Small molecule modulators of σ2R/Tmem97 reduce alcohol withdrawal-induced behaviors
By Luisa L. Scott, James J. Sahn, Antonio Ferragud, Rachel C. Yen, Praveen N. Satarasinghe, Michael D. Wood, Timothy R. Hodges, Ted Shi, Brooke A. Prakash, Kaitlyn M. Friese, Angela Shen, Valentina Sabino, Jonathan T. Pierce, and Stephen F. Martin Excerpt from the article published in Neuropsychopharmacol 43, 1867–1875, 20 April 2018, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-018-0067-z Editor’s Highlights […]
Continue ReadingTargeting the Endoplasmic Reticulum Unfolded Protein Response to Counteract the Oxidative Stress-Induced Endothelial Dysfunction
By Giuseppina Amodio, Ornella Moltedo, Raffaella Faraonio, and Paolo Remondelli Excerpt from the article published in Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, vol. 2018, Article ID 4946289, 13 pages, 14 Mar 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/4946289 Editor’s Highlights Abstract In endothelial cells, the tight control of the redox environment is essential for the maintenance of vascular homeostasis. The […]
Continue ReadingCocaine Effects on Dopaminergic Transmission Depend on a Balance between Sigma-1 and Sigma-2 Receptor Expression
By David Aguinaga, Mireia Medrano, Ignacio Vega-Quiroga, Katia Gysling, Enric I. Canela, Gemma Navarro, and Rafael Franco Excerpt from the article published in Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 12 February 2018, Sec. Molecular Signalling and Pathways, Volume 11 – 2018, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnmol.2018.00017 Editor’s Highlitghts Abstract Sigma σ1 and σ2 receptors are targets of cocaine. Despite sharing a similar name, the […]
Continue ReadingSmall-Molecule Sigma1 Modulator Induces Autophagic Degradation of PD-L1
By Christina M. Maher; Jeffrey D. Thomas; Derick A. Haas; Charles G. Longen; Halley M. Oyer; Jane Y. Tong; and Felix J. Kim Excerpt from the article published in Molecular Cancer Research, Volume 16, Issue 2; 1 February 2018; 243–255; DOI: https://doi.org/10.1158/1541-7786.MCR-17-0166 Editor’s Highlights Abstract Emerging evidence suggests that Sigma1 (SIGMAR1, also known as sigma-1 […]
Continue ReadingTRPV1 channels and the progesterone receptor Sig-1R interact to regulate pain
By Miguel Ortíz-Rentería, Rebeca Juárez-Contreras, Ricardo González-Ramírez, and Sara L. Morales-Lázaro Excerpt from the article published in PNAS, January 29, 2018, 115 (7) E1657-E1666, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1715972115 Significance The TRPV1 ion channel has been widely associated with the generation of painful responses. The responses of cells expressing this ion channel and, presumably, the overall pain response of an […]
Continue ReadingRoles of sigma-1 receptors on mitochondrial functions relevant to neurodegenerative diseases
By Tzu-Yu Weng, Shang-Yi Anne Tsai, and Tsung-Ping Su Excerpt from the article published in Journal of Biomedical Science 24, 74 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12929-017-0380-6 Editor’s highlights The sigma-1 receptor (Sig-1R) is a chaperone that resides mainly at the mitochondrion-associated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane (called the MAMs) and acts as a dynamic pluripotent modulator in living systems. The Sig-1R […]
Continue ReadingSigma 1 receptor regulates ERK activation and promotes survival of optic nerve head astrocytes
By Jing Zhao, Barbara A. Mysona, Jing Wang, Graydon B. Gonsalvez, Sylvia B. Smith, and Kathryn E. Bollinger Excerpt from the article published in PLOS ONE, September 12, 2017, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0184421 Editor’s Highlights Neuronal and glial cell types throughout the retina and optic nerve contain sigma 1 receptor (S1R), and its agonists display robust neuroprotective […]
Continue ReadingTransit and integration of extracellular mitochondria in human heart cells
By Douglas B. Cowan, Rouan Yao, Jerusha K. Thedsanamoorthy, David Zurakowski, Pedro J. del Nido, and James D. McCully Excerpt from the article published in Scientific Reports 7, 17450 (2017). Published: 12 December 2017, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-17813-0 Editor’s Highlights Mitochondria play an essential role in energy production and cellular homeostasis. Dysfunction of these organelles as a result of ischemia […]
Continue ReadingAlpha2delta-1 in SF1+ Neurons of the Ventromedial Hypothalamus Is an Essential Regulator of Glucose and Lipid Homeostasis
By Jennifer A. Felsted, Cheng-Hao Chien, Dongqing Wang, Micaella Panessiti, Dominique Ameroso, Andrew Greenberg, Guoping Feng, Dong Kong, and Maribel Rios Excerpt from the article published in Cell Reports, volume 21, issue 10, P2737-2747, December 2017, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2017.11.048 Editor’s Highlights Alpha2delta-1 (α2δ-1) plays a chief role in energy and glucose balance control acting downstream of brain-derived neurotrophic […]
Continue ReadingThe Sigma-2 Receptor Selective Agonist Siramesine (Lu 28-179) Decreases Cocaine-Reinforced Pavlovian Learning and Alters Glutamatergic and Dopaminergic Input to the Striatum
By Anna M. Klawonn, Anna Nilsson, Carl F. Rådberg, Sarah H. Lindström, Mia Ericson, Björn Granseth, David Engblom, and Michael Fritz Excerpt from the article published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, 10 October 2017, Sec. Experimental Pharmacology and Drug Discovery, Volume 8 – 2017, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2017.00714 Editor’s Highlights Abstract Drug addiction is a chronic, debilitating disease that […]
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