Lindholmoddershede0106
Combining chiral molecules and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with ordered pores can result in chiral COFs, which may be employed in the fields of chiral chemistry. In this study, we constructed a novel carboxyl-functionalized COF TpBD-3COOH first and then integrated a chiral molecule, heptakis (6-amino-6-deoxy)-β-CD (Am7CD), into TpBD-3COOH to obtain TpBD-Am7CD. Comparing TpBD-3COOH with TpBD-Am7CD, it could be observed that chiral selectivities improved significantly after decorating TpBD-3COOH with Am7CD in the adsorption experiment. Meanwhile, TpBD-Am7CD exhibited similar chiral selective abilities as the previously reported β-CD COF when it was employed to adsorb amino acid enantiomers, while the content of Am7CD was much less than that in β-CD COF. This indicated that the framework of TpBD-3COOH enhanced the chiral selective ability of Am7CD, which would be a great chiral carrier material for further application. This work provides a new insight for establishing materials for application in the chiral recognition field. Besides, TpBD-Am7CD resulted in an insoluble powder, which endowed this material with the possibility to be an adsorbent and a stationary phase in chromatography.Basement membrane is a thin but dense network of self-assembled extracellular matrix (ECM) protein fibrils that anchors and physically separates epithelial/endothelial cells from the underlying connective tissue. Current replicas of the basement membrane utilize either synthetic or biological polymers but have not yet recapitulated its geometric and functional complexity highly enough to yield representative in vitro co-culture tissue models. In an attempt to model the vessel wall, we seeded endothelial and smooth muscle cells on either side of 470 ± 110 nm thin, mechanically robust, and nanofibrillar membranes of recombinant spider silk protein. On the apical side, a confluent endothelium formed within 4 days, with the ability to regulate the permeation of representative molecules (3 and 10 kDa dextran and IgG). On the basolateral side, smooth muscle cells produced a thicker ECM with enhanced barrier properties compared to conventional tissue culture inserts. The membranes withstood 520 ± 80 Pa pressure difference, which is of the same magnitude as capillary blood pressure in vivo. This use of protein nanomembranes with relevant properties for co-culture opens up for developing advanced in vitro tissue models for drug screening and potent substrates in organ-on-a-chip systems.At present, the complex pathogenesis, the difficult-to-overcome blood-brain barrier (BBB), the development of the disease course which cannot be prevented, and other problems are serious challenges in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In order to enhance the therapeutic effect of drugs through BBB, we synthesized simple and easy-to-obtain selenium quantum dots (SeQDs), with a multitarget therapeutic effect. This new type of SeQDs has an ultrasmall size and can quickly penetrate the BBB. According to the fluorescence characteristics of SeQDs, we can diagnose and track AD. The experimental results show that SeQDs have strong free-radical scavenging activity, protect cells from oxidative stress induced by different stimuli, and show broad-spectrum antioxidant activity. The SeQDs can not only effectively inhibit Aβ aggregation and significantly reduce Aβ-mediated cytotoxicity, thus preventing AD cascade reaction, but also effectively reduce tau protein phosphorylation by down-regulating PHF1 and CP13 and further reduce oxidative stress, restore mitochondrial functions, and maintain nerve cell stability and protect nerve cells from oxidative stress. In vivo studies demonstrate that SeQDs can continuously accumulate in the brain after rapid passage of BBB and can quickly alleviate AD, significantly improve the memory impairment of AD mice, and improve their learning and memory ability. Therefore, the use of SeQDs in the treatment of AD has great advantages compared with traditional single-target drugs and provides a new direction for the combination of prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.Fish tank granuloma is a rare skin infection caused by Mycobacterium marinum. It occurs after exposure of skin abrasions to contaminated water or infected fish. The majority of M. marinum infections today are fish tank-related. The most common presentation is a solitary nodule, often with sporotrichoid spread. Other presentations do not occur often. The diagnosis is often delayed because of lack of suspicion, nonspecific histopathological findings, and frequently unsuccessful cultivation. Here we present the case of a 37-year-old male with M. marinum skin infection, presenting as erythematous scaling plaques. Because the initial results of laboratory and histopathological examinations were negative for a fungal infection or nontuberculous mycobacteria, the patient was treated empirically with several systemic antibiotics and antifungals without any success. Finally, the diagnosis of fish tank granuloma was confirmed 3 months after the initial presentation of the patient. After the introduction of treatment with rifampicin and clarithromycin, complete clinical remission was observed after 6 months of therapy.Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is a histiocytic disorder that has only a skin implication in a very small percentage of cases. RDD is usually painless and accompanied by disseminated lymphadenopathy. We present a rare case of a female patient that complained of grouped skin papules localized on the left leg, associated with a palpable deep nodular lesion. Initially, this was clinically mistaken for a soft tissue sarcoma, but after a total body CT and surgical excision it was identified as a non-Langerhans cell benign histiocytosis known as RDD. The patient had neither recurrence nor systemic involvement after 7 months of follow-up.Pemphigus herpetiformis (PH) is a rare and unique clinical form of pemphigus foliaceus and pemphigus vulgaris. Patients show autoantibodies against desmoglein 1 and less frequently against desmoglein 3 and desmocollins. We report a 24-year-old woman with a 3-year history of recurrent intensely pruritic erythematous papules and annular plaques localized on the trunk and extremities. In recent months she developed small vesicles around the annular lesions. The histological features showed eosinophilic spongiosis, and direct immunofluorescence demonstrated typical staining of the epidermal intercellular spaces characteristic for pemphigus. There was no mucosal involvement, and hence a diagnosis of PH was established. selleckchem This patient was unresponsive to dapsone and methotrexate, but she finally experienced remission with prednisone and mycophenolate mofetil.