Toshifumi Yokota

Exciting Research Alert! We're thrilled to share that Human Recombinant Superoxide Dismutase Protein Preformed Fibrils from StressMarq Biosciences Inc. were utilized in a groundbreaking study on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Key Highlights: 🔹 Scientists developed three peptide conjugates with celastrol, an antioxidant, to interact with SOD1 and its ALS-associated mutants A4V and G93A. 🔹 These conjugates, derived from natural antioxidant peptides YYIVS, MPDAHL, and GSGGL, formed nanoassemblies. 🔹 Docking and surface plasmon resonance studies showed strong binding to critical parts of SOD1. 🔹 Nanoassemblies were effectively internalized into HEK293T cells and influenced the fluorescence of SOD1, suggesting they can modulate its activity and structure. 🔹 This innovative approach could pave the way for new ALS treatments by targeting SOD1 misfolding and aggregation. #research #ALS #eaglebio

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Researchers from the University of Toronto and Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto), Sinai Health have created a method to find protein effectors beyond E3 ligases or deubiquitinases. The protocol searches the human proteome for proteins that could modulate the degradation or stabilization of target proteins in a proximity-based manner. This will let scientists tap into a wider pool of protein effectors to design better PROTACS, DUBTACs, and molecular glues. With this method, they uncovered: 💡 Degraders that are significantly more potent than Cereblon and VHL, the 2 most commonly used E3 ligases 💡 A member of the CUL3 E3 ligase family that acts as a stabilizer rather than a degrader 💡 Trans-acting degrons, which, unlike cis-degrons, induce collateral degradation when part of a different polypeptide chain than the degraded protein See the paper to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gMuqFtqk

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Our manuscript on electrochemical sensing from microdissected tumor “cuboids” is out in Science Advances! This paper answers to the biosensing challenge of how to monitor cancer drug responses continuously in intact, live tumor biopsies without using terminal-assay labels. https://lnkd.in/dp699_UE Fun background: This project was first author Tran N. H. Nguyen, Ph.D. idea! In the fall of 2020, I barely knew how to spell electrochemistry or aptasensors, let alone together in the same sentence. Dr. Nguyen (then at Purdue Univ.) approached me and proposed to monitor cancer drug testing in our live microdissected tumor biopsies (ongoing project with Taran G. at the Hutch and Ray Yeung at UW Surgery) with electrochemical aptasensors (instead of old clunky fluorescence) and I thought it was such a brilliant idea that I hired her as a postdoc! :-)  Our first sensors worked only ok, so we sought world expert in aptasensors Prof. Netzahualcóyotl Arroyo Currás (Johns Hopkins), and undergrad Tim Krilov designed the electronic multiplexer. What you see is the result of 4 (!) years of her hard work. And she made the fun video! :-) This project led by Dr. Nguyen generated a recently-awarded NCI R01, the two fellowships she has obtained while at UW BioE, a patent application, and three more manuscripts coming up. We wish her well in her upcoming faculty search!

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