Apoptosis is a sequential order of cell death occurring regularly to ensure a homeostatic balance between the rate of cell formation and cell death. However, a misplaced of this balancing function can contribute to an abnormal cell growth / proliferation or autoimmune disorders etc. Apoptosis is therefore said to be crucial from the point of development of an embryo throughout the growth of an organism contributing to the renewal of tissues and also the getting rid of inflammatory cells. This review seeks to elaborate on the recent overview of the mechanism involved in apoptosis, some element and signal contributing to its function and inhibition together with how their malfunction contribute to a number of cancer related cases.

Pathogenic bacteria infection is a serious threat to human public health due to the high morbidity and mortality rates. Nano delivery system for delivering antibiotics provides an alternative option to improve the efficiency compared to conventional therapeutic agents. In addition to the drug loading capacity of nanocarriers, which is typically around 10%, further lowers the drug dose that pathological bacteria are exposed to. Moreover, nanocarriers that are not eliminated from the body may cause side effects. These limitations have motivated the development of self-delivery systems that are formed by the self-assembly of different therapeutic agents. In this study, a vehicle-free antimicrobial polymer polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB, with bactericidal and anti-biofilm functions) hybrid gold nanoparticle (Au NPs, with photothermal therapy (PTT)) platform (PHMB@Au NPs) is developed. This platform exhibits an excellent synergistic effect to enhance the photothermal bactericidal effect for Staphylococcus aureus under near-infrared irradiation. Furthermore, the results showed that PHMB@Au NPs inhibit the formation of biofilms, quickly remove bacteria to promote wound healing through PTT in infection model in vivo, and even mediate the transition of macrophages from M1 to M2 type, and accelerate tissue angiogenesis. PHMB@Au NPs will have promising value as highly effective antimicrobial agents for patient management.

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HIV-associated neuropathic pain (HNP) is a common complication for AIDS patients. The pathological mechanism governing HNP has not been elucidated, and HNP has no effective analgesic treatment. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of the neurotrophic factor family related to the plasticity of the central nervous system. BDNF dysregulation is involved in many neurological diseases, including neuropathic pain. However, to the best of our knowledge, the role and mechanism of BDNF in HNP have not been elucidated. In this study, we explored this condition in an HNP mouse model induced by intrathecal injection of gp120. We found that Wnt3a and β-catenin expression levels increased in the spinal cord of HNP mice, consequently regulating the expression of BDNF and affecting hypersensitivity. In addition, the blockade of Wing-Int/β-catenin signaling, BDNF/TrkB or the BDNF/p75NTR pathway alleviated mechanical allodynia. BDNF immunoreactivity was colocalized with spinal microglial cells, which were activated in HNP mice. Inhibition of spinal microglial cell activation by minocycline relieved mechanical allodynia in HNP mice. This study helped to elucidate the role of the Wing-Int/β-catenin/BDNF signaling axis in HNP and may establish a foundation for further research investigating the Wing-Int/β-catenin/BDNF signaling axis as a target for HNP treatment.