Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Volume 14, Issue 2, 2013

Raman spectroscopy has long been used as a powerful tool for chemical composition analyses. Raman scattering light measurement has the advantage of being able to examine biomolecules in a nondestructive and non-labeling manner. However, molecular imaging of cells and tissues by using Raman microscopy had been hampered due to weak Raman signals and required long acquisition time. Recent advances in imagi Read More

Raman spectroscopy is a promising technique for the identification and analysis of molecules in a sample without any labeling or modification. Since Raman scattering spectra provide information about intracellular molecular distributions, metabolism and chemical reactions, Raman microscopy has been widely utilized for bio-imaging and biofunctional analysis. By using metallic nanostructures, Raman scattering from Read More

Vibrational microscopy (Raman microscopy and infrared microscopy), which observes molecular vibrations, gives us the information of molecular species without staining because the observed signals are originated from intrinsic molecules of a cell. However, infrared radiation is absorbed with water, and the long wavelength (3-10 μm) limits the spatial resolution to several micrometers. Spontaneous emission of Raman scatteri Read More

For many years, spatial resolution is the most critical problem in IR microspectroscopy. This is because the spatial resolution of a conventional infrared microscope is restricted by the diffraction limit, which is almost the same as the wavelength of IR light, ranging from 2.5 to 25 μm. In the recent years, we have developed two novel types of far-field IR super-resolution microscopes using 2-color laser spectroscopies, those a Read More

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is widely used in studies of brain activity. In this article I explain the principles and theoretical limits of NIRS. I also discuss the need for the development of portable NIRS.

Purpose: Tissue autofluorescence study is a promising means of endoscopic detection of colonic neoplasia, but the mechanism of autofluorescence eruption has still not been verified. The purpose of this study was to precisely analyze the autofluorescence characteristics of freshly prepared normal rat colon under UVA and violet light excitation. Methods: Excised rat colons were studied by using multichannel spectrophotomet Read More

The objective of this study was to investigate the use of iontophoresis and/or microneedles to enhance transdermal delivery of leuprolide acetate in vivo in hairless rats. Microporation was achieved using 500 μm long maltose microneedles and pore formation was confirmed using dye binding studies, histology studies, calcein imaging studies, pore permeability index calculation and trans-epidermal water loss measurement. Ion Read More

Mucopolysaccharidosis I (MPS I) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations on α-L-iduronidase (IDUA) gene, leading to low or null enzyme activity. As nonsense mutations are present in about two thirds of the patients, stop codon read through (SCRT) is a potential alternative to achieve enhanced enzyme activity. This mechanism suppresses premature stop codon mutations allowing the protein to be fully translated. Chloramphenic Read More

Better understanding of protein higher order structures (HOS) is of major interest to researchers in the field of biotechnology and biopharmaceutics. Monitoring a protein's HOS is crucial towards understanding the impact of molecular conformation on the biotechnological application. In addition, maintaining the HOS is critical for achieving robust processes and developing stable formulations of therapeutic Read More

Salmonella enterica is a Gram-negative intracellular bacterial pathogen which causes salmonellosis in humans and animals. During the past several decades, extensive studies have shown that the attenuated Salmonella vaccine vector is an optimal vehicle for delivering passenger antigens to mucosal sites to induce humoral, cellular, and mucosal immunity. This immunity leads to protection against challenges with the wild-type Read More

A major limitation of biological therapeutics is their propensity for degradation particularly in aqueous solutions hence resulting in their short shelf-life. In this study, the stability of trastuzumab (Herceptin®) intravenous (i.v.) solutions, an IgG1 monoclonal antibody (mAb), indicated for the treatment of HER2 positive breast cancer, stored under refrigerated conditions, was evaluated over 28 days. No change in visual appear Read More

There is continuous emergence of resistant strains which leads to urgent need to discover new antifungal agents. The investigation of adjunctive agents for antifungal activity might help to optimize the therapy for Invasive Aspergillosis (IA). The chelating agents Ethylenediamine Tetraacetic Acid (EDTA) & Disodium salt of EDTA (DiEDTA) as adjunct to antifungal drugs have been investigated against 8 pathogenic isolates of Asp Read More

Staphylococcus aureus is the most prevalent etiologic agent of sepsis. Statins, primarily prescribed for their cholesterol-lowering capabilities, may be beneficial for treating sepsis due to their anti-inflammatory properties. This study examined the effect of low dose, short term simvastatin pretreatment in conjunction with antibiotic treatment on host survival and demonstrated that pretreatment with simvastatin increased s Read More

CNTO 530 is an erythropoietin receptor agonist MIMETIBODYTM construct. CNTO 530 has been shown to be active in a number of rodent models of acquired anemia (e.g. renal insufficiency and chemotherapy induced anemia). We investigated the efficacy of CNTO 530 in murine models of β-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia (Berkeley mice). β- thalassemic mice are deficient in expression of α-globin chain and heterozygous Read More