BACKGROUND Nowadays, the encapsulation of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents is attracting interest as a method for drug delivery. We hypothesized that the efficiency of helenalin might be maximized by encapsulation in β-cyclodextrin nanoparticles. Helenalin, with a hydrophobic structure obtained from flowers of Arnica chamissonis and Arnica Montana, has anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activit...

The growth hormone secretagogue receptor, GHSR1a, mediates the biological activities of ghrelin, which includes the secretion of growth hormone, as well as the stimulation of appetite, food intake and maintenance of energy homeostasis. Mapping phosphorylation sites on GHSR1a and knowledge of how these sites control specific functional consequences unlocks new strategies for the development of t...

TGF-ß is a multifunctional cytokine that is involved in cell proliferation, differentiation and function. We previously reported an essential role of the TGF-ß -Smad2/3 pathways in RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing, we comprehensively identified Smad2/3 target genes in bone marrow macrophages. These genes were enriched in the gene popul...

A series of cyclodextrin-cinchona alkaloid inclusion complexes were prepared from beta-cyclodextrin, heptakis(2,6-di-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin and heptakis(2,3,6-tri-O-methyl)-beta-cyclodextrin and four cinchona alkaloids in ca. 90% yields, and their inclusion complexation behavior was investigated at pH 7.2 and 1.5 by means of fluorescence, UV/Vis and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The results showed ...

The literature on TGF-ß in cancer including data on the expression or activation of TGF-ß pathway components in specific tumors types is steadily growing. However, no systematic and uniform analysis exists reporting expression levels of the main TGF-ß pathway components across the most frequent tumor types. We used a standardized immunohistochemical assay investigating TGF-ß isoform expression ...

Transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) signaling plays an important role in regulating crucial biological processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Many of these processes are also an integral part of amelogenesis. In order to delineate a precise role of TGF-ß signaling during amelogenesis, we developed a transgenic mouse line that harb...

Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) functions both in regulation of insulin secretion and neurotransmitter release through common downstream mediators. Therefore, we hypothesized that pancreatic ß-cells acquire and store the information contained in calcium pulses as a form of "metabolic memory", just as neurons store cognitive information. To test this hypothesis, we develop...

Aim. To explore whether first-trimester levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPPA) and serum free ß-human chorionic gonadotrophin (free ß-hCG) vary with maternal blood group and rhesus status and to determine their implications for Down syndrome. Methods. Blood samples were collected from all 539 singleton pregnancies undergoing first-trimester screening. Values of maternal serum P...

Unfolding/refolding of a plasma protein, human serum albumin (HSA), is studied using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) and single molecule fluorescence resonance energy transfer (sm-FRET). Addition of cholesterol causes unfolding of HSA resulting in an increase in the hydrodynamic diameter (dH = 2rH) from 76 Å in the native state to 120 Å upon addition of 1 mM cholesterol. Addition of...

Bacillus licheniformis RM44 was isolated from hot spring near Karachi and screened forthe production of extracellular amylase Amy RM44. Amy RM44 was purified to homogeneityon a single step by affinity chromatography using insoluble corn starch. The molecular weightof Amy RM44 was estimated to be 66 kDa by SDS–PAGE and zymographic analysis. Nine foldpurification was achieved with the specific ac...