Publications by authors named "Mauricio Homem-de-Mello"

L-asparaginase is an essential drug used to treat acute lymphoid leukemia (ALL), a cancer of high prevalence in children. Several adverse reactions associated with L-asparaginase have been observed, mainly caused by immunogenicity and allergenicity. Some strategies have been adopted, such as searching for new microorganisms that produce the enzyme and applying protein engineering.

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The search for new drug-producing microorganisms is one of the most promising situations in current world scientific scenarios. The use of molecular biology as well as the cloning of protein and compound genes is already well established as the gold standard method of increasing productivity. Aiming at this increase in productivity, this work aims at the cloning, purification and in silico analysis of l-asparaginase from in Komagataella phaffii ( protein expression systems.

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The ability of venom-derived peptides to disrupt physiological processes in mammals provides an exciting source for pharmacological development. Our research group has identified a new class of neuroactive peptides from the venom of a Brazilian social wasp, , with the potential pharmacological profile to treat epilepsies. The study was divided into five phases: Phase 1 concerned the extraction, isolation and purification of Occidentalin-1202(n) from the crude venom, followed by the synthesis of an identical analogue peptide, named Occidentalin-1202(s).

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L-asparaginase is an important enzyme in the pharmaceutical field used as treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia due to its ability to hydrolyze L-asparagine, an essential amino acid synthesized by normal cells, but not by neoplastic cells. Adverse effects of L-asparaginase formulations are associated with its glutaminase activity and bacterial origin; therefore, it is important to find new sources of L-asparaginase produced by eukaryotic microorganisms with low glutaminase activity. This work aimed to identify the L-asparaginase gene sequence from , a filamentous fungus isolated from the Brazilian Savanna (Cerrado) soil with low glutaminase activity, and to biosynthesize higher yields of this enzyme in the yeast .

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L-asparaginase has been used in the remission of malignant neoplasms such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The search for new sources of this enzyme has become attractive for therapeutics. Traditional methods for biomolecule purification involve several steps.

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Ergosterol is the most important membrane sterol in fungal cells and a component not found in the membranes of human cells. We identified the ERG6 gene in the AIDS-associated fungal pathogen, Cryptococcus neoformans, encoding the sterol C-24 methyltransferase of fungal ergosterol biosynthesis. In this work, we have explored its relationship with high-temperature growth and virulence of C.

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(Mtb) is an endemic bacterium worldwide that causes tuberculosis (TB) and involves long-term treatment that is not always effective. In this context, several studies are trying to develop and evaluate new substances active against Mtb. In silico techniques are often used to predict the effects on some known target.

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β-Galactosidases are widely used for industrial applications. These enzymes could be used in reactions of lactose hydrolysis and transgalactosylation. The objective of this study was the production, purification, and characterization of an extracellular β-galactosidase from a filamentous fungus, Aspergillus niger.

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Enzymatic hydrolysis is an important but expensive step in the process to obtain enzyme derived products. Thus, the production of efficient enzymes is of great interest for this biotechnological application. The production of xylanase by in soybean residues was optimized using 2 × 2 factorial designs.

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Dihydropyrimidinones are heterocycles with a pyrimidine moiety in the ring nucleus, which, in recent decades, have aroused interest in medicinal chemistry due to alleged versatile biological activity. In this systematic review, we describe the currently published activities of dihydropyrimidinone derivatives. Between 1990 and December 31st, 2016, 115 articles outlined biological activities or toxicity of DHPM derivatives, 12 of those involved in vivo experiments.

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Objective: To investigate the access to medicines by Brazilian families by monetary and non-monetary acquisition data.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on data obtained from the 2008/2009 Brazilian Household Budget Survey. The units of assessment were households that participated in the survey and the data on the acquisition of medicines over the 30 days prior to the interviews.

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Melanogenesis is a process responsible for melanin production, which is stored in melanocytes containing tyrosinase. Inhibition of this enzyme is a target in the cosmetics industry, since it controls undesirable skin conditions such as hyperpigmentation due to the overproduction of melanin. Species of the Morus genus are known for the beneficial uses offered in different parts of its plants, including tyrosinase inhibition.

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Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of tablet splitting of psychotropic drugs in a population of older adults with a diagnosis of dementia.

Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study examined a sample of geriatric outpatients seen at a public center specializing in the care of elderly patients, a referral center for management of dementias in general, especially Alzheimer dementia to identify the frequency of tablet splitting of psychotropic drugs and the factors that may be involved in this practice. Comparison of the presence or absence of tablet splitting in relation to several parameters was assessed by means of P values; between-group differences with an α < 5% (P < 0.

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Unlabelled: Degradation products are unwanted chemicals that can develop during the manufacturing, transportation, and storage of drug products and can affect the efficacy of pharmaceutical products. Moreover, even small amounts of degradation products can affect pharmaceutical safety because of the potential to cause adverse effects in patients. Consequently, it is crucial to focus on mechanistic understanding, formulation, storage conditions, and packaging to prevent the formation of degradation products that can negatively affect the quality and safety of the drug product.

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Objective: Olanzapine is an atypical antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia. Some of the adverse effects related to its use are obesity, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes and hypertension, which may result in development of metabolic syndrome. This study aimed to investigate a possible increase in some anthropometric and biochemical parameters, and the existence of any correlation between them in Brazilian patients with schizophrenia treated with olanzapine in the mid term.

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