Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Meng-Wei Zhang, Yu He, Meng-Xue Wei
Summary: A series of novel matrine-dithiocarbamate (DTC) hybrids were synthesized and evaluated for their cytotoxic potency on human cancer and normal cells. The hybrids showed higher toxicity against the HepG2 cell line compared to the parent matrine, with hybrid 4l being the most potent compound. Hybrid 4l also exhibited selectivity towards cancer cells and induced apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. These findings highlight the potential of matrine-DTC hybrids, particularly hybrid 4l, in anticancer drug development.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Elisa Abas, Diego Aguirre-Ramirez, Mariano Laguna, Laura Grasa
Summary: Newly synthesized dithiocarbamate cycloaurated complexes exhibit good antitumor properties with excellent in vitro antiproliferative activity and selectivity. They also show good antimicrobial activity against various bacteria and fungi.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Md Aquib, Hang Zhang, Faisal Raza, Parikshit Banerjee, Rohit Bavi, Samuel Kesse, Kofi Oti Boakye-Yiadom, Mensura Sied Filli, Muhammad Asim Farooq, Bo Wang
Summary: Aminated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (AMPSNPs) were developed as a nanocarrier for disulfiram (DSF) delivery in cancer therapies. The optimized AMPSNPs showed excellent properties and compatibility, providing potential for effective drug delivery.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vinodh Kannappan, Misha Ali, Benjamin Small, Gowtham Rajendran, Salena Elzhenni, Hamza Taj, Weiguang Wang, Q. Ping Dou
Summary: Copper plays a key role in cancer progression and copper-based complexes are being investigated as novel anticancer drugs. The combination of DSF with copper has shown great anticancer potential, but DSF has proven unsuccessful in clinical trials, likely due to poor stability of the currently used oral version of DSF.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Meng-Xue Wei, Yi-Xuan Zhou, Mengxia Lin, Jun Zhang, Xuanrong Sun
Summary: A series of novel rhein-piperazine-dithiocarbamate hybrids were synthesized and tested for their cytotoxic potency against human cancer and non-cancer cells. The hybrids showed enhanced cytotoxicity, particularly when ester groups were incorporated. One hybrid, 3h, exhibited the highest potency against lung cancer cells and lower toxicity towards normal lung cells.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
He Zhang, Qianyi Zhang, Ziyi Guo, Kang Liang, Cyrille Boyer, Jian Liu, Zhonghui Zheng, Rose Amal, Sung Lai Jimmy Yun, Zi Gu
Summary: The study developed a TME-triggered anticancer strategy by constructing DSF-Cu/ZIF-8 nanoparticles to achieve specific generation of cytotoxic compounds in the TME.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Cunte Chen, Dingrui Nie, Youxue Huang, Xibao Yu, Zheng Chen, Mengjun Zhong, Xin Liu, Xianfeng Wang, Songnan Sui, Zhuandi Liu, Jiaxiong Tan, Zhi Yu, Yangqiu Li, Chengwu Zeng
Summary: This study found that disulfiram (DSF) promotes apoptosis and inhibits proliferation of malignant T-cell cell lines and primary T-ALL cells through targeting the NPL4-mediated ubiquitin-proteasome pathway, offering a potential therapeutic option for T-cell malignancies.
JOURNAL OF LEUKOCYTE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Andrei R. Timerbaev
Summary: Metallodrug delivery using magnetic nanomaterials offers enhanced and controlled drug delivery to specific sites within the body, reducing side effects and protecting drugs from the extracellular environment. This article reviews recent progress in the development of iron oxide nanoparticles loaded with platinum anticancer drugs and examines the application of modern analytical techniques in this field.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Filomena Fortinguerra, Andrea Pierantozzi, Francesco Trotta
Summary: Italy has the highest per capita alcohol consumption in Europe. A study analyzed the consumption of medications used to treat alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in Italy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that in 2020, the total consumption of AUD medications in Italy was 310.3 DDD per 1 million inhabitants per day, with a higher consumption in the north compared to the south.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Biophysics
Chan Li, Sheng Zhou, Chuncheng Chen, Lijun Zhu, Shijie Li, Zhuoyue Song, Jian Liang, Chunzhi Tang, Nenggui Xu, Tao Liu, Shihui Liu
Summary: In this study, a nanomedicine Cu-BTC@DDTC with high antitumor activity was prepared by loading diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) onto a nanoscale metal-organic framework (MOF) Cu-BTC. The results showed that Cu-BTC@DDTC had high drug loading and stability, and exhibited significant antitumor effect and biosafety. This study provides a feasible protocol for developing antitumor drugs based on the drug repurposing strategy.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES B-BIOINTERFACES
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Suxing Jin, Yan Guo, Zijian Guo, Xiaoyong Wang
Summary: Monofunctional platinum(II) complexes are a class of non-traditional anticancer agents hopeful to overcome the defects of current platinum drugs, with designs aiming to visualize cellular distribution, reduce side effects, improve tumor selectivity, or inhibit cancer cells through non-DNA targets.
Article
Cell Biology
Margot S. F. Roeten, Johan van Meerloo, Zinia J. Kwidama, Giovanna ter Huizen, Wouter H. Segerink, Sonja Zweegman, Gertjan J. L. Kaspers, Gerrit Jansen, Jacqueline Cloos
Summary: Ixazomib (IXA) is a promising orally available proteasome inhibitor with improved safety profile compared to Bortezomib (BTZ). In vitro and ex vivo studies showed that IXA has a similar mechanism of action as BTZ, but demonstrated anti-leukemic effects in primary leukemia cells, suggesting further pre-clinical evaluation.
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Laurine Kaul, Regine Suss, Andrew Zannettino, Katharina Richter
Summary: Dithiocarbamates (DTCs) have been widely used in various applications due to their metal binding abilities and high reactivity with thiol groups. The list of potential applications for DTCs continues to grow, with approval for clinical trials against cancer, HIV, Lyme disease, and new compounds targeting diseases with unmet therapeutic needs. DTCs show promising potential as innovative medical treatments in fields such as microbiology, neurology, cardiology, and ophthalmology.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Stefano Fogli, Sara Galimberti, Veronica Gori, Marzia Del Re, Romano Danesi
Summary: This review article explores the differences in potency, selectivity, pharmacokinetics, safety, and drug-drug interactions of clinically validated proteasome inhibitors, aiming to provide useful information for their clinical use in real life settings.
PHARMACOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Katarina Chroma, Zdenek Skrott, Jan Gursky, Jaroslav Bacovsky, Pavel Moudry, Tereza Buchtova, Martin Mistrik, Jiri Bartek
Summary: Despite various therapeutic modalities, multiple myeloma remains incurable with low treatment success rate. The common treatment targeting proteasome often leads to drug resistance. In this study, the authors propose a novel proteasome-like inhibitor agent called CuET formed in vivo and in vitro from a known drug, disulfiram. They demonstrate the effectiveness of CuET in killing different resistant forms of multiple myeloma cells, including those resistant to common anti-myeloma drugs. Furthermore, CuET can overcome another form of treatment resistance based on reduced proteasome load. The findings suggest that repurposing disulfiram in combination with copper supplementation could offer a promising treatment option for relapsed and therapy-resistant multiple myeloma patients.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Luo Jia, Guojun Wu, Sara Alonso, Cuiping Zhao, Alexander Lemenze, Yan Y. Lam, Liping Zhao, Karen L. Edelblum
Summary: Intraepithelial lymphocytes expressing the gamma delta T cell receptor (gamma delta IELs) play a crucial role in defending against luminal microbes. The microbiota is necessary and sufficient for the expansion of gamma delta IELs and specific commensals can regulate their homeostasis and immune surveillance.
MUCOSAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Ying Wang, Guojun Wu, Liping Zhao, Weizheng Wang
Summary: This study demonstrates the feasibility of alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome through microbiota-targeted nutritional intervention.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Neeta Y. Yousaf, Guojun Wu, Melania Melis, Mariano Mastinu, Cristina Contini, Tiziana Cabras, Iole Tomassini Barbarossa, Liping Zhao, Yan Y. Lam, Beverly J. Tepper
Summary: This study investigated the effects of a cranberry polyphenol oral rinse on taste perception, salivary proteins, and oral microbiota. The results showed that the rinse can modify the oral microbiome composition in non-tasters and alter specific salivary protein levels, but it does not affect sensory perception.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Guojun Wu, Hiba R. Tawfeeq, Atreju I. Lackey, Yinxiu Zhou, Zoe Sifnakis, Sophia M. Zacharisen, Heli Xu, Justine M. Doran, Harini Sampath, Liping Zhao, Yan Y. Lam, Judith Storch
Summary: This study investigated the effects of LFABP and IFABP deficiency on the gut microbiota in mice, and found that these changes were associated with phenotypic changes induced by a high-fat diet.
Retraction
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Guojun Wu, Wenhong Zhou, Xiaohua Pan, Zhigang Sun, Yongjie Sun, Hao Xu, Peng Shi, Jiyu Li, Ling Gao, Xingsong Tian
MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Lei Si, Xiaoying Chen, Menglu Ouyang, Xia Wang, Guofang Chen, Yong-jun Cao, Guojun Wu, Jinli Zhang, Jingfen Zhang, YuKai Liu, Shihong Zhang, Lili Song, Candice Delcourt, Hisatomi Arima, Lidan Wang, Thomas Lung, Mingsheng Chen, Craig S. Anderson, Stephen Jan
Summary: The cost-effectiveness analysis involved in the ENCHANTED study in China showed that low-dose alteplase in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) did not save overall healthcare costs or improve quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) compared to standard-dose alteplase. From an economic standpoint, there is no justification to shift from the standard-of-care thrombolysis in AIS to the use of low-dose alteplase.
CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Pei Dai, Pinglang Ruan, Yu Mao, Zhongxiang Tang, Ousman Bajinka, Guojun Wu, Yurong Tan
Summary: Potential small-molecule inhibitors against RSV-F protein have been identified, which effectively inhibit viral replication and alleviate RSV-induced complications. Z65 and Z85 may be suitable candidates for the treatment of RSV.
JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Virology
Hanlin He, Yurong Tan, Zhongxiang Tang, Lili Wang, Shuiping Liu, Guojun Wu
Summary: Many studies have shown that human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is associated with the development of atherosclerosis. This study investigates the impact of HCMV infection on the expression of metalloproteinases and their involvement in functional changes of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The results suggest that HCMV infection alters VSMC function through the expression of ADAM9, which contributes to the understanding of HCMV-induced atherosclerosis.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jing Dong, Junwu Tang, Guojun Wu, Ruizhuo Li
Summary: A turbidity-compensation method for nitrate measurement based on ultraviolet difference spectra is proposed to solve the problem of turbidity's significant effect on nitrate spectra and reduce the accuracy of nitrate detection. The effect of turbidity on nitrate absorption spectra is studied using the difference spectra of mixed and nitrate solutions. The proposed method reduces the average relative error of nitrate predictions from 50.33% to 1.33%, indicating better correction of turbidity-induced absorbance deviation and improved accuracy of nitrate predictions.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yicong Wang, Xianmeng Liang, Yang Yu, Changbin Yu, Min Yang, Guojun Wu
Summary: Wetland ecology monitoring is crucial for protecting and restoring fragile wetland ecosystems. The establishment of the Wetland Image Monitoring System (WIMS) provides real-time, continuous, and high-resolution data on the coverage and height of the keystone species Suaeda HeteropteraPall. (S. Heteroptera) in the degraded Liao River Estuary wetland. The monitoring data suggests that S. Heteroptera growth can be divided into three stages: rapid growth (April-May), slow growth (June-August), and stable (after September). The best model for coverage simulation is the Bertalanffy model, while a segmented model combining linear and Gompertz models is suitable for height simulation.
WETLANDS ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Mingquan Guo, Guojun Wu, Yun Tan, Yan Li, Xin Jin, Weiqiang Qi, Xiaokui Guo, Chenhong Zhang, Zhaoqin Zhu, Liping Zhao
Summary: A study found that gut microbiota changes in COVID-19 patients are associated with disease severity, but the relationship between microbiota changes and prognosis is unclear. By analyzing fecal samples from 300 hospitalized COVID-19 patients at admission, researchers identified 33 genomes that showed differential distribution in different severity groups. These genomes organized into two competing guilds, with Guild 1 being potentially beneficial and Guild 2 potentially detrimental. The guild-level microbiome index (GMI) based on these genomes classified patients according to severity groups (AUROC = 0.83), helping identify high-risk patients at admission.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Longxiang Li, Liping Ding, Yuting Shao, Shengwei Sun, Mengxi Wang, Jiahui Xiang, Jingjie Zhou, Guojun Wu, Zhe Song, Zhihong Xin
Summary: In this study, a feruloyl esterase DLFae4 was modified through error-prone PCR and site-directed saturation mutation to enhance its catalytic efficiency and acyltransferase activity. Five mutants with enhanced catalytic activity towards methyl ferulate were characterized. Among them, the double variant DLFae4-m5 exhibited the highest hydrolytic activity, with a decrease in Km value and an increase in Kcat/Km value. Molecular docking revealed that DLFae4-m5 formed a complex hydrogen bond network, resulting in increased catalytic activity. Furthermore, the mutation of residue Ala-341 to glycine (A341G) in DLFae4 enhanced its acyl transfer activity and efficiency, representing the highest acyltransferase activity reported so far for family VIII carboxylesterases. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of error-prone PCR and site-directed saturation mutation in improving enzyme activity and highlight the practical application of this feruloyl esterase.
Article
Biology
Dan Liu, Zhongxiang Tang, Ousman Bajinka, Pei Dai, Guojun Wu, Ling Qin, Yurong Tan
Summary: This study analyzed the differentially expressed miRNAs in RSV-infected patients, asthma patients, and COPD patients through miRNA profiling and integrated analysis. The downregulation of miR-34b/c-5p was observed, and its role in airway inflammation and AHR was confirmed through in vivo and in vitro experiments. The study provides new insights into the molecular mechanism of hsa-miR-34b/c-5p/CXCL10 in airway inflammation and AHR.
Article
Cell Biology
Junpeng Yang, Xueli Yang, Guojun Wu, Fenglian Huang, Xiaoyang Shi, Wei Wei, Yingchao Zhang, Haihui Zhang, Lina Cheng, Lu Yu, Jing Shang, Yinghua Lv, Xiaobing Wang, Rui Zhai, Pan Li, Bota Cui, Yuanyuan Fang, Xinru Deng, Shasha Tang, Limin Wang, Qian Yuan, Liping Zhao, Faming Zhang, Chenhong Zhang, Huijuan Yuan
Summary: The pathogenesis of DSPN in diabetes mellitus patients is associated with gut microbiota. Fecal microbiota transplant can alleviate DSPN and improve gut barrier integrity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shengwei Sun, Yuzhi Tan, Luyao Wang, Zichao Wu, Jingjie Zhou, Guojun Wu, Yuting Shao, Mengxi Wang, Zhe Song, Zhihong Xin
Summary: In this study, a new PAE-degrading enzyme EstJ6 was modified to improve its catalytic activity and expression level. Four mutants with enhanced activity were obtained, among which EstJ6M1.1 showed the highest catalytic activity. A variant EstJ6M2 with even higher catalytic activity and efficiency was identified, and a variant EstJ6M3.1 with significantly improved activity and efficiency was obtained by targeted mutation. The expression level of the mutants and the wild-type increased nearly threefold after a strong promoter replacement. These findings provide a theoretical basis and practical pipeline for the application of PAE-degrading enzymes.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
