During inflammatory processes, immunocompetent cells are exposed to substantial amounts of free radicals and toxic compounds. Glutathione is a cysteine-containing tripeptide that an important ubiquitous antioxidant molecule produced in human organs. The intracellular content GSH regulates the detoxifying capacity cells, as well immune response. particularly liver, where it serves major non-prot...

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), or prion diseases, are a group of incurable neurodegenerative disorders, including Kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans, “mad cow” disease in cattle, and scrapie in sheep. This paper presents structural, genetic, and evolutionary evidence supporting an endogenous TSE virus model that integrates the three major traditional views on the na...

RNA silencing plays a critical role in plant resistance against viruses, with multiple silencing factors participating in antiviral defense. Both RNA and DNA viruses are targeted by the small RNA-directed RNA degradation pathway, with DNA viruses being also targeted by RNA-directed DNA methylation. To evade RNA silencing, plant viruses have evolved a variety of counter-defense mechanisms such a...