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| 2. |
- Zubair, Muhammad
(författare)
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Genetic variation, biochemical contents and wound healing activity of Plantago major
- 2012
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Plantago major L. (greater plantain, common plantain) has been used as a wound healing remedy in different parts of the world for centuries. Different bioactive compounds have been proposed to contribute to the wound healing properties of this plant. The present study was undertaken to investigate the impact of some genetic and environmental factors on the wound healing activity of common plantain. Seeds of P. major were collected from five populations in different parts of Sweden, and were germinated and grown in a greenhouse. As expected for an inbreeding species, RAPD analyses demonstrated considerable between-population variation but very sparse within-population and within-subpopulation variation. Six major phenolic compounds were encountered in samples of P. major, four of which were identified for the first time in this thesis; PLMA 1–PLMA 4. Between-population and sub-population differences in the contents of these chemical compounds showed no correlation with RAPD-based estimates of genetic relatedness. The contents of these compounds differed greatly between different plant organs of P. major. The highest concentration of plantamajoside and PLMA 2 was found in leaves whereas the highest concentration of verbascoside was found in flower stalks and seeds. Contents were significantly higher in freeze-dried leaf samples compared to samples dried at higher temperatures. Both water and ethanol-based extracts of P. major leaves stimulated the cell proliferation and migration in an in vitro scratch assay, and also showed anti-inflammatory activity in an in vitro NF-kB assay with oral epithelial cell cultures. Similarly, these extracts stimulated wound healing activities in ex vivo tests using detached pig ears. Further breeding efforts aimed at developing P. major as a crop plant, and medicinal research aimed at elucidating and optimizing extracts with wound healing properties, are thus warranted.
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| 3. |
- Hansson, Charlotta, et al.
(författare)
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Feeding transgenic plants that express a tolerogenic fusion protein effectively protects against arthritis
- 2016
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Ingår i: Plant Biotechnology Journal. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1467-7644 .- 1467-7652. ; 14:4, s. 1106-1115
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Although much explored, oral tolerance for treatment of autoimmune diseases still awaits the establishment of novel and effective vectors. We investigated if the tolerogenic CTA1(R7K)-COL-DD fusion protein can be expressed in edible plants and in this way induce oral tolerance and protect against arthritis. The fusion protein was recombinantly expressed in Arabidopsis thaliana plants, which were fed to H-2q restricted DBA/1 mice to assess the preventive effect on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). The treatment resulted in fewer mice exhibiting disease and arthritis scores were significantly reduced. Immune suppression was evident in treated mice and serum biomarkers for inflammation as well as anti-collagen IgG responses were reduced. In spleen draining and lymph nodes, CD4+ T cell responses were reduced. Concomitant with a reduced effector T cell activity with lower IFNg, IL-13 and IL-17A production we observed an increase in IL-10 production to recall antigen stimulation in vitro, suggesting reduced Th1, Th2 and Th17 activity subsequent to upregulated IL-10 and regulatory T cell (Treg) functions. The present study shows that edible plants expressing a tolerogen were effective at stimulating CD4 T cell tolerance and in protecting against CIA disease. Our study conveys optimism as to the potential of using edible plants for oral treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
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| 4. |
- Vågsholm, Ivar
(författare)
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Statement on a request from the European Commission for the assessment of the scientific elements supporting the prohibition for the placing on the market of GM potato EH92-527-1 for cultivation purposes in Austria
- 2012
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Ingår i: EFSA Journal. - : Wiley. - 1831-4732. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Austria notified to the European Commission its ordinance implementing a national safeguard measure prohibiting the placing on the market of GM potato EH92-527-1 for cultivation purposes in Austria, after which the European Commission asked the European Food Safety Authority to assess the scientific elements supporting the prohibition. Having considered the information package provided by Austria and all relevant scientific publications, the GMO and BIOHAZ Panels concluded that: i) no new data specific to the safety of the nptII gene have been provided; ii) the risk posed by the formation of mosaic structures of aminoglycoside phosphotransferase genes could not be assessed without data documenting the existence of such structures among the existing gene variants and such data were not provided; iii) the therapeutic relevance of kanamycin and neomycin was already addressed in the EFSA's opinion on ARM genes and as of yet there is no evidence to indicate that resistance to these antibiotics in clinically-relevant bacteria has developed as a result of acquisition of the nptII gene; iv) the knowledge gaps and uncertainties highlighted in the Austrian document have already been considered in the EFSA's opinion on ARM genes. Austria did not provide any new or additional information on the molecular characterisation or PMEM of potato EH92-527-1 after the date of consent for this GM event that would require the reassessment of existing information. The EFSA GMO Panel reiterates its scientific opinion on the 2010 monitoring report of GM potato EH92-527-1 in which it provides specific recommendations to improve the methodology of the PMEM of the GM potato. Further, the EFSA GMO Panel concludes that no grounds exist to date that would lead to reconsideration of its opinion on GM potato EH92-527-1.
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| 5. |
- Eriksson, D, et al.
(författare)
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Extended exome sequencing identifies BACH2 as a novel major risk locus for Addison's disease
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Internal Medicine. - : Wiley. - 0954-6820 .- 1365-2796. ; 286:6, s. 595-608
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Autoimmune disease is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Addison's disease, the adrenal glands are targeted by destructive autoimmunity. Despite being the most common cause of primary adrenal failure, little is known about its aetiology.METHODS: To understand the genetic background of Addison's disease, we utilized the extensively characterized patients of the Swedish Addison Registry. We developed an extended exome capture array comprising a selected set of 1853 genes and their potential regulatory elements, for the purpose of sequencing 479 patients with Addison's disease and 1394 controls.RESULTS: We identified BACH2 (rs62408233-A, OR = 2.01 (1.71-2.37), P = 1.66 × 10(-15) , MAF 0.46/0.29 in cases/controls) as a novel gene associated with Addison's disease development. We also confirmed the previously known associations with the HLA complex.CONCLUSION: Whilst BACH2 has been previously reported to associate with organ-specific autoimmune diseases co-inherited with Addison's disease, we have identified BACH2 as a major risk locus in Addison's disease, independent of concomitant autoimmune diseases. Our results may enable future research towards preventive disease treatment.
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| 6. |
- Lindahl, Pernilla, et al.
(författare)
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Copy number variants in the kallikrein gene cluster.
- 2013
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Ingår i: PLoS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 8:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The kallikrein gene family (KLK1-KLK15) is the largest contiguous group of protease genes within the human genome and is associated with both risk and outcome of cancer and other diseases. We searched for copy number variants in all KLK genes using quantitative PCR analysis and analysis of inheritance patterns of single nucleotide polymorphisms. Two deletions were identified: one 2235-bp deletion in KLK9 present in 1.2% of alleles, and one 3394-bp deletion in KLK15 present in 4.0% of alleles. Each deletion eliminated one complete exon and created out-of-frame coding that eliminated the catalytic triad of the resulting truncated gene product, which therefore likely is a non-functional protein. Deletion breakpoints identified by DNA sequencing located the KLK9 deletion breakpoint to a long interspersed element (LINE) repeated sequence, while the deletion in KLK15 is located in a single copy sequence. To search for an association between each deletion and risk of prostate cancer (PC), we analyzed a cohort of 667 biopsied men (266 PC cases and 401 men with no evidence of PC at biopsy) using short deletion-specific PCR assays. There was no association between evidence of PC in this cohort and the presence of either gene deletion. Haplotyping revealed a single origin of each deletion, with most recent common ancestor estimates of 3000-8000 and 6000-14 000 years for the deletions in KLK9 and KLK15, respectively. The presence of the deletions on the same haplotypes in 1000 Genomes data of both European and African populations indicate an early origin of both deletions. The old age in combination with homozygous presence of loss-of-function variants suggests that some kallikrein-related peptidases have non-essential functions.
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| 7. |
- kaiser, matthias, et al.
(författare)
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Food ethics: a Wide Field in Need of Dialogue
- 2016
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Ingår i: Food Ethics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2364-6853 .- 2364-6861. ; 1:1, s. 1-7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There are a few things which are obviously a central part of everyone’s life, at all times, and all over the globe, and which are crucial for our wellbeing. Food is, like sex, such an essential ingredient of our life, an ingredient of what we expect of a good life. What is on our plates is always a result of nature and culture, to the extent that it may seem hard to find commonalities in our global diet. As academics we have asked different questions about food. For a long time these questions have been dominated by the quest to secure enough food and to improve what we have got. It is, however, noteworthy that we also always have asked the normative questions in relation to food: Is it right to eat this kind of food? Do we produce our food the right way? Is there injustice and bad power in the way we distribute the food? Are we lied to in regard to what is on our plate? When we enter the normative realm, we enter the realm of ethics, understood in a wide and comprehensive way. As all normative questions, we need to be well informed by knowledge about how the world is, and what is at stake and for whom. We call this food ethics. Food ethics raises issues and asks questions in relation to food all along the value chains. It also puts things into relation with each other. At the same time it disentangles complex heaps of factors and pieces of knowledge, and looks for guidance. It is issue driven, rather than interest driven. It unites scholars with farmers and fishermen, chefs with industry, consumers with lawyers, and food citizens with authorities. As a young field within academia it is important to guard against efforts to appropriate the field for narrow interests, and instead to combine the natural and social sciences in analysing and addressing the challenges. We do not necessarily call for the grand ethical theory that explains it all, but rather start with the simple things in a very complex overall picture. We want to draw attention to ethically significant facts, discuss problematic developments, point to genuine dilemmas, learn about food relevant contexts and history, and look for individual, professional and institutional responses to ethical challenges and issues. Thus, one of the missions of this new journal Food Ethics, is to widen the scope and the discussion on the topic, and to be inclusive in terms of who has something to contribute to the field. There is no escaping from confronting very complex issues when it comes to managing one of the most basic needs we all have, food. As editors of this new journal we maintain that food ethics deserves special and inter-disciplinary attention by researchers, that it is not sufficiently dealt with by what is currently known as bioethics, that it is intrinsically connected with the so-called grand societal challenges of our time, that it is a globally important field which demands particular attention to complexities and uncertainties, as much as it needs to be explicit about what values are at stake and for whom, and which normative principles it touches upon.
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| 8. |
- Carlsson, Magnus
(författare)
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Production of human heme-binding proteins in plants for potential pharmaceutical and nutritional uses
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Plants have a long history as a source of nutrition and medication. In the last few decades, interest has also emerged in using plants as a production system for protein pharmaceuticals, in part due to possible scale-up- and safety-benefits with this method of production. One class of protein pharmaceuticals for which the use of a plant production system might be particularly interesting is hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOC’s), a type of pharmaceutical intended to function as an alternative to donated blood in clinical situations. HBOC’s face many safety and production challenges, that have so far prevented widespread use, and production in plants could perhaps help towards solving these problems. In this thesis, we aimed to express and characterize proteins of interest with the goal of using them in oxygen therapeutics, using transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. The expressed recombinant proteins were based on human myoglobin (Mb), fetal hemoglobin (HbF) and α1-microglobulin (A1M). The proteins were successfully expressed in tobacco leaves and the purified proteins displayed their respective functional activity. The plant expression system thus showed its efficacy, and was capable of supplying the critical heme for Mb and Hb production, something that may also have implications for using plants as a source of nutritional iron. While more work is needed, the results help to show the feasibility of using heme-binding proteins produced in plants for pharmaceutical uses, something that was also underlined by animal- and cell-tests.
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
- Johansson, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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Impact of food processing on rye product properties and their in vitro digestion
- 2018
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Ingår i: European Journal of Nutrition. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1436-6207 .- 1436-6215. ; 57:4, s. 1651-1666
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Rye products have been reported to elicit postprandial insulin and glucose responses which may be beneficial for prevention of type-2 diabetes. However, mechanisms underlying variations in responses related to processing techniques are not fully understood.
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