Human helminth therapy to treat inflammatory disorders - where do we stand?

Parasitic helminths have evolved together with the mammalian immune system over many millennia and as such they have become remarkably efficient modulators in order to promote their own survival. Their ability to alter and/or suppress immune responses could be beneficial to the host by helping control excessive inflammatory responses and animal models and pre-clinical trials have all suggested a beneficial effect of helminth infections on inflammatory bowel conditions, MS, asthma and atopy. Thus, helminth therapy has been suggested as a possible treatment method for autoimmune and other inflammatory disorders in humans

A New Sugarcane Cystatin Strongly Binds to Dental Enamel and Reduces Erosion.

Cystatin B was recently identified as an acid-resistant protein in acquired enamel pellicle; it could therefore be included in oral products to protect against caries and erosion. However, human recombinant cystatin is very expensive, and alternatives to its use are necessary. Phytocystatins are reversible inhibitors of cysteine peptidases that are found naturally in plants. In plants, they have several biological and physiological functions, such as the regulation of endogenous processes, defense against pathogens, and response to abiotic stress. Previous studies performed by our research group have reported high inhibitory activity and potential agricultural and medical applications of several sugarcane cystatins, including CaneCPI-1, CaneCPI-2, CaneCPI-3, and CaneCPI-4. In the present study, we report the characterization of a novel sugarcane cystatin, named CaneCPI-5. This cystatin was efficiently expressed in Escherichia coli, and inhibitory assays demonstrated that it was a potent inhibitor of human cathepsins B, K, and L ( Ki = 6.87, 0.49, and 0.34 nM, respectively). The ability of CaneCPI-5 to bind to dental enamel was evaluated using atomic force microscopy. Its capacity to protect against initial enamel erosion was also tested in vitro via changes in surface hardness. CaneCPI-5 showed a very large force of interaction with enamel (e.g., compared with mucin and casein) and significantly reduced initial enamel erosion. These results suggest that the inclusion of CaneCPIs in dental products might confer protection against enamel erosion.This research was supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) (CEPID-CBME #98/14138-2) and by the Royal Society (Newton Advanced Fellowship #NA140459). A.C.S. is a recipient of a scholarship from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). M.C.M. received a grant from the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES). V.T.P. received a grant from the FAPESP. F.H.-S. and M.A.R.B. were recipients of a productivity scholarship from the CNPq

Episodic molecular outflow in the very young protostellar cluster Serpens South

The loss of mass from protostars, in the form of a jet or outflow, is a necessary counterpart to protostellar mass accretion. Outflow ejection events probably vary in their velocity and/or in the rate of mass loss. Such `episodic´ ejection events have been observed during the Class 0 protostellar phase (the early accretion stage), and continue during the subsequent class I phase that marks the first one million years of star formation. Previously observed episodic-ejection sources were relatively isolated; however, the most common sites of star formation are clusters. Outflows link protostars with their environment and provide a viable source of turbulence that is necessary for regulating star formation in clusters, but it is not known how an accretion-driven jet or outflow in a clustered environment manifests itself in its earliest stage. This early stage is important in establishing the initial conditions for momentum and energy transfer to the environment as the protostar and cluster evolve. Here we report that an outflow from a very young class 0 protostar, at the hub of the very active and filamentary Serpens South protostellar cluster, shows unambiguous episodic events. The 12CO (J=2-1) emission from the protostar reveals 22 distinct features of outflow ejecta, the most recent having the highest velocity. The outflow forms bipolar lobes --- one of the first detectable signs of star formation --- which originate from the peak of 1-mm continuum emission. Emission from the surrounding C18O envelope shows kinematics consistent with rotation and an infall of material onto the protostar. The data suggest that episodic accretion-driven outflow begins in the earliest phase of protostellar evolution, and that the outflow remains intact in a very clustered environment, probably providing efficient momentum transfer for driving turbulence. Fil: Plunkett, Adele L. . Yale University. Astronomy Department.; Estados UnidosFil: Arce, Héctor G.. Yale University. Astronomy Department.; Estados UnidosFil: Mardones, Diego . Universidad de Chile. Departamento de Astronomía; ChileFil: van Dokkum, Pieter . Yale University. Astronomy Department.; Estados UnidosFil: Dunham, Michael M. . Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; Estados UnidosFil: Fernandez Lopez, Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico La Plata. Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomia (i); ArgentinaFil: Gallardo, José. Joint ALMA Observatory; ChileFil: Cordero, Stuartt A. . Joint ALMA Observatory; Chil