Third generation of plasminogen activators. New directions in research

Recent information on the development of new plasminogen activators (PA) is reviewed. The results of studies of PA mutant derivatives synthesized by recombinant DNA techniques are discussed. Data on chimeric (hybrid) forms of PAs and their chemically synthesized conjugates are presented. The trends in the search for PAs are analyzed. A new direction in the study of third-generation PAs for combined plasminogen activation and in the further development of the methods of thrombolytic therapy is outlined.     

The genome revolution in vaccine research

The conventional approach to vaccine development is based on dissection of the pathogen using biochemical, immunological and microbiological methods. Although successful in several cases, this approach has failed to provide a solution to prevent several major bacterial infections. The availability of complete genome sequences in combination with novel advanced technologies, such as bioinformatics, microarrays and proteomics, have revolutionized the approach to vaccine development and provided a new impulse to microbial research. The genomic revolution allows the design of vaccines starting from the prediction of all antigens in silico, independently of their abundance and without the need to grow the pathogen in vitro. This new genome-based approach, which we have named "Reverse Vaccinology", has been successfully applied for Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B for which conventional strategies have failed to provide an efficacious vaccine. The concept of "Reverse Vaccinology" can be easily applied to all the pathogens for which vaccines are not yet available and can be extended to parasites and viruses.     

Microbial considerations in genetically engineered mouse research

Microbial infections have long been of concern to scientists using laboratory rodents because of their potential to confound and invalidate research. With the explosion of genetically engineered mice (GEM), new concerns over the impact of microbial agents have emerged because these rodents in many cases are more susceptible to disease than their inbred or outbred counterparts. Moreover, interaction between microbe and host and the resulting manifestation of disease conceivably differ between GEM and their inbred and outbred counterparts. As a result, infections may alter the GEM phenotype and confound interpretation of results and conclusions about mutated gene function. In addition, because GEM are expensive to produce and maintain, contamination by pathogens or opportunists has severe economic consequences. This review addresses how microbial infections may influence phenotype, how immunomodulation of the host as the result of induced mutations may modify host susceptibility to microbial infections, how novel host:microbe interactions have led to the development of new animal models for disease, how phenotype changes have led to the discovery of new pathogens, and new challenges associated with prevention and control of microbial infections in GEM. Although the focus is on naturally occurring infections, extensive literature on the use of GEM in studies of microbial pathogenesis also exists, and the reader is referred to this literature if microbial infection is a suspected culprit in phenotype alteration.     

Reflections on clinical research in sub-Saharan Africa

The urgent need for new, safe and sustainable interventions against diseases that disproportionally affect the poor is finally receiving global attention and the funding landscape for development projects has significantly improved during the past decade. For the development of new drug and vaccine candidates, clinical trials have become the most important tool to assess their safety and efficacy. Recently, there has been a seismic shift in the number of clinical trials conducted in resource-limited settings. We discuss the current framework of clinical research in sub-Saharan Africa, from building product pipelines to the capacities needed for the conduct of trials according the harmonised Good Clinical Practice (GCP) ICH E6 guideline. We place emphasis on clinical research in neglected tropical diseases which still frequently has to be conducted with limited financial, logistical and human resources. Given those short-comings we recommend minimum standards needed at the local, national and sponsor levels to provide GCP-compliant clinical research.     

探寻免疫相关重要蛋白质的脉络——免疫相关重要蛋白质的生物学研究进展

深入认识免疫功能的调节机制有助于预见感染、肿瘤和自身免疫等疾病的发展方向,并可能针对其具体的调节靶点和途径加以调控。国家重大科学研究项目"免疫相关重要蛋白质的生物学研究",以发现新的免疫相关蛋白质及其复合体为切入点,探讨其在免疫识别、免疫应答/耐受、免疫调节过程中的功能,从而掌握免疫过程及其调节的特点和规律,为攻克感染、肿瘤或自身免疫疾病提供重要的理论基础,为相应的干预治疗提供新的靶点和策略。将对项目启动5年来开展的研究内容及取得的研究成果进行介绍。     

Optimizing preclinical study design in oncology research

The current drug development pathway in oncology research has led to a large attrition rate for new drugs, in part due to a general lack of appropriate preclinical studies that are capable of accurately predicting efficacy and/or toxicity in the target population. Because of an obvious need for novel therapeutics in many types of cancer, new compounds are being investigated in human Phase I and Phase II clinical trials before a complete understanding of their toxicity and efficacy profiles is obtained. In fact, for newer targeted molecular agents that are often cytostatic in nature, the conventional preclinical evaluation used for traditional cytotoxic chemotherapies utilizing primary tumor shrinkage as an endpoint may not be appropriate. By utilizing an integrated pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic approach, along with proper selection of a model system, the drug development process in oncology research may be improved leading to a better understanding of the determinants of efficacy and toxicity, and ultimately fewer drugs that fail once they reach human clinical trials.     

类器官在乳腺癌相关研究中的应用进展

乳腺癌是女性最常见的癌症,目前乳腺癌的研究主要借助体内模型和传统细胞培养方法,然而研究表明,由于人类和动物之间固有的物种差异,以及器官和细胞之间组织结构的差异,使用上述两种研究方法研制出的药物,在临床试验中失败率高达90％,因此,类器官三维培养应运而生.类器官是一种具有空间结构的三维细胞复合体,它作为一种新的肿瘤研究模...     

肿瘤干细胞的认知历程与研发热点

肿瘤组织中存在一小群能够自我更新、增殖和分化,对肿瘤的发生、发展、复发、转移起决定作用的细胞,即肿瘤干细胞（cancer stem cells,CSCs）。在传统理论方法已不能攻克癌症的情况下,肿瘤干细胞理论为我们重新认识肿瘤的起源和本质提供了新的方向和视角。从20世纪50年代至今,随着生物技术的发展,肿瘤干细胞理论经历了从设想到验证的漫长历程。但该理论自提出之日起便受到来自各方面不同观点的质疑。当今针对肿瘤干细胞癌症治疗主要集中在靶向问题上。因此,寻找特异的肿瘤干细胞标志物,探索肿瘤干细胞与周围微环境间的复杂关系以及发现调控其功能的关键信号通路成为当前研究的热点。     

丙型肝炎病毒感染实验动物模型的研究进展

丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染是导致人类慢性病毒性肝炎、肝硬化和肝癌的最主要病因之一。由于缺乏合适的HCV感染实验动物模型,使得针对HCV感染更为有效的疗法及疫苗的研发滞后。黑猩猩是HCV感染研究的最佳实验动物,但由于其来源有限、价格昂贵及临床症状等诸多问题,其应用受限,因此发展新的实验动物模型用于HCV感染相关的基础和应用研究迫在眉睫。近年来,以啮齿类等动物为替代模型取得了不少进展,应用转基因等实验技术使替代动物感染了HCV,并成功应用于多个学科领域的研究。本文分析了HCV自然感染的实验动物、自然感染和非自然感染的替代实验动物在致病机制研究、药物评价和疫苗研发应用中的优缺点及未来研究趋势。     

嗜盐微生物在生物医药领域的应用研究进展

近年来抗生素耐药性问题日趋严重,患癌人数也在逐年增加,亟需开发新型药物。嗜盐微生物作为一类特殊的极端环境微生物,具有代谢多样性丰富、营养需求较低和能适应恶劣条件等特点,是发现新型药物的希望。目前,国内外学者已从嗜盐微生物中分离出了多种代谢产物和酶,具有明显的抗菌和/或抗肿瘤等活性。文中综述了嗜盐微生物及其相关产物在抗菌、抗炎、抗肿瘤、抗氧化、生物医学材料以及药物载体等生物医学方面的作用,尤其对近年来在嗜盐微生物中发现的新型抗菌和抗肿瘤物质以及嗜盐微生物特有的代谢产物四氢嘧啶等进行了总结,并对其后续在生物医药领域的开发和产业化应用进行了展望。     

治疗酶的研究进展

随着生物技术和现代药剂学研究的进展,酶类药物的应用取得了快速发展,已成为生物药物的一个重要门类。以下对治疗用酶的新品种、作用机理和新技术在治疗酶中的应用、酶作为药物靶点的应用等进行了回顾,并对未来治疗酶的发展方向进行了讨论。     

深海微生物资源研究开发技术进展

深海微生物由于生存环境的特殊性而具有各种与陆地和浅海微生物不同的功能,这些特殊功能具有重要的应用价值,是争夺激烈的深海热点资源之一。近年来,不断有新的研究技术和方法得到应用,推动了深海微生物资源的获取、研究和开发。对深海微生物菌株和基因资源研究开发方面的技术发展以及工作策略进行了综述与讨论。     

A review of latest research findings on the health promotion properties of tea

Important progress has been made in the past five years concerning the effects of green and black tea on health. Experimentation with new accurate tools provide useful information about the metabolism of tea components in the body, their mode of action as antioxidants at the cellular level and their protective role in the development of cancer, cardiovascular disease and other pathologies. The use of tea components as nutraceuticals and functional foods are also discussed.     

The impact of genomics on research in diversity and evolution of archaea

Since the definition of archaea as a separate domain of life along with bacteria and eukaryotes, they have become one of the most interesting objects of modern microbiology, molecular biology, and biochemistry. Sequencing and analysis of archaeal genomes were especially important for studies on archaea because of a limited availability of genetic tools for the majority of these microorganisms and problems associated with their cultivation. Fifteen years since the publication of the first genome of an archaeon, more than one hundred complete genome sequences of representatives of different phylogenetic groups have been determined. Analysis of these genomes has expanded our knowledge of biology of archaea, their diversity and evolution, and allowed identification and characterization of new deep phylogenetic lineages of archaea. The development of genome technologies has allowed sequencing the genomes of uncultivated archaea directly from enrichment cultures, metagenomic samples, and even from single cells. Insights have been gained into the evolution of key biochemical processes in archaea, such as cell division and DNA replication, the role of horizontal gene transfer in the evolution of archaea, and new relationships between archaea and eukaryotes have been revealed.     

Natural products drug discovery research in India: status and appraisal

Discovery of a new drug is time consuming and laborious process. Natural products have long been a thriving source for the discovery of new drugs due to their chemical diversity and ability to act on various biological targets. The phytochemical exploration of indigeneous flora has contributed to some extent in this race for the discovery of new drugs. The traditional Indian systems of medicine has been a part of our lifestyle since ages and the classical texts like Ayurveda and Charak Samhita have served as materia medica for this purpose. This review focuses on the contributions made from India in the drug discovery and development process and provides future directions in the area.     

大规模蛋白质相互作用研究方法进展

随着2000年酵母大规模蛋白质相互作用网络图谱的成功描绘,蛋白质相互作用特别是大规模蛋白质相互作用研究成为生命科学领域的又一个研究热点。酵母、果蝇、线虫以及人类蛋白的大规模相互作用图谱的相继完成,不仅对系统研究细胞内各种生命活动有着重要意义,也标志着蛋白质相互作用研究方法的不断发展和完善。本文综述了当前大规模研究蛋白质相互作用的技术方法并进行了比较分析。每种技术都有其各自的优缺点,在实验中要根据不同的要求和目的选择适宜的方法。     

Computational methods in noncoding RNA research

Non protein-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a research hotspot in bioinformatics. Recent discoveries have revealed new ncRNA families performing a variety of roles, from gene expression regulation to catalytic activities. It is also believed that other families are still to be unveiled. Computational methods developed for protein coding genes often fail when searching for ncRNAs. Noncoding RNAs functionality is often heavily dependent on their secondary structure, which makes gene discovery very different from protein coding RNA genes. This motivated the development of specific methods for ncRNA research. This article reviews the main approaches used to identify ncRNAs and predict secondary structure. During the execution of this work, AML was supported by CAPES fellowship.     

蛋白质组学方法在昆虫学研究中的应用

蛋白质组学作为后基因组学时代研究的一个重要内容,已广泛深入到生命科学和医药学的各个领域,其理论和技术的发展完善也为昆虫学研究带来了新的思维方式和研究方向。文章就近年来蛋白质组学在昆虫研究中的应用加以综述。     

病毒生态学研究进展

病毒是目前所知的最简单的生命单元,通常由外壳蛋白和包裹在外壳蛋白内的核酸两部分组成。病毒本身缺乏完整的酶系统及能量转化系统,当游离于环境中时,它只是一个有机大分子,只有侵染宿主后才具有生命特征,进行复制。病毒也是地球上最丰富的生物实体,是微生物群落和功能的重要影响因素。尽管病毒在生态系统中发挥着重要的作用,但因病毒间缺少通用的标记基因,病毒生态学的研究远远滞后于细菌和真核生物。近年来高通量测序技术的发展应用帮助人们发现和认识了许多未知的新病毒及其基因,极大地丰富了病毒基因数据库,直接推动了病毒生态学的发展。从生态学角度对病毒的结构与分类、病毒生态学研究方法、病毒的生态功能及土壤病毒生态学研究进展作一简要综述,并提出今后土壤病毒生态学研究的重点。     

Health research ethics in malaria vector trials in Africa

Malaria mosquito research in Africa as elsewhere is just over a century old. Early trials for development of mosquito control tools were driven by colonial enterprises and war efforts; they were, therefore, tested in military or colonial settings. The failure of those tools and environmental concerns, coupled with the desperate need for integrated malaria control strategies, has necessitated the development of new malaria mosquito control tools, which are to be tested on humans, their environment and mosquito habitats. Ethical concerns start with phase 2 trials, which pose limited ethical dilemmas. Phase 3 trials, which are undertaken on vulnerable civilian populations, pose ethical dilemmas ranging from individual to community concerns. It is argued that such trials must abide by established ethical principles especially safety, which is mainly enshrined in the principle of non-maleficence. As there is total lack of experience with many of the promising candidate tools (eg genetically modified mosquitoes, entomopathogenic fungi, and biocontrol agents), great caution must be exercised before they are introduced in the field. Since malaria vector trials, especially phase 3 are intrusive and in large populations, individual and community respect is mandatory, and must give great priority to community engagement. It is concluded that new tools must be safe, beneficial, efficacious, effective, and acceptable to large populations in the short and long-term, and that research benefits should be equitably distributed to all who bear the brunt of the research burdens. It is further concluded that individual and institutional capacity strengthening should be provided, in order to undertake essential research, carry out scientific and ethical review, and establish competent regulatory frameworks.