Dysferlinopathy is a phenotypically heterogeneous, inherited, progressive muscular dystrophy caused by mutations in the gene. Dysferlinopathy is marked by elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) and can in some cases manifest as hyperCKemia in asymptomatic or low-symptom states. Here, we describe the clinical signs and symptoms and laboratory and imaging results with quantitative MRI analysis of eight pediatric patients at asymptomatic and oligosymptomatic states of dysferlinopathy (aged 3-14 years).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSeveral arenaviruses, such as the Old World (OW) Lassa virus (LASV) and the New World (NW) Junin virus (JUNV), can cause severe and lethal viral hemorrhagic fevers in humans. Currently, no vaccines or specific antiviral therapies are FDA-approved for treating arenavirus infections. One major challenge for the development of new therapeutic candidates against these highly pathogenic viruses is that they are BSL-3/4 pathogens that need to be handled in high biocontainment laboratories.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The Old World sand fly, Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli), a vector of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis, is usually controlled by insecticides, including anticholinesterases. Previous studies have revealed 85% amino acid sequence identity of recombinant P. papatasi acetylcholinesterase (rPpAChE1) to mosquito AChE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHalf the world's population is at risk of developing a malaria infection, which is caused by parasites of the genus . Currently, resistance has been identified to all clinically available antimalarials, highlighting an urgent need to develop novel compounds and better understand common mechanisms of resistance. We previously identified a novel tetrahydro-β-carboline compound, PRC1590, which potently kills the malaria parasite.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe development of parasite resistance to both artemisinin derivatives and their partner drugs jeopardizes the effectiveness of the artemisinin combination therapy. Thus, the discovery of new antimalarial drugs, with new mechanisms of action, is urgently needed. We recently disclosed that β-carboline was orally efficacious in -infected mice and that it showed low cross-resistance between susceptible and four different drug-resistant strains.
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