Creative Bios

  Due to a low cost and general efficacy in common  bacterial diseases , sulfonamides (SAs), the oldest antibacterial agents, are still widely used nowadays in human and veterinary medicine for the treatment and prophylactic purposes of infectious diseases and used as growth-promoting feed additives.   General Properties of SAs   Sulfonamides (SAs), derivatives of sulfanilamide, which is the nucleus common to all sulfonamides, are a large group of antimicrobial synthetic chemotherapeutic drugs. SAs are synthesized by adding or substituting different functional groups to the amido group or other amino groups, leading to compounds with a variety of physical, chemical, pharmacologic, and antibacterial properties.   Currently, over 30 sulfonamides are used as antimetabolites in human and animal treatment, in a mechanism of blocking   several enzymes that are needed for the biosynthesis of purine bases and necessary metabolic reactions for the formation of RNA. ...

  Antibod ies , a major component of adaptive immunity, play a critical role in protective and pathogenic immune responses. In r ecent years, a wide range of antibodies is discovered as candidates of cancer therapeutic agents, including the reconstructive molecules, bispecific antibodies (BsAbs).   About Bispecific Antibody   Bispecific antibodies, as its name indicates, consists of two antigen-binding sites, which can simultaneously bind two separate and unique antigens (or different epitopes of the same antigen). This structure is  typically designed to bind to two targets, one on a cancer cell and one on an immune cell, act ivating or redirecting immune effector cells with the goal of getting the immune cell to kill the cancer cell by antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC), antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and other cytotoxic mechanisms.   U nique biological and pharmacological properties, ...

  When   it  comes to sweat, the first impression would be a  stinky workout byproduct for most people. However, s weat is an interesting biological fluid for researchers who focus on health-assessing wearable microfluidic sensors , because it contains electrolytes, molecules, lactate, and proteins working as excellent non-invasive biomarkers of physiological health.   An Overview of Microfluidics   Microfluidics are small volumes of fluids, down to   a quadrillionth of a liter . The behaviors of fluids are very different on the micrometric scal e compared with that in daily life , which inspires new  and innovative  scientific experiments.  This term could refer to both   studies of the fluid  behaviors through micro-channels   and the technology of manufacturing microminiaturized devices , in which chambers and tunnels  are designed for fluids flow ing  or  confinement .   The key concept   of ...

  The incidence and   c ase fatality rate of cancer is increasing with the deterioration of the global environment and the changes in people's living habits, which urges the development of anti-tumor drugs and related studies. Bispecific antibodies  (BsAbs) are one of the novel concepts that are regarded as the second-generation antibodies for tumor therapies with broad prospects.   Bispecific antibodies are featured  with a structure of binding to two different epitopes on the same or different antigens, which make them more efficient in the process of killing tumor cells. BsAbs can facilitate the recruitment and activation of immune cells and the blocking of tumor signaling pathways, as well as bind to Fc receptors and drugs.   T  cells present in the blood circulation of the whole body are one of the most important  and powerful immune cells to attack tumor cells. However, it's difficult for T cells to focus on a specific cancerous part of the ...

The  difference between antigens vs. haptens  is one the most concerning issues for people who are not familiar with them. As a matter of fact, antigens and haptens are similar in many ways. They are both molecules triggering immune responses and acting as antigenic agents. And they both work as immunogens and bind to antibodies although haptens in a different manner.   What distinguishes an antigen mostly from a hapten is that antigens are complete molecules spontaneously triggering immune response whereas haptens are fragmentary small molecules that are unable to elicit immune responses unless they are conjugated to a larger molecule, known as a carrier.   What are Antigens? Antigen s, including proteins, peptides, and polysaccharides, are immunogen   molecules  that can trigger immune response s or naturally bind to   immune   components . An antigen may have one or more epitopes, which are the determinants of recognition and binding to antibod...