Osteogenic properties of a short BMP-2 chimera peptide.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play a key role in bone and cartilage formation. For these properties, BMPs are employed in the field of tissue engineering to induce bone regeneration in damaged tissues. To overcome drawbacks due to the use of entire proteins, synthetic peptides derived from their parent BMPs have come out as promising molecules for biomaterial design.

Toll like receptor-2 regulates production of glial-derived neurotrophic factors in murine intestinal smooth muscle cells.

Gut microbiota-innate immunity axis is emerging as a key player to guarantee the structural and functional integrity of the enteric nervous system (ENS). Alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota, derangement in signaling of innate immune receptors such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs), and modifications in the neurochemical coding of the ENS have been associated with a variety of gastrointestinal disorders. Indeed, TLR2 activation by microbial products controls the ENS structure and regulates intestinal neuromuscular function.

Enzymatic formation of PEGylated oligonucleotides.

Gene therapy, siRNA, and therapeutic aptamers attract great interest owing to their versatility to treat a wide range of diseases and their potential high selectivity. Unfortunately, oligonucleotide-based therapeutics suffer rapid degradation by nucleases, scarce cell internalization, and fast kidney clearance. To address these limitations, the covalent attachment by mild chemical reactions of an activated polyethylene glycol (PEG) is widely used to obtain PEGylated nucleic acids showing a more favorable pharmacokinetic profile.

Conjugation of hyaluronan to proteins.

Polymer conjugation has been widely exploited to prolong half-life and reduce immunogenicity of therapeutic proteins. Here, the potentials of hyaluronic acid (HA) have been investigated by studying the conjugates with two model enzymes, trypsin and RNase A, and with insulin. As the direct coupling of proteins to the HA's carboxylic groups can cause cross-linking problems, a hyaluronan-aldehyde derivative has been synthesized for N-terminal site-selective conjugation.