Novel XTENylated AWRK6 analog with hypoglycemic activity, and anti-HSV-2 potential in combination with double shRNA.

Aims: To design and evaluate a novel AWRK6 peptide-based long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) conjugated a recombinant polyethylene glycol mimetic (XTEN protein) with significant therapeutic potential on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) alone as well as Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection in combination with double shRNA.

Main Methods: First, four AWRK6 analogs (termed XA-1 to XA-4) were designed and produced by solid phase synthesis strategy. Further surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurement and in vitro cAMP accumulation assay were performed to detect the GLP-1R binding affinities and GLP-1R activation, respectively.

Hepatitis B Virus DNA Polymerase Displays an Anti-Apoptotic Effect by Interacting with Elongation Factor-1 Alpha-2 in Hepatoma Cells.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome P-encoded protein HBV DNA polymerase (Pol) has long been known as a reverse transcriptase during HBV replication. In this study, we investigated the impact of HBV Pol on host cellular processes, mainly apoptosis, and the underlying mechanisms. We showed a marked reduction in apoptotic rates in the HBV Pol-expressed HepG2 cells compared to controls.

MiR-194 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma through negative regulation of CADM1.

Aberrant expression of microRNAs may contribute to the initiation and progression of various types of human cancer and they may also constitute biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the specific function of miR-194 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the potential mechanism of its involvement in HCC were unclear. In the present study, we found that miR-194 inhibited CADM1 protein level expression by inhibiting mRNA translation of CADM1; the expression of CADM1 was low in liver cancer cells and tumor tissues, and the high expression of miR-194 was closely related to HCC.

Research on promoting liver fibrosis injury by the targeted regulation of miR-202 for HGF to activate HSC.

Background: Liver fibrosis is the primary cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and leads to considerable morbidity and mortality. Recent studies have shown that microRNAs are associated with fibrotic processes in liver disorders, but the exact role of miR-202 is still unclear, and its related mechanisms are not fully understood.

Aims: The aim of this research is to analyze the regarded regulation of miR-202 on HGF and its role in the pathological progress of liver fibrosis.

Design and evaluation of novel thrombin-based GLP-1 analogs with peptidic albumin binding domain for the controlled release of GLP-1.

Currently, the curative effects of polypeptide drugs are often restricted due to the short duration of action. In this study, we fused a series of heptapeptide tags with different length fatty chains to the N-terminus of mutated glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) using an intermediate sequence comprising a flexible linker (GGGGS) and thrombin (TBN)-cleavable site (FNPR), to develop promising prolonged GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists. As a result, twenty-one fusion peptides, termed PES01-PES21, were designed and prepared.

[Expression and purification of human sucrase protein in E.coli].

Objective: To construct prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a(+)-human sucrase (hSUC) and express hSUC fusion protein in E.coli.

Methods: The hSUC gene fragment was amplified by reverse transciption PCR (RT-PCR) and cloned into pET-28a(+) vector to construct the prokaryotic expression vector pET-28a(+)-hSUC.