Publications by authors named "Devesh Verma"

The quest for new approaches for generating novel bioactive designer proteins/peptides has continued with their success in various biomedical applications. Previously, we designed a 14-mer α-helical peptide with antimicrobial and antimycobacterial activities by employing a tandem repeat of the 7-mer, "KVLGRLV" human chemerin segment. Herein, we devised a new method of "sliding framework" with this segment to create amino acid scaffolds of varying sizes and sequences and explored the design of a peptide library with antibacterial and antimycobacterial activities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Multiple lines of research have led to the hypothesis that antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are an important component of the innate immune response, playing a vital role in the defense against a wide range of infectious diseases. In this review, we explore the occurrence and availability of antimicrobial proteins and peptides across various species, highlighting their natural abundance and evolutionary significance. The design of AMPs has been driven by the identification of key structural and functional features, which are essential for optimizing their antimicrobial activity and reducing toxicity to host cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

To date, the use of corannulene has been restricted in the area of material science, but its application in biomedical research has yet to be established due to its nonsolubility in an aqueous environment and synthetic infeasibility. Herein, we detail the development of a new family of highly curved π-conjugated corannulene-containing unnatural α-amino acid (CAA) derivatives to overcome this challenge. These CAAs have been extended as novel constituents for the synthesis of corannulene-containing water-soluble cationic peptides (CCPs), which display inhibitory activity against broad-spectrum pathogenic bacteria along with drug-resistant bacteria via a membrane-damaging mechanism.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Myofibrosarcoma is a distinct mesenchymal malignancy which commonly occurs in head and neck region. It has a high tendency for local recurrence and distant metastasis. 39-year-old male presented with epistaxis, nasal obstruction and left sided complete loss of vision.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Neck dissection forms an important component in the surgical management of head and neck cancers. By using the conventional techniques of neck dissection, a conspicuous scar is inevitable for the patients. The development of robotic assisted neck dissection provides for a scar-free neck along with good oncological and functional outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To assess the pharmacokinetic profile, in-vivo toxicity, and efficacy of 9-Fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-L-phenylalanine (Fmoc-F) as a potential antibacterial agent, with a focus on its suitability for clinical translation.

Methods: An RP-HPLC-based bio-analytical method was developed and qualified to quantify Fmoc-F levels in mouse plasma for pharmacokinetic analysis. Oral bioavailability was determined, and in-vivo toxicity was evaluated following intra-peritoneal administration.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Chondrosarcomas are rare malignancies of the cartilage and myxoid chondrosarcoma is its variant which commonly occurs in soft tissue of extremities. Extraskeletal chondrosarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of bone or soft tissue origin and is characterized by the presence of spindle cells admixed with well differentiated cartilage or chondroid stroma. They are mostly radioresistant tumours and surgical resections with adequate margins is considered as the ideal treatment modality with adjuvant radiotherapy in high grade tumours and add on chemotherapy, in case of presence of poor prognostic factors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Naturally occurring cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) mostly adopt α-helical structures in bacterial membrane mimetic environments. To explore the design of novel β-sheet AMPs, we identified two short cationic amphipathic β-strand segments from the crystal structure of the innate immune protein, MyD88. Interestingly, of these, the 10-residue arginine-valine-rich synthetic MyD88-segment, KRCRRMVVVV (M3), exhibited β-sheet structure when bound to the outer membrane Gram-negative bacterial component, LPS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Toward the design of new proline-rich peptidomimetics, a short peptide segment, present in several proline-rich antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), was selected. Fatty acids of varying lengths and spermine were conjugated at the N- and C-terminals of the peptide, respectively. Spermine-conjugated lipopeptides, C-PR-Spn and C-PR-Spn, exhibited minimum inhibitory concentrations within 1.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A technology for systemic and repeated administration of osteogenic factors for orthopedic use is an unmet medical need. Lactoferrin (∼80 kDa), present in milk, is known to support bone growth. We discovered a lactoferrin-mimetic peptide, LP2 (an 18-residue fragment from the N-terminus of the N-lobe of human lactoferrin), which self-assembles into a nano-globular assembly with a β-sheet structure in an aqueous environment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cytotoxic frog antimicrobial peptide Temporin L (TempL) is an attractive molecule for the design of lead antimicrobial agents due to its short size and versatile biological activities. However, noncytotoxic TempL variants with desirable biological activities have rarely been reported. TempL analogue Q3K,TempL is water-soluble and possesses a significant antiendotoxin property along with comparable cytotoxicity to TempL.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Adiponectin is a fat tissue-derived adipokine with beneficial effects against diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Accordingly, adiponectin-mimetic molecules possess significant pharmacological potential. Oligomeric states of adiponectin appear to determine its biological activity.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We propose an explanation for variation in disease outcomes based on patient adaptation to the conditions of chronic disease. We develop a model of patient adaptation using the example of Type 2 diabetes mellitus and assumptions about the process entailed in transforming self-care behaviors of compliance with treatment, compliance with glucose monitoring, and patient's knowledge seeking behavior into health outcomes of glycemic control and patient satisfaction. Using data from 609 adults with diagnosed Type 2 diabetes we develop an efficiency (fitness) frontier in order to identify best practice (maximally adapted) patients and forms (archetypes) of patient inefficiency.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF