Discovery of Potent Antimalarial Type II Kinase Inhibitors with Selectivity over Human Kinases.

While progress has been made in the effort to eradicate malaria, the disease remains a significant threat to global health. Acquired resistance to frontline treatments is emerging in Africa, urging a need for the development of novel antimalarial agents. Repurposing human kinase inhibitors provides a potential expedited route given the availability of a diverse array of kinase-targeting drugs that are approved or in clinical trials.

Incomplete Caspase 3 Activation and Mitigation of Apoptosis in Hibernating Ground Squirrels, .

AbstractHibernating golden-mantled ground squirrels, , tolerate proapoptotic conditions, such as low body temperature, anorexia, acidosis, and ischemia/reperfusion. Avoiding widespread apoptosis is critical for hibernator survival. Caspase 3, the key executioner of apoptosis, cleaves a majority of apoptotic targets.

Mitigating Apoptotic and Inflammatory Signaling via Global Caspase Inhibition in Hibernating Ground Squirrels, .

AbstractIn most systems, the caspase cascade is activated during cellular stress and results in inflammation and apoptosis. Hibernators experience stressors such as extremely low body temperatures, bradycardia, possible ischemia and reperfusion, and acidosis. However, widespread inflammation and apoptosis would represent an energetic expense that is incompatible with hibernation.

Torpor Does Not Influence Spatial Memory in Hibernating Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrels ().

AbstractMammalian hibernation in ground squirrels is characterized by periods of torpor wherein body temperature approaches ambient temperature and metabolism is reduced to as low as 1/100th of active rates. It is unclear how hibernation affects long-term spatial memory, as tremendous remodeling of neurons is associated with torpor use. Given the suspected links between remodeling and memory formation and retention, we examined long-term spatial memory retention throughout a hibernation season.

Liver proteome response to torpor in a basoendothermic mammal, , provides insights into the evolution of homeothermy.

Many mammals use adaptive heterothermy (e.g., torpor, hibernation) to reduce metabolic demands of maintaining high body temperature ().