| 1. |
- Crüsemann, Max, et al.
(författare)
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Heterologous Expression, Biosynthetic Studies, and Ecological Function of the Selective Gq-Signaling Inhibitor FR900359
- 2018
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Ingår i: Angewandte Chemie International Edition. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1433-7851 .- 1521-3773. ; 57:3, s. 836-840
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The cyclic depsipeptide FR900359 (FR), isolated from the tropical plant Ardisia crenata, is a strong and selective inhibitor of Gq proteins, making it an indispensable pharmacological tool to study Gq-related processes, as well as a promising drug candidate. Gq inhibition is a novel mode of action for defense chemicals and crucial for the ecological function of FR, as shown by in vivo experiments in mice, its affinity to insect Gq proteins, and insect toxicity studies. The uncultured endosymbiont of A. crenata was sequenced, revealing the FR nonribosomal peptide synthetase (frs) gene cluster. We here provide a detailed model of FR biosynthesis, supported by in vitro enzymatic and bioinformatic studies, and the novel analogue AC-1, which demonstrates the flexibility of the FR starter condensation domains. Finally, expression of the frs genes in E. coli led to heterologous FR production in a cultivable, bacterial host for the first time.
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| 2. |
- Kolossov, Eugen, et al.
(författare)
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Engraftment of engineered ES cell-derived cardiomyocytes but not BM cells restores contractile function to the infarcted myocardium
- 2006
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Ingår i: Journal of Experimental Medicine. - New York, USA : Rockefeller University Press. - 0022-1007 .- 1540-9538. ; 203:10, s. 2315-2327
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cellular cardiomyoplasty is an attractive option for the treatment of severe heart failure. It is, however, still unclear and controversial which is the most promising cell source. Therefore, we investigated and examined the fate and functional impact of bone marrow (BM) cells and embryonic stem cell (ES cell)-derived cardiomyocytes after transplantation into the infarcted mouse heart. This proved particularly challenging for the ES cells, as their enrichment into cardiomyocytes and their long-term engraftment and tumorigenicity are still poorly understood. We generated transgenic ES cells expressing puromycin resistance and enhanced green fluorescent protein cassettes under control of a cardiac-specific promoter. Puromycin selection resulted in a highly purified (>99%) cardiomyocyte population, and the yield of cardiomyocytes increased 6-10-fold because of induction of proliferation on purification. Long-term engraftment (4-5 months) was observed when co-transplanting selected ES cell-derived cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts into the injured heart of syngeneic mice, and no teratoma formation was found (n = 60). Although transplantation of ES cell-derived cardiomyocytes improved heart function, BM cells had no positive effects. Furthermore, no contribution of BM cells to cardiac, endothelial, or smooth muscle neogenesis was detected. Hence, our results demonstrate that ES-based cell therapy is a promising approach for the treatment of impaired myocardial function and provides better results than BM-derived cells.
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| 3. |
- Martinez-Martin, Pablo, et al.
(författare)
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EuroInf: A Multicenter Comparative Observational Study of Apomorphine and Levodopa Infusion in Parkinson's Disease
- 2015
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Ingår i: Movement Disorders. - : Wiley. - 0885-3185. ; 30:4, s. 510-516
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Subcutaneous apomorphine infusion (Apo) and intrajejunal levodopa infusion (IJLI) are two treatment options for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) and refractory motor complications, with varying cost of treatment. There are no multicenter studies comparing the effects of the two strategies. This open-label, prospective, observational, 6-month, multicenter study compared 43 patients on Apo (48.8% males, age 62.3 +/- 10.6 years; disease duration: 14 +/- 4.4 years; median H & Y stage 3; interquartile range [IQR]: 3-4) and 44 on IJLI (56.8% males, age 62.7 +/- 9.1 years; disease duration: 16.1 +/- 6.7 years; median H & Y stage 4; IQR, 3-4). Cohen's effect sizes (0.8 considered as large) were large with both therapies with respect to total motor, nonmotor, and quality-of-life scores. The Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) with Apo showed moderate improvement, whereas sleep/fatigue, gastrointestinal, urinary, and sexual dimensions of the NMSS showed significantly higher improvement with IJLI. Seventy-five percent on IJLI improved in their quality-of-life and nonmotor symptoms (NMS), whereas in the Apo group, a similar proportion improved in quality of life, but 40% in NMS. Adverse effects included peritonitis with IJLI and skin nodules on Apo. Based on this open-label, nonrandomized, comparative study, we report that, in advanced Parkinson's patients, both IJLI and Apo infusion therapy appear to provide a robust improvement in motor symptoms, motor complications, quality-of-life, and some NMS. Controlled, randomized studies are required. (c) 2014 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
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