Clinical Validation of Integrated Point-of-Care Devices for the Management of Non-Communicable Diseases.

Non-communicable diseases are the leading cause of death and disability across India, including in the poorest states. Effective disease management, particularly for cardiovascular diseases, requires the tracking of several biochemical and physiological parameters over an extended period of time. Currently, patients must go to diagnostic laboratories and doctors' clinics or invest in individual point-of-care devices for measuring the required parameters.

Evaluation of LAMP-based assays for carbapenemase genes.

. Rapid and accurate detection of carbapenem resistance is a critical requirement for the selection of appropriate therapy and initiation of infection control measures. Although several tests are available, their use is limited by one or more factors.

Thiol activated prodrugs of sulfur dioxide (SO2) as MRSA inhibitors.

Drug resistant infections are becoming common worldwide and new strategies for drug development are necessary. Here, we report the synthesis and evaluation of 2,4-dinitrophenylsulfonamides, which are donors of sulfur dioxide (SO2), a reactive sulfur species, as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) inhibitors. N-(3-Methoxyphenyl)-2,4-dinitro-N-(prop-2-yn-1-yl)benzenesulfonamide (5e) was found to have excellent in vitro MRSA inhibitory potency.

Bioreductively Activated Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Generators as MRSA Inhibitors.

The number of cases of drug resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections is on the rise globally and new strategies to identify drug candidates with novel mechanisms of action are in urgent need. Here, we report the synthesis and evaluation of a series of benzo[b]phenanthridine-5,7,12(6H)-triones, which were designed based on redox-active natural products. We find that the in vitro inhibitory activity of 6-(prop-2-ynyl)benzo[b]phenanthridine-5,7,12(6H)-trione (1f) against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), including a panel of patient-derived strains, is comparable or better than vancomycin.

The role of DNA mismatch repair in generating genetic diversity and drug resistance in malaria parasites.

Although the mechanisms by which malaria parasites develop resistance to drugs are unclear, current knowledge suggests a main mechanism of resistance is the alteration of target enzymes by point mutation. In other organisms, defects in DNA mismatch repair have been linked to increased mutation rates and drug resistance. We have identified an unusual complement of mismatch repair genes in the Plasmodium genome.

Pbcrk-1, the Plasmodium berghei orthologue of P. falciparum cdc-2 related kinase-1 (Pfcrk-1), is essential for completion of the intraerythrocytic asexual cycle.

The molecular mechanisms underlying gametocytogenesis in malaria parasites are not understood. Plasmodium falciparum cdc2-related kinase 1 (pfcrk-1), a gene that is expressed predominantly in gametocytes, bears homology to the PITSLRE subfamily of cyclin-dependent kinases and has been hypothesized to function as a negative regulator of the cell cycle. We attempted to knock-out pbcrk-1, the P.

Fetuin-A, a hepatocyte-specific protein that binds Plasmodium berghei thrombospondin-related adhesive protein: a potential role in infectivity.

Malaria infection is initiated when the insect vector injects Plasmodium sporozoites into a susceptible vertebrate host. Sporozoites rapidly leave the circulatory system to invade hepatocytes, where further development generates the parasite form that invades and multiplies within erythrocytes. Previous experiments have shown that the thrombospondin-related adhesive protein (TRAP) plays an important role in sporozoite infectivity for hepatocytes.

A mitogen-activated protein kinase regulates male gametogenesis and transmission of the malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei.

Differentiation of malaria parasites into sexual forms (gametocytes) in the vertebrate host and their subsequent development into gametes in the mosquito vector are crucial steps in the completion of the parasite's life cycle and transmission of the disease. The molecular mechanisms that regulate the sexual cycle are poorly understood. Although several signal transduction pathways have been implicated, a clear understanding of the pathways involved has yet to emerge.