Around 12% of hereditary disease-causing mutations are in-frame nonsense mutations. The expression of genes containing nonsense mutations potentially leads to the production of truncated proteins with residual or virtually no function. However, the translation of transcripts containing premature stop codons resulting in full-length protein expression can be achieved using readthrough agents. Among them, only ataluren was approved in several countries to treat nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. This review summarizes ataluren’s journey from its identification, via first in vitro activity experiments, to clinical trials in DMD, cystic fibrosis, and aniridia. Additionally, data on its pharmacokinetics and mechanism of action are presented. The range of diseases with underlying nonsense mutations is described for which ataluren therapy seems to be promising. What is more, experiments in which ataluren did not show its readthrough activity are also included, and reasons for their failures are discussed.

There is increasing evidence that oxidative stress (OS) plays a major role in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus (DM) and the development of its complications. As one of the consequences of OS is increased lipid peroxidation (LP), the aim of our studies was to check, how the activity of 2 enzymes involved in the detoxification of aldehydes formed during LP, glutathione S-transferase (GST) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH 1) is changed in patients suffering from DM. GST and ALDH1A1 activities were determined in whole blood samples of DM type 2 patients (n=64) and healthy controls (n=60) using spectrophotometer (for GST activity) and fluorometer (for ALDH1 activity) and they were found to be significantly increased in diabetics when compared with healthy control (p<0.05). Intriguingly, grouping the DM patients on the basis of the glucose level and HbA1c revealed unusually low ALDH activity in the group of patients (n=16) with a relatively high level of these 2 parameters. The increase of ALDH1A1 and GST activity in DM seems to be associated with the severity of the disease and might be a compensatory effect against oxidative stress. Surprisingly low ALDH activity in DM patients with relatively high glucose and HbA1c levels can be a factor predisposing to the development of diabetic complications.

Every application of a substance results from the macroscopic property of the substance that is related to the substance’s microscopic structure. For example, the forged park gate in your city was produced thanks to the malleability and ductility of metals, which are related to the ability of shifting of layers of metal cations, while fire extinguishing powders use the high boiling point of compounds related to their regular ionic and covalent structures. This also applies to polymers. The purpose of this review is to summarise and present information on selected food-related biopolymers, with special attention on their respective structures, related properties, and resultant applications. Moreover, this paper also highlights how the treatment method used affects the structure, properties, and, hence, applications of some polysaccharides. Despite a strong focus on food-related biopolymers, this review is addressed to a broad community of both material engineers and food researchers.

Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is extremely helpful in individualizing dosage regimen of drugs with narrow therapeutic ranges. It may also be beneficial in the case of drugs characterized by serious side effects and marked interpatient pharmacokinetic variability observed with leflunomide and its biologically active metabolite, teriflunomide. One of the most popular matrices used for TDM is blood. A more readily accessible body fluid is saliva, which can be collected in a much safer way comparing to blood. This makes it especially advantageous alternative to blood during life-threatening SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, drug’s saliva concentration is not always a good representation of its blood concentration. The aim of this study was to verify whether saliva can be used in TDM of teriflunomide. We also developed and validated the first reliable and robust LC-MS/MS method for quantification of teriflunomide in saliva. Additionally, the effect of salivary flow and swab absorptive material from the collector device on teriflunomide concentration in saliva was evaluated. Good linear correlation was obtained between the concentration of teriflunomide in plasma and resting saliva (p < 0.000016, r = 0.88), and even better between plasma and the stimulated saliva concentrations (p < 0.000001, r = 0.95) confirming the effectiveness of this non-invasive method of teriflunomide’s TDM. The analyzed validation criteria were fulfilled. No significant influence of salivary flow (p = 0.198) or type of swab in the Salivette device on saliva’s teriflunomide concentration was detected. However, to reduce variability the use of stimulated saliva and synthetic swabs is advised.

Aldehyde dehydrogenase 3B2 (ALDH3B2) gene contains a premature termination codon, which can be skipped or suppressed resulting in full-length protein expression. Alternatively, the longest putative open reading frame starting with the second in-frame start codon would encode short isoform. No unequivocal evidence of ALDH3B2 expression in healthy human tissues is available. The aim of this study was to confirm its expression in human placenta characterized by the highest ALDH3B2 mRNA abundance. ALDH3B2 DNA and mRNA were sequenced. The expression was investigated using western blot. The identity of the protein was confirmed using mass spectrometry (MS). The predicted tertiary and quaternary structures, subcellular localization, and phosphorylation sites were assessed using bioinformatic analyses. All DNA and mRNA isolates contained the premature stop codon. In western blot analyses, bands corresponding to the mass of full-length protein were detected. MS analysis led to the identification of two unique peptides, one of which is encoded by the nucleotide sequence located upstream the second start codon. Bioinformatic analyses suggest cytoplasmic localization and several phosphorylation sites. Despite premature stop codon in DNA and mRNA sequences, full-length ALDH3B2 was found. It can be formed as a result of premature stop codon readthrough, complex phenomenon enabling stop codon circumvention.

Background: Aldehyde dehydrogenase class 1 (ALDH1) is an enzyme that is ubiquitously distributed in adult tissues and may serve as a prognostic marker in various cancer types. In blood, 99% of ALDH1 is found in erythrocytes; although, it was also demonstrated that leukocytes and platelets exhibit ALDH activity. No ALDH activity was detected in plasma, even when employing the highly sensitive fluorometric method with 7-methoxy-1-naphthaldehyde as a substrate. However, some reports have been released describing stable and measurable ALDH1 activity in the serum of healthy subjects using 6-methoxy-2-naphthaldehyde as a substrate and a Shimadzu RF—5301 spectrofluorometer. Methods: Our study aimed to verify whether ALDH1 activity can be measured in plasma or serum (n = 80) using 6-methoxy-2-naphthaldehyde as a substrate and a highly sensitive Hitachi F7000 spectrofluorometer, which offers a higher signal-to-noise ratio compared to the Shimadzu RF-5301. Additionally, HPLC with fluorometric detection was used to validate the results (n = 25) and analyze the influence of hemolysis (n = 5) and liver cell damage (n = 15) on ALDH1 activity in serum. Results: Measurable ALDH activity in serum/plasma was very rarely detected using a spectrofluorometer (2 cases out of 80). However, background drift in assays without coenzyme addition was observed, and it may be easily mistaken for ALDH or oxidase activity. Therefore, the spectrofluorometer drift observed in blank assays and modified by a matrix, e.g., enhanced in protein-rich samples, should be considered in ALDH1 activity assays. Conclusions: The spectrofluorometric method has limited applicability for determining ALDH activity in plasma and serum. HPLC can measure ALDH1 activity in plasma or serum; however, factors like hemolysis and elevated liver enzymes significantly affect activity and must be considered in diagnostic interpretations. To enhance research quality on ALDH1 as a biomarker for diseases, including cancers, we recommend using control samples, reference materials, and purifying commercially available aldehyde substrates to improve method sensitivity.