Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology - Volume 19, Issue 11, 2018

Pain affects approximately 30% of people and places a large economic and social burden on society. Despite the availability of a range of analgesics, complete alleviation of symptoms still rarely occurred. Effective and safe drugs for the treatment of pain are still an unmet clinical need. In recent years, the voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs) have been recognized as potential targets for analgesic development Read More

Background: Nattokinase is a potent fibrinolytic protease, which is used as a drug for treatment or a supplement for preventing thrombosis besides various industrial applications. The present study aimed to produce a soluble nattokinase in low cost media, which has with high activity and resistance to metal ions, detergents, and organic solvents, and can be easily used in medicines or as detergents. Methods: Generally, m Read More

Background: Fractalkine (FKN) in its free and membrane bound-forms and its receptor CX3CR1are reported to have an atherosclerotic effect. The relationship of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in FKN and CX3CR1genes with the Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) risk showed conflicting results in different populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of CX3CR1 threonine 280 methionine (T280M) poly Read More

Background: Exosome-like nanovesicles are biological nanostructures mediating cell-tocell communication and capable to load selected cargos also in the interaction among different species. Objective: We aimed to explore the content of exosome-like nanovesicles derived from Citrus limon L. and to analyze the effects of their uptake on human cells. Method: We isolated exosome-like nanovesicles from Citrus limon L. juice (EXO Read More

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease that results in the systemic inflammation principally affecting the capsule covering the articulating ends of the synovial joints. Pharmacological treatment involving analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs including steroids suppresses the symptoms and has no effect on disease progression. However, disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs (DMARD) used fo Read More

Background: Bovine Parainfluenza Virus type 3 (BPIV3) is a major but often overlooked pathogen that causes respiratory disease in cattle, especially during transportation and in feedlot situations. There is a demand for the rapid detection and serological diagnosis of BPIV3 to monitor the presence of the virus and its antibodies in cattle, which is critical in designing suitable interventions and control. Methods: In the pres Read More

Objective: We studied direct effects of Erythropoietin (Epo) on functional properties of human monocytes/macrophages (Mc/Mphs) in vitro. Methods: Cells expressing CD14 marker were isolated from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) by positive magnetic separation. Mc/Mphs were cultured without or with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the absence or presence of Epo for 24 h. Results: We showe Read More

Background: Large DNA poxviruses encode a diverse family of secreted proteins that modulate host inflammatory and antiviral responses, in particular by inhibiting one of the key players of the mammalian immune system, the tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Methods: We investigated the effects of a recombinant variola (smallpox) virus TNF-decoy receptor (VARV-CrmB) in a murine model of contact dermatitis. Our results Read More

Background: Benefits of vitamin K have been reported by many studies recently, due to its ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases and its potential benefits against osteoporosis. Specifically, menaquinone-7 (MK-7), being the most potent form of vitamin K, has definitely received most of the attention. Currently, solid or static liquid fermentation strategies are utilized for industrial production of MK-7 by Bacillus stra Read More

Background: Glutathione transferases (GSTs) catalyze the conjugation of glutathione (GSH) to endogenous and xenobiotic electrophilic compounds and have been involved in the development of resistance toward cancer chemotherapeutic drugs and in the etiology, pathology and progression of several other diseases. In the present work, the human isoenzyme GSTA1-1 (hGSTA1-1) was used to assemble a microplate-based platfo Read More