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Biotech Innovations and Fundamental Rights
- 2012
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Samlingsverk (redaktörskap) (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biotechnology is a recognized research area that has increasingly advanced into new technologies and modern practices raising several legal, ethical and regulatory issues. The revolutionary speed of biotech innovations has had a significant impact on the protection of the rights of the individual. Fundamental rights provide a framework within which the justification of limitations and restrictions to biotechnology innovations and research results have to be assessed. The legal regulation of scientific research and scientific investigations impact more and more directly on the freedom of research and therapies as well as on the broad diffusion of knowledge. Closely related is also the debated question of the technological manipulation of life and the boundary of scientific knowledge with regard to the topical question of genetic invention patents and their side effects on access to scientific information and health care opportunities.Drawing on expertise from different disciplines, the volume comprises invited papers and plenary presentations given at the conference entitled “Biotech Innovations & Fundamental Rights” that took place on Januray 20-21 2011 at the Department of Juridical Sciences of the University of Ferrara. Each contribution covers a different aspect of the legal and scientific issues involved in regulation of biotechnology. In particular the focus of attention has been given to genetic research, genetic data, freedom of scientific research in genetics and biotech patents
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| 2. |
- Gestin, Maxime, 1990-, et al.
(författare)
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Effect of small molecule signaling in PepFect14 transfection
- 2020
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 15:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cell-penetrating peptides can be used to deliver oligonucleotide-based cargoes into cells. Previous studies have shown that the use of small molecule drugs could be an efficient method to increase the efficacy of delivery of oligonucleotides by cell-penetrating peptides either as targeting agents that can be used in formulation with the cell-penetrating peptide and its cargo or as cell signaling modulators that facilitates the cellular uptake of the treatment. This study presents two aims. The first aim is the identification of small molecule drugs that would induce a synergic effect on the transfection of splice correcting oligonucleotides assisted by PepFect14. The second aim is to identify the mechanisms behind the effect of small molecule drugs modulation of cell-penetrating peptide assisted transfection of oligonucleotides. Through an optimized, high-throughput luciferase assay for short oligonucleotide delivery using cell-penetrating peptides, and the simultaneous addition of a small molecule drug library, we show that three small molecule drugs (MPEP, VU0357121 and Ciproxifan) induced an increase in the transfection efficacy of PepFect14 in complex with a short single-stranded oligonucleotide in HeLa pLuc705 cells. These three drugs are described in the literature to be highly specific for their respective target receptors. However, none of those receptors are expressed in our cell line, indicating a yet non-described pathway of action for these small molecules. We show that the indicated small molecules, without interfering with the particles formed by PepFect14 and the oligonucleotide, interfere via still unidentified interactions in cell signaling, leading to an up-regulation of endocytosis and a higher efficacy in the delivery of short splice correcting oligonucleotides in complex with PepFect14.
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| 3. |
- Lorenzon, Nicola, et al.
(författare)
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Mimicry of Dopamine 1 Receptor Signaling with Cell-Penetrating Peptides
- 2020
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Ingår i: International Journal of Peptide Research and Therapeutics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-3149 .- 1573-3904. ; 27, s. 83-90
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this study, through the use of protein mimicry, a peptide was developed to activate the dopamine 1 receptor signaling pathway from the inside of the cell and in absence of the natural extracellular ligand. The sequence was initially derived from the intracellular interaction site between the activated receptor and the alpha domain of its associated G-protein and subsequently modified to increase its cell-penetrating properties. The peptide was then synthesized via solid phase peptide synthesis, purified and tested on cell models. This novel lipopeptide proved to be capable of efficiently ubiquitously penetrating the cell without the need for transfection agents or chiral recognition by specific pathways. Furthermore, the peptide induced the cellular response normally achieved through the activation of the receptor in cells that had not been treated with the natural ligand. The peptide could work as a candidate substitute to l-DOPA, leading the way for a peptides-based treatment for Parkinson's disease.
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