Poly(malic acid) Nanoconjugates of Pyrazinoic Acid for Lung Delivery in the Treatment of Tuberculosis.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global infection, and TB treatments could be improved by site-specific targeting with delivery systems that allow tissue and cell uptake. To increase the drug concentration at the target sites following lung delivery, polymeric nanoconjugates based on biodegradable poly(malic acid) were designed. Pyrazinoic acid (POA), the active moiety of pyrazinamide─a first-line antituberculosis drug─was covalently bound to poly(malic acid) using a hydrophobic linker at mole ratios of 25%, 50%, and 75%.

Hydrophobic binary mixtures containing amphotericin B as lipophilic solutions for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania parasites, requires treatments with fewer side effects than those currently available. The development of a topical solution based on amphotericin B (AmB) was pursued. The considerable interest in deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and their remarkable advantages inspired the search for a suitable hydrophobic excipient.

STIM2 variants regulate Orai1/TRPC1/TRPC4-mediated store-operated Ca entry and mitochondrial Ca homeostasis in cardiomyocytes.

The stromal interaction molecules (STIMs) are the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca sensors that trigger store-operated Ca entry (SOCE) in a variety of cell types. While STIM1 isoform has been the focus of the research in cardiac pathophysiology, the function of the homolog STIM2 remains unknown. Using Ca imaging and patch-clamp techniques, we showed that knockdown (KD) of STIM2 by siRNAs increased SOCE and the I current in neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes (NRVMs).

A flow cytometry method for safe detection of bacterial viability.

Flow cytometry is a relevant tool to meet the requirements of academic and industrial research projects aimed at estimating the features of a bacterial population (e.g., quantity, viability, activity).

Reprogramming of connexin landscape fosters fast gap junction intercellular communication in human papillomavirus-infected epithelia.

Human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are highly prevalent commensal viruses that require epithelial stratification to complete their replicative cycle. While HPV infections are most often asymptomatic, certain HPV types can cause lesions, that are usually benign. In rare cases, these infections may progress to non-replicative viral cycles associated with high HPV oncogene expression promoting cell transformation, and eventually cancer when not cleared by host responses.