New treatment approaches for infections: alternatives to antibiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation.

causes a range of debilitating intestinal symptoms that may be fatal. It is particularly problematic as a hospital-acquired infection, causing significant costs to the health care system. Antibiotics, such as vancomycin and fidaxomicin, are still the drugs of choice for infections, but their effectiveness is limited, and microbial interventions are emerging as a new treatment option.

Ara h 2-specific IgE epitope-like peptides inhibit the binding of IgE to Ara h 2 and suppress lgE-dependent effector cell activation.

Background: Clinical and experimental analyses indicate a pathognomonic role for allergen IgE crosslinking through epitope-paratope interactions as a major initial step in the cascade leading to effector cell activation and clinical manifestations of lgE-mediated food allergies. We aimed to undertake the initial development and assessment of Ara h 2-specific IgE epitope-like peptides that can bind to allergen-specific IgE paratopes and suppress effector cell activation.

Methods: We performed biopanning, screening, IgE binding, selection and mapping of peptides.

Targeting IL-6 by engineered Lactococcus lactis via surface-displayed affibody.

Background: Dysregulated production of interleukin (IL)-6 is implicated in the pathology of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Neutralization of IL-6 in the gut by safe probiotic bacteria may help alleviate intestinal inflammation. Here, we developed Lactococcus lactis with potent and selective IL-6 binding activity by displaying IL-6-specific affibody on its surface.

Dual Functionalized Shows Tumor Antigen Targeting and Cytokine Binding .

Pro-inflammatory cytokines play an important role in the development and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Tumor-targeting bacteria that can capture pro-inflammatory cytokines in the tumor microenvironment and thus block their tumor-promoting effects might provide clinical benefits in inflammation-associated CRC. The aim of this study was to develop bacteria with dual functionality for selective delivery of cytokine-binding proteins to the tumor by targeting specific receptors on cancer cells.

Lectin-Mediated Binding of Engineered to Cancer Cells.

Lectins have been increasingly utilized as carriers for targeted drug delivery based on their specific binding to glycans located on mammalian cells. This study employed two lectins, B subunit of bacterial Shiga holotoxin (Stx1B) and fungal lectin (CNL), for surface display on the lactic acid bacterium . The specific adhesion of these engineered, lectin-displaying to cancer cells was evaluated.

N-alkylpiperidine carbamates as potential anti-Alzheimer's agents.

Compounds capable of interacting with single or multiple targets involved in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis are potential anti-Alzheimer's agents. In our aim to develop new anti-Alzheimer's agents, a series of 36 new N-alkylpiperidine carbamates was designed, synthesized and evaluated for the inhibition of cholinesterases [acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)] and monoamine oxidases [monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A and monoamine oxidase B (MAO-B)]. Four compounds are very promising: multiple AChE (IC = 7.

Bee Venom Immunotherapy: Current Status and Future Directions.

Bee venom immunotherapy is the main treatment option for bee sting allergy. Its major limitations are the high percentage of allergic side effects and long duration, which are driving the development of novel therapeutic modalities. Three general approaches have been evaluated including the use of hypoallergenic allergen derivatives, adjunctive therapy, and alternative delivery routes.

Tryptophan-derived butyrylcholinesterase inhibitors as promising leads against Alzheimer's disease.

We have identified tryptophan-based selective nanomolar butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitors. They are defined according to their chemical modularity, novel binding mode revealed by five solved crystal structures with human BChE, low cytotoxicity, and predicted permeability of the blood-brain barrier. Altogether, these factors indicate their potential as unique lead compounds for symptomatic therapy against Alzheimer's disease.

Epitope Mapping of Major Ragweed Allergen Amb a 1.

Ragweed is a prominent cause of seasonal allergies. Thus far, information on IgE-binding sites of major allergen in ragweed pollen, Amb a 1, is very limited. A powerful experimental method to gain insights on the allergen epitopes is the selection of peptides from biological libraries that bind to anti-allergen antibodies.

Microbial Delivery Vehicles for Allergens and Allergen-Derived Peptides in Immunotherapy of Allergic Diseases.

Allergen-specific immunotherapy represents the only available curative approach to allergic diseases. The treatment has proven effective, but it requires repetitive administrations of allergen extracts over 3-5 years and is often associated with adverse events. This implies the need for novel therapeutic strategies with reduced side effects and decreased treatment time, which would improve patients' compliance.