Development of a selective COX-2 inhibitor: from synthesis to enhanced efficacy via nano-formulation.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs are widely used for managing various conditions including pain, inflammation, arthritis and many musculoskeletal disorders. NSAIDs exert their biological effects by inhibiting the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme, which has two main isoforms COX-1 and COX-2. The COX-2 isoform is believed to be directly related to inflammation. Based on structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of known selective COX-2 inhibitors, our aim is to design and synthesize a novel series of 2-benzamido-N-(4-substituted phenyl)thiophene-3-carboxamide derivatives. These derivatives are intended to be selective COX-2 inhibitors through structural modification of diclofenac and celecoxib. The compound 2-benzamido-5-ethyl-N-(4-fluorophenyl)thiophene-3-carboxamide VIIa demonstrated selective COX-2 inhibition with an IC50 value of 0.29 µM and a selectivity index 67.24. This is compared to celecoxib, which has an IC50 value of 0.42 µM and a selectivity index 33.8. Molecular docking studies for compound VIIa displayed high binding affinity toward COX-2. Additionally, the suppression of protein denaturation with respect to albumin was performed as an indicative measure of the potential anti-inflammatory efficacy of the novel compounds. Compound VIIa showed potent anti-inflammatory activity with 93% inhibition and an IC50 value 0.54 µM. In comparison, celecoxib achieved 94% inhibition with an IC50 value 0.89 µM. Although molecule VIIa demonstrated significant in vitro anti-inflammatory activity, adhered to Lipinski's "five rules" (RO5) and exhibited promising drug-like properties, it showed indications of poor in vivo activity. This limitation is likely due to poor aqueous solubility, which impacts its bioavailability. This issue could be addressed by incorporating the drug in niosomal nanocarrier. Niosomes were prepared using the thin-film hydration technique. These niosomes exhibited a particle size of less than 200 nm, high entrapment efficiency, and an appropriate drug loading percentage. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies revealed that the niosomes were spherical and demonstrated compatibility of all of its components. The drug release study indicated that the pure drug had limited practicality for in vivo use. However, incorporating the drug into niosomes significantly improved its release profile, making it more suitable for practical use.

Superior cuproptotic efficacy of diethyldithiocarbamate-Cu4O3 nanoparticles over diethyldithiocarbamate-Cu2O nanoparticles in metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.

Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (HC) is a serious health concern. The stemness of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is a key driver for HC tumorigenesis, apoptotic resistance, and metastasis, and functional mitochondria are critical for its maintenance. Cuproptosis is Cu-dependent non-apoptotic pathway (mitochondrial dysfunction) via inactivating mitochondrial enzymes (pyruvate dehydrogenase "PDH" and succinate dehydrogenase "SDH"). To effectively treat metastatic HC, it is necessary to induce selective cuproptosis (for halting cancer stemness genes) with selective oxidative imbalance (for increasing cell susceptibility to cuproptosis and inducing non-CSCs death). Herein, two types of Cu oxide nanoparticles (Cu4O3 "C(I + II)" NPs and Cu2O "C(I)" NPs) were used in combination with diethyldithiocarbamate (DD, an aldehyde dehydrogenase "ALDH" inhibitor) for comparative anti-HC investigation. DC(I + II) NPs exhibited higher cytotoxicity, mitochondrial membrane potential, and anti-migration impact than DC(I) NPs in the treated human HC cells (HepG2 and/or Huh7). Moreover, DC(I + II) NPs were more effective than DC(I) NPs in the treatment of HC mouse groups. This was mediated via higher selective accumulation of DC(I + II) NPs in only tumor tissues and oxidant activity, causing stronger selective inhibition of mitochondrial enzymes (PDH, SDH, and ALDH2) than DC(I)NPs. This effect resulted in more suppression of tumor and metastasis markers as well as stemness gene expressions in DC(I + II) NPs-treated HC mice. In addition, both nanocomplexes normalized liver function and hematological parameters. The computational analysis found that DC(I + II) showed higher binding affinity to most of the tested enzymes. Accordingly, DC(I + II) NPs represent a highly effective therapeutic formulation compared to DC(I) NPs for metastatic HC.

Ablative Radiation Therapy to Restrain Everything Safely Treatable (ARREST): A Phase 1 Study of Stereotactic Ablative Radiation Therapy for Polymetastatic Disease.

PURPOSE: This phase 1 study aimed to assess the safety and feasibility of SABR therapy delivery to all sites of polymetastatic disease (>10 metastases). METHODS AND MATERIALS: A 3 + 3 study design was used with 5 dose levels from 6 Gy (6 Gy × 1) to 30 Gy (6 Gy weekly × 5). Dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) was defined as any grade 4 or 5 toxicity or more than 3 grade 3 toxicities within 6 weeks of treatment. The primary endpoint was the maximal tolerated dose, defined as the dose level where ≥2/6 of patients experienced DLT. Secondary endpoints included quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General and European Quality of Life 5 Dimension 5 Level) at 6 weeks posttreatment, progression-free survival, and overall survival. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were accrued: 12 Gy (n = 3), 18 Gy (n = 3), 24 Gy (n = 4), and 30 Gy (n = 3), and 207 lesions were treated. Nine patients (69%) had acute toxicity: grade 1 (n = 6, 46%), grade 2 (n = 2, 15%; n = 1 pneumonitis and n = 1 fatigue), and grade 3 (n = 1, 7.7% neutropenia). There were no grade 4 or 5 toxicities. Mean ± SD quality of life (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General and European Quality of Life 5 Dimension 5 Level health state) was 80.4 ± 21.9 and 77.4 ± 20.9 at baseline versus 76.4 ± 21.8 and 68.0 ± 24.2 at 6-week follow-up, respectively (p = .009 and p = .055, respectively). With a median follow-up of 8.7 months posttreatment (IQR, 2.4-24 months), 8 of 13 patients had disease progression (62%). The median and 12-month progression-free survival were 3.6 months and 11.3%, respectively. The median and 12-month overall survival were 13.8 months and 62%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In this phase 1 trial, SABR therapy for polymetastatic disease was technically feasible with acceptable acute toxicity at dose levels up to 30 Gy (6 Gy weekly × 5). DLT was not observed.

Chemical synthesis and functional evaluation of glycopeptides and glycoproteins containing rare glycosyl amino acid linkages.

Covering: 1987 to 2023Naturally existing glycoproteins through post-translational protein glycosylation are highly heterogeneous, which not only impedes the structure-function studies, but also hinders the development of their potential medical usage. Chemical synthesis represents one of the most powerful tools to provide the structurally well-defined glycoforms. Being the key step of glycoprotein synthesis, glycosylation usually takes place at serine, threonine, and asparagine residues, leading to the predominant formation of the O- and N-glycans, respectively. However, other amino acid residues containing oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and nucleophilic carbon atoms have also been found to be glycosylated. These diverse glycoprotein linkages, occurring from microorganisms to plants and animals, play also pivotal biological roles, such as in cell-cell recognition and communication. The availability of these homogenous rare glycopeptides and glycoproteins can help decipher the glyco-code for developing therapeutic agents. This review highlights the chemical approaches for assembly of the functional glycopeptides and glycoproteins bearing these "rare" carbohydrate-amino acid linkages between saccharide and canonical amino acid residues and their derivatives.

Synthesis, Docking, and DFT Studies on Novel Schiff Base Sulfonamide Analogues as Selective COX-1 Inhibitors with Anti-Platelet Aggregation Activity.

Selective COX-1 inhibitors are preferential therapeutic targets for platelet aggregation and clotting responses. In this study, we examined the selective COX-1-inhibitory activities of four newly synthesized compounds, 10-13, along with their abilities to inhibit platelet aggregation against ADP and collagen. The target compounds 10-13 were synthesized using the conventional method, sonication, and microwave-assisted methods. Microanalytical and spectral data were utilized to elucidate the structures of the new compounds 10-13. Additionally, a spectral NMR experiment [NOESY] was conducted to emphasize the configuration around the double bond of the imine group C=N. The obtained results revealed no observed correlation between any of the neighboring protons, suggesting that the configuration at the C=N double bond is E. Biological results revealed that all the screened compounds 10-13 might serve as selective COX-1 inhibitors. They showed IC50 values ranging from 0.71 µM to 4.82 µM against COX-1 and IC50 values ranging from 9.26 µM to 15.24 µM against COX-2. Their COX-1 selectivity indices ranged between 2.87 and 18.69. These compounds show promise as promising anti-platelet aggregation agents. They effectively prevented platelet aggregation induced by ADP with IC50 values ranging from 0.11 µM to 0.37 µM, surpassing the standard aspirin with an IC50 value of 0.49 µM. Additionally, they inhibited the platelet aggregation induced by collagen with IC50 values ranging from 0.12 µM to 1.03 µM, demonstrating superior efficacy compared to aspirin, which has an IC50 value of 0.51 µM. In silico molecular modeling was performed for all the target compounds within the active sites of COX-1 and COX-2 to rationalize their selective inhibitory activities towards COX-1. It was found that the binding interactions of the designed compounds within the COX-1 active site had remained unaffected by the presence of celecoxib. Molecular modeling and DFT calculations using the B3LYP/6-31+G (d,p) level were performed to study the stability of E-forms with respect to Z-forms for the investigated compounds. A strong correlation was observed between the experimental observations and the quantum chemical descriptors.

Inducing Long Lasting B Cell and T Cell Immunity Against Multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2 Through Mutant Bacteriophage Qß-Receptor Binding Domain Conjugate.

More than 3 years into the global pandemic, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remains a significant threat to public health. Immunities acquired from infection or current vaccines fail to provide long term protection against subsequent infections, mainly due to their fast-waning nature and the emergence of variants of concerns (VOCs) such as Omicron. To overcome these limitations, SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD)-based epitopes are investigated as conjugates with a powerful carrier, the mutant bacteriophage Qß (mQß). The epitope design is critical to eliciting potent antibody responses with the full length RBD being superior to peptide and glycopeptide antigens. The full length RBD conjugated with mQß activates both humoral and cellular immune systems in vivo, inducing broad spectrum, persistent, and comprehensive immune responses effective against multiple VOCs including Delta and Omicron variants, rendering it a promising vaccine candidate.

A comprehensive synthetic library of poly-N-acetyl glucosamines enabled vaccine against lethal challenges of Staphylococcus aureus.

Poly-ß-(1-6)-N-acetylglucosamine (PNAG) is an important vaccine target, expressed on many pathogens. A critical hurdle in developing PNAG based vaccine is that the impacts of the number and the position of free amine vs N-acetylation on its antigenicity are not well understood. In this work, a divergent strategy is developed to synthesize a comprehensive library of 32 PNAG pentasaccharides. This library enables the identification of PNAG sequences with specific patterns of free amines as epitopes for vaccines against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), an important human pathogen. Active vaccination with the conjugate of discovered PNAG epitope with mutant bacteriophage Qß as a vaccine carrier as well as passive vaccination with diluted rabbit antisera provides mice with near complete protection against infections by S. aureus including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Thus, the comprehensive PNAG pentasaccharide library is an exciting tool to empower the design of next generation vaccines.

Recent advances in the synthesis of extensive libraries of heparan sulfate oligosaccharides for structure-activity relationship studies.

Heparan sulfate (HS) is a linear, sulfated and highly negatively-charged polysaccharide that plays important roles in many biological events. As a member of the glycosaminoglycan (GAG) family, HS is commonly found on mammalian cell surfaces and within the extracellular matrix. The structural complexities of natural HS polysaccharides have hampered the comprehension of their biological functions and structure-activity relationships (SARs). Although the sulfation patterns and backbone structures of HS can be major determinants of their biological activities, obtaining significant amounts of pure HS from natural sources for comprehensive SAR studies is challenging. Chemical and enzyme-based synthesis can aid in the production of structurally well-defined HS oligosaccharides. In this review, we discuss recent innovations enabling the syntheses of large libraries of HS and how these libraries can provide insights into the structural preferences of various HS binding proteins.

Combination of Osimertinib and Olaparib Therapy to Treat Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and High-Grade Serous Ovarian Carcinoma: A Case Report.

We present the case of a 75-year-old female with simultaneous EGFR-mutated stage IV lung cancer and advanced BRCA2-mutated ovarian cancer, treated with a unique regimen. In this case report, the patient was treated with alternating months of osimertinib and olaparib to control her lung and ovarian cancers, respectively. When both diseases showed progression, the patient underwent a trial of concurrent therapy with both drugs, yet this was discontinued due to patient-reported adverse side effects. Combination targeted drug therapy may be required to treat complex diagnoses such as dual malignancies. However, combination drug therapy consisting of osimertinib and olaparib has not previously been explored. This case report represents the first to demonstrate osimertinib and olaparib combination therapy as a unique treatment regimen for concurrent lung and ovarian cancers. These two drugs can either be given in an alternating way or given together, short-term, with a higher but tolerable toxicity profile.

Laying performance, genetic parameters, and the expression of FSHß, LHß, FSHR, and LHR genes in Japanese quails selected for early egg production.

Investigating the impact of early egg production selection (the first 90 d of laying) on egg production features, cumulative selection response (CSR), and the mRNA expression of gonadotropins (FSHß and LHß), and their receptors (FSHR and LHR), in Japanese quails was the goal. The selection experiment involved 1293 females in all, 257 from the base group and 1036 from the 4 selected generations. Age and body weight at sexual maturity (ASM, BWSM), weight of the first egg (WFE), days to the first 10 eggs (DF10E), egg mass for the first 10 eggs (EMF10E), egg weight (EW), egg number at the first 90 d of laying (EN90D), and egg mass at the first 90 d of laying (EM90D) were all recorded. Most egg production traits had heritability estimates that were low to moderate and ranged from 0.17 to 0.33., where the highest estimates were reported for EN90D (0.33) and BWSM (0.32). With the exception of EN90D, low to moderate positive genetic correlations were observed between ASM and other egg production traits (0.17-0.44). The fourth generation showed significantly (P < 0.05) lower ASM and DF10E but higher BWSM, WFE, EN90D, EM10E, and EM90D when compared with the base generation. CSR were significant (P < 0.05) for ASM (-6.67 d), BWSM (27.13 g), WFE (0.93 g), DF10E (-1.25 d), EN90D (7.24 egg), EM10E (10.57 g), and EM90D (140.0 g). FSHß, LHß, FSHR, and LHR gene mRNA expression was considerably (P < 0.05) greater in the fourth generation compared to the base generation. In conclusion, selection programs depending on the efficiency of egg production (EN90D) could improve the genetic gain of egg production traits and upregulate the mRNA expression of FSHß, LHß, FSHR, and LHR genes in selected quails (fourth generation). These findings might help to enhance breeding plans and create commercial lines of high egg production Japanese quails.

Stereoselective Synthesis of Sialyl Lewisa Antigen and the Effective Anticancer Activity of Its Bacteriophage Qß Conjugate as an Anticancer Vaccine.

Sialyl Lewisa (sLea ), also known as cancer antigen 19-9 (CA19-9), is a tumor-associated carbohydrate antigen. The overexpression of sLea on the surface of a variety of cancer cells makes it an attractive target for anticancer immunotherapy. However, sLea -based anticancer vaccines have been under-explored. To develop a new vaccine, efficient stereoselective synthesis of sLea with an amine-bearing linker was achieved, which was subsequently conjugated with a powerful carrier bacteriophage, Qß. Mouse immunization with the Qß-sLea conjugate generated strong and long-lasting anti-sLea IgG antibody responses, which were superior to those induced by the corresponding conjugate of sLea with the benchmark carrier keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Antibodies elicited by Qß-sLea were highly selective toward the sLea structure, could bind strongly with sLea -expressing cancer cells and human pancreatic cancer tissues, and kill tumor cells through complement-mediated cytotoxicity. Furthermore, vaccination with Qß-sLea significantly reduced tumor development in a metastatic cancer model in mice, demonstrating tumor protection for the first time by a sLea -based vaccine, thus highlighting the significant potential of sLea as a promising cancer antigen.

Reinvestigation of Passerini and Ugi scaffolds as multistep apoptotic inducers via dual modulation of caspase 3/7 and P53-MDM2 signaling for halting breast cancer.

Selective induction of breast cancer apoptosis is viewed as the mainstay of various ongoing oncology drug discovery programs. Passerini scaffolds have been recently exploited as selective apoptosis inducers via a caspase 3/7 dependent pathway. Herein, the optimized Passerini caspase activators were manipulated to synergistically induce P53-dependent apoptosis via modulating the closely related P53-MDM2 signaling axis. The adopted design rationale and synthetic routes relied on mimicking the general thematic features of lead MDM2 inhibitors incorporating multiple aromatic rings. Accordingly, the cyclization of representative Passerini derivatives and related Ugi compounds into the corresponding diphenylimidazolidine and spiro derivative was performed, resembling the nutlin-based and spiro MDM-2 inhibitors, respectively. The study was also extended to explore the apoptotic induction capacity of the scaffold after simplification and modifications. MTT assay on MCF-7 and MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells compared to normal fibroblasts (WI-38) revealed their promising cytotoxic activities. The flexible Ugi derivatives 3 and 4, cyclic analog 8, Passerini adduct 12, and the thiosemicarbazide derivative 17 were identified as the study hits regarding cytotoxic potency and selectivity, being over 10-folds more potent (IC50 = 0.065-0.096 µM) and safer (SI = 4.4-18.7) than doxorubicin (IC50 = 0.478 µM, SI = 0.569) on MCF-7 cells. They promoted apoptosis induction via caspase 3/7 activation (3.1-4.1 folds) and P53 induction (up to 4 folds). Further apoptosis studies revealed that these compounds enhanced gene expression of BAX by 2 folds and suppressed Bcl-2 expression by 4.29-7.75 folds in the treated MCF-7 cells. Docking simulations displayed their plausible binding modes with the molecular targets and highlighted their structural determinants of activities for further optimization studies. Finally, in silico prediction of the entire library was computationally performed, showing that most of them could be envisioned as drug-like candidates.

Allele mining in prolactin receptor gene and its association with some economic traits in Egyptian goat breeds.

The objectives of the current study were to identify polymorphism in the prolactin receptor (PRLR) gene among three Egyptian goat breeds (Zaraibi, Damascus, and Barki) and to investigate the association between PRLR genotype, parity, season of kidding, and litter size factors with milk yield and reproductive traits of Zaraibi goats. One hundred and ninety blood samples were collected for DNA extraction, with 110 from Zaraibi, 40 from Barki, and 40 from Damascus breeds. Three genotypes, CC, CT and TT, for the prolactin receptor gene were identified in the 190 DNA samples using restriction fragment length polymorphism and were confirmed by direct sequencing technique. Milk yield during suckling and lactation periods in addition to age at first conception, gestation length, and litter size were determined in 110 Zaraibi goats. The Zaraibi goats recorded the highest heterozygosity (0.495) and the effective number of alleles (1.972). The g.62130C > T SNP showed a significant association (p < 0.01) with suckling, lactation, and total milk yield of Zaraibi goats with the highest values recorded at the third parity. Age at the first conception and gestation length traits were significantly influenced by the kidding season (p < 0.05) with younger age in autumn and shorter length in spring seasons. Milk yield during the suckling period was significantly (p < 0.01) higher in the case of triplets' litter size. The current study showed that litter size and parity played an important role in the amount of Zaraibi goats' milk yield. The g.62130C > T SNP of the PRLR gene may be a useful marker for assisted selection programs to improve goat milk yield during suckling and lactation periods with the heterozygous genotype CT recording the highest values.

The Role of Post-Operative Radiotherapy for Non-Spine Bone Metastases (NSBMs).

Non-spine bone metastases (NSBMs) can cause significant morbidity and deterioration in the quality of life of cancer patients. This paper reviews the role of post-operative radiotherapy (PORT) in the management of NSBMs and provides suggestions for clinical practice based on the best available evidence. We identified six retrospective studies and several reviews that examined PORT for NSBMs. These studies suggest that PORT reduces local recurrence rates and provides effective pain relief. Based on the literature, PORT was typically delivered as 20 Gy in 5 fractions or 30 Gy in 10 fractions within 5 weeks of surgery. Complete coverage of the surgical hardware is an important consideration when designing an appropriate radiation plan and leads to improved local control. Furthermore, the integration of PORT in a multidisciplinary team with input from radiation oncologists and orthopedic surgeons is beneficial. A multimodal approach including PORT should be considered for an NSBM that requires surgery. However, phase III studies are needed to answer many remaining questions and optimize the management of NSBMs.

The Effectiveness and Safety of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) in the Treatment of Oligoprogressive Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) has emerged as a technique to treat oligoprogressive sites among patients with breast cancer who are otherwise doing well on systemic therapy. This study systematically reviewed the efficacy and safety of SBRT in the setting of oligoprogressive breast cancer. A literature search was conducted in the MEDLINE database. Studies regarding SBRT and oligoprogressive breast cancer were included. Key outcomes of interest were toxicity, local control, progression, and overall survival. From 863 references, five retrospective single-center cohort studies were identified. All studies included patients with both oligometastatic and oligoprogressive disease; 112 patients with oligoprogressive breast cancer were identified across these studies. Patient age ranged from 22 to 84, with a median of 55 years of age. Most patients had hormone-receptor-positive and HER2-negative disease. SBRT doses varied from 24 to 60 Gy in 1-10 fractions based on the location/size of the lesion. Forty toxicity events were reported, of which the majority (n = 25, 62.5%) were grade 1-2 events. Among 15 patients who received SBRT concurrently with a CDK4/6 inhibitor, 37.5% of patients experienced grade 3-5 toxicities. Progression-free and overall survival ranged from 17 to 57% and 62 to 91%, respectively. There are limited data on the role of SBRT in oligoprogressive breast cancer, and prospective evaluation of this strategy is awaited to inform its safety and efficacy.

Short-term effects of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization compared to algometry pressure release in tension-type headache: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

PURPOSES: To compare the effectiveness of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) and pressure algometry with sham ultrasound (control group) on the clinical measures of headache, pressure pain threshold (PPT) of upper trapezius and suboccipital muscles and cervical alignment in patients with tension type headache (TTH). METHODS: Seventy-two patients with TTH of both genders were randomly allocated to 3 experimental groups: a) the IASTM group (n=24), b) pressure algometry group (n=24), and c) sham ultrasound control group (n=24). Headache frequency and disability, pressure pain threshold of upper trapezius and suboccipital muscles, cervical lordosis angle (CA) and anterior head translation (AHT) were measured four weeks before and after intervention. Moreover, headache frequency was followed up for two more weeks after intervention. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements (P <0.05; effect size ranges 1.1-1.9) were observed in all outcome measures following IASTM compared to the other two intervention methods. In the IASTM group, the headache frequency decreased from 15 to 2 days/month. Also, headache disability decreased from 19 to 10. Further, CA increased from 17.5° to 31.4° and AHT decreased from 24.1 to 15.5 mm. The pressure algometry group showed significantly lower headache frequency at the follow-up (P < 0.01) than the sham ultrasound control group. However, Similar findings in the other evaluated outcomes were found between the pressure algometry and sham ultrasound control groups (P ˃ 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate the effectiveness of IASTM in improving headache symptoms and cervical alignment in patients with TTH.

Synthesis of a Systematic 64-Membered Heparan Sulfate Tetrasaccharide Library.

Heparan sulfate (HS) has multifaceted biological activities. To date, no libraries of HS oligosaccharides bearing systematically varied sulfation structures are available owing to the challenges in synthesizing a large number of HS oligosaccharides. To overcome the obstacles and expedite the synthesis, a divergent approach was designed, where 64 HS tetrasaccharides covering all possible structures of 2-O-, 6-O- and N-sulfation with the glucosamine-glucuronic acid-glucosamine-iduronic acid backbone were successfully produced from a single strategically protected tetrasaccharide intermediate. This extensive library helped identify the structural requirements for HS sequences to have strong fibroblast growth factor-2 binding but a weak affinity for platelet factor-4. Such a strategy to separate out these two interactions could lead to new HS-based potential therapeutics without the dangerous adverse effect of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia.

Genetic analysis of prolificacy, milk production and composition traits in Egyptian Zaraibi goats.

This study was conducted to genetically and environmentally characterize prolificacy (litter size and weight at birth; LSB and LWB and litter size and weight at weaning; LSW and LWW, respectively), milk yield at the 7th (MY7), 15th (MY15), 30th (MY30), 60th (MY60), 90th (MY90) day of lactation and monthly milk yield (MMY) and milk composition traits in Egyptian Zaraibi goats. A total of 443 and 421 records produced by 121 Zaraibi lactating goats were used to assess prolificacy and milk production traits, respectively. The milk composition traits were measured using 371 milk samples obtained at random from 53 goats. The fourth parity showed the highest values for LWB, LWW, and MMY (3.62, 18.15, and 28.99 kg, respectively). Milk composition traits revealed an inverse tendency, decreasing until the second month and then increasing until the seventh month. The heritability estimates ranged from 0.07 to 0.13, from 0.04 to 0.39, and from 0.07 to 0.33 for prolificacy, milk yield, and milk composition traits, respectively. Negatively high genetic correlations between MMY and all milk composition traits were found. MMY had the highest estimate of heritability (0.39 ± 0.07), this means that the genetic improvement of this trait could be achieved through direct selection.

Automated Solid Phase Assisted Synthesis of a Heparan Sulfate Disaccharide Library.

Heparan sulfate (HS) regulates a wide range of biological events, including blood coagulation, cancer development, cell differentiation, and viral infections. It is generally recognized that structures of HS can critically impact its biological functions. However, with complex structures of naturally existing HS, systematic investigations into the structure-activity relationship (SAR) of HS and efforts to unlock their "sulfation code" have been largely limited due to the challenges in preparing diverse HS oligosaccharide sequences. Herein, we report an automated machine-aided solid-phase strategy that significantly expedited the assembly of HS disaccharides. The key strategically protected advanced disaccharide intermediates were immobilized onto Synphase lanterns. Divergent deprotections and sulfations of the disaccharides were achieved on the lanterns in high yields. In addition, the full synthetic process was automated, enabling the reproducible production of HS disaccharides. A library of 16 HS disaccharides with diverse sulfation patterns was prepared via this method. Compared to the traditional HS synthesis, this new strategy led to a reduction of 50% of the number of synthetic steps and over 80% of the number of column purification steps needed from the disaccharide intermediates, significantly improving the overall synthetic efficiency. The potential utility of the method was highlighted in a microarray study using the synthetic HS disaccharide library with fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), which yielded insights into the SAR of HS/FGF-2 interactions.