Copper is an essential trace element that, in this context, functions as a toxic exposure agent and as Cu2+ to drive oxidative stress, mitochondrial damage, cell death, and cognitive deficits. It is mechanistically linked to cuproptosis, where Cu2+ triggers mitochondrial proteotoxicity and lipoylated protein aggregation, leading to energy exhaustion and downstream pyroptotic activation. In neurotoxicity…
MET is a receptor tyrosine kinase signaling protein that promotes oncogenic pathways when activated, including downstream AKT and ERK phosphorylation, and it can mediate tmem45b-induced tumor-promoting effects in liver cancer. In the reported liver cancer study, TMEM45B increased MET protein levels and MET signaling activation, linking this axis to malignant progression (PMID:41998230). MET also appeared…
Curcumin is a natural bioactive compound with gene-regulatory, epigenetic-modulating, and oncogene-suppressive properties, but its use is limited by poor aqueous solubility and low intracellular bioavailability. It has been developed in hplipo cur liver-targeting liposomes and in CRISPR-supported polymeric nanoparticles for gene-modulating therapy, reflecting its role as a delivery-compatible therapeutic payload. In disease settings, it is…
KRAS is a frequently mutated oncogene in the RAS gene family that functions as a disease-driving signaling node and, when altered, can reshape the tumor immune microenvironment. In biliary tract cancer, KRAS mutations are linked to an immune-cold state with impaired CD8+ T cell and antigen-presenting cell interactions, and they are associated with resistance to…
Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory cardiovascular disease in which lipid-driven vascular injury, immune activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction contribute to plaque development and progression. It is discussed here as a disease context for ubiquitin specific proteases, with recent work indicating that USPs have dual and context-specific roles in atherosclerosis progression, including usp20-linked effects. The literature also…
