Lumacaftor and Matrine: Possible Therapeutic Combination to Counteract the Inflammatory Process in Cystic Fibrosis

Chemical Profiling, Antioxidant, and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Hyoseris radiata L., a Plant Used in the Phytoalimurgic Tradition

Hyoseris radiata L. (Asteraceae), known as "wild chicory", is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the Mediterranean region, North Africa, and West Asia. Collected from the wild, the plant is largely used in Italy for culinary purposes and in popular medicine, so that it can be included in the list of phytoalimurgic plants. The present study aimed to investigate for the first time the plant's chemical profile, through a combined UHPLC-HR-ESI-Orbitrap/MS and NMR approach, and its potential healthy properties, focusing on antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The LC-MS/MS analysis and the isolation through chromatographic techniques of the plant's hydroalcoholic extract allowed the authors to identify 48 compounds, including hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonoids, megastigmane glucosides, coumarins, and lignans, together with several unsaturated fatty acids. The quantitative analysis highlighted a relevant amount of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids, with a total of 12.9 ± 0.4 mg/g DW. NMR-based chemical profiling revealed the presence of a good amount of amino acids and monosaccharides, and chicoric and chlorogenic acids as the most representative polyphenols. Finally, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of H. radiata were investigated through cell-free and cell-based assays, showing a good antioxidant potential for the plant extract and a significant reduction in COX-2 expression.

Vx-809, a CFTR Corrector, Acts through a General Mechanism of Protein Folding and on the Inflammatory Process

Correct protein folding is the basis of cellular well-being; thus, accumulation of misfolded proteins within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) leads to an imbalance of homeostasis that causes stress to the ER. Various studies have shown that protein misfolding is a significant factor in the etiology of many human diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and cystic fibrosis. Misfolded protein accumulation in the ER triggers a sophisticated signal transduction pathway, the unfolded protein response (UPR), which is controlled by three proteins, resident in ER: IRE1α, PERK, and ATF6. Briefly, when ER stress is irreversible, IRE1α induces the activation of pro-inflammatory proteins; PERK phosphorylates eIF2α which induces ATF4 transcription, while ATF6 activates genes encoding ER chaperones. Reticular stress causes an alteration of the calcium homeostasis, which is released from the ER and taken up by the mitochondria, leading to an increase in the oxygen radical species production, and consequently, to oxidative stress. Accumulation of intracellular calcium, in combination with lethal ROS levels, has been associated with an increase of pro-inflammatory protein expression and the initiation of the inflammatory process. Lumacaftor (Vx-809) is a common corrector used in cystic fibrosis treatment which enhances the folding of mutated F508del-CFTR, one of the most prevalent impaired proteins underlying the disease, promoting a higher localization of the mutant protein on the cell membrane. Here, we demonstrate that this drug reduces the ER stress and, consequently, the inflammation that is caused by such events. Thus, this molecule is a promising drug to treat several pathologies that present an etiopathogenesis due to the accumulation of protein aggregates that lead to chronic reticular stress.

Matrine-producing endophytic fungus Galactomyces candidum TRP-7: screening, identification, and fermentation conditions optimization for Matrine production

Matrine (MA) is an alkaloid extracted from the root of genus Sophora with various pharmacological activities. Production of MA by endophytic fungi offers an alternative challenge to reduce the massive consumption to meet the increasing demand of MA. In the current study, the positive strains with MA producing ability were screened from endophytic fungal isolated from the root of Sophora tonkinensis Gagnep. Chromatographic analyses verified the identity of the produced MA. Among these fungi, Galactomyces candidum strain TRP-7 was the most valuable strain for MA production with the initial yield 8.26 mg L^-1. The MA production was efficiently maximized up to 17.57 mg L^-1 of fermentation broth, after optimization of eight process parameters using Plackett-Burman and Box-Behnken designs. The statistical optimization resulted in a 1.127 times increase in MA production as compared to the initial yield of TRP-7. This is the first report to isolate endophytic fungi with MA-producing activity from S. tonkinensis Gagnep., and to identify an endophytic fungus G. candidum TRP-7 as a new promising start strain for a higher MA yield.

An Update on CFTR Drug Discovery: Opportunities and Challenges

The Biomolecules Special issue on "An Update on CFTR Drug Discovery: Opportunities and Challenges" includes three original research articles and a webinar session focusing on some recent findings concerning CFTR drug discovery [...].