Galectin-3 (Gal3) is a multifaceted protein which belongs to a family of lectins and binds β-galactosides. Gal3 expression is altered in many types of cancer, with increased expression generally associated with poor prognosis. Although the mechanisms remain unknown, Gal3 has been implicated in several biological processes involved in cancer progression, including suppression of T cell-mediated immune responses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhotodynamic therapy (PDT) is often used in preclinical and clinical treatment regimens. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated by photosensitizers (PSs) upon exposure to light induce cell death via diverse mechanisms. PSs can exert therapeutic effects in different cellular organelles, although the efficacy of organelle-specific PDT has yet to be determined as most previous studies use different PSs in different organelles.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Plasmodium falciparum is the deadliest strain of malaria and the mortality rate is increasing because of pathogen drug resistance. Increasing knowledge of the parasite life cycle and mechanism of infection may provide new models for improved treatment paradigms. This study sought to investigate the paramagnetic nature of the parasite's haemozoin to inhibit parasite viability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe establishment of more effective treatments that can circumvent chemoresistance in Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a priority. Although bortezomib (BTZ) is one of the most potent proteasome inhibitors available, still possesses limitations related to dose limiting side effects. Several strategies have been developed to improve the delivery of chemotherapies to MM by targeting different moieties expressed on MM cells to nanoparticle delivery systems (NPs), which have failed mainly due to their heterogeneous expression on these cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhotodynamic therapy (PDT) is widely used to treat diverse diseases, but its dependence on oxygen to produce cytotoxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) diminishes the therapeutic effect in a hypoxic environment, such as solid tumors. Herein, we developed a ROS-producing hybrid nanoparticle-based photosensitizer capable of maintaining high levels of ROS under both normoxic and hypoxic conditions. Conjugation of a ruthenium complex (N3) to a TiO nanoparticle afforded TiO -N3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnhanced glycolysis and poor perfusion in most solid malignant tumors create an acidic extracellular environment, which enhances tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. Complex molecular systems have been explored for imaging and treating these tumors. Here, we report the development of a small molecule, LS662, that emits near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence upon protonation by the extracellular acidic pH environment of diverse solid tumors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most prevalent hematological malignancy and it remains incurable despite the introduction of several novel drugs. The discrepancy between preclinical and clinical outcomes can be attributed to the failure of classic two-dimensional (2D) culture models to accurately recapitulate the complex biology of MM and drug responses observed in patients.
Experimental Design: We developed 3D tissue engineered bone marrow (3DTEBM) cultures derived from the BM supernatant of MM patients to incorporate different BM components including MM cells, stromal cells, and endothelial cells.
We propose a calibration-free photoacoustic (PA) method for transverse flow measurements. In this method, a pulsed periodically structured (i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe MCM gene from the archaeon Halobacterium, with and without its intein, was cloned into an Escherichia coli expression vector, overexpressed and the protein was purified and antibodies were generated. The antibodies were used to demonstrate that in vivo only the processed enzyme, without the intein, could be detected.
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