Pathogenesis-based preexposure prophylaxis associated with a low risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers at a designated COVID-19 hospital: a pilot study.

Background: At present, no agents are known to be effective at preventing COVID-19. Based on current knowledge of the pathogenesis of this disease, we suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection might be attenuated by directly maintaining innate pulmonary redox, metabolic and dilation functions using well-tolerated medications that are known to serve these functions, specifically, a low-dose aerosolized combination of glutathione, inosine and potassium.

Methods: From June 1 to July 10, 2020, we conducted a pilot, prospective, open-label, single-arm, single-center study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with aerosolized combination medication (ACM) on the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 positivity in 99 healthcare workers (HCWs) at a hospital designated for treating COVID-19 patients.

Bioimpedance Spectroscopy: Basics and Applications.

In this review, we aim to introduce the reader to the technique of electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with a focus on its biological, biomaterials, and medical applications. We explain the theoretical and experimental aspects of the EIS with the details essential for biological studies, i.e.

Microfluidic droplet platform for ultrahigh-throughput single-cell screening of biodiversity.

Ultrahigh-throughput screening (uHTS) techniques can identify unique functionality from millions of variants. To mimic the natural selection mechanisms that occur by compartmentalization in vivo, we developed a technique based on single-cell encapsulation in droplets of a monodisperse microfluidic double water-in-oil-in-water emulsion (MDE). Biocompatible MDE enables in-droplet cultivation of different living species.

Pulse mode of laser photodynamic treatment induced cell apoptosis.

One of the factors limiting photodynamic therapy (PDT) is hypoxia in tumor cells during photodynamic action. PDT with pulse mode irradiation and appropriate irradiation parameters could be more effective in the singlet oxygen generation and tissue re-oxygenation than continuous wave (CW) mode. We theoretically demonstrate differences between the cumulative singlet oxygen concentration in PDT using pulse mode and CW mode of laser irradiation.

Glatiramer acetate and nanny proteins restrict access of the multiple sclerosis autoantigen myelin basic protein to the 26S proteasome.

We recently showed that myelin basic protein (MBP) is hydrolyzed by 26S proteasome without ubiquitination. The previously suggested concept of charge-mediated interaction between MBP and the proteasome led us to attempt to compensate or mimic its positive charge to inhibit proteasomal degradation. We demonstrated that negatively charged actin and calmodulin (CaM), as well as basic histone H1.

Heavy-light chain interrelations of MS-associated immunoglobulins probed by deep sequencing and rational variation.

The mechanisms triggering most of autoimmune diseases are still obscure. Autoreactive B cells play a crucial role in the development of such pathologies and, in particular, production of autoantibodies of different specificities. The combination of deep-sequencing technology with functional studies of antibodies selected from highly representative immunoglobulin combinatorial libraries may provide unique information on specific features in the repertoires of autoreactive B cells.

Potassium ions are more effective than sodium ions in salt induced peptide formation.

Prebiotic peptide formation under aqueous conditions in the presence of metal ions is one of the plausible triggers of the emergence of life. The salt-induced peptide formation reaction has been suggested as being prebiotically relevant and was examined for the formation of peptides in NaCl solutions. In previous work we have argued that the first protocell could have emerged in KCl solution.

Liposome-encapsulated peptides protect against experimental allergic encephalitis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a severe inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease with an autoimmune background. Despite the variety of therapeutics available against MS, the development of novel approaches to its treatment is of high importance in modern pharmaceutics. In this study, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) in Dark Agouti rats has been treated with immunodominant peptides of the myelin basic protein (MBP) encapsulated in mannosylated small unilamellar vesicles.

Connexin 43, but not connexin 32, is mutated at advanced stages of human sporadic colon cancer.

The membrane-spanning connexin proteins form microscopic intercellular channels that directly connect the cytoplasms of adjacent cells and as such have been implicated in maintenance of tissue homeostasis. They are considered to act as tumor suppressors since their function or expression is frequently aberrant in tumor cells. Several mechanisms appear to be involved in this, but irreversible mutational alterations have not yet been proved to be among them.