Assessment of Salivary MMP-8 and IL-1β for the Diagnosis of Periodontal Diseases in Pakistani Population.

Objective:  Clinical methods use the subjective diagnosis of periodontal diseases by visual observation that could result in differences and variability of diagnosis. The addition of specific markers could aid in the accurate diagnosis of the local population. The objective of the study was to target two of the major proteins for possible significance in such an approach.

Design and Immunoinformatic Assessment of Candidate Multivariant mRNA Vaccine Construct against Immune Escape Variants of SARS-CoV-2.

To effectively counter the evolving threat of SARS-CoV-2 variants, modifications and/or redesigning of mRNA vaccine construct are essentially required. Herein, the design and immunoinformatic assessment of a candidate novel mRNA vaccine construct, DOW-21, are discussed. Briefly, immunologically important domains, N-terminal domain (NTD) and receptor binding domain (RBD), of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) and variants of interest (VOIs) were assessed for sequence, structure, and epitope variations.

Association of salivary Cathepsin B in different histological grades among patients presenting with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Oral cancer is considered a major public health problem due to its high mortality and morbidity rates. Survival rate of OSCC can be significantly improved by using non-invasive tool such as salivary biomarkers for detection of OSCC which is considered a promising approach. Cathepsin B is a lysosomal cysteine protease, present in abundant quantities in lysosome of cells, tissues and different biological fluids.

Differentially Expressed Salivary Proteins in Dental Caries Patients.

Dental caries is a multifactorial disease mainly caused by cariogenic bacteria commonly found in the oral cavity. Dental caries may cause demineralization of the tooth, cavitation, hypersensitivity, pulp inflammation, and even tooth loss if left untreated. Saliva secreted in the oral cavity can serve as a tool for identification of biomarkers for early detection of diseases.

Purification and Characterization of a Nonspecific Lipid Transfer Protein 1 (nsLTP1) from Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) Seeds.

Ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi) belongs to the family Umbelliferae, is commonly used in traditional, and folk medicine due to its carminative, stimulant, antiseptic, diuretic, antihypertensive, and hepatoprotective activities. Non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) reported from various plants are known to be involved in transferring lipids between membranes and in plants defense response. Here, we describe the complete primary structure of a monomeric non-specific lipid transfer protein 1 (nsLTP1), with molecular weight of 9.

Snake Venom: From Deadly Toxins to Life-saving Therapeutics.

Snakes are fascinating creatures and have been residents of this planet well before ancient humans dwelled the earth. Venomous snakes have been a figure of fear, and cause notable mortality throughout the world. The venom constitutes families of proteins and peptides with various isoforms that make it a cocktail of diverse molecules.

The Primary Structure of β(I)-Chain of Hemoglobin from Snake Sindhi Krait (Bungarus sindanus sindanus).

The amino acid sequence of β(I)-globin chain from Sindhi Krait (Bungarus sindanus sindanus) was determined to study the molecular evolution among snakes. The hemoglobin was isolated from the red blood cells and was analyzed by ion-exchange chromatography (IEX). The crude globin was subjected to reversed phased-high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) using C4 column.