Surfactant Protein A Inhibits Human Rhinovirus C Binding and Infection of Airway Epithelial Cells from Pediatric Asthma.

Rhinovirus C (RV-C) infection can trigger asthma exacerbations in children and adults, and RV-C-induced wheezing illnesses in preschool children correlate with the development of childhood asthma. Surfactant protein A (SP-A) plays a critical role in regulating pulmonary innate immunity by binding to numerous respiratory pathogens. Mature SP-A consists of multiple isoforms that form the hetero-oligomers of SP-A1 and SP-A2, organized in 18-mers.

Broadly inhibitory antibodies to severe malaria virulence proteins.

Malaria pathology is driven by the accumulation of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in microvessels. This process is mediated by the polymorphic erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) adhesion proteins of the parasite. A subset of PfEMP1 variants that bind to human endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) through their CIDRα1 domains is responsible for severe malaria pathogenesis.

Strengths and limitations of molecular diagnostics for pneumonia.

Introduction: While pneumonia (PcP) remains a major AIDS-defining disease, the majority of cases of PcP now present in the HIV-negative cohort, causing significant mortality. PcP PCR diagnosis is not novel, and the optimal route of diagnosis remains unclear, with an imperfect reference method and complexity in result interpretation for alternative tests.

Areas Covered: This extensive review utilizing a literature search underpinning a recent systematic review/meta-analysis discusses the technical and clinical performance of PcP PCR, the added benefits of PCR testing, future aspects/considerations, and how PCR may be best used in clinical algorithms to provide a probability of PcP.

CosolvKit: a Versatile Tool for Cosolvent MD Preparation and Analysis.

Cosolvent molecular dynamics (MDs) are an increasingly popular form of simulations where small molecule cosolvents are added to water-solvated protein systems. These simulations can perform diverse target characterization tasks, including cryptic and allosteric pocket identification and pharmacophore profiling and supplement suites of enhanced sampling methods to explore protein conformational landscapes. The behavior of these systems is tied to the cosolvents used, so the ability to define diverse and complex mixtures is critical in dictating the outcome of the simulations.