Publications by authors named "D Konrad"

Transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) channels are well known as sensors for cold temperatures and cooling agents such as menthol and icilin and these channels are tightly regulated by the membrane lipid phosphoinositol-4,5-bisphosphate (PIP). Since TRPM8 channels emerged as promising drug targets for treating pain, itching, obesity, cancer, dry eye disease, and inflammation, we aimed at developing a high-precision TRPM8 channel activator, to achieve spatiotemporal control of TRPM8 activity with light. In this study, we designed, synthesized and characterized the first photoswitchable TRPM8 activator azo-menthol (AzoM).

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Article Synopsis
  • Activation of Fas in adipocytes inhibits the browning process, potentially leading to increased body weight gain in mice, and its expression correlates with higher BMI in humans.
  • The study found that Fas activation decreases energy expenditure through reduced protein levels of p53, a tumor suppressor, in adipocytes.
  • In humans, higher p53 levels in subcutaneous and visceral white adipose tissue were linked to increased BMI, while higher levels in visceral fat were associated with lower insulin sensitivity.
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Aims/hypothesis: The majority of hybrid closed-loop systems still require carbohydrate counting (CC) but the evidence for its justification remains limited. Here, we evaluated glucose control with simplified meal announcement (SMA) vs CC in youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes using the mylife CamAPS FX system.

Methods: We conducted a two-centre, randomised crossover, non-inferiority trial in two University Hospitals in Switzerland in 46 participants (aged 12-20 years) with type 1 diabetes using multiple daily injections (n=35), sensor-augmented pump (n=4) or hybrid closed-loop (n=7) therapy before enrolment.

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Chemical proteomics enables the global analysis of small molecule-protein interactions in native biological systems and has emerged as a versatile approach for ligand discovery. The range of small molecules explored by chemical proteomics has, however, remained limited. Here, we describe a diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS)-inspired library of stereochemically defined compounds bearing diazirine and alkyne units for UV light-induced covalent modification and click chemistry enrichment of interacting proteins, respectively.

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The non-selective 6 (TRPC6) cation channels have several physiological and pathophysiological effects. They are activated by the lipid second messenger diacylglycerol (DAG) and by non-lipidic compounds such as GSK 1702934A (GSK). Advances in photopharmacology led to the development of photoswitchable activators such as PhoDAG, OptoDArG, and OptoBI-1 that can be switched ON and OFF with the spatiotemporal precision of light.

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