A shorter linker in the bispecific antibody RmAb158-scFv8D3 improves TfR-mediated blood-brain barrier transcytosis in vitro.

Transferrin Receptor (TfR)-mediated transcytosis across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) enables the uptake of bispecific therapeutic antibodies into the brain. At therapeutically relevant concentrations, bivalent binding to TfR appears to reduce the transcytosis efficiency by receptor crosslinking. In this study, we aimed to improve BBB transcytosis of symmetric antibodies through minimizing their ability to cause TfR crosslinking.

Masks thermal degradation as an alternative of waste valorization on the COVID-19 pandemic: A kinetic study.

The COVID-19 pandemic generated a new dynamic around waste management. Personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, and face shields were essential to prevent the spread of the disease. However, despite the increase in waste, no technical alternatives were foreseen for the recovery of these wastes, which are made up of materials that can be valued for energy recovery.

Introducing or removing heparan sulfate binding sites does not alter brain uptake of the blood-brain barrier shuttle scFv8D3.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) greatly limits the delivery of protein-based drugs into the brain and is a major obstacle for the treatment of brain disorders. Targeting the transferrin receptor (TfR) is a strategy for transporting protein-based drugs into the brain, which can be utilized by using TfR-binding BBB transporters, such as the TfR-binding antibody 8D3. In this current study, we investigated if binding to heparan sulfate (HS) contributes to the brain uptake of a single chain fragment variable of 8D3 (scFv8D3).

Brain integrity is altered by hepatic APOE ε4 in humanized-liver mice.

Liver-generated plasma apolipoprotein E (apoE) does not enter the brain but nonetheless correlates with Alzheimer's disease (AD) risk and AD biomarker levels. Carriers of APOEε4, the strongest genetic AD risk factor, exhibit lower plasma apoE and altered brain integrity already at mid-life versus non-APOEε4 carriers. Whether altered plasma liver-derived apoE or specifically an APOEε4 liver phenotype promotes neurodegeneration is unknown.

Energy Return on Investment (EROI) and Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of biofuels in Ecuador.

In Ecuador, the net energy contribution of biofuels is unknown or unnoticed. To address this issue, we determined the Energy Return on Investment (EROI) for bioethanol and biodiesel. The selection of raw materials relied on their productive capacity, export and import records, and historical yields.

Force-Profile Analysis of the Cotranslational Folding of HemK and Filamin Domains: Comparison of Biochemical and Biophysical Folding Assays.

We have characterized the cotranslational folding of two small protein domains of different folds-the α-helical N-terminal domain of HemK and the β-rich FLN5 filamin domain-by measuring the force that the folding protein exerts on the nascent chain when located in different parts of the ribosome exit tunnel (force-profile analysis, or FPA), allowing us to compare FPA to three other techniques currently used to study cotranslational folding: real-time FRET, photoinduced electron transfer, and NMR. We find that FPA identifies the same cotranslational folding transitions as do the other methods, and that these techniques therefore reflect the same basic process of cotranslational folding in similar ways.