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Hello, is there anybody (out) there... for this?
“Affimer-mediated targeting of the interleukin-11 signalling axis in cardiac fibroblasts”
There are currently no effective clinical treatments directly targeting cardiac fibrosis, despite its detrimental impact on individuals with heart disease. The major cellular protagonists of cardiac fibrosis are cardiac fibroblasts; cells that are becoming increasingly recognised as key regulators of cardiac structure and function in multiple disease settings (Turner NA. J Mol Cell Cardiol 2016; 94:189-200; van Nieuwenhoven and Turner, Vasc Pharmacol 2013;58;182-288). Recent evidence suggests that a specific cytokine, interleukin-11 (IL-11), drives a central unifying pro-fibrotic signalling pathway in cardiac fibroblasts (Schafer et al., Nature, 2017;552;110-115), making it attractive for therapeutic exploitation. The study will use novel technologies developed at the University of Leeds to generate small antibody-like molecules known as Affimer proteins (Tiede et al., Protein Eng Des Sel 2014;27;145-55; Tiede et al., Elife 2017;6) to interfere with IL-11 signalling and function in cardiac fibroblasts in vitro as a prelude to pre-clinical studies.
Full description
Affimer proteins that recognise IL-11 and its receptor will be identified by sequential rounds of phage display, before protein expression, purification and affinity testing by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). After appropriate modification, the capacity of these Affimers to interfere with IL-11 signalling and functional responses of relevance to fibrosis will be measured in primary cardiac fibroblasts using our well-established methods. These include primary cardiac fibroblast cell culture, proliferation and migration assays, immunocytochemistry, collagen gel contraction assays, western blotting and RT-PCR (Blythe et al., J Biol Chem 2019;294:17395-17408; Bageghni et al., JCI Insight 2019;4(17):e125074; van Nieuwenhoven et al., Matrix Biol 2013;32:399-406; Turner et al., J Mol Cell Cardiol 2007;43:162-170). The longer term goal of this study will be to employ these IL-11-targeting Affimers in pre-clinical models to evaluate their effectiveness as therapeutic agents to reduce adverse fibrotic remodelling in the heart.
https://phd.leeds.ac.uk/project/901-affimer-mediated-targeting-of-the-interleukin-11-signalling-axis-in-cardiac-fibroblasts
Link
https://www.genengnews.com/news/in-ms-gut-specific-immune-cells-may-play-a-protective-role/
In the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS), immune cells attack myelin, resulting in damage to a crucial insulation material that helps nerve cells communicate with one another. MS patients suffer from periodic attacks that can lead to vision loss, memory problems, pain, and other symptoms that can subside on their own after days or weeks. It has remained unclear what causes the switch from flare-up to remission and back again.
Now, an international research collaboration has discovered a connection between the intestinal flora and sites of inflammation in the central nervous system in MS. Further, they have shown, for the first time, that gut immune cells travel to the brain during MS flare-ups in patients. These gut cells seem to be playing a protective role, helping drive MS symptoms back into remission.
Research uncovers protective microbiome-gut-brain axis in #MS. “This opens up a whole new line of research, it has huge potential for therapeutics.” Anne-Katrin Pröbstel, MD
genengnews.com/news/in-ms-gut…
@4dpharmaplc #LBPs have shown protective activity in animal models of MS
N4 Pharma Plc (AIM: N4P), the specialist pharmaceutical company developing Nuvec®, a novel delivery system for cancer treatments and vaccines, is pleased to provide the following update on its ongoing research collaboration agreement with Nanomerics Limited ("Nanomerics").
As announced on 11 February 2020, the Company initiated the first phase of research to test the stability of different formulations of Nuvec® loaded with a well characterised plasmid DNA. The Company is pleased to report that, in addition to not degrading the plasmid DNA, which it announced on 5 November 2020, Nuvec® formulations that had been freeze dried and then stored for 14 days either at room temperature or at four degrees Celsius, showed no significant drop in in vitro transfection capability following reconstitution compared to fresh formulations.
In parallel to continued work on analysing stability duration, different formulations will now be chosen to move forward into phase two of the work programme testing the efficacy of the dried and reconstituted plasmid DNA in an in vivo antibody generation model.
Mark Drakeford :
As the volume of those (LFT) tests grow we will look to use them in other settings too, we will never have enough to do everything we would like to do but schools are very much on the list of sectors that we are hoping to prioritise because it would mean that assymptomatic children would be looked after and wouldn’t have the effect of spreading to other people.
Continued Talking of widening use as more LFD’s become available.
GLA
Thinking back to the “evolution” box under the desk this was of course A4 paper however the flat pack boxes being assembled on the desk were these :
http://www.meddxsolutions.co.uk/ctp-rf95.php
Now, I Don’t think Meddx do Twitter but am wondering if anyone here might have a contact on the Rotherwas Industrial Estate in Hereford?
In truth as things progress and confidence builds tenuous links become less interesting but the market is closed and idle speculation might shed some light!
Good Morning Gr
From Gendrive rns this am
“Recent vaccine news is very welcome but the Board remains confident that high throughput and point of care Covid-19 testing opportunities will be a critical part of controlling the pandemic for a considerable period of time”