Nuclear receptors are transcriptional regulators involved in almost all biological processes such as cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, substance metabolism and tumor formation, and they can be regulated by small molecules that bind to them. Autophagy is a special way of programmed cell death and it is a highly conserved metabolic process. Once autophagy defects or excessive autophagy occur, the disease will develop. In recent years, numerous studies have shown that nuclear receptors are related to autophagy. Therefore, this paper mainly reviews the research progress on nuclear receptors involved in the regulation of autophagy, and focuses on the mechanism of several nuclear receptors involved in the regulation of autophagy, aiming at understanding the molecular basis of how nuclear receptors participate in regulating autophagy, as well as providing possible ideas and strategies for the treatment of corresponding diseases.
ObjectiveTo summarize research progress of farnesoid X receptor (FXR) in regulation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and explore its potential clinical application value.MethodThe relevant literatures at home and abroad on the mechanism of FXR regulating occurrence and development of HCC were reviewed.ResultsIn the occurrence and development of HCC, the FXR expression could be down-regulated through the inflammation-related pathways and epigenetic silencing. The FXR mightbe play an important role in the regulatory mechanisms of down-regulation in the HCC, therapeutic targets, drug resistance, and so on.ConclusionFXR plays an important regulatory role in occurrence and development of HCC, which makes FXR might become a potential target in treatment of HCC.
Vaccines and antibodies are currently effective intervention strategies for preventing and treating COVID-19. Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a primary binding receptor for SARS-CoV-2, is a potential target for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. At present, therapeutics based on the strategies that block the binding of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein to the ACE2 receptor have entered clinical trials. On December 5, 2022, the journal Nature published the results of a pharmacological intervention to downregulate ACE2 expression for prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infections. The study found that a nuclear receptor, farnesoid X receptor for bile acids, regulated ACE2 expression. The clinical drug ursodeoxycholic acid that was used to treat liver diseases could downregulate ACE2 expression and prevent SARS-CoV-2 infections, showing a new potential pathway in managing COVID-19.