The structure of the plasma membrane affects its function. Changes in membrane fluidity with concomitant effects on membrane protein activities and cellular communication often accompany the transition from a healthy to a diseased state. Although deliberate modulation of membrane fluidity with drugs has not been exploited to date, the latest data suggest the "druggability" of the membrane. Azelaic acid esters (azelates) modulate plasma membrane fluidity and exhibit a broad range of immunomodulatory effects in vitro and in vivo. Azelates represent a new class of drugs, membrane active immunomodulators (MAIMs), which use the entire plasma membrane as the target, altering the dynamics of an innate feedback regulated homeostatic system, adaptive membrane fluidity modulation (AMFM). A review of the literature data spanning >200 years supports the notion that molecules in the MAIMs category including known drugs do exert immunomodulatory effects that have been either neglected or dismissed as off-target effects.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8627736 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.21873/invivo.12594 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
50 years since the concept of homeoviscous adaptation.
Biochimie
December 2024
K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya street 35, 127276 Moscow, Russia.
This mini review focuses on the phenomenon of homeoviscous adaptation (HVA). The concept, which dominated for decades, had a significant impact on membrane and lipid research. It includes the functional characterization of biological membranes and their domains, the role of lipids and fatty acids in cell metabolic control, and the characterization of fatty acid desaturases and their roles in membrane properties modulation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdvancing Membrane Biology: Single-Molecule Approaches Meet Model Membrane Systems.
BMB Rep
December 2024
Department of Physics, POSTECH, Pohang, Republic of Korea.
Model membrane systems have emerged as essential platforms for investigating membrane-associated processes in controlled environments, mimicking biological membranes without the complexity of cellular systems. However, integrating these model systems with single-molecule techniques remains challenging due to the fluidity of lipid membranes, including undulations and the lateral mobility of lipids and proteins. This mini-review explores the evolution of various model membranes ranging from black lipid membranes to nanodiscs and giant unilamellar vesicles as they adapt to accommodate electrophysiology, force spectroscopy, and fluorescence microscopy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMolecular Investigation of SNAC as an Oral Peptide Permeation Enhancer in Lipid Membranes via Solid-State NMR.
Mol Pharm
December 2024
Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Supply, Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, New Jersey 07065, United States.
Oral peptide therapeutics are increasingly favored in the pharmaceutical industry for their ease of use and better patient adherence. However, they face challenges with poor oral bioavailability due to their high molecular weight and surface polarity. Permeation enhancers (PEs) like salcaprozate sodium (SNAC) have shown promise in clinical trials, achieving about 1% bioavailability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffects of Different Concentrations of AmB on the Unsaturated Phospholipid-Cholesterol Membrane Using the Langmuir Monolayer and Liposome Models.
Molecules
November 2024
Xi'an Key Laboratory of Advanced Photo-Electronics Materials and Energy Conversion Device, School of Electronic Information, Xijing University, Xi'an 710123, China.
Amphotericin B (AmB) causes toxicity to the erythrocyte membrane, leading to hemolysis, which limits the clinically effective dose for AmB intravenous therapy in invasive fungal infections. The molecular mechanism by which AmB adheres to the membrane of erythrocytes is the key factor in causing AmB to be toxic to the membrane of erythrocytes, but it is not yet fully understood; the mechanism by which AmB adheres to the liquid microdomains with higher fluidity formed by cholesterol and unsaturated phospholipids remains especially unclear. This study examined the adsorption of AmB at different concentrations, 5, 45, 85, and 125 μg/mL, on unsaturated phospholipid membranes containing 50 mol% cholesterol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnti-Bacterial and Anti-Biofilm Activities of Essential Oil from Blanco cv. Tankan Peel Against .
Foods
November 2024
Guangdong Key Laboratory of Science and Technology of Lingnan Specialty Food, Guangzhou 510225, China.
In recent years, plant essential oils have been confirmed as natural inhibitors of foodborne pathogens. Blanco cv. Tankan peel essential oil (CPEO) showed anti- (LM) activities, and this study investigated the associated mechanisms by using high-resolution electron microscope, fluorescence spectrometer, flow cytometer, potentiometer, and transcriptome sequencing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!