A document by Mohammad Yassin Zamanian. Click on the document to view its contents.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common and highly metastatic cancer affecting people worldwide. Drug resistance and unwanted side effects are some of the limitations of current treatments for CRC. Naringenin (NAR) is a naturally occurring compound found in abundance in various citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, and tomatoes. It possesses a diverse range of pharmacological and biological properties that are beneficial for human health. Numerous studies have highlighted its antioxidant, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory activities, making it a subject of interest in scientific research. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the effects of NAR on CRC. The study’s findings indicated that NAR: 1) interacts with estrogen receptors, 2) regulates the expression of genes related to the p53 signaling pathway, 3) promotes apoptosis by increasing the expression of proapoptotic genes (Bax, caspase9, and p53) and downregulation of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl2, 4) inhibits the activity of enzymes involved in cell survival and proliferation, 5) decreases cyclin D1 levels, 6) reduces the expression of cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdk4, Cdk6, Cdk7) and anti-apoptotic genes (Bcl2, x-IAP, c-IAP-2) in CRC cells. In vitro CDK2 binding assay was also performed, showing that the NAR derivatives had better inhibitory activities on CDK2 than NAR. Based on the findings of this study, NAR is a potential therapeutic agent for CRC. Additional pharmacology and pharmacokinetics studies are required to fully elucidate the mechanisms of action of NAR and establish the most suitable dose for subsequent clinical investigations.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra, leading to various motor and non-motor symptoms. Several cellular and molecular mechanisms such as alpha-synuclein (α-syn) accumulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammation are involved in the pathogenesis of this disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in post-transcriptional gene regulation. They are typically about 21-25 nucleotides in length and are involved in the regulation of gene expression by binding to the messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules. miRNAs like miR-221 play important roles in various biological processes, including development, cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. miR-221 is also implicated in promoting neuronal survival against oxidative stress and in promoting neurite outgrowth and neuronal differentiation. Additionally, the role of miR-221 in PD has been investigated in several studies. According to the results of this study; 1) miR-221 protects against oxidative stress in 6-hydroxydopamine-induced PC12 cells; 2) miR-221 prevents Bax/caspase-3 signaling activation by stopping Bim; 3) miR-221 has moderate predictive power for PD; 4) miR-221 directly targets PTEN, and PTEN over-expression eliminates the protective action of miR-221 on p-AKT expression in PC12 cells; 5) miRNA-221, by manipulating the Akt signaling pathway, performs in controlling cell viability and apoptosis in PD. This review study suggests that miR-221 has the potential to be used as a clinical biomarker for PD diagnosis and stage assignment.