Lauric acid-loaded biomimetic, biocompatible, and antioxidant jelly fig (Ficus awkeotsang Makino) pectin hydrogel accelerates wound healing in diabetic rats.

Herein, we have presented a lauric acid (LA)-loaded jelly fig pectin (JFP)-based biocompatible hydrogel, which possesses strong antioxidant and antibacterial properties to treat diabetic wounds. The antioxidant and antibacterial activity of the JFP + LA hydrogels were beneficial in eliminating the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and bacterial infection in the wound bed, thereby protecting the wound surface and accelerating the tissue repair process. The in vivo diabetic wound healing studies demonstrated that applying JFP + LA hydrogels improved the rate of wound contraction and reduced the epithelialization time significantly.

Diet-Modifiable Redox Alterations in Ageing and Cancer.

With ageing comes some of life's best and worst moments. Those lucky enough to live out into the seventh, eighth, and nineth decades and perhaps beyond have more opportunities to experience the wonders and joys of the world. As the world's population shifts towards more and more of these individuals, this is something to be celebrated.

Progress on the development of prediction tools for detecting disease causing mutations in proteins.

Proteins are involved in a variety of functions in living organisms. The mutation of amino acid residues in a protein alters its structure, stability, binding, and function, with some mutations leading to diseases. Understanding the influence of mutations on protein structure and function help to gain deep insights on the molecular mechanism of diseases and devising therapeutic strategies.

Protein-nucleic acid complexes: Docking and binding affinity.

Protein-nucleic interactions play essential roles in several biological processes, such as gene regulation, replication, transcription, repair and packaging. The knowledge of three-dimensional structures of protein-nucleic acid complexes and their binding affinities helps to understand these functions. In this review, we focus on two major aspects namely, (i) deciphering the three-dimensional structures of protein-nucleic acid complexes and (ii) predicting their binding affinities.

sp. nov. isolated from a Mars 2020 spacecraft assembly facility and genomic potential for lasso peptide production in .

Unlabelled: During microbial surveillance of the Mars 2020 spacecraft assembly facility, two novel bacterial strains, potentially capable of producing lasso peptides, were identified. Characterization using a polyphasic taxonomic approach, whole-genome sequencing and phylogenomic analyses revealed a close genetic relationship among two strains from Mars 2020 cleanroom floors (179-C4-2-HS, 179-J1A1-HS), one strain from the Agave plant (AT2.8), and another strain from wheat-associated soil (V4I25).

Tracing ALS Degeneration: Insights from Spinal Cord and Cortex Transcriptomes.

Background/objectives: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of upper and lower motor neurons. Key factors contributing to neuronal death include mitochondrial energy damage, oxidative stress, and excitotoxicity. The frontal cortex is crucial for action initiation, planning, and voluntary movements whereas the spinal cord facilitates communication with the brain, walking, and reflexes.

The physiological anti-hypertensive peptide catestatin and its common human variant Gly364Ser: differential cardiovascular effects in a rat model of hypertension.

Catestatin (CST), a 21-amino acids physiological peptide, has emerged as a key modulator of cardiovascular functions due to its anti-hypertensive and cardioprotective properties. However, the ramifications of the most common human variant of CST (viz., Gly364Ser) on cardiovascular pathophysiology remain partially understood.

Bioinformatics Approaches for Understanding the Binding Affinity of Protein-Nucleic Acid Complexes.

Protein-nucleic acid interactions are involved in various biological processes such as gene expression, replication, transcription, translation, and packaging. Understanding the recognition mechanism of the protein-nucleic acid complexes has been investigated from different perspectives, including the binding affinities of protein-DNA and protein-RNA complexes. Experimentally, protein-nucleic acid interactions are analyzed using X-ray crystallography, Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC), DNA/RNA pull-down assays, DNA/RNA footprinting, and systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX).

Structural and Functional Studies on HIV Protease: Mechanism of Action, Subtypes, Inhibitors, and Drug Resistance.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) targets the host immune system causing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Although significant advancements have been made on investigating HIV and related infections, eradicating the virus from the host immune system is still challenging. Nevertheless, the combination therapies using drugs targeting different stages in the viral life cycle are used for treatment in which HIV protease plays a vital role.

MPA-MutPred: a novel strategy for accurately predicting the binding affinity change upon mutation in membrane protein complexes.

Mutations in the interface of membrane protein (MP) complexes are key contributors to a broad spectrum of human diseases, primarily due to changes in their binding affinities. While various methods exist for predicting the mutation-induced changes in binding affinity (ΔΔG) in protein-protein complexes, none are specific to MP complexes. This study proposes a novel strategy for ΔΔG prediction in MP complexes, which combines linear and nonlinear models, to obtain a more robust model with improved prediction accuracy.

Phytosterols as inhibitors of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1): an in silico study.

The global emergence of New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) poses a formidable challenge to antibiotic therapy, as it confers resistance to a wide range of β-lactam antibiotics. This study aims to identify potential inhibitors of NDM-1 and thereby restore the effectiveness of the current antibiotics. Employing a comprehensive computational approach integrating molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, a library of phytosterols was screened to identify promising candidates for inhibiting NDM-1 activity.

Big data and AI for gender equality in health: bias is a big challenge.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are rapidly evolving fields that have the potential to transform women's health by improving diagnostic accuracy, personalizing treatment plans, and building predictive models of disease progression leading to preventive care. Three categories of women's health issues are discussed where machine learning can facilitate accessible, affordable, personalized, and evidence-based healthcare. In this perspective, firstly the promise of big data and machine learning applications in the context of women's health is elaborated.

Combinatorial Effects of 5-Fluorouracil and Menadione on Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in Human Colorectal Cancer Cells.

The incidence and mortality rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) are alarmingly high, and the scientific community is consistently engaged in developing newer therapeutic options for cancer cure or prevention. The fluoropyrimidine drug, 5-fluorouracil (5FU), remains the first line of treatment against CRC; nevertheless, relapses frequently occur since the cells gain resistance over time through various mechanisms. Studies have highlighted the significance of combinatorial treatment of a Wnt signaling inhibitor and 5FU as a better treatment strategy to overcome 5FU resistance.

The neuroprotective effect of short-chain fatty acids against hypoxia-reperfusion injury.

Gut microbe-derived short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are known to have a profound impact on various brain functions, including cognition, mood, and overall neurological health. However, their role, if any, in protecting against hypoxic injury and ischemic stroke has not been extensively studied. In this study, we investigated the effects of two major SCFAs abundant in the gut, propionate (P) and butyrate (B), on hypoxia-reperfusion injury using a neuronal cell line and a zebrafish model.

Fabrication of Thymol-loaded Isabgol/Konjac Glucomannan-based Microporous Scaffolds with Enriched Antioxidant and Antibacterial Properties for Skin Tissue Engineering Applications.

An antioxidant, antibacterial, and biocompatible biomaterial is essential to repair skin wounds effectively. Here, we have employed two natural biopolymers, isabgol (ISAB) and konjac glucomannan (KGM), to prepare microporous scaffolds by freezing and lyophilization. The scaffolds are loaded with thymol (THY) to impart potent antioxidant and antibacterial activities.

Determinants of Unfolding Cooperativity and Binding Are Decoupled in a DNA Binding Domain.

The relative magnitudes of noncovalent stabilization energies or the coupling free energies in folded proteins are anisotropically distributed, uniquely influencing folding and functional behaviors. In this regard, the fructose repressor (FruR) DBD belonging to the LacR repressor family harbors a three-residue insertion─KQY─between the canonical second and third helices. This sequence insertion promotes a strong Tyr-Tyr stacking interaction that is not observed in related homologues.

A Small Molecule Impedes the Aβ Tetramer Neurotoxicity by Preserving Membrane Integrity: Microsecond Multiscale Simulations.

Amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides aggregated into plaques deposited in the brain are the main hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a social and economic burden worldwide. In this context, insoluble Aβ fibrils are the main components of plaques. The recent trials that used approved AD drugs show that they can remove the fibrils from AD patients' brains, but they did not halt the course of the disease.

rAbDesFlow: a novel workflow for computational recombinant antibody design for healthcare engineering.

Recombinant antibodies (rAbs) have emerged as a promising solution to tackle antigen specificity, enhancement of immunogenic potential and versatile functionalization to treat human diseases. The development of single chain variable fragments has helped accelerate treatment in cancers and viral infections, due to their favorable pharmacokinetics and human compatibility. However, designing rAbs is traditionally viewed as a genetic engineering problem, with phage display and cell free systems playing a major role in sequence selection for gene synthesis.

Two-stage seeding strategy and its multi-response optimization for enhanced xylitol production by Debaryomyces nepalensis NCYC 3413.

The aim was to develop a two-stage seeding strategy and its optimization to enhance the conversion of xylose to xylitol by Debaryomyces nepalensis NCYC 3413. To develop efficient seed, multi-response optimization was employed to obtain optimal inoculum age and volume where xylitol concentration, yield and productivity were maximized. The optimal conditions of inoculation age and volume were 5.

Small Molecule-Mediated Stage-Specific Reprogramming of MSCs to Hepatocyte-Like Cells and Hepatic Tissue for Liver Injury Treatment.

Background: Derivation of hepatocytes from stem cells has been established through various protocols involving growth factor (GF) and small molecule (SM) agents, among others. However, mesenchymal stem cell-based derivation of hepatocytes still remains expensive due to the use of a cocktail of growth factors, and a long duration of differentiation is needed, thus limiting its potential clinical application.

Methods: In this study, we developed a chemically defined differentiation strategy that is exclusively based on SM and takes 14 days, while the GF-based protocol requires 23-28 days.

Enhancing bone repair through improved angiogenesis and osteogenesis using mesoporous silica nanoparticle-loaded Konjac glucomannan-based interpenetrating network scaffolds.

We have fabricated and characterized novel bioactive nanocomposite interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) scaffolds to treat bone defects by loading mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) into blends of Konjac glucomannan, polyvinyl alcohol, and polycaprolactone. By loading MSNs, we developed a porous nanocomposite scaffold with mechanical strengths comparable to cancellous bone. In vitro cell culture studies proved the cytocompatibility of the nanocomposite scaffolds.

Iron oxide nanoparticle-stabilized Pickering emulsion-templated porous scaffolds loaded with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for bone tissue engineering.

Dietary intake of ω-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) can significantly improve the expression levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin. However, PUFAs are hydrophobic and highly sensitive to temperature, oxygen concentration, pH, and ionic strength. Hence, it is challenging to use PUFAs as bioactive compounds for bone tissue engineering.

Role of HSP90 in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Its Association with Liver Diseases.

Non-alcoholic fatty acid liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are the fatal liver diseases which encompass a spectrum of disease severity associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a metabolic disorder. Heat shock proteins serve as markers in early prognosis and diagnosis of early stages of liver diseases associated with metabolic disorder. This review aims to comprehensively investigate the significance of HSP90 isoforms in T2DM and liver diseases.

l-Arginine-Loaded Oxidized Isabgol/Chitosan-Based Biomimetic Composite Scaffold Accelerates Collagen Synthesis, Vascularization, and Re-epithelialization during Wound Healing in Diabetic Rats.

Impaired wound healing in diabetic wounds is common due to infection, inflammation, less collagen synthesis, and vascularization. Diabetic wound healing in patients is still a challenge and needs an ideal wound dressing to treat and manage diabetic wounds. Herein, an efficacious wound dressing biomaterial was fabricated by cross-linking oxidized isabgol (Oisab) and chitosan (Cs) trisodium trimetaphosphate and Schiff base bonds.