Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Dtsch Med Wochenschr 2021 Apr 14;146(8):552-558. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

ATP-Citrate-Lyase is a key enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis. Its liver-specific inhibition by the bempedoic acid opens new possibilities to effectively escalate a cholesterol-lowering therapy while avoiding muscle-related side effects. Herein, we present the properties of this new first-in-class pharmaceutical agent and discuss potential consequences for pharmacotherapy. Read More

Nanotechnology 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Jiangsu University School of Food and Biological Engineering, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, CHINA.

Despite the major medical advancements in recent decades, treating infected wounds successfully remains a challenge. In this research, a functional blend of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and Chitosan (Cs) was developed for wound infection mitigation with tailored biological and physicochemical properties. Water insoluble kaempferol (KPF) was pre-formulated to water soluble KPF nanocrystals (KPF-NCs) with fine particle size of 145±11 nm, and high colloidal stability (-31±0. Read More

Nanotechnology 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Tokyo City University - Setagaya Campus, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, JAPAN.

This paper investigates the electrical and thermal properties of the pure epoxy resin (EP) and its micro-nano hybrid composites (20 wt% micro-AlN fillers with 1 wt% and 3wt% nano-Al2O3 fillers; 50% micro-AlN with 3% nano-Al2O3 fillers) for the power electronic packaging application. The electrical properties such as space charge distribution, electrical conductivity and surface potential decay are measured. The thermal performance of the fabricated samples is estimated using the thermal analyzing devices. Read More

Pharmacol Res 2021 Apr 11:105609. Epub 2021 Apr 11.

State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210096, China. Electronic address:

Liver cancer is one of the most malignant cancers worldwide with poor prognosis. Intracellular mediators like microvesicles (MVs) and Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are considered as potential candidates in liver cancer progression. CSCs receive stimuli from the tumor microenvironment to initiate tumor formation in which it's secreted MVs play a noteworthy role. Read More

Cell Rep 2021 Apr;35(2):108967

Lymphocyte Development and Leukemogenesis Laboratory, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Oeiras 2780-156, Portugal. Electronic address:

T lymphocyte differentiation in the steady state is characterized by high cellular turnover whereby thymocytes do not self-renew. However, if deprived of competent progenitors, the thymus can temporarily maintain thymopoiesis autonomously. This bears a heavy cost, because prolongation of thymus autonomy causes leukemia. Read More

J Neurophysiol 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, China.

Temporal coding precision of bushy cells in the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN), critical for sound localization and communication, depends on the generation of rapid and temporally precise action potentials (APs). Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels are critically involved in this. The bushy cells in rat VCN express Kv1. Read More

ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of California, One Shields Ave, Davis, California 95616, United States.

Embedding medical and hygiene products with regenerable antimicrobial functions would have significant implications for limiting pathogen contaminations and reducing healthcare-associated infections. Herein, we demonstrate a scalable and industrially feasible methodology to fabricate chlorine rechargeable melt-blown polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabrics, which have been widely used in hygienic and personal protective products, via a combination of a melt reactive extrusion process and melt-blown technique. Methacrylamide (MAM) was employed as a precursor of halamine monomers and covalently grafted onto the PP backbone to form polypropylene-grafted methacrylamide (PP-g-MAM), which could be chlorinated, yielding biocidal acyclic halamines. Read More

An Acad Bras Cienc 2021 9;93(1):e20200712. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Universidade Federal de Alfenas/UNIFAL-MG, Instituto de Ciências da Natureza, Rua Gabriel Monteiro da Silva, 700, 37130-001 Alfenas, MG, Brazil.

Geographic information systems make it possible to obtain fine scale maps for environmental monitoring from airborne sensors on aerial platforms, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which offer products with low costs and high space-time resolution. The present study assessed the performance of an UAV in the evaluation of the seasonal behavior of five vegetation coverages: Coffea spp., Eucalyptus spp. Read More

J Patient Saf 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

From the Department of Medicine, University of Udine Hygiene and Clinical Epidemiology Institute Accreditation, Quality and Risk Management Unit, Friuli Centrale Healthcare and University Trust, ASU FC, Udine, Italy.

Objective: Second victims are defined as healthcare workers involved in an unanticipated adverse patient event, who experienced professional and psychological distress. The Second Victim Experience and Support Tool (SVEST) is a survey developed and validated in the United States, which describes the experience of second victims. This study aims to perform the cross-cultural adaptation of the SVEST and to evaluate its psychometric characteristics in the Italian context. Read More

IEEE Trans Med Imaging 2021 Apr 14;PP. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Conventional single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) relies on mechanical collimation whose resolution and sensitivity are interdependent, the best performance a SPECT system can attain is only a compromise of these two equally desired properties. To simultaneously achieve high resolution and sensitivity, we propose to use sensitive detectors constructed in a multi-layer interspaced mosaic detectors (MATRICES) architecture to accomplish part of the collimation needed. We name this new approach self-collimation. Read More

Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98115, USA; email:

There is considerable interest in the development of hybrid organic-inorganic materials because of the potential for harvesting the unique capabilities that each system has to offer. Proteins are an especially attractive organic component owing to the high amount of chemical information encoded in their amino acid sequence, their amenability to molecular and computational (re)design, and the many structures and functions they specify. Genetic installation of solid-binding peptides (SBPs) within protein frameworks affords control over the position and orientation of adhesive and morphogenetic segments, and a path toward predictive synthesis and assembly of functional materials and devices, all while harnessing the built-in properties of the host scaffold. Read More

Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA; email:

The rise of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacterial pathogens has necessitated the development of new therapeutics. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a class of compounds with potentially attractive therapeutic properties, including the ability to target specific groups of bacteria. In nature, AMPs exhibit remarkable structural and functional diversity, which may be further enhanced through genetic engineering, high-throughput screening, and chemical modification strategies. Read More

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood, Maryland 21010, United States.

Novel ways to track and verify items of a high value or security is an ever-present need. Taggants made from deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) have several advantageous properties, such as high information density and robust synthesis; however, existing methods require laboratory techniques to verify, limiting applications. Here, we leverage DNA nanotechnology to create DNA taggants that can be validated in the field in seconds to minutes with a simple equipment. Read More

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR China.

Despite the wide use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a clinical diagnostic tool, there are still no clinically approved MRI contrast agents that can be applied for cerebral Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker imaging. We report here the design and development of the first amyloid-β (Aβ)-targeted, blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetrable theranostic Gd(DOTA)-cyanine dyad, which was synthesized by the conjugation of Gd(DOTA) complex and carbazole-based cyanine dye by the copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition click reaction for imaging of Aβ and in AD mouse models. This dyad, as a multimodal probe, possesses desirable multifunctional properties, including good biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, high Aβ selectivity, strong fluorescence enhancement upon binding with Aβ species, good paramagnetic properties, high stability, good BBB penetrability, and fast elimination from the mouse. Read More

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, organic solids, 800 Dongchuan RD. Minhang District, 200240, Shanghai, CHINA.

Azobenzenes are classical molecular photoswitches that have received widespread application. In recent endeavors of molecular design, replacing one or both phenyl rings by heteroaromatic ones is emerging as a strategy to expand the molecular diversity and access improved photoswitch properties. Many mono-heteroaryl azo molecules with unique structure/properties have been developed, but the potential of bis-heteroaryl architecture is  far from exploited . Read More

ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacký University in Olomouc, Šlechtitelů 27, 783 71 Olomouc, Czech Republic.

MXenes endowed with several attractive physicochemical attributes, namely, specific large surface area, significant electrical conductivity, magnetism, low toxicity, luminescence, and high biocompatibility, have been considered as promising candidates for cancer therapy and theranostics. These two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures endowed with photothermal, chemotherapeutic synergistic, and photodynamic effects have shown promising potential for decidedly effectual and noninvasive anticancer treatments. They have been explored for photothermal/chemo-photothermal therapy (PTT) and for targeted anticancer drug delivery. Read More

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

Centre for Nanotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Assam 781039, India.

A low-cost, simple, and one-step synthesis of cellulose acetate nanoparticles (CANPs) has been invented using a continuous-flow advanced microfluidic reactor. For this purpose, the CANPs are self-organized inside a cross-junction microchannel by flowing cellulose acetate (CA) dissolved in ,-dimethylformamide (DMF) through the axial inlet and the antisolvent water through the pair of side inlets. The preferential solubility (insolubility) of DMF (CA) to antisolvent water stimulates the in situ synthesis of CANPs at the DMF/water miscible interface following a phase-inversion process. Read More

Macromol Rapid Commun 2021 Apr 14:e2100036. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Frontiers Science Center for Transformative Molecules, Shanghai Key Lab of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, No. 800 Dongchuan Rd., Minhang, Shanghai, 200240, China.

Nonaromatic photoluminescent polymers have attracted great attention due to their intriguing photophysical properties and promising implications in optoelectronic and biological areas. The luminescence from these nonconventional luminophores can be well rationalized by the clustering-triggered emission mechanism. Sulfur, although as an n-electron-rich element with big radius, is not been widely utilized in construction of nonconventional luminophores despite of its potential competitiveness in nonaromatic photoluminescent polymers. Read More

Artif Organs 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

ReCO2very Therapies GmbH, Bad Klosterlausnitz, Germany.

As a leading cause of death worldwide, heart failure is a serious medical condition in which many critically ill patients require temporary mechanical circulatory support (MCS) as a bridge-to-recovery or bridge-to-decision. In many cases, the TandemHeart® system is used to unload the left heart by draining blood from the left atrium (LA) to the femoral artery via a transseptal multistage cannula. However, even though correct positioning of the cannula is crucial for a safe treatment, the long cannula tip currently used in transseptal cannulas complicates positioning, making the cannula moreover vulnerable to displacement during MCS. Read More

Immunology 2021 May;163(1):1-2

Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.

When monocytes migrate from blood into tissues they differentiate into macrophage-like cells. The outcome of this differentiation process is strongly influenced by the tissue environment, and the macrophages produced help control the immunological properties of the tissue. The process of monocyte-macrophage differentiation is therefore potentially attractive when seeking therapeutic targets to amplify or modulate the inflammatory response. Read More

Planta Med 2021 Apr 13. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences (DiSFeB), Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.

The use of is currently recognized to ease certain types of chronic pain, reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea, and improve anxiety. Nevertheless, few studies highlighted the therapeutic potential of extracts and related phytocannabinoids for a variety of widespread skin disorders including acne, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, pruritus, and pain. This review summarized the current evidence on the effects of phytocannabinoids at the cutaneous level through the collection of and clinical studies published on PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science until October 2020. Read More

Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins 2021 Apr 14. Epub 2021 Apr 14.

College of Food Science and Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi Province, China.

The beneficial effects of probiotics on ameliorating ulcerative colitis (UC) have attracted much attention in recent years. Nevertheless, the number of these identified probiotics is still limited. In addition, the adhesion abilities of probiotics are considered to be a key determinant for probiotic efficacy. Read More

bioRxiv 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

An ideal anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody would resist viral escape , have activity against diverse SARS-related coronaviruses , and be highly protective through viral neutralization and effector functions . Understanding how these properties relate to each other and vary across epitopes would aid development of antibody therapeutics and guide vaccine design. Here, we comprehensively characterize escape, breadth, and potency across a panel of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies targeting the receptor-binding domain (RBD), including S309 , the parental antibody of the late-stage clinical antibody VIR-7831. Read More

Food Chem X 2021 Mar 7;9:100112. Epub 2021 Jan 7.

Department of Food Science, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark.

Lentil () is a high-protein crop with a promising potential as a plant-based protein source for human nutrition. This study investigated nutritional and anti-nutritional properties of whole seed lentil flour (LF) compared to lentil protein isolates (LPIs) prepared in pilot-scale by isoelectric precipitation (LPI-IEP) and ultrafiltration (LPI-UF). Fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) profiles showed significant reductions in total galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS) contents by 58% and 91% in LPI-IEP and LPI-UF, respectively, compared to LF. Read More

iScience 2021 Apr 5;24(4):102269. Epub 2021 Mar 5.

IBM Research Europe, 8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland.

With the advent of deep generative models in computational chemistry, drug design is undergoing an unprecedented transformation. Although deep learning approaches have shown potential in generating compounds with desired chemical properties, they disregard the cellular environment of target diseases. Bridging systems biology and drug design, we present a reinforcement learning method for de novo molecular design from gene expression profiles. Read More

Open Life Sci 2021 3;16(1):303-310. Epub 2021 Apr 3.

School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Dagong Road, Liaodongwan New District, Panjin 124221, Liaoning, China.

Numerous inhibitors of tyrosine-protein kinase KIT, a receptor tyrosine kinase, have been explored as a viable therapy for the treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). However, drug resistance due to acquired mutations in KIT makes these drugs almost useless. The present study was designed to screen the novel inhibitors against the activity of the KIT mutants through pharmacophore modeling and molecular docking. Read More

Transl Androl Urol 2021 Mar;10(3):1110-1120

University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy.

Background: Therapies available for late stage prostate cancer (PCa) patients are limited and mostly palliative. The necessary development of unexplored therapeutic options relies on a deeper knowledge of molecular mechanisms leading to cancer progression. Redox signals are known to modulate the intensity and duration of oncogenic circuits; cues originating from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and downstream exocytic organelles are relevant in secretory tumors, including PCa. Read More

Appl Sci (Basel) 2020 Aug 28;10(15):5194. Epub 2020 Jul 28.

Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy.

Smart nanoparticles for medical applications have gathered considerable attention due to an improved biocompatibility and multifunctional properties useful in several applications, including advanced drug delivery systems, nanotheranostics and in vivo imaging. Among nanomaterials, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were deeply investigated due to their peculiar physical and chemical properties. The large surface to volume ratio, coupled with a reduced size, antimicrobial activity, photocatalytic and semiconducting properties, allowed the use of ZnO NPs as anticancer drugs in new generation physical therapies, nanoantibiotics and osteoinductive agents for bone tissue regeneration. Read More

Exp Ther Med 2021 Jun 31;21(6):573. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P.R. China.

Plantamajoside (PMS), a major component of , has several pharmacological properties, including anti-proliferative, anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects. However, the effects of PMS on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have yet to be determined. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of PMS on HCC and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Read More

Exp Ther Med 2021 Jun 26;21(6):566. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Center of Molecular and Translational Oncology, National University of Quilmes, Bernal B1876BXD, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Osteosarcoma is the most prevalent primary bone malignancy. Due to its high aggressiveness, novel treatment strategies are urgently required to improve survival of patients with osteosarcoma, especially those with advanced disease. Desmopressin (dDAVP) is a widely used blood-saving agent that has been repurposed as an adjuvant agent for cancer management due to its antiangiogenic and antimetastatic properties. Read More