There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

Over the past decade, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death (NCCD) has formulated guidelines for the definition and interpretation of cell death from morphological, biochemical, and functional perspectives. Since the field continues to expand and novel mechanisms that orchestrate multiple cell death pathways are unveiled, we propose an updated classification of cell death subroutines focusing on mechanistic and essential (as opposed to correlative and dispensable) aspects of the process. As we provide molecularly oriented definitions of terms including intrinsic apoptosis, extrinsic apoptosis, mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT)-driven necrosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, parthanatos, entotic cell death, NETotic cell death, lysosome-dependent cell death, autophagy-dependent cell death, immunogenic cell death, cellular senescence, and mitotic catastrophe, we discuss the utility of neologisms that refer to highly specialized instances of these processes. The mission of the NCCD is to provide a widely accepted nomenclature on cell death in support of the continued development of the field.

https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8555786/file/8555788.pdf

Molecular mechanisms of cell death: recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death 2018.

During the past two decades, nitric oxide (NO) has been recognized as one of the most versatile players in the immune system. It is involved in the pathogenesis and control of infectious diseases, tumors, autoimmune processes and chronic degenerative diseases. Because of its variety of reaction partners (DNA, proteins, low–molecular weight thiols, prosthetic groups, reactive oxygen intermediates), its widespread production (by three different NO synthases (NOS) and the fact that its activity is strongly influenced by its concentration, NO continues to surprise and perplex immunologists. Today, there is no simple, uniform picture of the function of NO in the immune system. Protective and toxic effects of NO are frequently seen in parallel. Its striking inter- and intracellular signaling capacity makes it extremely difficult to predict the effect of NOS inhibitors and NO donors, which still hampers therapeutic applications.

Nitric oxide and the immune response

In 2009, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death (NCCD) proposed a set of recommendations for the definition of distinct cell death morphologies and for the appropriate use of cell death-related terminology, including 'apoptosis', 'necrosis' and 'mitotic catastrophe'. In view of the substantial progress in the biochemical and genetic exploration of cell death, time has come to switch from morphological to molecular definitions of cell death modalities. Here we propose a functional classification of cell death subroutines that applies to both in vitro and in vivo settings and includes extrinsic apoptosis, caspase-dependent or -independent intrinsic apoptosis, regulated necrosis, autophagic cell death and mitotic catastrophe. Moreover, we discuss the utility of expressions indicating additional cell death modalities. On the basis of the new, revised NCCD classification, cell death subroutines are defined by a series of precise, measurable biochemical features.

/pdf/molecular-definitions-of-cell-death-subroutines-q5g428rlyi.pdf

Molecular definitions of cell death subroutines: recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death 2012

Autophagy is a mechanism by which cellular material is delivered to lysosomes for degradation, leading to the basal turnover of cell components and providing energy and macromolecular precursors. Autophagy has opposing, context-dependent roles in cancer, and interventions to both stimulate and inhibit autophagy have been proposed as cancer therapies. This has led to the therapeutic targeting of autophagy in cancer to be sometimes viewed as controversial. In this Review, we suggest a way forwards for the effective targeting of autophagy by understanding the context-dependent roles of autophagy and by capitalizing on modern approaches to clinical trial design.

/pdf/targeting-autophagy-in-cancer-2pjcn0h04a.pdf

Targeting autophagy in cancer

Em 2006, dois investigadores demonstraram ser possivel desdiferenciar celulas somaticas por um processo designado de reprogramacao celular, levando-as a atingir de novo o estado pluripotente. O surgimento das celulas estaminais pluripotentes induzidas (iPSCs) causou um impacto extremamente relevante na comunidade cientifica devido ao facto de se superarem muitas das limitacoes que as celulas estaminais embrionarias e adultas apresentavam. A Doenca de Alzheimer (DA) e uma doenca neurodegenerativa caracterizada pela perda de memoria e de outras funcoes cognitivas. A ausencia de terapeuticas eficazes para prevenir ou reverter a doenca constitui um problema grave de saude publica. Esta revisao pretende abordar as principais limitacoes das iPSCs, com foco especial na DA, nomeadamente como estrategia modificadora da doenca para retardar a sua progressao e melhorar a qualidade de vida dos doentes, no screening de novos farmacos e ainda como uma opcao terapeutica individualizada.

/pdf/celulas-estaminais-pluripotentes-induzidas-no-tratamento-da-2s7dhwry0l.pdf

Células Estaminais Pluripotentes Induzidas no Tratamento da Doença de Alzheimer

e14009Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) are one of the central tools in cellular anti-tumor immunotherapy, being characterized by their capacity for acquiring and processing antigens and ability to...

Development of a novel dendritic cell-based immunotherapy targeting cancer stem cells.

A phlorotannin extract was obtained from Himanthalia elongata, revealing a profile rich in fucophlorethol-type and carmalol-type compounds. When subjected to simulated gastrointestinal digestion, its levels of total phlorotannins and antioxidant activity, measured in vitro via NO● and O2●− scavenging assays, were reduced, thus suggesting that these compounds’ integrity and bioactivity are negatively affected by the digestive process. Nevertheless, when undigested vs. digested extracts were used on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated Raw 264.7 macrophages, both showed a strong inhibitory effect on the cellular NO● production. In fact, although not statistically significant, the digested extract revealed a tendentially stronger effect compared to its undigested counterpart, suggesting that even though there is a decrease in the phlorotannins’ concentration after digestion, with a consequent loss of their scavenging properties, the possible degradation products being formed may exert their effects through the modulation of the intracellular signaling mechanisms. Overall, this study not only contributes to a better understanding of the phlorotannins’ composition of the species H. elongata, but also shows that, although the digestive process may affect the integrity and concentration of these compounds, this does not necessarily translate into loss of bioactivity, in particular the anti-inflammatory activity, probably owing to the bioactive effects that the degradation products of these phenolics may have at an intracellular level.

/pdf/impact-of-gastrointestinal-digestion-on-the-anti-2oqx2t2u.pdf

Impact of Gastrointestinal Digestion on the Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Phlorotannins from Himanthalia elongata

Dendritic cells (DC) are major players in initiating immune responses by activating T-lymphocytes. They act as sentinels in peripheral tissues, continuously scavenging for antigens in their immediate surroundings. Their involvement in T-cell responses consists of a linear progression of events starting with capture of antigens in peripheral tissues, such as the skin, followed by migration to draining lymphoid organs and presentation of antigen-derived peptides to induce T-cell priming. In the last years, a number of DC lines have been generated and the electron microscopy has been used to define their characteristics, thus contributing to their formal validation. A cell line with features of early DC precursors was previously established from fetal mouse skin (FSDC), but its ultrastructural organization was not fully investigated. Here we report such investigation using light (LM), scanning electron (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The goal is to use FSDC as a model system to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of selected plant extracts, fractions and isolated polyphenols against inflammatory processes. Our preliminary results with these cells showed anti-inflammatory activity for some of the extracts we are currently investigating.

/pdf/a-light-scanning-electron-and-transmission-electron-31ss1wzy73.pdf

A light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopic study of a Fetal mouse Skin Dendritic Cell line (FSDC)

The XIXth century saw an enormous accumulation of biological specimens coming to Europe from all over the world, which are now part of museums, herbaria and other natural history collections.
 For many centuries, the exchange of letters was the privileged means of circulating information and knowledge. At the University of Coimbra (UC), the Life Sciences Department safeguards almost 5000 letters and other documentation addressed to directors, gardeners and other collaborators of the Botanic Garden. These records of Portuguese botanical science and expeditions of plant discovery, collection and identification are held in thousands of handwritten letters, species lists and assorted notebooks, in more than five different languages.
 Historical repositories such as this archive, but also the biological and museum collections and objects that it documents, imply added responsibilities to the University of Coimbra, as the information contained within the documentation, pertains not only to a country (in this case Portugal), but also to its developing historical roles and actions. As a colonial power for many centuries, the records of Portuguese scientific activity and occupation strategies of overseas territories, in Africa, South America, Asia and the Pacific, are also documented, and its valuable data (e.g., historical biological records) is of crucial importance to these now independent countries. Received correspondence is a great resource for understanding the process of knowledge creation and circulation in the plant sciences, including botany and agriculture, as well as the scientific colonial practices and their implication for the amassing of biological collections at the UC.
 In order to uncover historical biodiversity data within this archival material, we have implemented Plant Letters (https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/catedraunesco/plant-letters), a citizen science transcription project that seeks to uncover the stories within these historical archives, the tales of travelers and scientists, on the quest of recording of the world’s diversity, mostly in the Portuguese ex-colonies in sub-Saharan Africa. Using the collaborative platform Zooniverse (https://www.zooniverse.org), users are requested to engage with the archive and transcribe mostly handwritten letters in several languages, giving dimension to our continuous efforts of promoting open and widespread access to information. The project invites everyone to transcribe handwritten or typed letters received by the Botanic Garden between about 1870 and 1928, from more than 1100 correspondents from around the world.
 The main purpose of this project is to track plant species, locations and scientists in the correspondence received in the 19th and 20th centuries at the Botanic Garden of the University of Coimbra. To do so, Plant Letters seeks in users, both experts or simply curious, a source of participation in the construction of knowledge, making use of collective intelligence, in a lively exchange of information, experiences and knowledge.
 In transcribing the letters, we want to retrieve information that can include:
 
 
 
 inquiries and doubts about plant classification and taxonomy;
 
 
 historical plant species locations, distribution records and abundance;
 
 
 biological material circulation (plant and seed exchanges);
 
 
 track the path of herbarium and museum specimens in our collections;
 
 
 unravel networks of botanical knowledge.
 
 
 
 inquiries and doubts about plant classification and taxonomy;
 historical plant species locations, distribution records and abundance;
 biological material circulation (plant and seed exchanges);
 track the path of herbarium and museum specimens in our collections;
 unravel networks of botanical knowledge.
 Transcribing the information contained in these documents will allow us to: track plant specimens as they travelled from their native countries to the scientists who named them; to determine historical plant locations in parts of sub-Saharan Africa; to better understand the scientific processes of plant discovery, taxonomy and botany; and to collect information that gives context to biological specimens in museum objects and other natural history collections. All of these data, valuable to the present and future conservation of tropical flora, will be made available, bearing in mind the open science principles.

/pdf/plant-letters-a-citizen-science-project-uncovering-ztyd6dm9ki.pdf

Maria Teresa Cruz

Papers

Células Estaminais Pluripotentes Induzidas no Tratamento da Doença de Alzheimer

Development of a novel dendritic cell-based immunotherapy targeting cancer stem cells.

Impact of Gastrointestinal Digestion on the Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Phlorotannins from Himanthalia elongata

A light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopic study of a Fetal mouse Skin Dendritic Cell line (FSDC)

Plant Letters: A citizen science project uncovering historical biodiversity data