BACKGROUND The Innate immune system constitutes the first line of defense against pathogen infections. The Retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) receptor recognizes triphosphorylated ssRNAs and dsRNA to initiate downstream signaling of interferon response. However, unregulated activity of these receptors could lead to autoimmune diseases. We seek to identify small molecules that can specifical...

With phytochemicals executing a plethora of anti-tumor mechanisms, targeting the 'guardian angel' p53 appears to be a critical strategy to energize the process of cancer therapeutics. Regulation of anti-tumor p53 functions by dietary plant polyphenols particularly black tea and its active component theaflavins has gained immense recognition from the point of view of both efficacy and safety. Th...

The inhibition of elements of the plasminogen activator system [urokinase (uPA), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1)] plays an important role in human diseases. PAI-1 is overexpressed in obesity and diabetes, and the inhibition of this protein has been postulated to alleviate the symptoms of both disorders. We found that two theaflavins (TFs) from bl...