Amyloid inspired single amino acid (phenylalanine)-based supramolecular functional assemblies: from disease to device applications.

In the evolving landscape of biomolecular supramolecular chemistry, recent studies on phenylalanine (Phe) have revealed important insights into the versatile nature of this essential aromatic amino acid. Phe can spontaneously self-assemble into fibrils with amyloid-like properties linked to the neurological disorder phenylketonuria (PKU). Apart from its pathological implications, Phe also displays complex phase behavior and can undergo structural changes in response to external stimuli.

Interplay between Antimicrobial Peptides and Amyloid Proteins in Host Defense and Disease Modulation.

The biological properties of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and amyloid proteins and their cross-talks have gained increasing attention due to their potential implications in both host defense mechanisms and amyloid-related diseases. However, complex interactions, molecular mechanisms, and physiological applications are not fully understood. The interplay between antimicrobial peptides and amyloid proteins is crucial for uncovering new insights into immune defense and disease mechanisms, bridging critical gaps in understanding infectious and neurodegenerative diseases.

Phenylalanine-embedded carbazole-based fluorescent 'turn-off' chemosensor for the detection of metal ions.

Fluorescent chemosensors are highly important for various applications including medical diagnostics, environmental monitoring, and industrial processing. Significant advancements have been made to produce sensors capable of detecting biologically and environmentally relevant ions. Specifically, carbazole-derived fluorophores are chemically stable agents with the ability to detect anions, cations, and small bioorganic molecules.

A rapid in vivo pipeline to identify small molecule inhibitors of amyloid aggregation.

Amyloids are associated with over 50 human diseases and have inspired significant effort to identify small molecule remedies. Here, we present an in vivo platform that efficiently yields small molecule inhibitors of amyloid formation. We previously identified small molecules that kill the nematode C.

Step Width Estimation in Individuals With and Without Neurodegenerative Disease Via a Novel Data-Augmentation Deep Learning Model and Minimal Wearable Inertial Sensors.

Step width is vital for gait stability, postural balance control, and fall risk reduction. However, estimating step width typically requires either fixed cameras or a full kinematic body suit of wearable inertial measurement units (IMUs), both of which are often too expensive and time-consuming for clinical application. We thus propose a novel data-augmented deep learning model for estimating step width in individuals with and without neurodegenerative disease using a minimal set of wearable IMUs.

Amylum forms typical self-assembled amyloid fibrils.

Amyloid fibril formation is a central biochemical process in pathology and physiology. Over decades, substantial advances were made in elucidating the mechanisms of amyloidogenesis, its links to disease, and the production of functional supramolecular structures. While the term "amyloid" denotes starch-like features of these assemblies, no evidence of amyloidogenic behavior of polysaccharides has been so far reported.

The Dimensionality of Hydrogen Bond Networks Induces Diverse Physical Properties of Peptide Crystals.

Short peptides are attractive building blocks for the fabrication of self-assembled materials with significant biological, chemical, and physical properties. The microscopic and macroscopic properties of assemblies are usually closely related to the dimensionality of formed hydrogen bond networks. Here, two completely different supramolecular architectures connected by distinct hydrogen bond networks were obtained by simply adding a hydroxyl group to switch from cyclo-tryptophan-alanine (cyclo-WA) to cyclo-tryptophan-serine (cyclo-WS).

A broad-spectrum antibacterial hydrogel based on the synergistic action of Fmoc-phenylalanine and Fmoc-lysine in a co-assembled state.

Multicomponent biomolecular self-assembly is fundamental for accomplishing complex functionalities of biosystems. Self-assembling peptides, amino acids, and their conjugates serve as a versatile platform for developing biomaterials. However, the co-assembly of multiple building blocks showing synergistic interplay between individual components and producing biomaterials with emergent functional attributes is much less explored.

A self-healing multispectral transparent adhesive peptide glass.

Despite its disordered liquid-like structure, glass exhibits solid-like mechanical properties. The formation of glassy material occurs by vitrification, preventing crystallization and promoting an amorphous structure. Glass is fundamental in diverse fields of materials science, owing to its unique optical, chemical and mechanical properties as well as durability, versatility and environmental sustainability.

A machine learning contest enhances automated freezing of gait detection and reveals time-of-day effects.

Freezing of gait (FOG) is a debilitating problem that markedly impairs the mobility and independence of 38-65% of people with Parkinson's disease. During a FOG episode, patients report that their feet are suddenly and inexplicably "glued" to the floor. The lack of a widely applicable, objective FOG detection method obstructs research and treatment.

Characterization of amyloid-like metal-amino acid assemblies with remarkable catalytic activity.

While enzymes are potentially useful in various applications, their limited operational stability and production costs have led to an extensive search for stable catalytic agents that will retain the efficiency, specificity, and environmental-friendliness of natural enzymes. Despite extensive efforts, there is still an unmet need for improved enzyme mimics and novel concepts to discover and optimize such agents. Inspired by the catalytic activity of amyloids and the formation of amyloid-like assemblies by metabolites, our group pioneered the development of novel metabolite-metal co-assemblies (bio-nanozymes) that produce nanomaterials mimicking the catalytic function of common metalloenzymes that are being used for various technological applications.

Ring-opening polymerization of lactide catalyzed using metal-coordinated enzyme-like amino acid assemblies.

Polylactide (PLA), a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, is widely used in diverse biomedical applications. However, the industry standard for converting lactide into PLA involves toxic tin (Sn)-based catalysts. To mitigate the use of these harmful catalysts, other environmentally benign metal-containing agents for efficient lactide polymerization have been studied, but these alternatives are hindered by complex synthesis processes, reactivity issues, and selectivity limitations.

A wearable sensor and machine learning estimate step length in older adults and patients with neurological disorders.

Step length is an important diagnostic and prognostic measure of health and disease. Wearable devices can estimate step length continuously (e.g.

Associations of pain sensitivity and conditioned pain modulation with physical activity: findings from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST).

Objective: Individuals with chronic pain due to knee osteoarthritis (OA) are insufficiently physically active, and alterations of facilitatory and inhibitory nociceptive signaling are common in this population. Our objective was to examine the association of these alterations in nociceptive signaling with objective accelerometer-based measures of physical activity in a large observational cohort.

Design: We used data from the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study.

Gait and heart rate: do they measure trait or state physical fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis?

Background: Trait and state physical fatigue (trait-PF and state-PF) negatively impact many people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) but are challenging symptoms to measure. In this observational study, we explored the role of specific gait and autonomic nervous system (ANS) measures (i.e.

Real-World Gait Detection Using a Wrist-Worn Inertial Sensor: Validation Study.

Background: Wrist-worn inertial sensors are used in digital health for evaluating mobility in real-world environments. Preceding the estimation of spatiotemporal gait parameters within long-term recordings, gait detection is an important step to identify regions of interest where gait occurs, which requires robust algorithms due to the complexity of arm movements. While algorithms exist for other sensor positions, a comparative validation of algorithms applied to the wrist position on real-world data sets across different disease populations is missing.

Gait Alterations and Association With Worsening Knee Pain and Physical Function: A Machine Learning Approach With Wearable Sensors in the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study.

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify gait alterations related to worsening knee pain and worsening physical function, using machine learning approaches applied to wearable sensor-derived data from a large observational cohort.

Methods: Participants in the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study (MOST) completed a 20-m walk test wearing inertial sensors on their lower back and ankles. Parameters describing spatiotemporal features of gait were extracted from these data.

Co-Assembly of Cancer Drugs with Cyclo-HH Peptides: Insights from Simulations and Experiments.

Peptide-based nanomaterials can serve as promising drug delivery agents, facilitating the release of active pharmaceutical ingredients while reducing the risk of adverse reactions. We previously demonstrated that Cyclo-Histidine-Histidine (Cyclo-HH), co-assembled with cancer drug Epirubicin, zinc, and nitrate ions, can constitute an attractive drug delivery system, combining drug self-encapsulation, enhanced fluorescence, and the ability to transport the drug into cells. Here, we investigated both computationally and experimentally whether Cyclo-HH could co-assemble, in the presence of zinc and nitrate ions, with other cancer drugs with different physicochemical properties.

Peptide hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks.

Hydrogen-bonded porous frameworks (HPFs) are versatile porous crystalline frameworks with diverse applications. However, designing chiral assemblies or biocompatible materials poses significant challenges. Peptide-based hydrogen-bonded porous frameworks (P-HPFs) are an exciting alternative to conventional HPFs due to their intrinsic chirality, tunability, biocompatibility, and structural diversity.

Ordered planar plating/stripping enables deep cycling zinc metal batteries.

Metal anodes are emerging as culminating solutions for the development of energy-dense batteries in either aprotic, aqueous, or solid battery configurations. However, unlike traditional intercalation electrodes, the low utilization of "hostless" metal anodes due to the intrinsically disordered plating/stripping impedes their practical applications. Herein, we report ordered planar plating/stripping in a bulk zinc (Zn) anode to achieve an extremely high depth of discharge exceeding 90% with negligible thickness fluctuation and long-term stable cycling.

Targeting phenylalanine assemblies as a prospective disease-modifying therapy for phenylketonuria.

Phenylketonuria is characterized by the accumulation of phenylalanine, resulting in severe cognitive and neurological disorders if not treated by a remarkably strict diet. There are two approved drugs today, yet both provide only a partial solution. We have previously demonstrated the formation of amyloid-like toxic assemblies by aggregation of phenylalanine, suggesting a new therapeutic target to be further pursued.