Age-related waning of in vitro Interferon-γ levels against r32kDaBCG in BCG vaccinated children

Background  

Mycobacterium bovis BCG vaccine has displayed inconsistent efficacy in different trials conducted in various geographical regions. Nevertheless, it significantly reduces the risk of severe childhood tuberculosis and continues to be used to prevent tuberculosis in many countries. Many studies revealed that efficacy of vaccine wanes with age. Most of the studies were based on in vivo and in vitro responses to tuberculin. With the advent of newer tests such as in vitro interferon-γ assays and identification of potent immunogenic mycobacterial proteins there is a need to corroborate the observations. This study aims at ascertaining the need for a booster at a later age as indicated by in vitro release of IFN-γ while evaluating Ag85A as an antigen.     

Unravelling the visible spectrum of strontium monomethoxide

The bands of the A²E–X²A₁ and B²A₁–X²A₁ electronic transitions of SrO¹²CH₃ and the B²A₁–X²A₁ transition of SrO¹³CH₃ have been recorded at high resolution using a laser ablation jet source. The optical–optical double resonance population depletion technique was used to facilitate the assignment of the spectra. Rotational levels with K = 0, ±1 in the X²A₁ and B²A₁ states and K = 0, 1 and 2 in the A²E state have all been characterised. A perturbation affecting the B²A₁ state caused a reversal of the ordering of the spin-rotation components, F₁ and F₂, in the SrO¹²CH₃ isotopologue. This required the introduction of a modified rotational constant B_mod, affecting only the K = 1, F₂ component of the B²A₁ state, in order to model the SrO¹²CH₃ data in a global fit of the A²E–X²A₁ and B²A₁–X²A₁ transitions.     

Synthesis and Biological Activity of New Resveratrol Derivative and Molecular Docking: Dynamics Studies on NFkB

Resveratrol (RVS) is a naturally occurring antioxidant, able to display an array of biological activities. In the present investigation, a new derivative of RVS, RVS(a), was synthesized, and its biological activity was determined on U937 cells. It was observed that RVS(a) showed pronounced activity on U937 cells than RVS. RVS(a) is able to induce apoptosis in tumor cell lines through subsequent DNA fragmentation. From the EMSA results, it was evident that RVS(a) was able to suppress the activity of NFkB by interfering its DNA binding ability. Furthermore, the molecular interaction analysis (docking and dynamics) stated that RVS(a) has strong association with the IkB-alpha site of NFkB compared with RVS; this binding nature of RVS(a) might be prevent the NFkB binding ability with DNA. The present findings represent the potential activity of propynyl RVS on U937 cells and signifying it as a one of putative chemotherapeutic drugs against cancer.