Search results for "Reso"

An imbalance between specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators and pro-inflammatory leukotrienes promotes instability of atherosclerotic plaques

2016

Chronic unresolved inflammation plays a causal role in the development of advanced atherosclerosis, but the mechanisms that prevent resolution in atherosclerosis remain unclear. Here, we use targeted mass spectrometry to identify specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPM) in histologically-defined stable and vulnerable regions of human carotid atherosclerotic plaques. The levels of SPMs, particularly resolvin D1 (RvD1), and the ratio of SPMs to pro-inflammatory leukotriene B4 (LTB4), are significantly decreased in the vulnerable regions. SPMs are also decreased in advanced plaques of fat-fed Ldlr−/− mice. Administration of RvD1 to these mice during plaque progression restores the RvD1:…

The Anemonia viridis Venom: Coupling Biochemical Purification and RNA-Seq for Translational Research

2018

Blue biotechnologies implement marine bio-resources for addressing practical concerns. The isolation of biologically active molecules from marine animals is one of the main ways this field develops. Strikingly, cnidaria are considered as sustainable resources for this purpose, as they possess unique cells for attack and protection, producing an articulated cocktail of bioactive substances. The Mediterranean sea anemone Anemonia viridis has been studied extensively for years. In this short review, we summarize advances in bioprospecting of the A. viridis toxin arsenal. A. viridis RNA datasets and toxin data mining approaches are briefly described. Analysis reveals the major pool of neurotoxi…

Discovery of a Pederin Family Compound in a Nonsymbiotic Bloom-Forming Cyanobacterium

2018

The pederin family includes a number of bioactive compounds isolated from symbiotic organisms of diverse evolutionary origin. Pederin is linked to beetle-induced dermatitis in humans, and pederin family members possess potent antitumor activity caused by selective inhibition of the eukaryotic ribosome. Their biosynthesis is accomplished by a polyketide/nonribosomal peptide synthetase machinery employing an unusual trans-acyltransferase mechanism. Here, we report a novel pederin type compound, cusperin, from the free-living cyanobacterium Cuspidothrix issatschenkoi (earlier Aphanizomenon). The chemical structure of cusperin is similar to that of nosperin recently isolated from the lichen cya…

Predictive factors of response to mTOR inhibitors in neuroendocrine tumours

2016

Medical treatment of neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) has drawn a lot of attention due to the recent demonstration of efficacy of several drugs on progression-free survival, including somatostatin analogs, small tyrosine kinase inhibitors and mTOR inhibitors (or rapalogs). The latter are approved as therapeutic agents in advanced pancreatic NETs and have been demonstrated to be effective in different types of NETs, with variable efficacy due to the development of resistance to treatment. Early detection of patients that may benefit from rapalogs treatment is of paramount importance in order to select the better treatment and avoid ineffective and expensive treatments. Predictive markers for th…

Therapeutic Plasmapheresis with Albumin Replacement in Alzheimer’s Disease and Chronic Progressive Multiple Sclerosis: A Review

2020

Background: Reducing the burden of beta-amyloid accumulation and toxic autoimmunity-related proteins, one of the recognized pathophysiological markers of chronic and common neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and multiple sclerosis (MS), may be a valid alternative therapy to reduce their accumulation in the brain and thus reduce the progression of these disorders. The objective of this review was to evaluate the efficacy of plasmapheresis (PP) in AD and chronic progressive MS patients (in terms of improving clinical symptoms) and to analyze its safety and protocols. Methods: Articles related to this topic and published without time limitations in the Medline, and C…

Three-dimensional multiple-particle tracking with nanometric precision over tunable axial ranges

2017

The precise localization of nanometric objects in three dimensions is essential to identify functional diffusion mechanisms in complex systems at the cellular or molecular level. However, most optical methods can achieve high temporal resolution and high localization precision only in two dimensions or over a limited axial (z) range. Here we develop a novel wide-field detection system based on an electrically tunable lens that can track multiple individual nanoscale emitters in three dimensions over a tunable axial range with nanometric localization precision. The optical principle of the technique is based on the simultaneous acquisition of two images with an extended depth of field while …

2020

Orthodontic tooth movement to therapeutically align malpositioned teeth is supposed to impact blood flow in the surrounding tissues. Here, we evaluated actual vascularization in the tension area of the periodontal ligament during experimental tooth movement in rats (N = 8) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We inserted an elastic band between the left upper first and the second rat molar; the right side was not treated and served as control. After four days of tooth movement, we recorded T1-weighted morphologic and dynamic-contrast-enhanced MRI sequences with an animal-specific 7 Tesla MRI to assess of local vascularization. Furthermore, we quantified osteoclasts and monocytes in the pe…

Precision and accuracy of single-molecule FRET measurements-a multi-laboratory benchmark study

2018

Single-molecule Forster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) is increasingly being used to determine distances, structures, and dynamics of biomolecules in vitro and in vivo. However, generalized protocols and FRET standards to ensure the reproducibility and accuracy of measurements of FRET efficiencies are currently lacking. Here we report the results of a comparative blind study in which 20 labs determined the FRET efficiencies (E) of several dye-labeled DNA duplexes. Using a unified, straightforward method, we obtained FRET efficiencies with s.d. between +/- 0.02 and +/- 0.05. We suggest experimental and computational procedures for converting FRET efficiencies into accurate distances, and…

A longitudinal DTI and histological study of the spinal cord reveals early pathological alterations in G93A-SOD1 mouse model of amyotrophic lateral s…

2017

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by selective motor neuron degeneration in the motor cortex, brainstem and spinal cord. It is generally accepted that ALS is caused by death of motor neurons, however the exact temporal cascade of degenerative processes is not yet completely known. To identify the early pathological changes in spinal cord of G93A-SOD1 AIS mice we performed a comprehensive longitudinal analysis employing diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance imaging alongside histology and electron microscopy, in parallel with peripheral nerve histology. We showed the gradient of degeneration appearance in spinal cord white and gray matter, startin…

A "kissing lesion": In-vivo 7T evidence of meningeal inflammation in early multiple sclerosis

2017

Background: The role of cortical lesions (CLs) in disease progression and clinical deficits is increasingly recognized in multiple sclerosis (MS); however the origin of CLs in MS still remains unclear. Objective: Here, we report a para-sulcal CL detected two years after diagnosis in a relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) patient without manifestation of clinical deficit. Methods: Ultra-high field (7T) MR imaging using magnetization-prepared 2 rapid acquisition gradient echoes (MP2RAGE) sequence was performed. Results: A para-sulcal CL was detected which showed hypointense rim and iso- to hyperintense core. This was detected in the proximity of the leptomeninges in the left precentral gyrus extendi…