Caspase-1 as a regulatory molecule of lipid metabolism

Lipid Metabolism as a Therapeutic Target

Targeting lipid metabolism (biosynthesis and catabolism) associated with human diseases and pathogens with thera-peutics has gained much momentum in recent years. This has come about in part due to the wide availability of sequenced genomes, the advancement in analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry and deep sequencing, and the increased understanding of signaling molecules. Collectivel...

Unraveling complexity of interconnected regulatory circuits in lipid metabolism

In this issue of Journal of Biomedical Research, 3 review articles are published that cover a broad range of topics addressing current understanding on regulation of nutrient metabolism through protein phosphatases, homeostatic regulation of cellular lipid droplets by small GTPases, and mechanisms by which hepatic assembly and secretion of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins are regulated. Protein p...

Lipid A as a Drug Target and Therapeutic Molecule

In this review, lipid A, from its discovery to recent findings, is presented as a drug target and therapeutic molecule. First, the biosynthetic pathway for lipid A, the Raetz pathway, serves as a good drug target for antibiotic development. Several assay methods used to screen for inhibitors of lipid A synthesis will be presented, and some of the promising lead compounds will be described. Seco...

Reconstruction of lipid metabolism regulatory network in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

CCN2 as a novel molecule supporting energy metabolism of chondrocytes.

CCN2/connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a unique molecule that promotes both chondrocytic differentiation and proliferation through its matricellular interaction with a number of extracellular biomolecules. This apparently contradictory functional property of CCN2 suggests its certain role in basic cellular activities such as energy metabolism, which is required for both proliferation an...