Background: Cellular histones are DNA-binding nuclear proteins involved in chromatin remodelling and regulation of gene expression. However, extracellular histones act as damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and contribute to multiorgan damage in conditions with sepsis and diseases with acute critical illnesses. Alongside, histones are associated with thrombocytopenia due to dysfunctional platelets that regulate hemostasis and thrombosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntracellular delivery of proteins is an important barrier in the development of strategies to deliver functional proteins and protein therapeutics into the cells to realize their full potential in biotechnology, biomedicine, cell-based therapies, and gene editing protein systems. Most of the intracellular protein delivery strategies involve the conjugation of cell penetrating peptides to enable and enhance the permeability of plasma membrane of mammalian cells to allow proteins to enter cytosol. Small molecules conjugations such as (p-methylphenyl) glycine, pyrenebutyrate and cysteines are used for the same purpose.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe endothelium-derived signalling molecule nitric oxide (NO) in addition to controlling multifarious servo-regulatory functions, suppresses key processes in vascular lesion formation and prevents atherogenesis and other vascular abnormalities. The conversion of NO into cytotoxic and powerful oxidant peroxynitrite (ONOO ) in a superoxide (O )-rich environment has emerged as a major reason for reduced NO levels in vascular walls, leading to endothelial dysfunction and cardiovascular complications. So, designing superoxide dismutase (SOD) mimetics that can selectively catalyze the dismutation of O in the presence of NO, considering their rapid reaction is challenging and is of therapeutic relevance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAngew Chem Int Ed Engl
August 2023
Nanozymes, nanomaterials with enzyme-mimicking activity, have attracted tremendous interest in recent years owing to their ability to replace natural enzymes in various biomedical applications, such as biosensing, therapeutics, drug delivery, and bioimaging. In particular, the nanozymes capable of regulating the cellular redox status by mimicking the antioxidant enzymes in mammalian cells are of great therapeutic significance in oxidative-stress-mediated disorders. As the distinction of physiological oxidative stress (oxidative eustress) and pathological oxidative stress (oxidative distress) occurs at a fine borderline, it is a great challenge to design nanozymes that can differentially sense the two extremes in cells, tissues and organs and mediate appropriate redox chemical reactions.
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