Exposure to bisphenol A and the development of asthma: A systematic review of cohort studies.

Background: There is conflicting evidence about the association between bisphenol A (BPA) exposure and childhood asthma risk. We aimed to review the epidemiological literature on the relationship between prenatal or postnatal exposure to BPA and the risk of childhood asthma/wheeze.

Methods: The PubMed database was systematically searched, and additional studies were found by searching reference lists of relevant articles.

Asthma and Risk of Stroke: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background: Several studies have suggested that asthma is associated with an increased risk of stroke. However, the results are inconsistent. The aim of this study is to investigate the relation of asthma and the risk of stroke through a systematic review and meta-analysis of published research.

Rational design of an orthosteric regulator of hIAPP aggregation.

Developing compounds regulating amyloid toxic oligomer but not fibril formation should constitute an effective strategy for the treatment of diabetes. Based on the full understanding of the folding mechanism, we designed an orthosteric helix regulator that can promote hIAPP to assemble into large non-cytotoxic oligomers. As a result, the islet cells were protected.

Fibrillar seeds alleviate amyloid-β cytotoxicity by omitting formation of higher-molecular-weight oligomers.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides can exist in distinct forms including monomers, oligomers and fibrils, consisting of increased numbers of monomeric units. Among these, Aβ oligomers are implicated as the primary toxic species as pointed by multiple lines of evidence. It has been suggested that toxicity could be rendered by the soluble higher-molecular-weight (high-n) Aβ oligomers.

Characterizing the assembly behaviors of human amylin: a perspective derived from C-terminal variants.

The differences in the C-terminal domains of human amylin peptide variants initiate different aggregation processes and differences in the composition of the aggregates by affecting the hydrophobic cores, conformations, and intra-sheet interactions of the peptides, which have distinct effects on the cytotoxicity of the peptides.

A covalently reactive group-modified peptide that specifically reacts with lysine16 in amyloid β.

Lys16 is present in the core region of the amyloid β (Aβ) self-assembly in Alzheimer's disease. Here we report that the P9-NCS peptide can covalently react with Lys16 and inhibit Aβ neurotoxic fibrillization. Moreover P9-NCS has high selectivity and it cannot react with amylin, insulin, fetal bovine serum, Q11 and MUC1 peptide.

A multi-functional peptide as an HIV-1 entry inhibitor based on self-concentration, recognition, and covalent attachment.

HIV entry is mediated by the envelope glycoproteins gp120 and gp41. The gp41 subunit contains several functional domains: the N-terminal heptad repeat (NHR) domains fold a triple stranded coiled-coil forming a meta-stable prefusion intermediate. The C-terminal heptad repeat (CHR) subsequently folds onto the hydrophobic grooves of the NHR coiled-coil to form a stable 6-helix bundle, which juxtaposes the viral and cellular membranes for fusion.

Ectopic expression of macrophage scavenger receptor MARCO in synovial membrane-like interface tissue in aseptic loosening of total hip replacement implants.

Macrophage receptor with collagenous structure (MARCO) is a scavenger receptor with a very limited expression in healthy tissues. It was hypothesized that foreign body wear debris induces it to participate in handling of implant-derived particles in human synovial membrane-like tissue around aseptically loosening total hip replacement implants. A DNA microarray study showed that MARCO was upregulated in human monocytes by polymethyl methacrylate particles in cell culture.