Hydrophilization and Functionalization of Fullerene C with Maleic Acid Copolymers by Forming a Non-Covalent Complex.

In this study, we report an easy approach for the production of aqueous dispersions of C fullerene with good stability. Maleic acid copolymers, poly(styrene--maleic acid) (SM), poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone--maleic acid) (VM) and poly(ethylene--maleic acid) (EM) were used to stabilize C fullerene molecules in an aqueous environment by forming non-covalent complexes. Polymer conjugates were prepared by mixing a solution of fullerene in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) with an aqueous solution of the copolymer, followed by exhaustive dialysis against water.

Synthesis and Biological Properties of Polyphenol-Containing Linear and Dendrimeric Cationic Peptides.

Natural polyphenols are promising compounds for the pharmacological control of oxidative stress in various diseases. However, low bioavailability and rapid metabolism of polyphenols in a form of glycosides or aglycones have stimulated the search for the vehicles that would provide their efficient delivery to the systemic circulation. Conjugation of polyphenols with cationic amphiphilic peptides yields compounds with a strong antioxidant activity and ability to pass through biological barriers.

Linear and dendrimeric antiviral peptides: design, chemical synthesis and activity against human respiratory syncytial virus.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is one of the most common viral pathogens. It is especially dangerous for newborns and young children. In some cases it could lead to severe bronchiolitis, pneumonia with hospitalization or even a lethal outcome.

A novel peptide dendrimer LTP efficiently facilitates transfection of mammalian cells.

One of the urgent problems of gene therapy is the search for effective transfection methods. Synthetic cationic peptides (CPs) are considered to be one of the most promising approaches for intracellular transport of oligonucleotides. Almost unlimited possibilities of the architectural design of CPs (linear and cyclic structures with a variation of chirality as well as dendrimers) make CPs an effective tunable carrier in this field.

Natural production and functional effects of alternatively spliced interleukin-4 protein in asthma.

We have previously described an alternatively spliced isoform of IL-4 mRNA that omits exon 2 and is termed IL-4δ2. However, the natural production of IL-4δ2 protein and its association with disease have not been previously assessed due to unavailability of an antibody that interacts with IL-4δ2 without cross-reactivity with full length IL-4. We used a unique monoclonal antibody (mAb) that reacts with IL-4δ2, but not with IL-4, and observed that IL-4δ2 is naturally produced by T cells from patients with asthma, but not from healthy controls.

Structural and functional properties of IL-4delta2, an alternative splice variant of human IL-4.

Structural and functional properties of recombinant IL-4delta2, a naturally occurring splice variant of human IL-4 with a deletion of the loop region 22-37, have been analyzed. IL-4delta2 has alpha-helical structure and most likely preserves the "up-up-down-down" topology typical of the four-helix-bundle cytokines. IL-4delta2 interacts specifically with the alpha chain of IL-4R and competes effectively with IL-4 for the common binding sites.