Endocrine Abstracts

Brown adipocytes dissipate energy through the production of heat, acting as a defense against cold and obesity, and secrete batokines, that positively regulate metabolic functions. Thus, identifying brown-promoting molecules is crucial for developing novel therapeutic strategies against obesity and metabolic disorders. Of note, differentiation into myoblasts and later myocytes of myogenic factor 5 (Myf5) positive progenitors, the same from which brown adipocytes originate, is ...

Macrophages play essential roles in the immune defence and their hyperactivation has been implicated in epithelial damage in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), commonly observed in severe COVID-19 patients. In these cells, SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein triggers aberrant production of pro-inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and matrix meta...