Publications by authors named "Ana C Varela"

Background: Parasitic human infectious diseases are a worldwide health problem due to the increased resistance to conventional drugs. For this reason, the identification of novel molecular targets and the discovery of new chemotherapeutic agents are urgently required. Metalo- aminopeptidases are promising targets in parasitic infections.

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Background: Human infectious diseases caused by bacteria are a worldwide health problem due to the increased resistance of these microorganisms to conventional antibiotics. For this reason, the identification of novel molecular targets and the discovery of new antibacterial compounds are urgently required. Metalo-aminopeptidases are promising targets in bacterial infections.

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Several microbial metalo-aminopeptidases are emerging as novel targets for the treatment of human infectious diseases. Some of them are well validated as targets and some are not; some are essential enzymes and others are important for virulence and pathogenesis. For another group, it is not clear if their enzymatic activity is involved in the critical functions that they mediate.

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Trichosporon asahii is a yeast pathogen implicated in opportunistic infections. Cultures of an isolate collected from industrial wastewater were exposed for 2 days to 100 mg/L sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) and cadmium (CdCl2). Both metals reduced glutathione transferase (GST) activity but had no effect on superoxide dismutase or catalase.

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Recent decades have seen a strong increase in the promise and uses of nanotechnology. This is correlated with their growing release in the environment and there is concern that nanomaterials may endanger ecosystems. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have some of the most varied applications, making their release into the environment unavoidable.

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