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- Ankarcrona, M., et al.
(author)
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Current and future treatment of amyloid diseases
- 2016
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In: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0954-6820 .- 1365-2796. ; 280:2, s. 177-202
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Research review (peer-reviewed)abstract
- There are more than 30 human proteins whose aggregation appears to cause degenerative maladies referred to as amyloid diseases or amyloidoses. These disorders are named after the characteristic cross--sheet amyloid fibrils that accumulate systemically or are localized to specific organs. In most cases, current treatment is limited to symptomatic approaches and thus disease-modifying therapies are needed. Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder with extracellular amyloid -peptide (A) fibrils and intracellular tau neurofibrillary tangles as pathological hallmarks. Numerous clinical trials have been conducted with passive and active immunotherapy, and small molecules to inhibit A formation and aggregation or to enhance A clearance; so far such clinical trials have been unsuccessful. Novel strategies are therefore required and here we will discuss the possibility of utilizing the chaperone BRICHOS to prevent A aggregation and toxicity. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is symptomatically treated with insulin. However, the underlying pathology is linked to the aggregation and progressive accumulation of islet amyloid polypeptide as fibrils and oligomers, which are cytotoxic. Several compounds have been shown to inhibit islet amyloid aggregation and cytotoxicity in vitro. Future animal studies and clinical trials have to be conducted to determine their efficacy in vivo. The transthyretin (TTR) amyloidoses are a group of systemic degenerative diseases compromising multiple organ systems, caused by TTR aggregation. Liver transplantation decreases the generation of misfolded TTR and improves the quality of life for a subgroup of this patient population. Compounds that stabilize the natively folded, nonamyloidogenic, tetrameric conformation of TTR have been developed and the drug tafamidis is available as a promising treatment. Read more articles from the symposium: Amyloid - a multifaceted player in human health and disease.
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| 2. |
- Wang, X., et al.
(author)
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Involvement of the MKK6-p38? cascade in ?-radiation-induced cell cycle arrest
- 2000
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In: Molecular and Cellular Biology. - 0270-7306 .- 1098-5549. ; 20:13, s. 4543-4552
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The p38 group of kinases belongs to the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase superfamily with structural and functional characteristics distinguishable from those of the ERK, JNK (SAPK), and BMK (ERK5) kinases. Although there is a high degree of similarity among members of the p38 group in terms of structure and activation, each member appears to have a unique function. Here we show that activation of p38-? (also known as ERK6 or SAPK3), but not the other p38 isoforms, is required for ?-irradiation- induced G2 arrest. Activation of the MKK6-p38? cascade is sufficient to induce G2 arrest in cells, and expression of dominant negative alleles of MKK6 or p38? allows cells to escape the DNA damage-induce G2 delay. Activation of p38? is dependent on ATM and leads to activation of Cds1 (also known as Chk2). These data suggest a model in which activation of ATM by ? irradiation leads to the activation of MKK6, p38?, and Cds1 and that activation of both MKK6 and p38? is essential for the proper regulation of the G2 checkpoint in mammalian cells.
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