Medicinal Chemistry - Volume 13, Issue 6, 2017

Background: Proteomics endeavors to study the structures, functions and interactions of proteins. Information of the protein-protein interactions (PPIs) helps to improve our knowledge of the functions and the 3D structures of proteins. Thus determining the PPIs is essential for the study of the proteomics. Objective: In this review, in order to study the application of machine learning in predicting PPI, some machine learning app Read More

Background: RNA-protein interactions (RPIs) play an important role in many cellular processes. In particular, noncoding RNA-protein interactions (ncRPIs) are involved in various gene regulations and human complex diseases. High-throughput experiments have provided a large number of valuable information about ncRPIs, but these experiments are expensive and timeconsuming. Therefore, some computational approach Read More

Small molecule drugs obtained from synthetic compounds or natural products show their therapeutic effects by specifically binding to one or a few target proteins and modulating their functions. In contrast, undesirable drug-protein interactions may provoke harmful side effects. Furthermore, drug-protein interactions also play roles in drug activation, transport, metabolism and regulation of drug resistance. Therefore, systema Read More

During the last two decades, C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) have been demonstrated to play key roles in initiating the host immune response against fungal infection. It is well established that CLRs, such as Dectin-1, Dectin-2, Dectin-3 and Mincle recognize the cell wall component from the infected microorganisms by using their carbohydrate recognition domain (CRD). Upon stimulation, CLRs induce multiple signal transducti Read More

Background: Occurring at the cysteine residue in the C-terminal of a protein, prenylation is a special kind of post-translational modification (PTM), which may play a key role for statin in altering immune function. Therefore, knowledge of the prenylation sites in proteins is important for drug development as well as for in-depth understanding the biological process concerned. Objective: Given a query protein whose C-terminal Read More

Background: Occurring at Lys residues, the PGK (lysine phosphoglycerylation) is a special kind of post-translational modification (PTM). It may invert the charge potential of the modified residue and change the protein structures and functions, causing various diseases in liver, brain, and kidney. Objective: From the angles of both basic research and drug development, we are facing a critical challenging problem: for an uncharact Read More

Objective: Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris), a unicellular green microalga, has been widely used as a food supplement and reported to have antioxidant and anticancer properties. The current study was designed to assess the cytotoxic, apoptotic, and DNA-damaging effects of C. vulgaris growth factor (CGF), hot water C. vulgaris extracts, inlung tumor A549 and NCI-H460 cell lines. Methods: A549 cells, NCI-H460 cells, and Read More

Background: Toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2) and Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) have been reported to play a crucial role in tuberculosis, however, little is known about their expression in tuberculous pleuritis. Objective: The goal of this work is to explore the expressions of TLR2 and TLR4 in tuberculous pleuritis and their predominant expressions on cells. Methods: Levels of soluble TLR2 and TLR4 by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay ( Read More

Background: Benzimidazoles are important pharmacophores in drug discovery, and currently its derivatives such as flubendazole, omeprazole, and astemizole are used for the treatment of anthelmintic, ulcerative, and histaminic diseases, respectively. Objectives: The aim of the current study was to investigate the antiglycation activity of nitrobenzimidazole derivatives against fructose-mediated human serum albumin (HSA) gly Read More

Background: Uric acid is the end product of purine metabolism in humans and its increased level in serum leads to hyperuricemia. Among the different regulatory factors to control the level of uric acid in humans, xanthine oxidase (XO) is a well-established pharmacological target, as it is directly involved in uric acid production. Methods: The aim of the study was to present a systematic approach to analyze the xanthine ox Read More

Background: Bergenin, a compound derived from gallic acid, is a secondary metabolite of the plant Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub. Objective: In this study, we aimed to characterize the ability of bergenin to eliminate the radicals in non-biological systems. Methods: We evaluated bergenin's ability to protect erythrocytes from oxidative damage in a biological system. We have elucidated bergenin structure using nuclear magn Read More