Activation of Macrophages in Response to Biomaterials.

Macrophages are the initial biologic responders to biomaterials. These highly plastic immune sentinels control and modulate responses to materials, foreign or natural. The responses may vary from immune stimulatory to immune suppressive.

Reducible Micelleplexes are Stable Systems for Anti-miRNA Delivery in Cerebrospinal Fluid.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and other central nervous system (CNS) cancers have poor long-term prognosis, and there is a significant need for improved treatments. GBM initiation and progression are mediated, in part, by microRNA (miRNA), which are endogenous posttranscriptional gene regulators. Misregulation of miRNAs is a potential target for therapeutic intervention in GBM.

High and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid differentially influence macrophage activation.

Macrophages exhibit phenotypic diversity permitting wide-ranging roles in maintaining physiologic homeostasis. Hyaluronic acid, a major glycosaminoglycan of the extracellular matrix, has been shown to have differential signaling based on its molecular weight. With this in mind, the main objective of this study was to elucidate the role of hyaluronic acid molecular weight on macrophage activation and reprogramming.

Melittin-glutathione S-transferase fusion protein exhibits anti-inflammatory properties and minimal toxicity.

Although potent, proteins often require chemical modification for therapeutic use. Immunogenicity, difficult synthesis, and scale-up of these modifications are all engineering obstacles that stand in the way of expanding the use of these therapeutics. Melittin, a peptide derived from bee venom, has been shown to modulate inflammation.

Factors associated with pain experience outcome in knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: Few strategies to improve pain outcome in knee osteoarthritis (OA) exist in part because how best to evaluate pain over the long term is unclear. Our objectives were to determine the frequency of a good pain experience outcome based on previously formulated OA pain stages and test the hypothesis that less depression and pain catastrophizing and greater self-efficacy and social support are each associated with greater likelihood of a good outcome.

Methods: Study participants, all with knee OA, reported pain stage at baseline and 2 years.

Active, soluble recombinant melittin purified by extracting insoluble lysate of Escherichia coli without denaturation.

Cell lytic peptides are a class of drugs that can be used to selectively kill invading organisms or diseased cells. Several of these peptides have been identified as potential therapeutics. Herein, we report a novel process for purifying recombinant melittin, a cell lytic peptide that inserts into the membranes of cells causing cell lysis, from Escherichia coli.

Proteolytically activated anti-bacterial hydrogel microspheres.

Hydrogels are finding increased clinical utility as advances continue to exploit their favorable material properties. Hydrogels can be adapted for many applications, including surface coatings and drug delivery. Anti-infectious surfaces and delivery systems that actively destroy invading organisms are alternative ways to exploit the favorable material properties offered by hydrogels.

In-house preparation of hydrogels for batch affinity purification of glutathione S-transferase tagged recombinant proteins.

Background: Many branches of biomedical research find use for pure recombinant proteins for direct application or to study other molecules and pathways. Glutathione affinity purification is commonly used to isolate and purify glutathione S-transferase (GST)-tagged fusion proteins from total cellular proteins in lysates. Although GST affinity materials are commercially available as glutathione immobilized on beaded agarose resins, few simple options for in-house production of those systems exist.

Hybrid nanocrystals: University of Kentucky US20060280680A1.

This patent application claims an interesting and novel combination of passive accumulation of drug nanocrystals within diseased tissue, in combination with active uptake of the nanocrystals by diseased cells. The patent application further claims the hybrid nanocrystals combining imaging or stabilizing molecules as inclusions in the crystal matrix. There is a focus on cancer chemotherapy and imaging, but the initial claims are not disease specific.

Combination of α-glucosidase inhibitor and ribavirin for the treatment of dengue virus infection in vitro and in vivo.

Cellular α-glucosidases I and II are enzymes that sequentially trim the three terminal glucoses in the N-linked oligosaccharides of viral envelope glycoproteins. This process is essential for the proper folding of viral glycoproteins and subsequent assembly of many enveloped viruses, including dengue virus (DENV). Imino sugars are substrate mimics of α-glucosidases I and II.