Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are bifunctional molecules that induce selective protein degradation by linking an E3 ubiquitin ligase enzyme to a target protein. This approach allows scope for targeting "undruggable" proteins, and several PROTACs have reached the stage of clinical candidates. However, the roles of cellular transmembrane transporters in PROTAC uptake and efflux remain underexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are important vectors of various pathogens, mainly Leishmania parasites. In the Old World, the most important genus in term of pathogens transmission is the genus Phlebotomus, which includes many proven or suspected vectors of several Leishmania species, while the genus Sergentomyia remains so far unproven as a vector of human pathogens. Algeria is one of the most affected countries by human leishmaniasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSand flies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) are the principal vectors for the protozoan parasites Leishmania spp. and for phleboviruses. The sand fly fauna on the Balkan Peninsula, including Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), is diverse and the circulation of Leishmania infantum as well as phleboviruses has been proven.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae: Phlebotominae) are blood-feeding insects that transmit the protozoan parasites Leishmania spp. and various arboviruses. The Balkan region, including the Republic of Kosovo, harbours a diverse sand fly fauna.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSand flies infect more than 1 million people annually with Leishmania parasites and other bacterial and viral pathogens. Progress in understanding sand fly adaptations to xenobiotics has been hampered by the limited availability of genomic resources. To address this gap, we sequenced, assembled, and annotated the transcriptomes of 11 phlebotomine sand fly species.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWith over 450 genes, solute carriers (SLCs) constitute the largest transporter superfamily responsible for the uptake and efflux of nutrients, metabolites, and xenobiotics in human cells. SLCs are associated with a wide variety of human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and metabolic and neurological disorders. They represent an important therapeutic target class that remains only partly exploited as therapeutics that target SLCs are scarce.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSand flies (Diptera, Psychodidae) are the principal vectors of spp., the causative agents of leishmaniasis, as well as phleboviruses. In the Balkans, the endemicity and spreading of sand fly-borne diseases are evident, particularly in the Republic of Kosovo, a country with a predominantly humid continental climate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe main aim of our study was to investigate the specific contribution of a 9-valent human papillomavirus vaccine (9vHPV) to the recurrence risk of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) in women vaccinated post-excision. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective monocentric cohort study in women aged 22-49 years undergoing conization between 2014 and 2023. The 9vHPV-vaccinated women were matched to unvaccinated women for age and follow-up duration in a 1:2 ratio to eliminate allocation bias.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: A population-based cervical cancer screening programme is implemented in the Czech Republic. However, participation is insufficient among women over 50 years. This study aimed to estimate the potential improvement in participation through directly mailed HPV self-sampling kits (HPVssk) compared with standard invitation letters in women aged 50-65 non-participating in screening.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: In the Czech Republic, it is possible, to carry out Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MToP) in the 1st trimester up until the 49th day of secondary amenorrhea. The aim of the study is to analyse the significance of serum/urine human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) assessment and ultrasound (US) examination in pregnancy diagnosis and MToP follow-up.
Methods: In 2017-2018, MToP was carried out in a total of 109 women by administering a combination of mifepristone (600 mg orally) and misoprostol (400 mcg orally).
Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) are the principal vectors of Leishmania spp. (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae). In Central Europe, Phlebotomus mascittii is the predominant species, but largely understudied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) are the principal vectors of phleboviruses and spp., the causative agents of leishmaniases. The Mediterranean sand fly fauna is diverse, and leishmaniasis, mainly caused by is endemic in the Balkan countries.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDysregulation of pathogen-recognition pathways of the innate immune system is associated with multiple autoimmune disorders. Due to the intricacies of the molecular network involved, the identification of pathway- and disease-specific therapeutics has been challenging. Using a phenotypic assay monitoring the degradation of the immune adapter TASL, we identify feeblin, a chemical entity which inhibits the nucleic acid-sensing TLR7/8 pathway activating IRF5 by disrupting the SLC15A4-TASL adapter module.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The substantial material and legislative investments in establishing and maintaining cytological screening in the Czech Republic represent barriers to a direct transition to primary HPV screening. Therefore, the LIBUSE project was implemented to test the efficacy of phasing in HPV DNA testing as a co-test to cytology in routine screening of women >30 years of age.
Methods: Women aged 30 to 60 years who underwent regular annual Pap smears were co-tested for HPV DNA with selective 16/18 genotyping at 3-year intervals.
Expert Opin Drug Discov
November 2023
Introduction: Solute carriers (SLCs) represent the largest group of membrane transporters in the human genome. They play a central role in controlling the compartmentalization of metabolism and most of this superfamily is linked to human disease. Despite being in general considered druggable and attractive therapeutic targets, many SLCs remain poorly annotated, both functionally and structurally.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: The main aim was to determine the overall vaccine effectiveness (VE) against recurrent cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) including specific VE associated with timing of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination using data from published studies.
Design: Meta-analysis and meta-regression.
Data Sources: A computerised literature search was undertaken using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Derwent Drug File, ProQuest Science and Technology, Cochrane and MedRxiv databases.
Sand flies (Diptera: Phlebotominae) are proven vectors of various pathogens of medical and veterinary importance. Although mostly known for their pivotal role in the transmission of parasitic protists of the genus that cause leishmaniases, they are also proven or suspected vectors of many arboviruses, some of which threaten human and animal health, causing disorders such as human encephalitis (Chandipura virus) or serious diseases of domestic animals (vesicular stomatitis viruses). We reviewed the literature to summarize the current published information on viruses detected in or isolated from phlebotomine sand flies, excluding the family with the genus , as these have been well investigated and up-to-date reviews are available.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCervical mucus (CM) is a viscous fluid that is produced by the cervical glands and functions as a uterine cervix plug. Its viscosity decreases during ovulation, providing a window for non-invasive sampling. This study focuses on proteomic characterization of CM to evaluate its potential as a non-invasively acquired source of biomarkers and in understanding of molecular (patho)physiology of the female genital tract.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhlebotomus (Ph.) sergenti is the main vector of Leishmania (L.) tropica (Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae), the causative agent of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in Morocco.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study examines the potential impact of the different ejector profiles on the CO transcritical cooling system to highlight the contribution of the multi-ejector in the system performance improvement. The research compares the implementation of an ejector-boosted CO refrigeration system over the second-generation layout at a motive flow temperature of 35 °C and discharge pressure of 90 bar to account for the transcritical operation mode. The result revealed a significant energy saving by reducing the input power to the maximum of 8.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlate heat exchangers (PHE) are used for a wide range of applications, thus utilizing new and unique heat sources is of crucial importance. R744 has a low critical temperature, which makes its thermophysical properties variation smoother than other supercritical fluids. As a result, it can be used as a reliable hot stream for PHE, particularly at high temperatures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLeishmaniases are among the most neglected vector-borne diseases, infecting humans as well various animal hosts with clinical outcomes varying from cutaneous disorders to visceral and life-threatening disease. In Algeria, canine leishmaniasis (CanL) caused by Leishmania infantum is endemic mainly throughout the northern regions of the country with the Mediterranean climate that favours the occurrence of Larroussius sand flies, the vectors of the parasite. This study conducted in Bougaa and Kherrata, two regions located in north-eastern Algeria and endemic for CanL, focuses on: i) composition of sand fly fauna, ii) screening of Leishmania parasites and iii) the blood sources of engorged females.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn entomological survey at rural and cavernicolous localities in four provinces in southern Thailand provided 155 blood-fed females of sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) that were identified based on morphological characters as ( = 19), ( = 4), ( = 3), ( = 20), ( = 9), ( = 23), ( = 4), ( = 32), ( = 5), ( = 2), ( = 17), ( = 11) and sp. ( = 6). The dominant species in this study was , which was collected specifically in a Buddha cave.
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