72,104 results match your criteria: "Department of Chemistry Texas A&M University College Station[Affiliation]"

The rapidly advancing field of nanotechnology is driving the development of precise sensing methods at the nanoscale, with solid-state nanopores emerging as promising tools for biomolecular sensing. This study investigates the increased sensitivity of solid-state nanopores achieved by integrating DNA origami structures, leading to the improved analysis of protein translocations. Using holo human serum transferrin (holo-hSTf) as a model protein, we compared hybrid nanopores incorporating DNA origami with open solid-state nanopores.

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IRE1α silences dsRNA to prevent taxane-induced pyroptosis in triple-negative breast cancer.

Cell

December 2024

Department of Experimental Therapeutics, James P. Allison Institute, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center, Dun L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • Chemotherapy combined with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) is used to boost immunotherapy effectiveness, but certain tumors, especially triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), often remain unresponsive.
  • The study identifies IRE1α, an ER stress sensor, as a key factor that limits the immune-boosting effects of taxane chemotherapy in these tumors by silencing double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) and preventing a type of inflammatory cell death called pyroptosis.
  • Inhibiting IRE1α allows taxane to produce more dsRNA, which activates immune responses, transforming PD-L1-negative TNBC tumors into ones that are sensitive to immunotherapy.
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Exploring canine olfactory generalization using odor profile fractions from native crude oils.

PLoS One

October 2024

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Global Forensics and Justice Center, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.

Canines are used by both government agencies and industries for their keen olfactory capability as well as selectivity, reliability, versatility, and speed. Within the last decade, canines have been used for the detection of on-shore crude oil. They were previously shown to find these deposits with high accuracy, providing increased confidence with little risk to oil spill response survey teams.

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Silicon, due to its abundance, non-toxicity, and cost-effectiveness, is a critical element in the earth's crust with significant industrial applications. In organic chemistry, main group elements, and in particular silicon, are extensively utilized as versatile synthetic intermediates. Despite the current challenges associated with harsh reaction conditions and unsustainable practices in synthesizing crucial organic structural molecules, desilylation reactions have emerged as a facilitative method, offering milder conditions and operational simplicity.

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Previous epidemiological studies on the associations between polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and cancer incidence have been inconsistent. We investigated the associations of plasma omega-3 and omega-6 PUFAs with the incidence of overall and 19 site-specific cancers in a large prospective cohort. 253,138 eligible UK Biobank participants were included in our study.

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T-cell receptors (TCRs) play a critical role in the immune response by recognizing specific ligand peptides presented by major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. Accurate prediction of peptide binding to TCRs is essential for advancing immunotherapy, vaccine design, and understanding mechanisms of autoimmune disorders. This study presents a novel theoretical method that explores the impact of feature selection techniques on enhancing the predictive accuracy of peptide binding models tailored for specific TCRs.

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tRNA modifications are critical for several aspects of their functions, including decoding, folding, and stability. Using a multifaceted approach encompassing eCLIP-seq and Nanopore tRNA-seq, we show that the human tRNA methyltransferase TRMT1L interacts with component of the Rix1 ribosome biogenesis complex and binds to the 28S rRNA, as well as to a subset of tRNAs. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that TRMT1L is responsible for catalyzing m G solely at position 27 of tRNA-Tyr-GUA.

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Article Synopsis
  • IL-12 is a promising immunotherapy that can stimulate a specific immune response (Th1), but its clinical usage is hampered by a phenomenon called desensitization, resulting in decreased effectiveness over time.
  • Researchers explored the pharmacokinetic desensitization of IL-12 using mathematical modeling to validate mechanisms and create a predictive model.
  • Two main causes of desensitization were identified: increased clearance and reduced bioavailability of IL-12, with a new model for reduced bioavailability fitting clinical trial data better than previous models, leading to potential strategies for improving IL-12 therapy.
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ImmuneApp for HLA-I epitope prediction and immunopeptidome analysis.

Nat Commun

October 2024

Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.

Advances in mass spectrometry accelerates the characterization of HLA ligandome, necessitating the development of efficient methods for immunopeptidomics analysis and (neo)antigen prediction. We develop ImmuneApp, an interpretable deep learning framework trained on extensive HLA ligand datasets, which improves the prediction of HLA-I epitopes, prioritizes neoepitopes, and enhances immunopeptidomics deconvolution. ImmuneApp extracts informative embeddings and identifies key residues for pHLA binding.

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Sequential Linker Installation in Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Acc Chem Res

November 2024

Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, United States.

ConspectusMetal-organic frameworks (MOFs) represent a sophisticated blend of inorganic and organic components, promoting the development of coordination chemistry greatly and offering a versatile platform for tailored functionalities. By combining various metal nodes, organic linkers, and functional guests, MOFs provide numerous pathways for their design, synthesis, and customization. Among these, sequential linker installation (SLI) stands out as a novel and crucial strategy, enabling the precise integration of desired properties and functions at the atomic scale.

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Application of validated size-exclusion chromatography method for physicochemical characterization of topical gel formulation of deferoxamine conjugated with PEGylated carbon nanoparticles.

Int J Pharm

December 2024

Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA; Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M Health Science Center, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Stanley H. Appel Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address:

The focus of current research work was to develop and validate size-exclusion chromatography method and develop and evaluate gel formulation of deferoxamine conjugated with PEGylated carbon nanoparticles (DEF-PEG-CNP) for topical delivery. Size-exclusion chromatography-based method was validated as per ICH guidelines. Effect of Carbopol® 974P and Transcutol® on the nanoparticles' permeation was studied by 3-level full factorial design of experiment.

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Cardiac Matrix-Derived Granular Hydrogel Enhances Cell Function in 3D Culture.

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces

October 2024

Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, Ohio 44325, United States.

Article Synopsis
  • Hydrogels made from decellularized porcine heart tissue show promise for delivering therapies to repair damaged hearts, with a focus on enhancing blood vessel growth.
  • Bulk hydrogels might limit cell delivery, leading to interest in granular hydrogels that have better nutrient diffusion and cell viability due to their porous structure.
  • This study confirms that these granular hydrogels maintain cell viability and enhance the growth of stem cell clusters, suggesting their potential for future cardiac cell therapy applications.
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Article Synopsis
  • Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and other respiratory RNA viruses, like influenza and SARS-CoV-2, significantly contribute to respiratory infections and induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) which worsen respiratory diseases.
  • * The study reveals that the byproduct 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoGua) is not just a result of ROS damage, but a mechanism RSV uses to maintain genetic integrity by interacting with the enzyme 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (OGG1).
  • * Targeting OGG1's ability to recognize 8-oxoGua could offer a novel approach for developing antiviral treatments against RSV by disrupting its replication process under
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The peanut seed coat acts as a physical and biochemical barrier against infection; however, the nature of the inhibitory chemicals in the peanut seed coat in general is not known. This study identified and characterized peanut seed coat metabolites that inhibit growth and aflatoxin contamination. Selected peanut accessions grown under well-watered and water-deficit conditions were assayed for resistance, and seed coats were metabolically profiled using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.

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Orthopedic implant infections (OIIs) present diagnostic and therapeutic challenges, owing to the lack of methods to distinguish between active infection and sterile inflammation. To address this unmet need, d-amino-acid-based radiotracers with unique metabolic profiles in microorganisms have emerged as a novel class of infection-specific imaging agents. Given the pivotal role of d-glutamine in bacterial biofilm formation and virulence, herein, we explored the potential of positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with d-[5-C]-Glutamine (d-[5-C]-Gln) for early detection and treatment monitoring of OIIs.

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Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is a major driver of disease progression, treatment resistance, and worse survival for patients with various types of cancers, including prostate cancer. However, key bench studies and clinical trials have failed to evaluate the role of HER2 in prostate cancer using racially diverse experimental designs and protocols. This lack of diversity represents what has been the status quo of cancer research in the United States for decades.

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Water scarcity leads to significant ecological challenges for global farming production. Sustainable agriculture depends on developing strategies to overcome the impacts of drought on important crops, including soybean. In this present study, seven promising soybean genotypes were evaluated for their drought tolerance potential by exposing them to water deficit conditions.

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is an alpine medicinal plant that has been widely used as a general blood tonic and gynecological indications over 2000 years, which depend on the bioactive metabolites (e.g., volatile oils, organic acids, and flavonoids).

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Plasma Proteomic Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease and Cardiovascular Disease: A Longitudinal Study.

Int J Mol Sci

October 2024

Department of Biobehavioral Health & Nursing Science, College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, 1601 Greene Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.

Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the links between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in older adults by analyzing plasma proteomic biomarkers in a sample of 566 participants.
  • Researchers found that 48 biomarkers were specifically associated with AD, while 46 were linked to CVD, along with 14 biomarkers showing connections for both conditions.
  • The findings suggest complex relationships between cognitive decline and cardiovascular health, indicating shared biological markers and mechanisms, with the Tamm Horsfall Protein (THP) being notably associated with all three conditions (AD, MCI, and CVD).
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Article Synopsis
  • - Multiple mitochondrial dysfunctions syndrome type 3 (MMDS3) is a rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the IBA57 gene, which plays a role in the maturation of specific mitochondrial proteins.
  • - The pathogenic variant p.Gly104Cys in the IBA57 gene is linked to severe forms of MMDS3 and leads to issues with mitochondrial respiratory complexes and enzyme functionality in affected individuals.
  • - Research techniques like NMR, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that while the p.Gly104Cys variant doesn't affect the formation of IBA57 complexes, it significantly destabilizes the IBA57 protein, contributing to the serious symptoms of MMDS3.
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  • High uric acid levels can lead to metabolic conditions like gout, often triggered by high-purine diets; thus, individuals with hyperuricemia may need to limit such foods.
  • This study examined whether tart cherries, known for their beneficial compounds, could influence uric acid responses when eaten with a purine-rich meal among adults with high fasting uric acid levels.
  • Despite the experimental setup involving a controlled crossover design, no significant differences were found in uric acid levels or pharmacokinetic profiles between those consuming concentrated tart cherry powder and a placebo.
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Effects of Human Milk Oligosaccharide 2'-Fucosyllactose Ingestion on Weight Loss and Markers of Health.

Nutrients

October 2024

Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab, Department of Kinesiology and Sports Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.

Background: 2'-Fucosyllactose (2'-FL) is an oligosaccharide contained in human milk and possesses prebiotic and anti-inflammatory effects, which may alleviate skeletal muscle atrophy under caloric restriction. This study evaluated the impacts of 12 weeks of 2'-FL supplementation in conjunction with exercise (10,000 steps/day, 5 days/week) and energy-reduced (-300 kcals/day) dietary interventions on changes in body composition and health-related biomarkers.

Methods: A total of 41 overweight and sedentary female and male participants (38.

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Bacterial infection poses a serious threat to human life due to the rapidly growing resistance of bacteria to antibacterial drugs, which is a significant public health issue. This study was focused on the design and synthesis of a new series of 25 analogues bearing a 5-cyano-6-oxo-4-substituted phenyl-1,6-dihydropyrimidine scaffold hybridized with different substituted benzenesulfonamides through the thioacetamide linker . The antimicrobial activity of the new molecules was studied against various Gram-positive, Gram-negative, and fungal strains.

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Lisinopril is commonly prescribed to manage conditions such as hypertension and heart failure. Although concerns about fetal toxicity have traditionally limited the use of lisinopril in women of reproductive age, recent American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists guidelines promote aggressive treatment of hypertension, which may require the use of pharmacologic agents not previously considered in the postpartum period. We aimed to estimate infant exposure to maternal lisinopril through breast milk and report the tolerance of the breastfed infant.

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Background: Reducing hospital readmission offer potential benefits for patients, providers, payers, and policymakers to improve quality of healthcare, reduce cost, and improve patient experience. We investigated effectiveness of remdesivir in reducing 30-day coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related readmission during the Omicron era, including older adults and those with underlying immunocompromising conditions.

Methods: This retrospective study utilized the US PINC AI Healthcare Database to identify adult patients discharged alive from an index COVID-19 hospitalization between December 2021 and February 2024.

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