New insight into the role of the ADAM protease family in breast carcinoma progression

Protease and adhesion molecules play a very emphasized role in the occurrence or progression of metastasis in many types of cancers. In this context, a molecule that contains both protease and adhesion functions play a crucial role in metastasis. ADAMs (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) are molecules with this special characteristic. Recently, a lot of attention has been attracted to various ADAM molecules and researchers have tried to elucidate the role of ADAMs in breast cancer occurrence and progression. Disrupting ADAMs protease and adhesion capabilities can lead to the discovery of worthy therapeutic targets in breast cancer treatment. In this review, we intend to discuss the mechanism of action of various ADAM molecules, their relation to pathogenic processes of breast cancer, and their potential as possible targets for breast cancer treatment.

New insights into the inhibitory roles and mechanisms of D-amino acids in bacterial biofilms in medicine, industry, and agriculture

Biofilms are complex aggregates of microbes that are tightly protected by an extracellular matrix (ECM) and may attach to a surface or adhere together. A higher persistence of bacteria on biofilms makes them resistant not only to harsh conditions but also to various antibiotics which led to the emergence of problems in different applications. Recently, it has been discovered that many bacteria produce and release various D-amino acids (D-AAs) to inhibit biofilm formation, which made a great deal of interest in research into the control of bacterial biofilms in diverse fields, such as human health, industrial settings, and medical devices. D-AAs have various mechanisms to inhibit bacterial biofilms such as: (i) interfering with protein synthesis (ii) Inhibition of extracellular polymeric materials (EPS) productions (protein, eDNA, and polysaccharide) (iii) Inhibition of quorum sensing (autoinducers), and (iv) interfere with peptidoglycan synthesis, these various modes of action, enables these small molecules to inhibit both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial biofilms. Since most biofilms are multi-species, D-AAs in combination with other antimicrobial agents are good choices to combat a variety of bacterial biofilms without displaying toxicity on human cells. This review article addressed the role of D-AAs in controlling several bacterial biofilms and described the possible or definite mechanisms involved in this process.

Butylated hydroxyl-toluene, 2,4-Di-tert-butylphenol, and phytol of Chlorella sp. protect the PC12 cell line against H2O2-induced neurotoxicity

Oxidative stress is considered the main cause of cellular damage in a number of neurodegenerative disorders. One suitable ways to prevent cell damage is the use of the exogenous antioxidant capacity of natural products, such as microalgae. In the present study, four microalgae extracts, isolated from the Persian Gulf, were screened to analyze their potential antioxidant activity and free radical scavenging using ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP methods. The methanolic extracts (D1M) of green microalgae derived from Chlorella sp. exhibited potent free radical scavenging activity. In order to characterize microalgae species, microscopic observations and analysis of the expression of 18S rRNA were performed. The antioxidant and neuroprotective effects of D1M on H₂O₂-induced toxicity in PC12 cells were investigated. The results demonstrated that D1M significantly decreased the release of nitric oxide (NO), formation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), whereas it enhanced the content of glutathione (GSH), and activity of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), and catalase (CAT) in PC12 cells exposed to H₂O₂. The pretreatment of D1M improved cell viability as measured by the MTT assay and invert microscopy, reduced cell apoptosis as examined by flow cytometry analysis, increased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and diminished caspase-3 activity. The GC/MS analysis revealed that D1M ingredients have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds, such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), 2,4-di-tert-butyl-phenol (2,4-DTBP), and phytol. These results suggested that Chlorella sp. extracts have strong potential to be applied as neuroprotective agents, for the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.