Polycationic calixarene micellar aggregate as a novel iodophor platform for on-demand iodine release to bacteria.

Iodine is the most potent antiseptic agent used in clinical applications, but its volatility and toxicity are serious drawbacks that are stimulating the search of new strategies to achieve formulations stable at low iodine concentration. Here, we report that polycationic micellar aggregates, formed by the self-assembling of the amphiphilic choline-calix[4]arene derivative (CholCalix) in aqueous medium, are able to complex triiodide anions (I) both in solution and in solid phase. This novel iodophor enhances the stability of 0.

Synergic Effect of Methyl-β-Cyclodextrin and Hydrophilic Polymers on Nepafenac Solubilization: Development of a 0.3% Ophthalmic Solution.

Nepafenac is an anti-inflammatory drug used in ophthalmology, marketed as a suspension due to its low aqueous solubility. A solution formulation could provide better bioavailability than suspension and facilitate single unit doses, avoiding the use of preservatives which are required to maintain sterility in multidose packaging. In this study, solubilization of nepafenac was achieved in the presence of randomly methylated β-cyclodextrin (RAMEB) and the actual complexation was assessed by NMR and phase-solubility studies.

Inclusion Complex of a Cationic Mono-Choline-β-Cyclodextrin Derivative with Resveratrol: Preparation, Characterization, and Wound-Healing Activity.

Resveratrol is one of the most extensively studied natural products due to its pleiotropic health benefits. However, its low water solubility and limited stability hinder its application in the nutraceutical, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical sectors. In this work, we investigated the ability of a cationic mono-choline-β-cyclodextrin derivative to complex -resveratrol.

π-Turns in Peptides: A Crystal-State Literature Survey.

The results of an analysis on the presence of π-turns, characterized by an i ← i + 5 C=O···H-N intramolecular hydrogen bond, in the X-ray diffraction structures of peptides are discussed. The survey returned a total of 55 π-turn occurrences in linear and cyclic peptides. π-Turns characterized by a helical conformation for residue i + 4, but with a screw sense opposite to that of the three preceding residues, are largely prevailing.

Emissive Pentacene-Loaded βcyclodextrin-Derived C-Nanodots Exhibit Red-Light Triggered Photothermal Effect.

The design of multifunctional carbon based nanosystems exhibiting light-triggered hyperthermia, emission, low cytotoxicity, and drug delivery capability is of significant interest in the area of nanomaterials. In this study, we present red-emitting and photothermal carbon nanodots (Cdots-βCD/PTC) obtained by the encapsulation of hydrophobic pentacene (PTC) within Carbon nanodots (Cdots) synthesized from beta-cyclodextrin (βCD). The prepared nanostructures were investigated in terms of morphology, size, and optical properties, by absorption and emission optical spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, dynamics light scattering, Z-potential, nuclear magnetic resonance, and infra-red spectroscopy.

Biofriendly glucose-derived carbon nanodots: GLUT2-mediated cell internalization for an efficient targeted drug delivery and light-triggered cancer cell damage.

Personalized medicine holds great promise for treating the underlying causes of many human diseases with high precision. Low-dimensional carbon-based materials are being designed to more closely match specific delivery efficiency for targeted cancer treatment, while enabling the benefits of increased biocompatibility, high cargo-loading capacity and excellent light-responsive properties, including photoluminescence and photothermal effects. Here, we report an unprecedented example of glucose-based carbon-nanodots (CDs-gluc) obtained via a one-pot thermal process from glucose, without using organic solvent and additional reagents.

Biocompatible Poly(ε-Caprolactone) Nanocapsules Enhance the Bioavailability, Antibacterial, and Immunomodulatory Activities of Curcumin.

Curcumin (Cur), the primary curcuminoid found in L., has garnered significant attention for its potential anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. However, its hydrophobic nature significantly limits its bioavailability.

Notch4 regulatory T cells and SARS-CoV-2 viremia shape COVID19 survival outcome.

Background: Immune dysregulation and SARS-CoV-2 plasma viremia have been implicated in fatal COVID-19 disease. However, how these two factors interact to shape disease outcomes is unclear.

Methods: We carried out viral and immunological phenotyping on a prospective cohort of 280 patients with COVID-19 presenting to acute care hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts and Genoa, Italy between June 1, 2020 and February 8, 2022.

The Janus effect of colloidal self-assembly on the biological response of amphiphilic drugs.

In aqueous environment amphiphilic molecules organize themselves into supramolecular structures deeply affecting the chemo-physical properties. Supramolecular assemby is also crucial in the pharmaceutical development of bioactive lipophilic molecules whose attitude to self-aggregate is a recognized factor affecting the in vivo pharmacokinetic, but can also play a crucial role in the interaction with the biological targets in in vitro tests. In aqueous solution, amphiphilic drugs exist in a complex equilibrium involving free monomers, oligomers and larger supramolecular aggregates held together by noncovalent bonds.

Polyvinylimidazole-Based Cryogel as an Efficient Tool for the Capture and Release of Oleuropein in Aqueous Media.

A polyvinylimidazole-based cryogel is presented as a pioneering solution for efficient extraction and release of partially water-soluble polyphenols from olive byproducts. Specifically, oleuropein was used as model molecule to evaluate its recovery from water. The material merges the properties of interconnected cryogel structure in adsorbing molecules via fast diffusion flux, with the strong electrostatic interactions acted by imidazole moiety.

HEMA-Lysine-Based Cryogels for Highly Selective Heparin Neutralization.

Unfractionated heparin (UFH) and its low-molecular-weight fragments (LMWH) are widely used as anticoagulants for surgical procedures and extracorporeal blood purification therapies such as cardiovascular surgery and dialysis. The anticoagulant effect of heparin is essential for the optimal execution of extracorporeal blood circulation. However, at the end of these procedures, to avoid the risk of bleeding, it is necessary to neutralize it.

Correction: Innovative snail-mucus-extract (SME)-coated nanoparticles exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects for potential skin cancer prevention and treatment.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D4RA00291A.].

DeLA-DrugSelf: Empowering multi-objective de novo design through SELFIES molecular representation.

In this paper, we introduce DeLA-DrugSelf, an upgraded version of DeLA-Drug [J. Chem. Inf.

Neuroprotective Effects of the Nutraceutical Dehydrozingerone and Its C-Symmetric Dimer in a Drosophila Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of dopaminergic neurons responsible for unintended or uncontrollable movements. Mutations in the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 locus contribute to genetic forms of PD. The fruit fly carrying this mutation (LRRK2-Dm) is an in vivo model of PD that develops motor impairment and stands for an eligible non-mammalian paradigm to test novel therapeutic approaches.

Innovative snail-mucus-extract (SME)-coated nanoparticles exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects for potential skin cancer prevention and treatment.

Nowadays, several studies have highlighted the ability of snail mucus in maintaining healthy skin conditions due to its emollient, regenerative and protective properties. In particular, mucus derived from has been reported to have beneficial effects such as antioxidant, antimicrobial activity and wound repair capacity. To enhance antioxidant activity of snail mucus, it was extracted in a hydroalcoholic solution and consequently freeze-dried.

DA7R: A 7-Letter Zip Code to Target PDAC.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common type of pancreatic cancer, and is among the most aggressive and still incurable cancers. Innovative and successful therapeutic strategies are extremely needed. Peptides represent a versatile and promising tool to achieve tumor targeting, thanks to their ability to recognize specific target proteins (over)expressed on the surface of cancer cells.

Total synthesis of the natural, medium-length, peptaibol pentadecaibin and study of the chemical features responsible for its membrane activity.

Peptaibols are naturally occurring, antimicrobial peptides endowed with well-defined helical conformations and resistance to proteolysis. Both features stem from the presence in their sequence of several, C -tetrasubstituted, α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) residues. Peptaibols interact with biological membranes, usually causing their leakage.

Isolated α-turns in peptides: a selected literature survey.

The results of classifying into various types the 68 examples of isolated α-turns in the X-ray diffraction crystal structures of peptides documented in the literature are presented and discussed in this review article. α-Turns characterized by the trans disposition of all ω torsion angles are common for the backbone linear peptides investigated. In contrast, the cis arrangement of the N-terminal (ω ) torsion angle, among those generated by the three residues internal to the α-turn, is a peculiar feature of 65% of the cyclic peptides.

The Notch1/CD22 signaling axis disrupts Treg function in SARS-CoV-2-associated multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) evolves in some pediatric patients following acute infection with SARS-CoV-2 by hitherto unknown mechanisms. Whereas acute-COVID-19 severity and outcomes were previously correlated with Notch4 expression on Tregs, here, we show that Tregs in MIS-C were destabilized through a Notch1-dependent mechanism. Genetic analysis revealed that patients with MIS-C had enrichment of rare deleterious variants affecting inflammation and autoimmunity pathways, including dominant-negative mutations in the Notch1 regulators NUMB and NUMBL leading to Notch1 upregulation.

Mechanism of CK2 Inhibition by a Ruthenium-Based Polyoxometalate.

CK2 is a Ser/Thr protein kinase involved in many cellular processes such as gene expression, cell cycle progression, cell growth and differentiation, embryogenesis, and apoptosis. Aberrantly high CK2 activity is widely documented in cancer, but the enzyme is also involved in several other pathologies, such as diabetes, inflammation, neurodegeneration, and viral infections, including COVID-19. Over the last years, a large number of small-molecules able to inhibit the CK2 activity have been reported, mostly acting with an ATP-competitive mechanism.

Biomaterials and Bioactive Natural Products from Marine Invertebrates: From Basic Research to Innovative Applications.

Aquatic invertebrates are a major source of biomaterials and bioactive natural products that can find applications as pharmaceutics, nutraceutics, cosmetics, antibiotics, antifouling products and biomaterials. Symbiotic microorganisms are often the real producers of many secondary metabolites initially isolated from marine invertebrates; however, a certain number of them are actually synthesized by the macro-organisms. In this review, we analysed the literature of the years 2010-2019 on natural products (bioactive molecules and biomaterials) from the main phyla of marine invertebrates explored so far, including sponges, cnidarians, molluscs, echinoderms and ascidians, and present relevant examples of natural products of interest to public and private stakeholders.