β-Glucan-Induced Immuno-Modulation: A Role for the Intestinal Microbiota and Short-Chain Fatty Acids in Common Carp.

Dietary supplementation of fish with β-glucans has been commonly associated with immunomodulation and generally accepted as beneficial for fish health. However, to date the exact mechanisms of immunomodulation by β-glucan supplementation in fish have remained elusive. In mammals, a clear relation between high-fibre diets, such as those including β-glucans, and diet-induced immunomodulation intestinal microbiota and associated metabolites has been observed.

EpCAM-Binding DARPins for Targeted Photodynamic Therapy of Ovarian Cancer.

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy due to late detection associated with dissemination throughout the abdominal cavity. Targeted photodynamic therapy (tPDT) aimed at epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM), overexpressed in over 90% of ovarian cancer metastatic lesions, is a promising novel therapeutic modality. Here, we tested the specificity and activity of conjugates of EpCAM-directed designed ankyrin repeat proteins (DARPins) with the photosensitizer IRDye 700DX in in vitro and in vivo ovarian cancer models.