Nove forme imunoterapije alergijskih oboljenja

The prevalence of allergic disorders, such as hay fever and asthma has increased worldwide, mostly in westernized countries where up to 20 % of the population are affected. In recent years, a better understanding of the immunopathogenesis of allergic diseases has evolved, which has contributed to the development of novel more targeted forms of therapy. Allergen injection immunotherapy is the only treatment in current use with the curative potential. The use of modified allergens, allergen peptides and the use of novel adjuvant represent alternatives to conventional immunotherapy with potential for improved efficacy with less side effects. Although, immunomodulatory strategies provide a promising outlook for the treatment of allergic patients, more studies are needed in the future to address issues of efficacy, safety and long-term effects of altered immune responses

Nove forme imunoterapije alergijskih oboljenja

The prevalence of allergic disorders, such as hay fever and asthma has increased worldwide, mostly in westernized countries where up to 20 % of the population are affected. In recent years, a better understanding of the immunopathogenesis of allergic diseases has evolved, which has contributed to the development of novel more targeted forms of therapy. Allergen injection immunotherapy is the only treatment in current use with the curative potential. The use of modified allergens, allergen peptides and the use of novel adjuvant represent alternatives to conventional immunotherapy with potential for improved efficacy with less side effects. Although, immunomodulatory strategies provide a promising outlook for the treatment of allergic patients, more studies are needed in the future to address issues of efficacy, safety and long-term effects of altered immune responses

FoodEnTwin: Impactof environment onfoodqualityandsafety studied by omics methods

Acknowledgement to Horizon 2020, FoodEnTwin project. Coordinator of FoodEnTwin project, prof. Tanja Ćirković Veličković, took contribution to the ``XIV Italian Proteomics Association annual meeting`` as invited lecturer and presented the results achieved within the Horizon 2020 project "Twinning of research activities for cross-border research in the fields of food, nutrition and environmental` omics-FoodENTwin``, also as chairperson of session 5 on 26th June 2019

Производња рекомбинантних антигена и развој одрживих тестова за Covid-19

Нови корона вирус (SARS CoV-2) је нови инфективни агенс за хуману популацију и веома је брзо детектован у великом броју земаља. Брзо ширење, одсуство имунитета на овај вирус и одсуство поузданих тестова за детекцију вируса у тренутку избијања пандемије су болест изазвану овим вирусом брзо претворили у здравствени и друштвени проблем највишег приоритета на глобалном нивоу. Иако су највеће биотехнолошке компаније убрзано почеле са развојем и масовном производњом дијагностичких тестова и вакцина, њихова доступност у тренуцима највеће потражње је и даље недовољна, а цене истих су лимитирајући фактор за бољу контролу болести и ширења пандемије. Тестови имају и своја ограничења, посебно када су у питању антигенски тестови, тако да се и даље ради на унапређењу осетљивости истих. У фокусу наших истраживања је развој дијагностичких и серолошких тестова за COVID-19. Дијагностички тестови детектују делове вируса: генетског материјала вируса , односно протеинске компоненте вируса. Серолошки тестови који детектују присуство антитела на протеине вируса. Важна компенента ових тестова је рекомбинанто произведен протеин. Истраживачки тим Хемијског факултета је до сада произвео рекомбинантне протеине шиљка и нуклеокапсида за потребе развоја серолошког теста и N протеин високе чистоће на великој скали за потребе добијања специфичких антитела и развоја антигенског теста. Добијена високо специфична поликлонска антитела на N протеин вируса из имунизованих животиња, биће употребљена за дизајн основног сендвич ЕЛИСА теста за детекцију SARS CoV-2 вируса на бази препознавања N-протеина вируса. Oчекује се даље унапређење осетљивости теста применом различитих техника, као што су имобилисана специфична антитела на принципу имуноафинитетног ЕЛИСА теста што ће омогућити хватање вирусних антигена у хуманим телесним течностима попут крви, урина и пљувачке, и њихово даље концентрисање, што са једне стране повећава могућност за тачан резултат а са друге стране шири репертоар врсте узорака

Emerging Food Contaminants

The global production volume of plastics continues to rise. The continued growth in plastics production has not only led to an increasing volume of plastic waste released into the environment but has also contributed to food waste. Plastic polymers released into environment can be slowly degraded by microorganisms, heat, oxidation, light, or hydrolysis. The degradation of plastic will eventually result in formation of microparticles commonly known as microplastics, currently defined as plastic materials with various morphologies in the range of 0.1–5,000 µm. Primary microplastics are already microscopic in size from the point of manufacture. Common examples are microbeads that act as exfoliating agents in cleansers, facial scrubs and other cosmetic products, and virgin pellets that are used as raw materials in the production of plastic goods. Moreover, plastic particles have been ubiquitously detected in the environments of marine water, freshwater, agroecosystems, atmosphere, food, drinking water and biota. Estimates suggest 5.25 trillion plastic particles currently circulate in ocean surface waters. The presence of plastic particles in various environments also pose a threat to food security, food safety, and human health. Unfortunately, solid data on the prevalence of microplastic particles in the environment are still limited due to the analytical and technical challenges of extraction, characterization, and quantification from complex environmental matrices. Microplastics found in the diet can be derived from food additives (salt, sugar), drinking water, microplastics incorporated into the food chain (in particular shellfish) or released from plastic packaging during food processing. Interestingly, the highest reported concentration of microplastics comes not from the food chain, but rather from the processing of foods in plastics. Reusable plastic bottles have also been identified as a source of microplastics which could be generated through cleaning and refiling. In fact, infant exposure to microplastics is higher than was previously recognized due to the prevalence of polypropylene-based products used in formula preparation and highlight an urgent need to assess whether exposure to microplastics at these levels poses a risk to infant health. Apart from their physical presence as environmental pollutants, concerns have been raised regarding binding of the other components to microplastics, in which case, an interplay of contaminants can results in the outcomes that are not easy to predict. For instance, there is a substantial lack of knowledge on binding of allergenic proteins to microplastics and influence on the development of allergy and processes relevant for allergen degradation and presentation to the immune system (i.e. digestibility and bioavailability). EU funded project IMPTOX is investigating impact of micro (and nano)plastics on the allergic diseases. We aim to understand the effect of micro- and nanoplastics combined with potentially harmful environmental contaminants adhering to their surfaces and finding their way into the human body

Supplementary data for the article: Cirkovic Velickovic, T. D.; Stanic-Vucinic, D. J. The Role of Dietary Phenolic Compounds in Protein Digestion and Processing Technologies to Improve Their Antinutritive Properties. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 2018, 17 (1), 82–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12320

Supplementary material for: [https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12320]Related to published version: [http://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/2074

Impact of microplastics originating from formula preparation on protein digestion in infant digestion models

Microplastics (MPs) of various morphologies have been ubiquitously detected in the environment, food, drinking water, and biota and may pose a threat to food safety and human health. Interestingly, the highest reported concentration of MPs comes from the processing of foods in plastic packaging. MPs exposure to humans is more prevalent in infants than in any other age group due to the use of polypropylene (PP)-based products in formula preparation. Although the effect of MPs on human health is still controversial, multiple studies conducted using in vivo and in vitro animal models have suggested that MPs can lead to a variety of health problems for humans, including gastrointestinal disorders, obesity, inflammation, cardiovascular disease, disruption of the endocrine system, and damage to vital organs including the liver and spleen. In addition, MPs could disrupt the digestion and bioavailability of important nutrients such as proteins, affecting the proper functioning of the human body, or triggering chronic health diseases and allergic reactions. Meanwhile, cow’s milk forms an essential part of the diet of infants as a source of protein and other nutrients and a primary component of infant formula. MPs have been found in milk products, including prepared infant formula. Despite the overwhelming evidence of the presence of MPs in infant foods, the literature remains deficient in information relating to the impact of MPs on the digestion and absorption of proteins in infants. This research gap gave birth to the European Union’s Horizon Europe-funded Microprot project. The broad aim of the Microprot project is to investigate the impact of polypropylene-based MPs from plastic packaging material on the digestibility of proteins in adults and infants. Therefore, the occurrence of MPs in various foods and their potential effect on health will be presented, highlighting the approach and impact of the Microprot project

Pregled najčešće korišćenih metoda u karakterizaciji alergena

The characterization of an allergen is a troublesome and difficult process, as it requires both the precise biochemical characterization of a (glyco)protein molecule and the establishment of its susceptibility to IgE antibodies, as they are the main link to histamine release in some hypersensitivity states (type I allergies). As the characterization of an allergen includes molecular weight determination of the allergenic molecule, its structure determination, physicochemical properties, IgE binding properties of the allergen molecule, and its allergenicity, an overal review of which biochemical and immunochemical methods are used in achieving this goal are presented in this paper. The information on the molecular level on the stuctures of allergens indicates that allergens are considerably heterogeneous protein structures, and that there is no particular aminoacid sequence which is responsible for the allergenicity. Therefore, information gained from detailed structural, functional and immunochemical studies of these intriguing molecules, which nowadays modulate a variety of pathophysiological conditions, would greatly improve our understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms, and the way to handle them.Okarakterisati alergen je težak i mukotrpan zadatak, jer zahteva preciznu biohemijsku karakterizaciju (gliko)proteinskog molekula, kao i ustanovljavanje njegove sposobnosti da vezuje IgE, jer je to glavna spona ka oslobađanju histamina u nekim stanjima preosetljivosti (alergije tipa I). Karakterizacija alergena podrazumeva određivanje molekulske mase, određivanje strukture, fizikohemijskih svojstava, IgE vezujućih osobina i njegovu alergenost. Ovaj rad daje pregled koje se biohemijske i imunohemijske metode najčešće koriste radi postizanja tog cilja. Informacije koje su do sada dobijene o strukturi alergena pokazuju da su ovi molekuli izuzetno heterogene strukture i da ne postoji određena aminokiselinska sekvencija koja bi mogla da predvidi alergenost datog molekula. Međutim, informacije dobijene iz detaljnih strukturnih studija ovih molekula će doprineti našem razumevanju patofizioloških procesa koji su u osnovi alergijskih oboljenja i unaprediće način na koji ih tretiramo