Investigating the role of a HtrA protease in host protein degradation and inflammatory response.

Introduction: Degradation of host proteins by bacterial proteases leads to the subversion of the host response and disruption of oral epithelial integrity, which is considered an essential factor in the progression of periodontitis. High-temperature requirement A (HtrA) protease, which is critical for bacterial survival and environmental adaptation, is found in several oral bacteria, including the periodontal pathogen . This study investigated the proteolytic activity of HtrA from and its ability to modulate the host response.

Cytokines as fast indicator of infectious virus titer during process development.

Measuring infectious titer is the most time-consuming method during the production and process development of live viruses. Conventionally, it is done by measuring the tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50) or plaque forming units (pfu) in cell-based assays. Such assays require a time span of more than a week to the readout and significantly slow down process development.

Multispecies biofilm behavior and host interaction support the association of Tannerella serpentiformis with periodontal health.

The recently identified bacterium Tannerella serpentiformis is the closest phylogenetic relative of Tannerella forsythia, whose presence in oral biofilms is associated with periodontitis. Conversely, T. serpentiformis is considered health-associated.