Publications by authors named "L A Castillo-Diaz"

Self-assembling peptide hydrogels (SAPHs) have been used in the past decade as reliable three-dimensional (3D) synthetic scaffolds for the culture of a variety of mammalian cells in vitro. Thanks to their versatile physicochemical properties, they allow researchers to tailor the hydrogel properties, including stiffness and functionality to the targeted cells and cells' behaviour. One of the advantages of using SAPH scaffolds is the ease of functionalisation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Leptospirosis (LTPS) is a bacterial infection that affects humans, often with mild or no symptoms. It is estimated that approximately 10 % of patients with LTPS may experience multi-organ dysfunction, including renal abnormalities. In regions where LTPS is widespread, a considerable number of instances involving acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) of unknown etiology (CKDu) have been reported.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Dengue causes around 400 million infections globally each year, and inflammation plays a significant role in severe cases.
  • Neutrophils are vital immune cells that respond to viral infections, but their overactivation during dengue can lead to severe complications and is linked to inflammatory processes like the production of extracellular traps and certain inflammatory mediators.
  • This study finds that DENV-2 increases the expression of TREM-1 and CD10 in human neutrophils, suggesting these molecules may influence the severity of dengue infections, particularly in severe cases where granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor is elevated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background And Aims: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus is known to be linked to malfunctioning antiviral defense; however, its association with the severity of monkeypox is poorly understood. In this review, we discuss key immunological mechanisms in the antiviral response affected by poor glucose control that could impact the susceptibility and severity of monkeypox infection, leading to a heightened emphasis on the use of the available antidiabetic drugs.

Methods: We searched PubMed and Google scholar for articles published from January 1985 to August 2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Hydrogels are versatile materials that have emerged in the last few decades as promising candidates for a range of applications in the biomedical field, from tissue engineering and regenerative medicine to controlled drug delivery. In the drug delivery field, in particular, they have been the subject of significant interest for the spatially and temporally controlled delivery of anticancer drugs and therapeutics. Self-assembling peptide-based hydrogels, in particular, have recently come to the fore as potential candidate vehicles for the delivery of a range of drugs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF