…
Biological barriers impede the application of bio-macromolecule based drugs in the clinics [1]. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) based drugs can be delivered to cells via endocytosis to silence the expression of disease causing genes [1, 2]. A major bottleneck in delivery, however, is the escape of siRNAs from endosomes to cytosol,
…
Mucus is very difficult to clean off and it is usually a tough job trying to maintain hygiene when suffering from a flu. This should not make you fret, as its stickiness is a key in-built feature that mediates its functions. Bacteria, viruses, and dust find it equally as hard as us to escape from mucus.
…
On the occasion of the 11th Conference and Workshop on Biological Barriers, the PathChooser community met in Saarbrücken, Germany, between the 7th and the 10th of March. The Conference, hosted among others by Prof. Dr. Claus-Michael Lehr, from the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research of the Saarland,
…
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive and fatal neurological disorder causing cognitive and behavioural impairments. It affects over 35 million people worldwide and one in nine over the age of 69 alone [1]. Despite being first described in 1906 by Dr. Alois Alzheimer and considerable research efforts made, promising diagnosis and therapy approaches are very slow in progress.
…
The word “Cancer” (or malignant tumour or neoplasm) refers to a large group of diseases that can affect any part of the body. It is characterized by rapid creation of abnormal cells that overgrow by invading the organ from which they originated (formation of the primary tumour) and spread to other organs where can give arise to secondary tumours (metastases) which are the major cause of death from cancer 1.
…
Tissue cellular variation is orchestrated by various biological processes that root from early formation and development of germ layers until late adulthood. The cellular organization, homeostasis and maintenance of each tissue are crucial for the normal function of organs and their harmonized co-function. The molecular pathways that control this balance within an organ differ accordingly with embryonic or adult age.
…
During 21st-24th of September, UCD hosted the PathChooser Mid-Term Meeting, where fellows, PIs and European Commission reviewers gathered to evaluate the progress made during the first two years of the project. Participants had the chance to share their research, training, dissemination and outreach and to develop further collaborations for the remaining half of PathChooser.
…
Nanoparticles are instantly modified once injected in the bloodstream because of their interaction with the blood components. The adsorption of proteins and their layering onto nanoparticle surfaces has been called the ‘protein corona’ and has been postulated as a determinant factor for the pharmacological, toxicological and therapeutic profile of NPs.
…
The need for collaboration between universities and industries is increasingly critical, as public funding is focused on scientific research which has demonstrable potential for wealth creation, and not just the advancement of knowledge. Although universities and public research organisations (PRO) perform more than 35 percent of all research undertaken in Europe,
…