Publications by authors named "Mette R Hansen"

() killed more people in 2017 than any other single infectious agent. This dangerous pathogen is able to withstand stresses imposed by the immune system and tolerate exposure to antibiotics, resulting in persistent infection. The global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic has been exacerbated by the emergence of mutant strains of that are resistant to frontline antibiotics.

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Macrocyclic peptidomimetics are associated with a broad range of biological activities. However, despite such potentially valuable properties, the macrocyclic peptidomimetic structural class is generally considered as being poorly explored within drug discovery. This has been attributed to the lack of general methods for producing collections of macrocyclic peptidomimetics with high levels of structural, and thus shape, diversity.

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In an attempt to devise new antimicrobial treatments for biofilm infections, the bacterial cell-cell communication system termed quorum sensing has emerged as an attractive target. It has proven possible to intercept the communication system by synthetic non-native ligands and thereby lower the pathogenesis and antibiotic tolerance of a bacterial biofilm. To identify the structural elements important for antagonistic or agonistic activity against the Pseudomonas aeruginosa LasR protein, we report the synthesis and screening of new triazole-containing mimics of natural N-acyl homoserine lactones.

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A build/couple/pair strategy for the synthesis of complex and densely functionalized small molecules is presented. The strategy relies on synthetically tractable building blocks (build), that is, diversely substituted hydrazides, α-hydroxy aldehydes, and boronic acids, which undergo Petasis 3-component reactions (couple) to afford densely functionalized anti-hydrazido alcohols. The resulting scaffolds can subsequently be converted via chemoselective cyclization reactions (pair), including intramolecular Diels-Alder or Ru-alkylidene catalyzed ring-closing metathesis, into sets of structurally diverse heterocycles in good yields in only 3-4 steps.

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A ruthenium hydride/Brønsted acid-catalyzed tandem sequence is reported for the synthesis of 1,3,4,9-tetrahydropyrano[3,4-b]indoles (THPIs) and related oxacyclic scaffolds. The process was designed on the premise that readily available allylic ethers would undergo sequential isomerization, first to enol ethers (Ru catalysis), then to oxocarbenium ions (Brønsted acid catalysis) amenable to endo cyclization with tethered nucleophiles. This methodology provides not only an attractive alternative to the traditional oxa-Pictet-Spengler reaction for the synthesis of THPIs, but also convenient access to THPI congeners and other important oxacycles such as acetals.

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Bacteria use small signaling molecules to communicate in a process termed "quorum sensing" (QS), which enables the coordination of survival strategies, such as production of virulence factors and biofilm formation. In Gram-negative bacteria, these signaling molecules are a series of N-acylated L-homoserine lactones. With the goal of identifying non-native compounds capable of modulating bacterial QS, a virtual library of N-dipeptido L-homoserine lactones was screened in silico with two different crystal structures of LasR.

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Objectives: The aim of this prospective multicenter study was to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of PET/CT, MRI and transvaginal two-dimensional ultrasound (2DUS) in the preoperative assessment of endometrial cancer (EC).

Methods: 318 consecutive women with EC were included when referred to three Danish tertiary gynecological centers for surgical treatment. Preoperatively they were PET/CT-, MRI-, and 2DUS scanned.

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An application of readily available hydrazides in the Petasis 3-component coupling reaction is presented. An investigation of the substrate scope was performed to establish a general, synthetically useful protocol for the formation of hydrazido alcohols, which were selectively converted to oxazolidinone and oxadiazolone ring systems through triphosgene-mediated cyclization reactions.

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Most purinergic receptors activate intracellular Ca(2+) signalling, and in epithelia they stimulate transport of major ions. Aim of the present study on pancreatic ducts was to find whether P2 receptors also regulate cellular Ca(2+) transport, such as that via the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX). Since NCX can also be connected with epithelial Ca(2+) transport, we also investigated expression of some Ca(2+)-handling/transporting proteins.

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Purinergic receptors regulate various processes including epithelial transport. There are several studies on P2 receptors in pancreatic ducts of various species, but relatively little is known about these receptors in human tissue. The aim of this study was to identify purinergic receptors in human pancreatic duct cell lines PANC-1 and CFPAC-1.

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Previously, we have shown that pancreatic acini release adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and ATP-handling enzymes, and pancreatic ducts express various purinergic P2 receptors. The aim of the present study was to establish whether pancreatic ducts also express adenosine receptors and whether these could be involved in secretory processes, which involve cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) Cl- channels or Ca2+-activated Cl- channels and H(+)/HCO(-)(3) transporters. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis on rat pancreatic ducts and human duct cell adenocarcinoma lines showed that they express A1, A2A, A2B, and A3 receptors.

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Many epithelia express specific Na(+) channels (ENaC) together with the cystic fibrosis regulator (CFTR) Cl(-) channels. Pancreatic ducts secrete HCO(3)(-)-rich fluid and express CFTR. However, the question whether they possess ENaC has not been consistently addressed.

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