IUIBS: Biochemistry

Affiliated Research areas

• Physiology in Health, Disease and Ageing
• Pharmacology and toxicology
• Veterinary and applied animal sciences
• Legal studies, comparative law, law and economics

Scientific Areas

• Not available

Keywords

• Apoptosis
• Sesquiterpenes
• Flavonoids
• Sesquiterpenes
• Flavonoids
• Leukaemia
• Melanoma
• Apoptosis
• Melanoma
• Leukaemia

Summary

- Evaluation and elucidation of the signaling routes of new chemical entities with potential interest in medicine: Evaluation and elucidation of the signal transduction pathways of new chemical entities with potential interest in medicine.
- Evaluation of antiproliferative and cytotoxic activities of melatonin in human and melanoma cells: Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine) is one of the best-studied biological molecules and its physiological role has been extensively explored in different organisms. The levels of this biomolecule in the bloodstream are usually around 0.5 nM during the nocturnal period, while much higher concentrations can be reached in other tissues. A large number of studies suggest that supraphysiological-pharmacological concentrations of melatonin are not toxic and that this molecule modulates important cellular functions such as proliferation, differentiation, autophagy, and apoptosis. Melatonin also activates the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis in different types of cancer cells and has the ability to enhance the antitumor efficacy of classical chemotherapeutic agents and ionizing radiation.