Disintegrins from Snake Venoms and their Applications in Cancer Research and Therapy

Author(s): Jessica Kele Arruda Macedo, Jay W. Fox and Mariana de Souza CastroPages 532-548 (17) Abstract: Integrins regulate diverse functions in cancer pathology and in tumor cell development and contribute to important processes such as cell shape, survival, proliferation, transcription, angiogenesis, migration, and invasion. A number of snake venom proteins have the ability to interact with integrins. Among these are the disintegrins, a family...

Read More

Targeting EZH2 for Cancer Therapy: Progress and Perspective

Author(s): Chi Han Li and Yangchao ChenPages 559-570 (12) Abstract: Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) is the core component of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), possessing the enzymatic activity in generating di/tri-methylated lysine 27 in histone H3. EZH2 has important roles during early development, and its dysregulation is heavily linked to oncogenesis in various tissue types. Accumulating evidences suggest a remarkable therapeutic...

Read More

Mutations of Chromatin Structure Regulating Genes in Human Malignancies

Author(s): Jian Chen, Franklin H. Herlong, John R. Stroehlein and Lopa MishraPages 411-437 (27) Abstract: Chromatin structure regulating processes mediated by the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – dependent chromatin remodeling complex and the covalent histone-modifying complexes are critical to gene transcriptional control and normal cellular processes, including cell stemness, differentiation, and proliferation. Gene mutations, structural abnormalities,...

Read More

The Melanocortin Receptor System: A Target for Multiple Degenerative Diseases

Author(s): Minying Cai and Victor J. HrubyPages 488-496 (9) Abstract: The melanocortin receptor system consists of five closely related G-protein coupled receptors (MC1R, MC2R, MC3R, MC4R and MC5R). These receptors are involved in many of the key biological functions for multicellular animals, including human beings. The natural agonist ligands for these receptors are derived by processing of a primordial animal gene product, proopiomelanocortin...

Read More