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  Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(12), 1217; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12121217 Abstract Oligomerization of antimicrobial peptides into nanosized supramolecular complexes produced in biological systems (inclusion bodies and self-assembling nanoparticles) seems an appealing alternative to conventional antibiotics. In this work, the antimicrobial peptide, GWH1, was N-terminally fused to two different scaffold proteins, namely, GFP and IFN-γ for its bacterial production in the form of such recombinant protein complexes. Protein self-assembling as regular soluble protein nanoparticles was achieved in the case of GWH1-GFP, while oligomerization into bacterial inclusion bodies was reached in both constructions. Among all these types of therapeutic proteins, protein nanoparticles

First published: 13 December 2020 https://doi.org/10.1002/wnan.1684 Abstract Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) are a group of rare diseases in which the defect of a lysosomal protein results in a pathogenic accumulation of nonmetabolized products within the cells. The main treatment for LSDs is enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), consisting in the exogenous administration a recombinant protein to replace the defective one. Although several diseases such as Gaucher, Fabry, and Pompe are treated following this approach, ERT is limited to LSDs without severe neuronal affectation because recombinant enzymes do not cross the blood–brain barrier. Moreover, ERT shows additional drawbacks, including enzyme low half‐life, poor bioavailability, and immunogenic responses. In this scenario, nano

  Mariana Teles, Irene Brandt i Roger Solà, integrants del grup d’Immunologia Evolutiva de l’IBB, grup de recerca dirigit per Nerea Roher, van realitzar una xerrada divulgativa a l’Institut INS Miquel Bosch i Jover d’Artés. La xerrada es titulava “Un mar de plàstics: la mida sí que importa” i es va dirigir a 4 grups de batxillerat. Es van tractar temes d’importància i d’actualitat per conscienciar de l’efecte que poden tenir els plàstics en el medi ambient i la seva repercussió en la salut, a més a més de visualitzar la figura científica des de 3 diferents prismes: el d’una investigadora sènior, el d’una estudiant de doctorat i el d’un estudiant en pràctiques. Per acabar la sessió, es va convidar als assistents a jugar a Kahoot per avaluar els coneixement apresos d’una forma inte

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/23/9051# Abstract Kisspeptin regulates puberty and reproduction onset, acting upstream of the brain–pituitary–gonad (HPG) axis. This study aimed to test a kisspeptin-based hormonal therapy on cultured Senegalese sole (G1) breeders, known to have reproductive dysfunctions. A single intramuscular injection of KISS2-10 decapeptide (250 µg/kg) was tested in females and males during the reproductive season, and gonad maturation, sperm motility, plasma levels of gonadotropins (Fsh and Lh) and sex steroids (11-ketotestosterone, testosterone and estradiol), as well as changes in small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) in plasma, were investigated. Fsh, Lh, and testosterone levels increased after kisspeptin injection in both sexes, while sperm analysis did not show

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2020.582488/full Introduction Aggregation of misfolded proteins and peptides is associated with common and rare neurodegenerative disorders and with amyloidoses (Aguzzi and O’Connor, 2010; Chiti and Dobson, 2017; Benson et al., 2018). Classical neuropathological hallmarks such as neurofibrillary tangles in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Lewy bodies in Parkinson’s disease (PD), or inclusion bodies in Huntington’s disease, have as main constituent characteristic polypeptides aggregated in the form of insoluble highly-ordered structures named amyloid fibrils (Westermark et al., 2007; Gremer et al., 2017). The definition of amyloid encompasses morphological (Figure 1A), structural (Figure 1B) and histological (Figure 1C) aspects. Amyloid polymo

Acta Biomaterialia DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12111004 Abstract The possibility to conjugate tumor-targeted cytotoxic nanoparticles and conventional antitumoral drugs in single pharmacological entities would open a wide spectrum of opportunities in nanomedical oncology. This principle has been explored here by using CXCR4-targeted self-assembling protein nanoparticles based on two potent microbial toxins, the exotoxin A from Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the diphtheria toxin from Corynebacterium diphtheriae, to which oligo-floxuridine and monomethyl auristatin E respectively have been chemically coupled. The resulting multifunctional hybrid nanoconjugates, with a hydrodynamic size of around 50 nm, are stable and internalize target cells with a biological impact. Althoug

La Nit Europea de la Recerca és un esdeveniment dedicat a la divulgació de la ciència i se celebra cada any en més de 300 ciutats de 30 països d’Europa al mateix temps. A causa de les circumstàncies derivades del COVID19, enguany se celebrarà el 27 i 28 de novembre, tot i que hi haurà diferents activitats, tallers, xerrades, etc. durant tota la setmana. L’objectiu d’aquesta iniciativa és apropar el món de la recerca al públic general de forma amena. Des de l’IBB, ens sumem a aquesta gran iniciativa i participarem activament per compartir amb la societat la recerca que fem al centre. Així doncs, les activitats promogudes per investigadors i investigadores de l’IBB són les següents: Xerrada divulgativa impartida per Salvador Ventura, titulada “Desmuntant el LEGO: A la cerca d’una cura p

Pharmaceutics 2020, 12(11), 1004 DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics12111004   Abstract Fluorescent dye labeling is a common strategy to analyze the fate of administered nanoparticles in living organisms. However, to which extent the labeling processes can alter the original nanoparticle biodistribution has been so far neglected. In this work, two widely used fluorescent dye molecules, namely, ATTO488 (ATTO) and Sulfo-Cy5 (S-Cy5), have been covalently attached to a well-characterized CXCR4-targeted self-assembling protein nanoparticle (known as T22-GFP-H6). The biodistribution of labeled T22-GFP-H6-ATTO and T22-GFP-H6-S-Cy5 nanoparticles has been then compared to that of the non-labeled nanoparticle in different CXCR4+ tumor mouse models. We observed that while parent

  https://doi.org/10.1039/D0SC05638C https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2020/sc/d0sc05638c#!divAbstract Abstract This article provides the computational prediction of the atomistic architectures resulting from self-assembly of the polar heptapeptide sequences NYNYNYN, SYSYSYS and GYGYGYG. Using a combination of molecular dynamics and a newly developed tool for non-covalent interaction analysis, we uncover the properties of a new class of bionanomaterials, including hydrogen-bonded polar zippers, and the relationship between peptide composition, fibril geometry and weak interaction networks. Our results, corroborated by experimental observations, provide the basis for the rational design of prion-inspired nanomaterials.

Les proteïnes recombinants, molècules biològiques amb potencial terapèutic, representen un avenç en la salut humana i animal com és el cas de la insulina. Aquestes, però, un cop administrades són degradades ràpidament. En aquest sentit i en el cas de les malalties infeccioses, el grup de Nanobiotecnologia de la UAB estudia unes nanopartícules que contenen la proteïna interferó-gamma (IFN-γ) i que activen les defenses de les vaques lleteres. Fins i tot, en milloren el rendiment biològic. Les proteïnes recombinants tenen un gran impacte socioeconòmic, principalment en els sectors industrial i biofarmacèutic. La possibilitat d’accedir a grans quantitats de proteïnes d’elevada puresa ha contribuït a la millora de vida de molts pacients que necessiten una aportació extra d’aquest tipus de bi