Publications by authors named "C B H W Lamers"
Article Synopsis
- Elevated levels of activated complement proteins in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are linked to increased severity of multiple sclerosis (MS) and correlate with brain imaging and disease biomarkers.
- A study involving 239 patients analyzed various complement components and liquid biomarkers in CSF, finding specific proteins like C4a, Ba, and C3a strongly associated with accelerated brain atrophy and lesion formation.
- Results indicate that higher levels of these complement proteins are predictive of greater brain volume loss and increased development of lesions, suggesting their potential role as biomarkers for disease progression in MS.
Computational protein design is becoming increasingly helpful in the development of new protein therapeutics with enhanced efficacy, specificity, and minimal side effects, for precise modulation of biological pathways. In vascular biology, the interaction between vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and its receptors (VEGFR1-R3) is a pivotal process underlying blood vessel growth. Dysregulation of this pathway contributes to diseases such as cancer and diabetic retinopathy.
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- Schistosomes are skilled at evading human immunity, particularly the complement system, allowing them to survive in human blood for years; this study explores how they interact with this immune response.
- The research shows that newly formed schistosomula are initially very vulnerable to complement attack, but they can rapidly boost their survival rate, especially when they recruit complement regulator factor H to avoid destruction.
- The use of the drug praziquantel increases the susceptibility of schistosomula to complement-mediated killing, suggesting that further investigation into factor H's role could help develop new treatments against schistosomes.
The Frontiers in Medicinal Chemistry (FiMC) is the largest international Medicinal Chemistry conference in Germany and took place from March 17 to 20 2024 in Munich. Co-organized by the Division of Medicinal Chemistry of the German Chemical Society (Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker; GDCh) and the Division of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry of the German Pharmaceutical Society (Deutsche Pharmazeutische Gesellschaft; DPhG), and supported by a local organizing committee from the Ludwigs-Maximilians-University Munich headed by Daniel Merk, the meeting brought together approximately 225 participants from 20 countries. The outstanding program of the four-day conference included 40 lectures by leading scientists from industry and academia as well as early career investigators.
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- - Coagulation factor XII (FXII) is linked to thrombosis and inflammation and is found in increased levels in diabetes and diabetic kidney disease (DKD), but its specific role in DKD was unclear until now.
- - The study reveals that FXII is present in kidney tubular cells, correlating with kidney dysfunction in DKD patients; mice lacking FXII showed protection against kidney damage from high blood sugar.
- - FXII promotes cell damage through a signaling pathway involving uPAR and integrin β1, leading to oxidative stress and cell aging; blocking these pathways may provide new diagnostic and treatment options for DKD and similar diseases.