mTOR inhibitor rapamycin (sirolimus) as a treatment option for tuberous sclerosis
Tuberous sclerosis is a very complex, incurable genetic disease. Within Germany, around 8,000 people are affected, and one to two million people worldwide. Tuberous sclerosis affects almost all organs. It leads, for example, to benign tumors or malformations in the brain. In addition, renal angiomyolipomas often form. These are also benign tumors of the kidney […]
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Sugars: from food industry to drug manufacturing
When it comes to sugar, people first think of its function as an energy supplier and sweetener in food or, in a negative context, of the common disease diabetes mellitus. But sugar is more than an energy supplier and nobody can live without it. Most probably only a minority is thinking of a group of […]
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Staurosporine – antihypertensive, antifungal, antitumor
Staurosporine is a natural product that was isolated in 1977 from the bacterium Stepromyces staurosporeus. It is among the first of over 50 alkaloids isolated with this type of bisindole chemical structure [1,2]. Shortly after its discovery, various of its biological activities were demonstrated, which are still the subject of current research. Among other things, […]
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In search of endogenous proteins
Johannes Broichhagenwww.broichhagenlab.com In his lectures, summarized in his book “What is Life?”, the physicist Erwin Schrödinger described in the 1940s that “the course of life processes in an organism […] [shows] an admirable regularity and order that in inanimate matter does not find its equal”.[1] Almost 80 years later, we are still searching for the […]
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Plant of the Month June: Foxglove
The common foxglove, which belongs to the plantain family, is native to Central and Western Europe. Since it is also popular as a houseplant, it is also cultivated. As a biennial plant, it can grow to a remarkable height of up to two meters. The oval leaves of Digitalis purpurea are lance-shaped, the flowers are […]
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Daptomycin – a powerful weapon against multi-resistant germs
The antibiotic daptomycin is often considered the last weapon – it is supposed to help when other active ingredients fail due to resistant germs. Daptomycin was discovered and developed 30 years ago – but the mode of action was not 100 percent clear. In the meantime, scientists from the Universities of Bonn and Amsterdam have […]
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Avarol from sea sponges
Did you know that sea sponges produce drugs? Every day they protect themselves against their natural enemies with a multitude of active ingredients. Some of these substances, like Avarol, are already used successfully against viral diseases or cancer. Researchers are now trying to breed the sea sponges in order to obtain larger quantities of the […]
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IPTG (Isopropyl-β-d-thiogalactopyranosid) – Use in Molecular Biology
The synthetic carbohydrate isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) is the isopropylthioglycoside of D-galactose. This reagent is particularly widespread in recombinant protein expression. This substance is often used in molecular biology. IPTG – important for the lactose metabolism of Escherichia coli This lac operon plays an important role in the lactose metabolism of various enteric bacteria, such as Escherichia […]
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Verrucarin A in cancer therapy
Pancreatic cancer (ductal pancreatic adenocarcinoma / PDA) is one of the most difficult cancers to treat. Common chemotherapeutic agents often only bring about a short-term improvement in symptoms and, unfortunately, experience has shown that they have little effect on the patient’s recovery. New types of therapy are urgently needed here. This is where Verrucarin A […]
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DL-Dithiothreitol – DTT as key element in diagnostics
In today’s time when there is still no vaccine or medication against the corona virus, COVID 19 tests or antibody tests are particularly important in order to uncover and thus interrupt the chain of infection. One product is of particular importance in these test kits: DL-Dithiothreitol, in short: DTT Long-term partnership Cfm Oskar Tropitzsch GmbH […]
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Sirolimus – An accompanying treatment for COVID-19 in elderly persons?!
Researchers globally combat the COVID-19 pandemia. Data generated suggest that COVID-19 is a major threat for elderly in regards to being more dangerous and more severe. Even when a successful vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 becomes available, an additional drug might be necessary in order to boost the immune response in vaccinated but weakened persons. Rapamycin/Sirolimus is […]
Read moreRapamycin – Eine Zusatztherapie bei der COVID-19 Behandlung von Senioren?!
Forscher weltweit bekämpfen die COVID-19-Pandämie. Die generierten Daten legen nahe, dass COVID-19 eine große Bedrohung gerade für ältere Menschen darstellt, da die Krankheitsverläufe gefährlicher und schwerer sind. Selbst wenn ein erfolgreicher Impfstoff gegen SARS-CoV-2 verfügbar wird, kann ein zusätzliches Medikament erforderlich sein, um die Immunantwort bei geimpften, aber geschwächten Personen zu stärken. Rapamycin / Sirolimus […]
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