Latest Academic Works
Interplay between autophagy and lipid droplets in starving cancer cells
Lipid droplets (LDs) are intracellular organelles that store lipids, mainly triacylglycerols (TAGs) and sterol esters. LDs were initially considered just inert fat reservoirs but have now been identified as critical players in the cellular stress response, especially in cancer cells. In response to various kinds of stress, including nutrient deprivation …
Computational investigation of protein-RNA interactions detected by CLIP, their specificity and dynamics in embryonic development
RNA molecules dynamically interact with RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), which control various aspects of RNA fate, such as its processing, localisation, and stability. Intricate networks of protein-RNA interactions thereby regulate gene expression and have a profound effect on downstream cellular processes. Most RBPs recognise specific motifs on their bound RNAs, characterised …
Cathepsin cleavage of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) affects signaling pathways of cancer cells
Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) belongs to the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases and plays an essential role in cell differentiation, migration, proliferation, and metabolism. Alterations in EGFR signalling were found in a number of cancers like lung, breast, colorectal cancer and gliomas, shown to be more aggressive and …
In silico approach to understanding the mechanism of action and chemical toxicity prediction on human aromatase enzyme
Aromatase is an enzyme member of the cytochrome P450 superfamily coded by the CYP19A1 gene. Its main biological function in humans is the conversion of androgens into estrogens, transforming androstenedione into estrone and testosterone into estradiol. This enzyme is present in several tissues, and it has a key role in …
Validation of peptides as protein substrate models for specificity studies of cysteine cathepsins
Cysteine cathepsins are endosomal proteases that are involved in lysosomal protein degradation. Additionally, they engage in specific biological processes, like bone degradation (CatK), antigen presentation (CatS) and pro-hormone processing (CatV and CatL). Their enhanced activity was described in numerous pathological states, like cancer and viral activation, which made them promising …
Advanced glioblastoma models to study tumour microenvironment and to support novel glioblastoma therapeutics
Glioblastoma (GB) is the most common and aggressive primary tumour of the central nervous system. Despite maximal possible surgical resection of the tumours and aggressive treatment regimens with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, patient overall survival is less than 2 years, as patients eventually develop resistance to therapy, resulting in recurrent tumours. …
Quantitative imaging of cisplatin in tumour samples by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry
Medicine relies on imaging techniques such as ultrasound, magnetic resonance, computed tomography and histopathological image analysis because they provide valuable data needed for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is often used in research and for the advanced diagnosis and …
Speciation of ruthenium-based candidate drugs for cancer treatment and copper as a potential biomarker for cancer diagnosis in human serum
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer represents the second leading cause of mortality, with almost 10 million deaths in 2020. A broad spectra of cancer treatments are being developed, among them are metal-based drugs. Consistent with the available data, platinum (Pt)-based chemotherapeutics are still widely used to treat …
The role of cystatin C in inflammatory response
Innate immune system acts as the first line of defence to protect the host against pathogens. The regulation of immune system and inflammatory response is crucial since dysregulated or sustained inflammation leads to pathological conditions, septic shock and tissue damage. Macrophages are innate immune cells that sense pathogens with pattern …
In silico approaches to understand and predict the ligand-binding interactions of the human P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) membrane transporter
The P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is responsible for the elimination of a wide variety of substances from the cell, thus it is thought to play an important role in detoxification functions. The P-gp also affects the ADMET (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion, and toxicity in pharmacokinetics) properties of drugs. It is involved in …