Kuwanon‐L as a New Allosteric HIV‐1 Integrase Inhibitor: Molecular Modeling and Biological Evaluation

HIV‐1 integrase (IN) active site inhibitors are the latest class of drugs approved for HIV treatment. The selection of IN strand‐transfer drug‐resistant HIV strains in patients supports the development of new agents that are active as allosteric IN inhibitors. Here, a docking‐based virtual screening has been applied to a small library of natural ligands to identify new allosteric IN inhibitors that target the sucrose binding pocket. From theoretical studies, kuwanon‐L emerged as the most promising binder and was thus selected for biological studies. Biochemical studies showed that kuwanon‐L is able to inhibit the HIV‐1 IN catalytic activity in the absence and in the presence of LEDGF/p75 protein, the IN dimerization, and the IN/LEDGF binding. Kuwanon‐L also inhibited HIV‐1 replication in cell cultures. Overall, docking and biochemical results suggest that kuwanon‐L binds to an allosteric binding pocket and can be considered an attractive lead for the development of new allosteric IN antiviral agents.     

Preliminary Evidence on the Diagnostic and Molecular Role of Circulating Soluble EGFR in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Assessment of biological diagnostic factors providing clinically-relevant information to guide physician decision-making are still needed for diseases with poor outcomes, such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a promising molecule in the clinical management of NSCLC. While the EGFR transmembrane form has been extensively investigated in large clinical trials, the soluble, circulating EGFR isoform (sEGFR), which may have a potential clinical use, has rarely been considered. This study investigates the use of sEGFR as a potential diagnostic biomarker for NSCLC and also characterizes the biological function of sEGFR to clarify the molecular mechanisms involved in the course of action of this protein. Plasma sEGFR levels from a heterogeneous cohort of 37 non-advanced NSCLC patients and 54 healthy subjects were analyzed by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The biological function of sEGFR was analyzed in vitro using NSCLC cell lines, investigating effects on cell proliferation and migration. We found that plasma sEGFR was significantly decreased in the NSCLC patient group as compared to the control group (median value: 48.6 vs. 55.6 ng/mL respectively; p = 0.0002). Moreover, we demonstrated that sEGFR inhibits growth and migration of NSCLC cells in vitro through molecular mechanisms that included perturbation of EGF/EGFR cell signaling and holoreceptor internalization. These data show that sEGFR is a potential circulating biomarker with a physiological protective role, providing a first approach to the functional role of the soluble isoform of EGFR. However, the impact of these data on daily clinical practice needs to be further investigated in larger prospective studies.     

Processing and Properties of Ti(C,N)–WC-Based Materials

Two Ti(C,N)–WC powder mixtures, one containing 0.88 wt% Co and the other 6.2 wt% Ni + 2.9 wt% Co, were fabricated by different routes: pressureless and gas-pressure sintering in argon and nitrogen, and hot-pressing under vacuum. The microstructures of all the sintered samples consisted of grains with a core/rim structure, the core being Ti(C,N) and the rim (Ti,W)(C,N). An inner rim also was present at the core/rim interface. The more highly doped materials also had an intergranular Ni-Co-Ti-W binder phase. The compositions and cell parameters of the hard phases, as well as of the binder, were analyzed. The nitrogen partial pressure in the sintering furnace was the main factor that influenced grain growth and phase composition. In fact, sintering under argon enhanced grain growth and was accompanied by a lower tungsten content in the rim. The influence of the microstructure on some mechanical properties (hardness, flexural strength, toughness, and Young's modulus) also was investigated. Flexural-strength values up to 1550 MPa at room temperature and 1200 MPa at 800°C, and fracture-toughness values up to 8 MPa·m^1/2 were measured, depending on the starting composition and processing conditions.     

Cover Image,Volume 66, Issue 3

The cover image, by Katia Sparnacci et al., is based on the Research Article High temperature surface neutralization process with random copolymers for block copolymer self‐assembly, DOI: 10.1002/pi.5285 .

     

Structure and conductivity of yttria and scandia‐doped zirconia crystals grown by skull melting

In this paper a detailed study of the (ZrO₂)_1‐x(Y₂O₃)_x (x=0.025–0.15), (ZrO₂)_1‐x(Sc₂O₃)_x (x = 0.06 – 0.11) and (ZrO₂)_1‐x‐y(Sc₂O₃)_x(Y₂O₃)_y (x=0.07 – 0.11; y=0.01 – 0.04) solid solution crystals grown by skull melting technique is presented. The structure, phase composition, and ion conductivity of the obtained crystals were investigated by X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman scattering spectroscopy, and impedance spectroscopy. Maximum conductivity as (ZrO₂)_1‐x(Y₂O₃)_x and (ZrO₂)_1‐x(Sc₂O₃)_x solid solution crystals is observed for the compositions containing 10 mol% stabilizing oxide, and the conductivity of 10ScSZ is ~3 times higher than for 10YSZ. Experiments on crystal growth (ZrO₂)_1‐x‐y(Sc₂O₃)_x(Y₂O₃)_y solid solutions showed that uniform, transparent crystals 7Sc3YSZ, 7Sc4YSZ, 8Sc2YSZ, 8Sc3YSZ, 9Sc2YSZ, 9Sc3YSZ, 10Sc1YSZ, and 10Sc2YSZ are single phase crystal containing t″ phase. It is established that a necessary condition of melt growth of (ZrO₂)_1‐x‐y(Sc₂O₃)_x(Y₂O₃)_y single‐phase crystals is the total concentration of the stabilizing oxides from 10 to 12 mol%. The addition of Y₂O₃ affects the (ZrO₂)_1‐x‐y(Sc₂O₃)_x(Y₂O₃)_y solid solution conductivity different ways and depends on the Sc₂O₃ content in the starting composition. The effects of structure, phase composition, concentration, and type of stabilizing oxides on the electrical characteristics of obtained crystals are discussed.     

Melting behavior,crystallization kinetics and morphology of random copolyesters of poly(2‐hydroxyethoxybenzoate) with ε‐caprolactone

The melting behavior after isothermal crystallization and the crystallization kinetics of random poly(2‐hydroxyethoxybenzoate/ε‐caprolactone) copolymers rich in 2hydroxyethoxybenzoate units were investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry and hot‐stage optical microscopy. The observed multiple endotherms, which are commonly displayed by polyesters, were found to be influenced both by crystallization temperature and composition. By applying the Hoffman‐Weeks method to the melting temperatures of isothermally crystallized samples, the equilibrium melting temperatures of the copolymers were obtained. Furthermore, isothemal crystallization kinetics was analyzed according to the Avrami treatment. Values of the exponent n close to 3 were obtained, independently of crystallization temperature and composition, in agreement with a crystallization process originating from predeterminated nuclei and characterized by three‐dimensional spherulitic growth. Space‐filling banded spherulites were observed by hot‐stage optical polarizing microscopy at all the crystallization temperatures explored, the band spacing being affected by both crystallization temperature and composition. As expected, the introduction of ε‐caprolactone comonomeric units in the polymer chain of PHEBA was found to decrease its crystallization rate.     

β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complex to Improve Physicochemical Properties of Pipemidic Acid: Characterization and Bioactivity Evaluation

The aptitude of cyclodextrins (CDs) to form host-guest complexes has prompted an increase in the development of new drug formulations. In this study, the inclusion complexes of pipemidic acid (HPPA), a therapeutic agent for urinary tract infections, with native β-CD were prepared in solid state by kneading method and confirmed by FT-IR and ¹H NMR. The inclusion complex formation was also characterized in aqueous solution at different pH via UV-Vis titration and phase solubility studies obtaining the stability constant. The 1:1 stoichiometry was established by a Job plot and the inclusion mechanism was clarified using docking experiments. Finally, the antibacterial activity of HPPA and its inclusion complex was tested on P. aeruginosa, E. coli and S. aureus to determine the respective EC_50s and EC_90s. The results showed that the antibacterial activity of HPPA:β-CD against E. coli and S. aureus is higher than that of HPPA. Furthermore, HPPA and HPPA:β-CD, tested on human hepatoblastoma HepG2 and MCF-7 cell lines by MTT assay, exhibited, for the first time, antitumor activities, and the complex revealed a higher activity than that of HPPA. The use of β-CD allows an increase in the aqueous solubility of the drug, its bioavailability and then its bioactivity.     

Plasmonic bandgap in random media

We present a dispersion theory of the surface plasmon polaritons (SPP) in random metal-dielectric nanocomposite (MDN) consisting of bulk metal embedded with dielectric inclusions. We demonstrate that embedding of dielectric nanoparticles in metal results in the formation of the plasmonic bandgap due to strong coupling of the SPP at the metal-vacuum interface and surface plasmons localized at the surface of nanoinclusions. Our results show that MDN can replace metals in various plasmonic devices, which properties can be tuned in a wide spectral range. Being compatible with waveguides and other photonic structures, MDN offers high flexibility in the plasmonic system design.