Short Term Exposure of Sheep Tracheal Epithelium to Cigarette Smoke Extract Reduces ENaC Current: A Pilot Study.

Background/aim: Cigarette smoke has been shown to induce a phenotype in humans known as "acquired cystic fibrosis". This occurs because the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) functions are impaired systemically due to the deleterious effects of smoke components. Elucidation of cigarette smoke effects on the tracheal epithelium is important.

Detection of mitochondrial transfer RNA (mt-tRNA) gene mutations in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis.

Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production may lead to tissue injury associated with two respiratory disorders of unknown origin which are shared by common tissue fibrosis, IPF and sarcoidosis. Sequence analysis of 22 mt-tRNA genes and parts of their flanking genes revealed 32 and 45 mutations in 38/40 IPF and 69/85 sarcoidosis patients respectively. 4 novel mutations were identified.

Designed Macrocyclic Peptides as Nanomolar Amyloid Inhibitors Based on Minimal Recognition Elements.

Amyloid self-assembly is linked to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), but so far, no anti-amyloid compound has reached the clinic. Macrocyclic peptides belong to the most attractive drug candidates. Herein we present macrocyclic peptides (MCIPs) designed using minimal IAPP-derived recognition elements as a novel class of nanomolar amyloid inhibitors of both Aβ40(42) and IAPP or Aβ40(42) alone and show that chirality controls inhibitor selectivity.