40 research outputs found
Proximity-Induced Nucleic Acid Degrader (PINAD) approach to targeted RNA degradation using small molecules
Nature has evolved intricate machinery to target and degrade RNA, and some of these molecular mechanisms can be adapted for therapeutic use. Small interfering RNAs and RNase H-inducing oligonucleotides have yielded therapeutic agents against diseases that cannot be tackled using protein-centered approaches. Because these therapeutic agents are nucleic acid-based, they have several inherent drawbacks which include poor cellular uptake and stability. Here we report a new approach to target and degrade RNA using small molecules, proximity-induced nucleic acid degrader (PINAD). We have utilized this strategy to design two families of RNA degraders which target two different RNA structures within the genome of SARS-CoV-2: G-quadruplexes and the betacoronaviral pseudoknot. We demonstrate that these novel molecules degrade their targets using in vitro, in cellulo, and in vivo SARS-CoV-2 infection models. Our strategy allows any RNA binding small molecule to be converted into a degrader, empowering RNA binders that are not potent enough to exert a phenotypic effect on their own. PINAD raises the possibility of targeting and destroying any disease-related RNA species, which can greatly expand the space of druggable targets and diseases.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Chest Wall Diseases Respiratory Pathophysiology
The chest wall consists of various structures that function in an
integrated fashion to ventilate the lungs. Disorders affecting the bony
structures or soft tissues of the chest wall may impose elastic loads by
stiffening the chest wall and decreasing respiratory system compliance.
These alterations increase the work of breathing and lead to
hypoventilation and hypercapnia. Respiratory failure may occur acutely
or after a variable period. This article focuses on the pathophysiology
of respiratory function in specific diseases and disorders of the chest
wall and highlights pathogenic mechanisms of respiratory failure
Association of the Shrinking Lung Syndrome in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Pleurisy: A Systematic Review
Objectives: To report 2 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and
typical shrinking lung syndrome (SLS) in which pleuritic chest pain was
the predominant symptom. In addition, to record the prevalence of
pleuritic chest pain in all reported cases of patients with SLS and
diaphragmatic dysfunction.
Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of the English literature
to record the association of pleurisy and SLS in an reported cases using
the MEDLINE database from 1965 to present.
Results: Of the 77 patients with SLS reported in the literature, 50
(65%) patients had pleuritic chest pain at the time of evaluation.
Treatment with anti-inflammatory agents improved symptoms in the
majority of cases.
Conclusions: Pleuritic inflammation and pain may have an important role
in the pathogenesis of SLS. A possible mechanism linking pleural
inflammation and diaphragm dysfunction may be via a reflex inhibition of
diaphragmatic activation. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Semin Arthritis Rheum 39:30-3
Respiratory dysfunction in multiple sclerosis
Respiratory dysfunction frequently occurs in patients with advanced
multiple sclerosis ( MS), and may manifest as acute or chronic
respiratory failure, disordered control of breathing, respiratory muscle
weakness, sleep disordered breathing, or neurogenic pulmonary edema. The
underlying pathophysiology is related to demyelinating plaques involving
the brain stem or spinal cord. Respiratory complications such as
aspiration, lung infections and respiratory failure are typically seen
in patients with long-standing MS. Acute respiratory failure is uncommon
and due to newly appearing demyelinating plaques extensively involving
areas of the brain stem or spinal cord. Early recognition of MS patients
at risk for respiratory complications allows for the timely
implementation of care and measures to decrease disease associated
morbidity and mortality. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved
Chest wall motion during speech production in patients with advanced ankylosing spondylitis
Purpose: To test the hypothesis that ankylosing spondylitis (AS) alters
the pattern of chest wall motion during speech production.
Method: The pattern of chest wall motion during speech was measured with
respiratory inductive plethysmography in 6 participants with advanced AS
(5 men, 1 woman, age 45 +/- 8 years, Schober test 1.45 +/- 1.5 cm, Bath
Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index [BASFI] score 6 +/- 1.7) and 6
healthy volunteers, matched for age and gender. Measurements were made
with participants in the upright seated and upright standing body
position.
Results: During reading in the seated and standing body positions, the
rib cage wall volume displacements were smaller and abdominal wall
volume displacements were larger in participants with AS than in healthy
controls. There were no differences in the overall lung volume
displacements recorded during the expiratory limb of, reading in either
body position. In the participants with AS, the 66 cage remained near
the end-expiratory level in both the seated and standing body position,
differing from that for the control group.
Conclusion: In individuals with advanced AS, the abdomen is the primary
contributor to volume displacement. In the absence of speech impairment
in participants with AS, the data show the capacity of the abdomen to
compensate for the decreased compliance of the rib cage
Relative contributions of the ribcage and abdomen to lung volume displacement during speech production
We tested the hypothesis that the pattern of chest wall configuration
during speech production correlates with the pattern of chest wall
motion during resting breathing. Twenty-one men (age 40 +/- 8 years)
with ankylosing spondylitis and varied degrees of ribcage involvement
participated in the study. None of the patients had an obvious speech
abnormality. Ribcage and abdominal displacements during quiet breathing
and during reading were measured with a respiratory plethysmograph.
Measurements were taken in the sitting and standing body positions. In
each body position, ribcage or abdominal displacements during quiet
breathing correlated with the corresponding chest wall displacements
recorded during reading (P < 0.001). In addition, linear regression
analysis showed that the slope of the chest wall motion loop during
quiet breathing correlated with the ratio of ribcage to abdomen
contribution to lung volume displacement during reading (r = 0.78, P <
0.001 for sitting and r = 0.64, P = 0.002 for standing position). The
slopes of the regression lines did not differ between the sitting and
standing body position (P > 0.05). We conclude that the relative
contribution of the ribcage and abdomen to lung volume displacement
during speech production correlates with the relative ribcage and
abdomen contribution to tidal volume during quiet breathing; our data
support the notion that the pattern of chest wall configuration during
quiet breathing largely predicts the pattern of ribeage and abdomen
displacement during speech