Aaliya Shah

Cystatins in Health and Diseases

The Cystatins constitute a large group of evolutionary related proteins with diverse biological activities. They have been recently realized as instrumental in myriad of pathophysiological conditions. They have been implicated in various pathological conditions. The degree of malignancy of various types of cancer cells has been found to be inversely associated with the expression of cystatins. Cystatins have been found to have various antimicrobial, antiviral and immunomodulatory properties. Keeping in view as their being prospective drug targets and anti-disease options this review explores the role of cytoplasmic and cell secreted cystatins in various human diseases.

Certain Phase I and II Enzymes as Toxicity Biomarker: An Overview

Tremendous surge in the industrialization and infrastructure development worldwide have led to a significant rise in environmental pollutants in the last 2–3 decades. Pollutants in the natural environment consist of highly diversified and complex mixtures. A single biomarker cannot be used to assess a complete identification of environmental pollutants. In this context, it is highly recommended by environmental scientists to evaluate a set of complementary biomarkers for the complete assessment of toxic burden of complex environmental pollutants in the exposed organisms. Moreover, a multiple biomarker approach for the stress assessment is believed to have high sensitivity and could be done in comparatively lesser measuring time. The present article focuses on the viability of usage of xenobiotic detoxification enzymes viz. phase I and II as the toxicity biomarkers. As far as our knowledge goes, we are for the first time reporting phase I and phase II enzymes together as potential toxicity biomarkers in a single article.

MicroRNA: Novel Modulators of the Cholinergic Anti-Inflammatory Pathway

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as key gene regulators controlling the expression of many target mRNAs. The nervous system harbors highest number of miRNAs expressed in a spatially and temporally controlled manner. Neural miRNAs have been accredited with diverse roles like regulation of neural differentiation, synaptogenesis, inflammation, memory and cognition. Their aberrant expression and/or function has been linked to various neurodegenerative, neuroinflammatory and stress related disorders. Recent evidence indicates that miRNAs are essential to the fine tuning of the immune responses. Besides controlling the maturation, proliferation and differentiation of myeloid and lymphoid lineages they participate directly by modulating the signaling pathways through the Toll-like receptors and thus the cytokine response. The miRNAs commuting between the nervous and immune systems and affecting the neuro-immune dialogue are emerging.

Investigating the preventive effects of baicalin and gallocatechin against glyoxal-induced cystatin aggregation

Several mammalian proteins form pathological deposits under nonphysiological conditions that are associated with many degenerative diseases. Protein aggregation is associated with aging, as well as a variety of diseases, including cystic fibrosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. There is a lack of any potential anti-amyloidogenic agents and therapeutics till date. Polyphenols have been accredited with myriad biological effects. An analysis of the effects of natural agents like baicalin (BC) and gallocatechin (GC) on aggregation process can open new avenues for the treatment of protein misfolding diseases. Thus, investigation of the effects of these flavonoids on Buffalo Heart Cystatin (BHC) aggregation induced by a reactive metabolic dialdehyde, glyoxal (GO), was taken up. Results have shown that elevated concentration of GO forms aggregates of BHC, which was characterized by an increase in the ANS fluorescence intensity, an increase in ThT fluorescence intensity, red shift in Congo red absorbance, negative ellipticity peak at 217 nm in the far-UVCD and BHC aggregates displaying by TEM. Using fluorescence spectroscopic analysis with Thioflavin T, CD and electron microscopic studies, anti-aggregation effects of polyphenols, BC and GC were analyzed. The study showed that BC and GC produced concentration-dependent anti-aggregation effects with GC producing a more pronounced effect than BC. The study proposed a mechanistic approach assuming structural constraints and specific aromatic interactions of polyphenols with sheets of BHC aggregates.

Mass Spectrometery as an Analytical Method for Determining Protein Structures

Mass spectrometry (MS) has become a powerful technology in the discovery and development of protein therapeutics in the biopharmaceutical industry. This review article describes the two main types of mass spectrometry methods for determining the protein structure. Further the role of tandem mass spectrometry in diagnostics has also been highlighted. Mass spectrometry based proteomics is a central life science technology that has realized great progress towards identification, quantification and characterization of the proteins that constitute a proteome.