Subsequent correlated changes in complement component 3 and amyloid beta oligomers in the blood of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves the complement cascade, with complement component 3 (C3) playing a key role. However, the relationship between C3 and amyloid beta (Aβ) in blood is limited.

Methods: Plasma C3 and Aβ oligomerization tendency (AβOt) were measured in 35 AD patients and 62 healthy controls.

Discovery of new Schistosoma mansoni aspartyl protease inhibitors by structure-based virtual screening.

Background: Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by trematodes of the genus Schistosoma, with a limited treatment, mainly based on the use of praziquantel (PZQ). Currently, several aspartic proteases genes have already been identified within the genome of Schistosoma species. At least one enzyme encoded from this gene family (SmAP), named SmCD1, has been validated for the development of schistosomicidal drugs, since it has a key role in haemoglobin digestion by worms.

AI-Driven Discovery of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Fragment-like Inhibitors with Antiviral Activity .

SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 and is responsible for the current global pandemic. The viral genome contains 5 major open reading frames of which the largest ORF1ab codes for two polyproteins, pp1ab and pp1a, which are subsequently cleaved into 16 nonstructural proteins (nsp) by two viral cysteine proteases encoded within the polyproteins. The main protease (Mpro, nsp5) cleaves the majority of the nsp's, making it essential for viral replication and has been successfully targeted for the development of antivirals.

SCRN1: A cerebrospinal fluid biomarker correlating with tau in Alzheimer's disease.

Introduction: Secernin-1 (SCRN1) is a neuronal protein that co-localizes with neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer's disease (AD), but not with tau inclusions in corticobasal degeneration (CBD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), or Pick's disease.

Methods: We measured SCRN1 concentration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using a novel mass spectrometric parallel reaction monitoring method in three clinical cohorts comprising patients with neurochemically characterized AD (n = 25) and controls (n = 28), clinically diagnosed Parkinson's disease (PD; n = 38), multiple system atrophy (MSA; n = 31), PSP (n = 20), CBD (n = 8), healthy controls (n = 37), and neuropathology-confirmed AD (n = 47).

Results: CSF SCRN1 was significantly increased in AD (P < 0.

Association of Plasma p-tau181 and p-tau231 Concentrations With Cognitive Decline in Patients With Probable Dementia With Lewy Bodies.

Importance: Plasma phosphorylated tau (p-tau) has proven to be an accurate biomarker for Alzheimer disease (AD) pathologic characteristics, offering a less expensive and less invasive alternative to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and positron emission tomography biomarkers for amyloid-β and tau. Alzheimer disease comorbid pathologic characteristics are common and are associated with more rapid cognitive decline in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB); therefore, it is anticipated that plasma p-tau concentrations may have utility in assessing cognitive impairment in individuals with this disorder.

Objective: To measure the concentrations of plasma p-tau (p-tau181 and p-tau231) and evaluate their associations with cognitive decline in individuals with probable DLB.

Schistosomiasis Drug Discovery in the Era of Automation and Artificial Intelligence.

Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by trematode worms of the genus and affects over 200 million people worldwide. The control and treatment of this neglected tropical disease is based on a single drug, praziquantel, which raises concerns about the development of drug resistance. This, and the lack of efficacy of praziquantel against juvenile worms, highlights the urgency for new antischistosomal therapies.

Immunoinflammatory mediators in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus.

Characterized as a metabolic syndrome with multiple consequences for the lives of patients, diabetes mellitus is also classified as a chronic non-communicable disease of great scope in the world. It is a complex disease, with different points of view, including the relation between inflammatory process, obesity and insulin resistance due to the performance of the various immunoinflammatory mediators - called adipokines - on glycemic homeostasis. Recent studies have precisely addressed this aspect for the development of drugs that assist in the protection of pancreatic ß cells from the damages arising from oxidative stress and inflammatory process, in order to control the hyperglycemic picture, which is characteristic of diabetes mellitus.