Category Health/Medical

MGO-adducted rhBD-2 (recombinant hBD-2) shows a concentration-dependent reduction of bactericidal activity, shown as a reduction in CFU vs unadducted peptide. Credit: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0130533

Case Western Reserve scientists may have uncovered a molecular mechanism that sets into motion dangerous infection in the feet and hands often occurring with uncontrolled diabetes. It appears that high blood sugar unleashes destructive molecules that interfere with the body’s natural infection-control defenses.

The harmful molecules – dicarbonyls – are breakdown products of glucose that interfere with infection-controlling antimicrobial peptides known as beta-defensins...

Nicotine-degrading enzyme from Pseudomonas putida, NicA2, a flavin-containing protein was studied. A kinetic evaluation of the enzyme was conducted, which included determination of Km, kcat, buffer/serum half-life, and thermostability. Additionally, the catabolism profile of NicA2 was elucidated to assess the potential toxicity of the nicotine-derived products. In characterizing the enzyme, a favorable biochemical profile of the enzyme was discovered, making NicA2 a prospective therapeutic candidate. This approach provides a new avenue for the field of nicotine addiction therapy.

This enzyme can be recreated in lab settings and possesses a number of promising characteristics for drug development...

A pancreatic islet of Langerhans expressing the immunoregulator antimicrobial peptide CRAM (in red). The insulin-producting beta-cells are in green and the glucagon-producting alpha-cells are in blue. Credit: © Julien Diana

A category of antimicrobial peptides, cathelicidins and being researched by a team coordinated by Julien Diana, Inserm Research Fellow at Inserm Unit 1151 is focusing on. Apart from their protective function, these peptides have also exhibited immunoregulatory abilities against several autoimmune diseases.

They observed that beta pancreatic cells in non-diseased mice produce cathelicidins and that, interestingly, this production is impaired in diabetic mice...

A new study reveals that thymus atrophy may stem from a decline in its ability to protect against DNA damage from free radicals. The damage accelerates metabolic dysfunction in the organ, progressively reducing its production of pathogen-fighting T cells. Common antioxidants may slow thymus atrophy and be a Rx strategy for protecting elderly from infections.

“The thymus ages more rapidly than any other tissue in the body, diminishing the ability of older individuals to respond to new immunologic challenges, including evolving pathogens and the vaccines that may otherwise offer protection from them,” says Howard Petrie of SRI. Starting around puberty, the thymus rapidly decreases in size and loses capacity to produce enough new T cells...