Search results for " Polymer."
showing 10 items of 3520 documents
Rapid detection of carbapenem resistance: Targeting a zero level of inadequate empiric antibiotic exposure
2016
Resistance to carbapenems is an increasingly encountered phenomenon in the ICU, complicating empiric and targeted antimicrobial therapy. Infections due to carbapenem-resistant microorganisms are characterized by high morbidity and mortality [1, 2]. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in rapid detection techniques, based on real time on-demand easy-to-use PCR, to detect genes responsible for carbapenem resistance. One of these techniques is the Cepheid Xpert Carba-R assay, which is able to detect and differentiate five of the most frequent genes associated with non-susceptibility to carbapenems in Gram-negative bacteria (bla KPC, bla VIM, bla OXA-48, bla IMP-1, bla NDM). The diag…
Conserved Organisation of 45S rDNA Sites and rDNA Gene Copy Number among Major Clades of Early Land Plants
2016
Genes encoding ribosomal RNA (rDNA) are universal key constituents of eukaryotic genomes, and the nuclear genome harbours hundreds to several thousand copies of each species. Knowledge about the number of rDNA loci and gene copy number provides information for comparative studies of organismal and molecular evolution at various phylogenetic levels. With the exception of seed plants, the range of 45S rDNA locus (encoding 18S, 5.8S and 26S rRNA) and gene copy number variation within key evolutionary plant groups is largely unknown. This is especially true for the three earliest land plant lineages Marchantiophyta (liverworts), Bryophyta (mosses), and Anthocerotophyta (hornworts). In this work…
Linear biocompatible glyco-polyamidoamines as dual action mode virus infection inhibitors with potential as broad-spectrum microbicides for sexually …
2016
AbstractThe initial steps of viral infections are mediated by interactions between viral proteins and cellular receptors. Blocking the latter with high-affinity ligands may inhibit infection. DC-SIGN, a C-type lectin receptor expressed by immature dendritic cells and macrophages, mediates human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection by recognizing mannose clusters on the HIV-1 gp120 envelope glycoprotein. Mannosylated glycodendrimers act as HIV entry inhibitors thanks to their ability to block this receptor. Previously, an amphoteric, but prevailingly cationic polyamidoamine named AGMA1 proved effective as infection inhibitor for several heparan sulfate proteoglycan-dependent viruses, such …
NANOG Plays a Hierarchical Role in the Transcription Network Regulating the Pluripotency and Plasticity of Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells
2017
The stromal vascular cell fraction (SVF) of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT and SAT) has increasingly come into focus in stem cell research, since these compartments represent a rich source of multipotent adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). ASCs exhibit a self-renewal potential and differentiation capacity. Our aim was to study the different expression of the embryonic stem cell markers NANOG (homeobox protein NANOG), SOX2 (SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 2) and OCT4 (octamer-binding transcription factor 4) and to evaluate if there exists a hierarchal role in this network in ASCs derived from both SAT and VAT. ASCs were isolated from SAT and VAT biopsies of 72 consenting pat…
Regulatory Interaction between the Cellular Restriction Factor IFI16 and Viral pp65 (pUL83) Modulates Viral Gene Expression and IFI16 Protein Stabili…
2016
ABSTRACT A key player in the intrinsic resistance against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the interferon-γ-inducible protein 16 (IFI16), which behaves as a viral DNA sensor in the first hours postinfection and as a repressor of viral gene transcription in the later stages. Previous studies on HCMV replication demonstrated that IFI16 binds to the viral protein kinase pUL97, undergoes phosphorylation, and relocalizes to the cytoplasm of infected cells. In this study, we demonstrate that the tegument protein pp65 (pUL83) recruits IFI16 to the promoter of the UL54 gene and downregulates viral replication, as shown by use of the HCMV mutant v65Stop, which lacks pp65 expression. Interestingly, at…
Clr-a: A Novel Immune-Related C-Type Lectin-like Molecule Exclusively Expressed by Mouse Gut Epithelium
2017
Abstract The mouse gut epithelium represents a constitutively challenged environment keeping intestinal commensal microbiota at bay and defending against invading enteric pathogens. The complex immunoregulatory network of the epithelial barrier surveillance also involves NK gene complex (NKC)–encoded C-type lectin-like molecules such as NKG2D and Nkrp1 receptors. To our knowledge, in this study, we report the first characterization of the orphan C-type lectin-like molecule Clr-a encoded by the Clec2e gene in the mouse NKC. Screening of a panel of mouse tissues revealed that Clec2e transcripts are restricted to the gastrointestinal tract. Using Clr-a–specific mAb, we characterize Clr-a as a …
Pharmacokinetics of a sustained release formulation of PDGFβ-receptor directed carrier proteins to target the fibrotic liver
2018
Liver fibrogenesis is associated with excessive production of extracellular matrix by myofibroblasts that often leads to cirrhosis and consequently liver dysfunction and death. Novel protein-based antifibrotic drugs show high specificity and efficacy, but their use in the treatment of fibrosis causes a high burden for patients, since repetitive and long-term parenteral administration is required as most proteins and peptides are rapidly cleared from the circulation. Therefore, we developed biodegradable polymeric microspheres for the sustained release of proteinaceous drugs. We encapsulated the drug carrier pPB-HSA, which specifically binds to the PDGF beta R that is highly upregulated on a…
PARP inhibition enhances tumor cell-intrinsic immunity in ERCC1-deficient non-small cell lung cancer.
2018
The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase/stimulator of IFN genes (cGAS/STING) pathway detects cytosolic DNA to activate innate immune responses. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) selectively target cancer cells with DNA repair deficiencies such as those caused by BRCA1 mutations or ERCC1 defects. Using isogenic cell lines and patient-derived samples, we showed that ERCC1-defective non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells exhibit an enhanced type I IFN transcriptomic signature and that low ERCC1 expression correlates with increased lymphocytic infiltration. We demonstrated that clinical PARPi, including olaparib and rucaparib, have cell-autonomous immunomodulatory properties in ERCC1-defecti…
Profile of the Roche cobas® EGFR mutation test v2 for non-small cell lung cancer
2017
Abstract: Introduction: The discovery of driver mutations in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has led to the development of genome-based personalized medicine. Fifteen to 20% of adenocarcinomas harbor an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activating mutation associated with responses to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Individual laboratories' expertise and the availability of appropriate equipment are valuable assets in predictive molecular pathology, although the choice of methods should be determined by the nature of the samples to be tested and whether the detection of only well-characterized EGFR mutations or rather, of all detectable mutations, is required.Areas covered:…
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha deficiency impairs regulatory T cell functions: Possible application in the inhibition of melanoma t…
2016
International audience; Regulatory T (Treg) cells are important to induce and maintain immunological self-tolerance. Although the progress accomplished in understanding the functional mechanism of Treg cells, intracellular molecules that control the mechanisms of their suppressive capacity are still on investigation. The present study showed that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha deficiency impaired the suppressive activity of Treg cells on CD4(+)CD25(-) and CD8(+) T cell proliferation. In Treg cells, PPARα gene deletion also induced a decrease of migratory abilities, and downregulated the expression of chemokine receptors (CCR-4, CCR-8 and CXCR-4) and p27(KIP1) mRNA. Treg ce…