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| 2. |
- Aidas, Kestutis, et al.
(författare)
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The Dalton quantum chemistry program system
- 2014
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Ingår i: WIREs Computational Molecular Science. - : Wiley. - 1759-0876 .- 1759-0884. ; 4:3, s. 269-284
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dalton is a powerful general-purpose program system for the study of molecular electronic structure at the Hartree-Fock, Kohn-Sham, multiconfigurational self-consistent-field, MOller-Plesset, configuration-interaction, and coupled-cluster levels of theory. Apart from the total energy, a wide variety of molecular properties may be calculated using these electronic-structure models. Molecular gradients and Hessians are available for geometry optimizations, molecular dynamics, and vibrational studies, whereas magnetic resonance and optical activity can be studied in a gauge-origin-invariant manner. Frequency-dependent molecular properties can be calculated using linear, quadratic, and cubic response theory. A large number of singlet and triplet perturbation operators are available for the study of one-, two-, and three-photon processes. Environmental effects may be included using various dielectric-medium and quantum-mechanics/molecular-mechanics models. Large molecules may be studied using linear-scaling and massively parallel algorithms. Dalton is distributed at no cost from for a number of UNIX platforms.
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| 4. |
- Thomas, Anub Mathew, et al.
(författare)
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Combined Inhibition of C5 and CD14 Attenuates Systemic Inflammation in a Piglet Model of Meconium Aspiration Syndrome.
- 2018
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Ingår i: Neonatology. - : S. Karger. - 1661-7800 .- 1661-7819. ; 113:4, s. 322-330
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is a severe lung condition affecting newborns and it can lead to a systemic inflammatory response. We previously documented complement activation and cytokine release in a piglet MAS model. Additionally, we showed ex vivo that meconium-induced inflammation was dependent on complement and Toll-like receptors.OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of the combined inhibition of complement (C5) and CD14 on systemic inflammation induced in a forceful piglet MAS model.METHODS: Thirty piglets were randomly allocated to a treatment group receiving the C5-inhibitor SOBI002 and anti-CD14 (n = 15) and a nontreated control group (n = 15). MAS was induced by intratracheal meconium instillation, and the piglets were observed for 5 h. Complement, cytokines, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were measured by ELISA.RESULTS: SOBI002 ablated C5 activity and the formation of the terminal complement complex in vivo. The combined inhibition attenuated the inflammasome cytokines IL-1β and IL-6 by 60 (p = 0.029) and 44% (p = 0.01), respectively, and also MPO activity in the bronchoalveolar fluid by 42% (p = 0.017). Ex vivo experiments in human blood revealed that the combined regimen attenuated meconium-induced MPO release by 64% (p = 0.008), but there was only a negligible effect with single inhibition, indicating a synergic cross-talk between the key molecules C5 and CD14.CONCLUSION: Combined inhibition of C5 and CD14 attenuates meconium-induced inflammation in vivo and this could become a future therapeutic regimen for MAS.
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| 5. |
- Dawoodji, Amina, et al.
(författare)
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High Frequency of Cytolytic 21-Hydroxylase-Specific CD8(+) T Cells in Autoimmune Addison's Disease Patients
- 2014
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Ingår i: Journal of Immunology. - : The American Association of Immunologists. - 0022-1767 .- 1550-6606. ; 193:5, s. 2118-2126
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The mechanisms behind destruction of the adrenal glands in autoimmune Addison's disease remain unclear. Autoantibodies against steroid 21-hydroxylase, an intracellular key enzyme of the adrenal cortex, are found in >90% of patients, but these autoantibodies are not thought to mediate the disease. In this article, we demonstrate highly frequent 21-hydroxylase-specific T cells detectable in 20 patients with Addison's disease. Using overlapping 18-aa peptides spanning the full length of 21-hydroxylase, we identified immunodominant CD8(+) and CD4(+) T cell responses in a large proportion of Addison's patients both ex vivo and after in vitro culture of PBLs <= 20 y after diagnosis. In a large proportion of patients, CD8(+) and CD4(+) 21-hydroxylase-specific T cells were very abundant and detectable in ex vivo assays. HLA class I tetramer guided isolation of 21-hydroxylase-specific CD8(+) T cells showed their ability to lyse 21-hydroxylase-positive target cells, consistent with a potential mechanism for disease pathogenesis. These data indicate that strong CTL responses to 21-hydroxylase often occur in vivo, and that reactive CTLs have substantial proliferative and cytolytic potential. These results have implications for earlier diagnosis of adrenal failure and ultimately a potential target for therapeutic intervention and induction of immunity against adrenal cortex cancer.
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| 6. |
- Islam, Mohammad Mirazul, et al.
(författare)
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Effects of gamma radiation sterilization on the structural and biological properties of decellularized corneal xenografts
- 2019
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Ingår i: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Elsevier. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 96, s. 330-344
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To address the shortcomings associated with corneal transplants, substantial efforts have been focused on developing new modalities such as xenotransplantion. Xenogeneic corneas are anatomically and biomechanically similar to the human cornea, yet their applications require prior decellularization to remove the antigenic components to avoid rejection. In the context of bringing decellularized corneas into clinical use, sterilization is a crucial step that determines the success of the transplantation. Well-standardized sterilization methods, such as gamma irradiation (GI), have been applied to decellularized porcine corneas (DPC) to avoid graft-associated infections in human recipients. However, little is known about the effect of GI on decellularized corneal xenografts. Here, we evaluated the radiation effect on the ultrastructure, optical, mechanical and biological properties of DPC. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that gamma irradiated decellularized porcine cornea (G-DPC) preserved its structural integrity. Moreover, the radiation did not reduce the optical properties of the tissue. Neither DPC nor G-DPC led to further activation of complement system compared to native porcine cornea when exposed to plasma. Although, DPC were mechanically comparable to the native tissue, GI increased the mechanical strength, tissue hydrophobicity and resistance to enzymatic degradation. Despite these changes, human corneal epithelial, stromal, endothelial and hybrid neuroblastoma cells grew and differentiated on DPC and G-DPC. Thus, GI may achieve effective tissue sterilization without affecting critical properties that are essential for corneal transplant survival. (C) 2019 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 7. |
- Islam, Rakibul, et al.
(författare)
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Combined blockade of complement C5 and TLR co-receptor CD14 synergistically inhibits pig-to-human corneal xenograft induced innate inflammatory responses
- 2021
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Ingår i: Acta Biomaterialia. - : Elsevier. - 1742-7061 .- 1878-7568. ; 127, s. 169-179
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Inadequate supplies of donor corneas have evoked an escalating interest in corneal xenotransplantation. However, innate immune responses contribute significantly to the mechanism of xenograft rejection. We hypothesized that complement component C5 and TLR co-receptor CD14 inhibition would inhibit porcine cornea induced innate immune responses. Therefore, we measured cytokine release in human blood, induced by three forms of corneal xenografts with or without inhibitors. Native porcine cornea (NPC) induced interleukins (IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-1ra), chemokines (MCP-1, MIP-1 alpha, MIP-1 beta) and other cytokines (TNF, G-CSF, INF-gamma, FGF-basic). Decellularized (DPC) and gamma-irradiated cornea (g-DPC) elevated the release of those cytokines. C5-blockade by eculizumab inhibited all the cytokines except G-CSF when induced by NPC. However, C5-blockade failed to reduce DPC and g-DPC induced cytokines. Blockade of CD14 inhibited DPC-induced cytokines except for IL-8, MCP-1, MIP-1 alpha, and G-CSF, while it inhibited all of them when induced by g-DPC. Combined blockade of C5 and CD14 inhibited the maximum number of cytokines regardless of the xenograft type. Finally, by using the TLR4 specific inhibitor Eritoran, we showed that TLR4 activation was the basis for the CD14 effect. Thus, blockade of C5, when combined with TLR4 inhibition, may have therapeutic potential in pig-to-human corneal xenotransplantation. Statement of significance Bio-engineered corneal xenografts are on the verge of becoming a viable alternative to allogenic human donor-cornea, but the host's innate immune response is still a critical barrier for graft acceptance. By overruling this barrier, limited graft availability would no longer be an issue for treating corneal diseases. We showed that the xenograft induced inflammation is initiated by the complement system and toll-like receptor activation. Intriguingly, the inflammatory response was efficiently blocked by simultaneously targeting bottleneck molecules in the complement system (C5) and the TLR co-receptor CD14 with pharmaceutical inhibitors. We postulate that a combination of C5 and CD14 inhibition could have a great therapeutic potential to overcome the immunologic barrier in pig-to-human corneal xenotransplantation. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Acta Materialia Inc.
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| 8. |
- Macpherson, Alex, et al.
(författare)
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The allosteric modulation of complement C5 by knob domain peptides
- 2021
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Ingår i: eLIFE. - : ELife Sciences Publications Ltd. - 2050-084X. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Bovines have evolved a subset of antibodies with ultra-long heavy chain complementarity determining regions that harbour cysteine-rich knob domains. To produce high-affinity peptides, we previously isolated autonomous 3-6 kDa knob domains from bovine antibodies. Here, we show that binding of four knob domain peptides elicits a range of effects on the clinically validated drug target complement C5. Allosteric mechanisms predominated, with one peptide selectively inhibiting C5 cleavage by the alternative pathway C5 convertase, revealing a targetable mechanistic difference between the classical and alternative pathway C5 convertases. Taking a hybrid biophysical approach, we present C5-knob domain co-crystal structures and, by solution methods, observed allosteric effects propagating >50 angstrom from the binding sites. This study expands the therapeutic scope of C5, presents new inhibitors, and introduces knob domains as new, low molecular weight antibody fragments, with therapeutic potential.
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| 9. |
- Morgan, Rachael, et al.
(författare)
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Reduced physiological plasticity in a fish adapted to stable temperatures
- 2022
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 119
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plasticity can allow organisms to maintain consistent performance across a wide range of environmental conditions. However, it remains largely unknown how costly plasticity is and whether a trade-off exists between plasticity and performance under optimal conditions. Biological rates generally increase with temperature, and to counter that effect, fish use physiological plasticity to adjust their biochemical and physiological functions. Zebrafish in the wild encounter large daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations, suggesting they should display high physiological plasticity. Conversely, laboratory zebrafish have been at optimal temperatures with low thermal fluctuations for over 150 generations. We treated this domestication as an evolution experiment and asked whether this has reduced the physiological plasticity of laboratory fish compared to their wild counterparts. We measured a diverse range of phenotypic traits, from gene expression through physiology to behavior, in wild and laboratory zebrafish acclimated to 15 temperatures from 10 °C to 38 °C. We show that adaptation to the laboratory environment has had major effects on all levels of biology. Laboratory fish show reduced plasticity and are thus less able to counter the direct effects of temperature on key traits like metabolic rates and thermal tolerance, and this difference is detectable down to gene expression level. Rapid selection for faster growth in stable laboratory environments appears to have carried with it a trade-off against physiological plasticity in captive zebrafish compared with their wild counterparts.
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| 10. |
- Sharifi, Sina, et al.
(författare)
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Sputter Deposition of Titanium on Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Enhances Corneal Biocompatibility
- 2020
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Ingår i: Translational Vision Science & Technology. - : Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. - 2164-2591. ; 9:13, s. 1-14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: To evaluate titanium (Ti) sputtering of the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) stem of the Boston Keratoprosthesis (BK) as a method to enhance interfacial adhesion between the PMMA and the recipient corneal tissue. Methods: PMMA specimens were plasma treated with Ar/O-2 and coated with Ti using a DC magnetron sputtering instrument. The topography and hydrophilicity of the surfaces were characterized using atomic force microscopy and a water contact angle instrument, respectively. Scratch hardness and adhesion of the Ti film were measured using a mechanical tester. Biocompatibility assessments were performed using cultured human corneal fibroblasts and whole blood ex vivo. The optical quality of the Ti sputtered BK was evaluated using a custom-made optical bench. Results: By contact angle studies, the Ti coating improved PMMA hydrophilicity to match that of medical-grade Ti (Ti-6Al-4V-ELI). Ti sputtering of contact surfaces resulted in a plate-like morphology with increased surface roughness, without impacting the transparency of the BK optical component. Scratch testing indicated that the mechanical behavior of the Ti coating was similar to that of casted Ti, and the coating was stable in pull-off adhesion testing. Sputtered Ti film was highly biocompatible based on tests of cell viability, adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, collagen deposition, and keratocan expression, the properties of which exceeded those of uncoated PMMA and did not induce increased complement activation. Conclusions: Titanium coating of the BK stem generated a mechanically and biologically favorable interface, which may help to enhance corneal stromal adhesion and biocompatibility. Translational Relevance: Improving the biocompatibility of the BK PMMA stem may improve long-term outcomes of implantation.
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