Publications by authors named "Alena Holazova"

Background: Aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer and thereby has an excellent potential for the discovery of novel biomarkers. Impairments in the glycan composition of lipoproteins impact their functional properties and can be associated with various diseases, including cancer. This research is still in its infancy; however, it can lead to the development of new diagnostic and disease stratification approaches as well as therapeutic strategies.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The viral genome of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the aetiologic agent of COVID-19, encodes structural, non-structural, and accessory proteins. Most of these components undergo rapid genetic variations, though to a lesser extent the essential viral proteases. Consequently, the protease and/or deubiquitinase activities of the cysteine proteases M and PL became attractive targets for the design of antiviral agents.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Blue C-phycocyanin (C-PC), the major Spirulina protein with innumerable health-promoting benefits, is an attractive colourant and food supplement. A crucial obstacle to its more extensive use is its relatively low stability. This study aimed to screen various food-derived ligands for their ability to bind and stabilise C-PC, utilising spectroscopic techniques and molecular docking.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this study, one hundred serum samples from healthy people and patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were analyzed. Standard immunoassays for detection of 10 different RA markers and analysis of glycan markers on antibodies in 10 different assay formats with several lectins were applied for each serum sample. A dataset containing 2000 data points was data mined using artificial neural networks (ANN).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Screening serum for the presence of prostate specific antigen (PSA) belongs to the most common approach for the detection of prostate cancer. This review (with 156 refs.) addresses recent developments in PSA detection based on the use of various kinds of nanomaterials.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

An extensive characterization of pristine and oxidized TiCT (T: =O, -OH, -F) MXene showed that exposure of MXene to an anodic potential in the aqueous solution oxidizes the nanomaterial forming TiO layer or TiO domains with subsequent TiO dissolution by F ions, making the resulting nanomaterial less electrochemically active compared to the pristine TiCT. The TiCT could be thus applied for electrochemical reactions in a cathodic potential window i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In recent decades, it has become clear that most of human proteins are glycosylated and that protein glycosylation plays an important role in health and diseases. At present, simple, fast and inexpensive methods are sought for clinical applications and particularly for improved diagnostics of various diseases, including cancer. We propose a label- and reagent-free electrochemical method based on chronopotentiometric stripping (CPS) analysis and a hanging mercury drop electrode for the detection of interaction of sialylated protein biomarker a prostate specific antigen (PSA) with two important lectins: Sambucus nigra agglutinin (SNA) and Maackia amurensis agglutinin (MAA).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We describe a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on a gold surface with a carboxybetaine ester functionality to control the interaction between DNA and gold nanoparticles via pH. The negatively charged phosphate backbone of DNA interacts with and adsorbs to the positively charged carboxybetaine esters on the SAM. DNA release can be achieved by the hydrolysis of carboxybetaine ester (CBE) to a zwitterionic carboxybetaine state.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

An impedimetric lectin biosensor for the detection of changes in the glycan structure of antibodies isolated from human serum is here correlated with the progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The biosensor was built up from a mixed self-assembled monolayer (SAM) on gold consisting of two different thiolated zwitterionic derivatives, carboxybetaine and sulfobetaine, to resist nonspecific interactions. The carboxyl-terminated one was applied also for the covalent immobilization of lectin Ricinus communis agglutinin I (RCA-I).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF