15038 studies
Here, we demonstrate the self-assembly of the antimicrobial human LL-37 active core (residues 17-29) into a protein fibril of densely packed helices. The surface of the fibril encompasses alternating hydrophobic and positively charged zigzagged belts…
First proposed as antimicrobial agents, histones were later recognized for their role in condensing chromosomes. Histone antimicrobial activity has been reported in innate immune responses. However, how histones kill bacteria has remained elusive. Th…
BACKGROUND: Saliva contains a very complex mixture of proteins for defense against microbiological pathogens and for oral food perception. Howler monkeys are Neotropical primates that can consume a mostly leaf diet. They are well known to thrive in h…
The search for new approaches for developing antimicrobial surfaces is a challenge of great urgency to prevent and control microbial growth on surfaces. The strategy herein proposed relies on the design of a new, simple and general tool for creating…
BACKGROUND: Safe diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is of utmost importance for successful exchange arthroplasty. However, current diagnostic tools show insufficient accuracy in the clinically common and challenging chronic low-grade i…
Leishmaniasis is a serious global challenge with neither efficacious prophylactic vaccine nor effective and safe therapeutic measures. Cathelicidins, members of antimicrobial peptides family, are small proteins of innate immunity system, which repres…
BACKGROUND: Vitamin D (Vit. D) is used extensively during tuberculosis treatment. Low levels of serum Vit. D increase the risk of active tuberculosis development. Altered expression of the proteins involved in Vit. D metabolism impairs cathelicidin p…
Among the mechanisms put-up by the host to defend against invading microorganisms, antimicrobial peptides represent the first line. In different species of mammals, the cathelicidin family of antimicrobial peptides AMPs has been identified, and in hu…
Infections are common complications in joint replacement surgeries. Eradicated infections can lead to implant failure. In this paper, analogues of the peptide KR-12 derived from the human cathelicidin LL-37 were designed, synthesised, and characteris…
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a mosquito-borne virus belonging to the genusand has reemerged in recent years with epidemic potential. ZIKV infection may result in severe syndromes such as neurological complications and microcephaly in newborns. Therefore, ZIK…
There is a strong link between cigarette smoking and pulmonary complications among people living with HIV. However, the effects of smoking on the local lung immune environment in this population remain unclear. Bronchoalveolar lavage and saliva were…
BACKGROUND: It is widely unknown why respiratory infections follow a seasonal pattern. Variations in ultraviolet B (UVB) light during seasons affects cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D. Serum vitamin D concentration influences the expression of airway…
OBJECTIVE: The vitamin D endocrine system may have a variety of actions on cells and tissues involved in COVID-19 progression especially by decreasing the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Calcifediol can rapidly increase serum 25OHD concentration…
LL-37, the only member of the cathelicidin family of cationic antimicrobial peptides in humans has been shown to exhibit a wide variety of biological actions in addition to its antimicrobial activity. However, the lymphangiogenic effect of LL-37 has…
Platelet-associated complications including thrombosis, thrombocytopenia, and haemorrhage are commonly observed during various inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis. Although several mechanisms that may contribute to the dysfunction of platelets du…
AIM: Development and design of efficient wound dressings are subject of intensive investigations either in basic or in clinical researches. Although, hydrogel-based wound dressings have gained increasing attention and showed beneficial results in ter…
Antibiotic resistance is a global epidemic, becoming increasingly pressing due to its rapid spread. There is thus a critical need to develop new therapeutic approaches. In addition to searching for new antibiotics, looking into existing mechanisms of…
Cutaneous malignancies including melanomas and keratinocyte carcinomas (KC) are the most common types of cancer, occurring at a rate of over one million per year in the United States. KC, which include both basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell car…
In COVID 19 related lung disease, which is a leading cause of death from this disease, cytokines like tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) may be pivotal in the pathogenesis. TNF alpha reduces fluid absorption due to impairment of sodium and chlor…
Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are produced by neutrophils, monocytes, and macrophages, as well as epithelial cells, and are an essential component of innate immunity system against infection, including several viral infections. AMPs, in particular th…