Extracellular cathepsin S and intracellular caspase 1 activation are surrogate biomarkers of particulate-induced lysosomal disruption in macrophages.

Background: Particulate matter has been shown to stimulate the innate immune system and induce acute inflammation. Therefore, while nanotechnology has the potential to provide therapeutic formulations with improved efficacy, there are concerns such pharmaceutical preparations could induce unwanted inflammatory side effects. Accordingly, we aim to examine the utility of using the proteolytic activity signatures of cysteine proteases, caspase 1 and cathepsin S (CTSS), as biomarkers to assess particulate-induced inflammation.

Role of the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE) in retinal vasodegenerative pathology during diabetes in mice.

Aims/hypothesis: The receptor for AGEs (RAGE) is linked to proinflammatory pathology in a range of tissues. The objective of this study was to assess the potential modulatory role of RAGE in diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: Diabetes was induced in wild-type (WT) and Rage (-/-) mice (also known as Ager (-/-) mice) using streptozotocin while non-diabetic control mice received saline.

Intervention with an erythropoietin-derived peptide protects against neuroglial and vascular degeneration during diabetic retinopathy.

Objective: Erythropoietin (EPO) may be protective for early stage diabetic retinopathy, although there are concerns that it could exacerbate retinal angiogenesis and thrombosis. A peptide based on the EPO helix-B domain (helix B-surface peptide [pHBSP]) is nonerythrogenic but retains tissue-protective properties, and this study evaluates its therapeutic potential in diabetic retinopathy.

Research Design And Methods: After 6 months of streptozotocin-induced diabetes, rats (n = 12) and age-matched nondiabetic controls (n = 12) were evenly split into pHBSP and scrambled peptide groups and injected daily (10 μg/kg per day) for 1 month.

Differential modulation of angiogenesis by erythropoiesis-stimulating agents in a mouse model of ischaemic retinopathy.

Background: Erythropoiesis stimulating agents (ESAs) are widely used to treat anaemia but concerns exist about their potential to promote pathological angiogenesis in some clinical scenarios. In the current study we have assessed the angiogenic potential of three ESAs; epoetin delta, darbepoetin alfa and epoetin beta using in vitro and in vivo models.

Methodology/principal Findings: The epoetins induced angiogenesis in human microvascular endothelial cells at high doses, although darbepoetin alfa was pro-angiogenic at low-doses (1-20 IU/ml).

Nanoceria have no genotoxic effect on human lens epithelial cells.

There are no treatments for reversing or halting cataract, a disease of the structural proteins in the eye lens, that has associations with other age-related degenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. The incidence of cataract and associated conditions is increasing as the average age of the population rises. Protein folding diseases are difficult to assess in vivo as proteins and their age-related changes are assessed after extraction.