Layered Double Hydroxide Nanoparticles for Efficient Gene Delivery for Cancer Treatment.

The use of cationic polymer based gene delivery vectors has several limitations such as low transfection efficiency, high toxicity, and inactivation by serum. The present work provides an inorganic based nanocarrier for efficient gene delivery and a method for preparing the same through a facile coprecipitation technique. The vehicle showed high loading capacity of DNA and can release the loaded DNA in a controlled pH-responsive manner.

Interhemispheric Approach to Anterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm: A Case Illustration.

There are two main types of approaches for anterior communicating artery (AcomA) aneurysms, namely pterional approach, and an interhemispheric (IH) approach. Pterional approach is the most common for anterior circulation aneurysms. However, this approach cannot be used without resection of gyrus rectus when aneurysm is located high within the IH fissure and directed posterosuperiorly, which is better handled with IH approach.

Water Plays a Cocatalytic Role in Epoxide Ring Opening Reaction in Aspartate Proteases: A QM/MM Study.

Aspartate proteases are potential targets for various diseases, and many of their inhibitors are FDA-approved drugs. However, these peptidomimetic and reversibly bound drugs become ineffective upon prolonged use. Attempts have been made to design and synthesize various nonpeptidic epoxide-based irreversible inhibitors to combat the drug-resistance enigma.

DMSO strengthens chitin deacetylase-chitin interaction: Physicochemical, kinetic, structural and catalytic insights.

Chitin deacetylase, an enzyme isolated from Cryptococcus laurentii RY1, catalyzes the hydrolysis of acetamido group of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine unit of chitin. The primary objective of this study was to characterize and comprehend the activation of chitin deacetylase by DMSO. The secondary structure of the protein was determined by circular dichroism(CD).

Mechanistic Study on the Antibacterial Activity of Self-Assembled Poly(aryl ether)-Based Amphiphilic Dendrimers.

The increased threat of bacterial resistance against conventional antibiotics has warranted the need for development of membrane targeting antibacterial agents. Several self-assembled cationic amphiphiles with different supramolecular structures have been reported in recent years for potent antibacterial activity with increased specificity. In this study, we describe the self-assembly and antibacterial activity of four lower generation poly(aryl ether)-based amphiphilic dendrimers (, , , and ) containing terminal amine (PAMAM-based), ester, and hydrazide functional groups with varied hydrophobicity.

Steering the Lipid Transfer To Unravel the Mechanism of Cholesteryl Ester Transfer Protein Inhibition.

Human plasma cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) mediates the transfer of neutral lipids from antiatherogenic high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) to proatherogenic low-density lipoproteins (LDLs). Recent cryo-electron microscopy studies have suggested that CETP penetrates its N- and C-terminal domains in HDL and LDL to form a ternary complex, which facilitates the lipid transfer between different lipoproteins. Inhibition of CETP lipid transfer activity has been shown to increase the plasma HDL-C levels and, therefore, became an effective strategy for combating cardiovascular diseases.

Fertility preservation in patients with hematologic malignancies and recipients of hematopoietic cell transplants.

Patients with hematologic malignancies and those undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) face a complex set of challenges when considering options for fertility preservation (FP). There are no standard options for prepubertal children, and women with hematologic malignancies may not be eligible for standard FP options. Fortunately, initial therapies for most blood cancers are not highly gonadotoxic, affording an important opportunity for postremission counseling and referrals to fertility specialists.

Functional and mechanistic studies reveal MAGEA3 as a pro-survival factor in pancreatic cancer cells.

Background: In the era of personalized therapy, functional annotation of less frequent genetic aberrations will be instrumental in adapting effective therapeutic in clinic. Overexpression of Melanoma associated antigen A3 (MAGEA3) is reported in certain pancreatic cancer (PCA) patients. The major objective of the current study was to investigate the functional role of MAGEA3 in pancreatic cancer cells (PCCs) growth and survival.

CID-6033590 inhibits p38MAPK pathway and induces S-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in DU145 and PC-3 cells.

Metastatic prostate cancer, with no effective treatment, is among the leading causes of cancer-associated deaths in men. Overexpression of p38αMAPK has been observed in neuroendocrine prostate cancer patients and in both DU145 and PC-3 cell lines and represents a good drug target. Sulfonamide derivatives have shown biological activities against many human diseases, including cancer.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis to Establish the Association of Common Genetic Variations in Vitamin D Binding Protein With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Vitamin-D binding protein (DBP) also known as GC protein, is a major determinant for vitamin- D metabolism and transport. GC1F, GC1S, and GC2 are the three allelic variants (denoted as rs4588 and rs7041) of GC, and known to be associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, contradictory reports and population specific risk attributed by these alleles warranted detailed genetic epidemiology study to establish the association between GC variants and COPD.

Extracellular vesicle microRNA quantification from plasma using an integrated microfluidic device.

Extracellular vesicles (EV) containing microRNAs (miRNAs) have tremendous potential as biomarkers for the early detection of disease. Here, we present a simple and rapid PCR-free integrated microfluidics platform capable of absolute quantification (<10% uncertainty) of both free-floating miRNAs and EV-miRNAs in plasma with 1 pM detection sensitivity. The assay time is only 30 minutes as opposed to 13 h and requires only ~20 μL of sample as oppose to 1 mL for conventional RT-qPCR techniques.

Differentiating between Inactive and Active States of Rhodopsin by Atomic Force Microscopy in Native Membranes.

Membrane proteins, including G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), present a challenge in studying their structural properties under physiological conditions. Moreover, to better understand the activity of proteins requires examination of single molecule behaviors rather than ensemble averaged behaviors. Force-distance curve-based AFM (FD-AFM) was utilized to directly probe and localize the conformational states of a GPCR within the membrane at nanoscale resolution based on the mechanical properties of the receptor.

Highly selective fluorescence 'turn off' sensing of picric acid and efficient cell labelling by water-soluble luminescent anthracene-bridged poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone).

A novel, water-soluble, luminescent anthracene-bridged AA-type bi-arm poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (ATC-PNVP) was synthesized using a click reaction between alkyne-terminated PNVP and 9,10-bis(azidomethyl)anthracene. The resultant anthracene-bridged PNVP (ATC-PNVP) was characterized using 1H NMR, FTIR, UV-Vis, and fluorescence spectroscopic methods and GPC analysis. ATC-PNVP showed effective fluorescence properties in an aqueous medium.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Confirms Significant Contribution of Surfactant Protein D in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

Surfactant protein D (SFTPD) is a lung specific protein which performs several key regulatory processes to maintain overall lung function. Several infectious and immune mediated diseases have been shown to be associated with SFTPD. Recent findings have suggested the serum concentration of SFTPD can be used as a diagnostic or prognostic marker for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute exacerbation COPD (AECOPD).

Serum Homocysteine Could Be Used as a Predictive Marker for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Meta-Analysis.

Serum homocysteine (Hcy) level is inversely related with concentration of folic acid, which is an essential micronutrient for metabolism and energy homeostasis. Serum concentrations of Hcy have been reported to have strong correlation with smoking, which is a major risk factor for pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) irrespective of ethnicity and gender. Therefore, we performed a systematic review based meta-analysis to evaluate the overall contribution of Hcy in COPD.

Fluorescent-functionalized graphene oxide for selective labeling of tumor cells.

Fluorescence probe has attracted significant attention for biomedical imaging in recent years due to their high resolution at the cellular level. Organic-based fluorescent probes with high quantum yield are widely applied in bioimaging, but most of them suffer from a serious obstacle called aggregation-caused quenching in cellular systems. New fluorophore has been designed through functionalization of graphene oxide which emphatically exhibits aggregation-induced emission along with pH-responsive nanoprobe.

STING pathway stimulation results in a differentially activated innate immune phenotype associated with low nitric oxide and enhanced antibody titers in young and aged mice.

Background: One of the most concerning public health issues, related to vaccination and disease prevention, is the inability to induce durable immune responses following a single-dose immunization. In this regard, the nature of the inflammatory environment induced by vaccine adjuvants can negatively impact the resulting immune response. To address these concerns, new strategies to vaccine design are needed in order to improve the outcomes of immune responses, particularly in immunologically disadvantaged populations.

Safety and biocompatibility of injectable vaccine adjuvants composed of thermogelling block copolymer gels.

Injectable thermogelling polymers have been recently investigated as novel adjuvants and delivery systems for next generation vaccines. As research into natural and synthetic biocompatible polymers progresses, the safety and biocompatibility of these compounds is of paramount importance. We have developed cationic pentablock copolymer (PBC) vaccine adjuvants based on Pluronic F127, a thermogelling triblock copolymer that has been approved by the FDA for multiple applications, and methacrylated poly(diethyl amino)ethyl methacrylate outer blocks.

Pentablock Copolymer Micelle Nanoadjuvants Enhance Cytosolic Delivery of Antigen and Improve Vaccine Efficacy while Inducing Low Inflammation.

As the focus has shifted from traditional killed or live, attenuated vaccines toward subunit vaccines, improvements in vaccine safety have been confronted with low immunogenicity of protein antigens. This issue has been addressed by synthesizing and designing a wide variety of antigen carriers and adjuvants, such as Toll-like receptor agonists (e.g.

Controlling Drug Delivery Using Nanosheet-Embedded Electrospun Fibers for Efficient Tumor Treatment.

The objective of this study is to fabricate biodegradable polymers into scaffolds to embed drugs for tumor treatment without any toxic side effects. Scaffold preparation is optimized by changing the conditions, e.g.

Single dose combination nanovaccine provides protection against influenza A virus in young and aged mice.

Immunosenescence poses a formidable challenge in designing effective influenza vaccines for aging populations. While approved vaccines against influenza viruses exist, their efficacy in older adults is significantly decreased due to the diminished capabilities of innate and adaptive immune responses. In this work, the ability of a combination nanovaccine containing both recombinant hemagglutinin and nucleoprotein to provide protection against seasonal influenza virus infection was examined in young and aged mice.

Two-dose versus single-dose methotrexate for treatment of ectopic pregnancy: a meta-analysis.

Objective: To compare the treatment success and failure rates, as well as side effects and surgery rates, between methotrexate protocols.

Data Sources: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library searched up to July 2018.

Study Eligibility Criteria: Randomized controlled trials that compared women with ectopic pregnancies receiving the single-dose, two-dose, or multi-dose methotrexate protocols.

Surface engineered polyanhydride-based oral subunit nanovaccine for poultry.

Purpose: Salmonellosis is a severe economic threat in poultry and a public health concern. Currently available vaccines are ineffective, and thus, developing effective oral vaccine is warranted. Especially, a potent oral vaccine such as the mucoadhesive polyanhydride nanoparticle (PNP) protects the vaccine cargo and delivers to intestinal immune sites to elicit robust mucosal immunity and mitigate colonization and shedding.

Water Clathrates in Nanostructural Organization of Hydrated Ionic Liquids Manifest a Peculiar Density Trend.

Ionic liquid-water binary solutions have significantly expanded the applications of ionic liquids (ILs) in chemical and biological research. Therefore, considerable research has focused on measuring the thermophysical properties of these binary mixtures. From low-to-moderate concentrations of water, several IL/water mixtures exhibit deviations from expected trends in thermophysical behavior.

SIR proteins create compact heterochromatin fibers.

Heterochromatin is a silenced chromatin region essential for maintaining genomic stability and driving developmental processes. The complicated structure and dynamics of heterochromatin have rendered it difficult to characterize. In budding yeast, heterochromatin assembly requires the SIR proteins-Sir3, believed to be the primary structural component of SIR heterochromatin, and the Sir2-4 complex, responsible for the targeted recruitment of SIR proteins and the deacetylation of lysine 16 of histone H4.