
Biosensors Dec 2022Organs-on-chips (OoCs) are microfluidic devices that contain bioengineered tissues or parts of natural tissues or organs and can mimic the crucial structures and... (Review)
Review
Organs-on-chips (OoCs) are microfluidic devices that contain bioengineered tissues or parts of natural tissues or organs and can mimic the crucial structures and functions of living organisms. They are designed to control and maintain the cell- and tissue-specific microenvironment while also providing detailed feedback about the activities that are taking place. Bioprinting is an emerging technology for constructing artificial tissues or organ constructs by combining state-of-the-art 3D printing methods with biomaterials. The utilization of 3D bioprinting and cells patterning in OoC technologies reinforces the creation of more complex structures that can imitate the functions of a living organism in a more precise way. Here, we summarize the current 3D bioprinting techniques and we focus on the advantages of 3D bioprinting compared to traditional cell seeding in addition to the methods, materials, and applications of 3D bioprinting in the development of OoC microsystems.
Topics: Tissue Engineering; Bioprinting; Microphysiological Systems; Biocompatible Materials; Printing, Three-Dimensional
PubMed: 36551101
DOI: 10.3390/bios12121135 -
Ageing Research Reviews Apr 2024Aging is a complex multidimensional, progressive remodeling process affecting multiple organ systems. While many studies have focused on studying aging across multiple... (Review)
Review
Aging is a complex multidimensional, progressive remodeling process affecting multiple organ systems. While many studies have focused on studying aging across multiple organs, assessment of the contribution of individual organs to overall aging processes is a cutting-edge issue. An organ's biological age might influence the aging of other organs, revealing a multiorgan aging network. Recent data demonstrated a similar yet asynchronous inter-organs and inter-individuals progression of aging, thereby providing a foundation to track sources of declining health in old age. The integration of multiple omics with common clinical parameters through artificial intelligence has allowed the building of organ-specific aging clocks, which can predict the development of specific age-related diseases at high resolution. The peculiar individual aging-trajectory, referred to as ageotype, might provide a novel tool for a personalized anti-aging, preventive medicine. Here, we review data relative to biological aging clocks and omics-based data, suggesting different organ-specific aging rates. Additional research on longitudinal data, including young subjects and analyzing sex-related differences, should be encouraged to apply ageotyping analysis for preventive purposes in clinical practice.
Topics: Humans; Artificial Intelligence; Aging; Biological Clocks
PubMed: 38447609
DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2024.102253 -
Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta. Reviews... Sep 2023Cell death is a fundamental physiological process that occurs in all organisms and is crucial to each organism's evolution, ability to maintain a stable internal... (Review)
Review
Cell death is a fundamental physiological process that occurs in all organisms and is crucial to each organism's evolution, ability to maintain a stable internal environment, and the development of multiple organ systems. Disulfidptosis is a new mode of cell death that is triggered when cells with high expression of solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11) are exposed to glucose starvation to initiate the process of cell death. The disulfidptosis mechanism is a programmed cell death mode that triggers cell death through reduction-oxidation (REDOX) reactions and disulfur bond formation. In disulfidptosis, disulfur bonds play a crucial role and cause the protein in the cell to undergo conformational changes, eventually leading to cell death. This mode of cell death has unique characteristics and regulatory mechanisms in comparison with other modes of cell death. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have shown that the disulfidptosis mechanism plays a key role in the occurrence and development of a variety of diseases. For example, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and liver diseases are all closely related to cell disulfidptosis mechanisms. Therefore, it is of paramount clinical significance to conduct in-depth research regarding this mechanism. This review summarizes the research progress on the disulfidptosis mechanism, including its discovery history, regulatory mechanism, related proteins, and signaling pathways. Potential applications of the disulfidptosis mechanism in disease therapy and future research directions are also discussed. This mechanism represents another subversive discovery after ferroptosis, and provides both a fresh perspective and an innovative strategy for the treatment of cancer, as well as inspiration for the treatment of other diseases.
Topics: Humans; Cell Death; Apoptosis; Cardiovascular Diseases; Clinical Relevance; Biology
PubMed: 37451411
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.188955 -
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Oct 2004Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a unique bacterium that does not always receive the attention it merits considering the number of illnesses it causes and the degree of... (Review)
Review
Mycoplasma pneumoniae is a unique bacterium that does not always receive the attention it merits considering the number of illnesses it causes and the degree of morbidity associated with it in both children and adults. Serious infections requiring hospitalization, while rare, occur in both adults and children and may involve multiple organ systems. The severity of disease appears to be related to the degree to which the host immune response reacts to the infection. Extrapulmonary complications involving all of the major organ systems can occur in association with M. pneumoniae infection as a result of direct invasion and/or autoimmune response. The extrapulmonary manifestations are sometimes of greater severity and clinical importance than the primary respiratory infection. Evidence for this organism's contributory role in chronic lung conditions such as asthma is accumulating. Effective management of M. pneumoniae infections can usually be achieved with macrolides, tetracyclines, or fluoroquinolones. As more is learned about the pathogenesis and immune response elicited by M. pneumoniae, improvement in methods for diagnosis and prevention of disease due to this organism may occur.
Topics: Asthma; Humans; Mycoplasma pneumoniae; Pneumonia, Mycoplasma
PubMed: 15489344
DOI: 10.1128/CMR.17.4.697-728.2004 -
EMBO Reports Sep 2019Multidirectional interactions between metabolic organs in the periphery and the central nervous system have evolved concomitantly with multicellular organisms to... (Review)
Review
Multidirectional interactions between metabolic organs in the periphery and the central nervous system have evolved concomitantly with multicellular organisms to maintain whole-body energy homeostasis and ensure the organism's adaptation to external cues. These interactions are altered in pathological conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes. Bioactive peptides and proteins, such as hormones and cytokines, produced by both peripheral organs and the central nervous system, are key messengers in this inter-organ communication. Despite the early discovery of the first hormones more than 100 years ago, recent studies taking advantage of novel technologies have shed light on the multiple ways used by cells in the body to communicate and maintain energy balance. This review briefly summarizes well-established concepts and focuses on recent advances describing how specific proteins and peptides mediate the crosstalk between gut, brain, and other peripheral metabolic organs in order to maintain energy homeostasis. Additionally, this review outlines how the improved knowledge about these inter-organ networks is helping us to redefine therapeutic strategies in an effort to promote healthy living and fight metabolic disorders and other diseases.
Topics: Animals; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Energy Metabolism; Homeostasis; Humans; Models, Biological; Obesity
PubMed: 31423716
DOI: 10.15252/embr.201947903