0000000000199581
AUTHOR
Marina Sala
Overcome Chemoresistance: Biophysical and Structural Analysis of Synthetic FHIT-Derived Peptides.
The fragile histidine triad (FHIT) protein is a member of the large and ubiquitous histidine triad (HIT) family of proteins. On the basis of genetic evidence, it has been postulated that the FHIT protein may function as tumor suppressor, implying a role for the FHIT protein in carcinogenesis. Recently, Gaudio et al. reported that FHIT binds and delocalizes annexin A4 (ANXA4) from plasma membrane to cytosol in paclitaxel-resistant lung cancer cells, thus restoring their chemosensitivity to the drug. They also identified the smallest protein sequence of the FHIT still interacting with ANXA4, ranging from position 7 to 13: QHLIKPS. This short sequence of FHIT protein was not only able to bind …
Design, Synthesis, and Evaluation of New Tripeptides as COX-2 Inhibitors
Cyclooxygenase (COX) is a key enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway leading to the formation of prostaglandins, which are mediators of inflammation. It exists mainly in two isoforms COX-1 and COX-2. The conventional nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have gastrointestinal side effects because they inhibit both isoforms. Recent data demonstrate that the overexpression of these enzymes, and in particular of cyclooxygenases-2, promotes multiple events involved in tumorigenesis; in addition, numerous studies show that the inhibition of cyclooxygenases-2 can delay or prevent certain forms of cancer. Agents that inhibit COX-2 while sparing COX-1 represent a new attractive therapeutic deve…
Amino Acid derivatives as new zinc binding groups for the design of selective matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors.
A number of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are important medicinal targets for conditions ranging from rheumatoid arthritis to cardiomyopathy, periodontal disease, liver cirrhosis, multiple sclerosis, and cancer invasion and metastasis, where they showed to have a dual role, inhibiting or promoting important processes involved in the pathology. MMPs contain a zinc (II) ion in the protein active site. Small-molecule inhibitors of these metalloproteins are designed to bind directly to the active site metal ions. In an effort to devise new approaches to selective inhibitors, in this paper, we describe the synthesis and preliminary biological evaluation of amino acid derivatives as new zinc b…
β-Lactoglobulin Heptapeptide Reduces Oxidative Stress in Intestinal Epithelial Cells and Angiotensin II-Induced Vasoconstriction on Mouse Mesenteric Arteries by Induction of Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (Nrf2) Translocation
Peptides derived from buffalo dairy products possess multiple healthy properties that cannot be exerted as long as they are encrypted in parent proteins. To evaluate the biological activities of encrypted peptide sequences from buffalo ricotta cheese, we performed a simulated gastrointestinal (GI) digestion. Chemical and pharmacological characterization of the digest led to the identification of a novel peptide endowed with antioxidant and antihypertensive action. The GI digest was fractionated by Semiprep-HPLC, and fractions were tested against reactive oxygen species (ROS) release in an H2O2-treated intestinal epithelial cell line. UHPLC-PDA-MS/MS analysis revealed the presence of an abun…