Publications by authors named "S M Hacker"

Biocompatible covalent reactive groups (CRGs) play pivotal roles in several areas of chemical biology and the life sciences, including targeted covalent inhibitor design and preparation of advanced biologic drugs, such as antibody-drug conjugates. In this study, we present the discovery that the small, chlorinated polyketide natural product cyclohelminthiol II (CHM-II) acts as a new type of cysteine/thiol-targeting CRG incorporating both reversible and irreversible reactivity. We devise the first syntheses of four simple cyclohelminthols, (±)-cyclohelminthol I-IV, with selective chlorinations (at C and C) and a Ni-catalyzed reductive cross coupling between an enone, a vinyl bromide and triethylsilyl chloride as the key steps.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Functional cognition is relevant for athletic success and interdependent with physical exercise, yet despite repeatedly demonstrated inflammatory responses to physical training, there are no studies addressing the relationship between cognition and inflammation in athletes. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive performance and selected inflammatory, and further physiological biomarkers in elite athletes. Data from 350 elite athletes regarding cognitive performance (processing speed, selective attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility), systemic inflammatory markers, metabolic hormones, growth factors, tissue damage markers, and micronutrients (e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: Rose Bengal Photodynamic Therapy (RB-PDT) offers dual therapeutic benefits by enhancing corneal stiffness and providing antibacterial activity, presenting significant potential for patients with keratoconus complicated by keratitis. Our purpose was to assess the effect of rose bengal photodynamic therapy (RB-PDT) on the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, as well as on extracellular matrix (ECM)-related molecules, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation of keratoconus human corneal fibroblasts (KC-HCFs). Additionally, the involvement of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways which are downstream of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway were examined.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purpose: This study investigated elite German athletes to (1) assess their serum 25(OH)D levels and the prevalence of insufficiency, (2) identify key factors influencing serum 25(OH)D levels, and (3) analyze the association between serum 25(OH)D levels and handgrip strength.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 474 athletes (231 female), aged 13-39 years (mean 19.3 years), from ten Olympic disciplines were included.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how increasing glucose levels affect gene expression in two types of human limbal fibroblasts: primary healthy (LFCs) and congenital aniridia (AN-LFCs).
  • LFCs and AN-LFCs were cultured in either normal glucose (17.5 mM) or high glucose (70 mM) for 48 or 72 hours, and various mRNA and protein expressions related to growth factors, oxidative stress, and hypoxia were analyzed.
  • Results showed that higher glucose significantly altered the expression of key markers like TGF-β1, Nrf2, and NFκB, with differing effects between LFCs and AN-LFCs, indicating a complex response to glucose
View Article and Find Full Text PDF