TY - JOUR A1 - Chewle, Surahit A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Weber, Marcus T1 - Effect of choice of solvent on crystallization pathway of Paracetamol: An experimental and theoretical case study JF - Crystals N2 - The choice of solvents influences crystalline solid formed during the crystallization of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). The underlying effects are not always well understood because of the complexity of the systems. Theoretical models are often insufficient to describe this phenomenon. In this study, the crystallization behavior of the model drug paracetamol in different solvents was studied based on experimental and molecular dynamics data. The crystallization process was followed in situ using time-resolved Raman spectroscopy. Molecular dynamics with simulated annealing algorithm was used for an atomistic understanding of the underlying processes. The experimental and theoretical data indicate that paracetamol molecules adopt a particular geometry in a given solvent predefining the crystallization of certain polymorphs. Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10121107 VL - 10 IS - 12 SP - 1107 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Thies, Arne A1 - Sunkara, Vikram A1 - Ray, Sourav A1 - Wulkow, Hanna A1 - Celik, M. Özgür A1 - Yergöz, Fatih A1 - Schütte, Christof A1 - Stein, Christoph A1 - Weber, Marcus A1 - Winkelmann, Stefanie T1 - Modelling altered signalling of G-protein coupled receptors in inflamed environment to advance drug design JF - Scientific Reports N2 - We previously reported the successful design, synthesis and testing of the prototype opioid painkiller NFEPP that does not elicit adverse side effects. The design process of NFEPP was based on mathematical modelling of extracellular interactions between G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ligands, recognizing that GPCRs function differently under pathological versus healthy conditions. We now present an additional and novel stochastic model of GPCR function that includes intracellular dissociation of G-protein subunits and modulation of plasma membrane calcium channels and their dependence on parameters of inflamed and healthy tissue (pH, radicals). The model is validated against in vitro experimental data for the ligands NFEPP and fentanyl at different pH values and radical concentrations. We observe markedly reduced binding affinity and calcium channel inhibition for NFEPP at normal pH compared to lower pH, in contrast to the effect of fentanyl. For increasing radical concentrations, we find enhanced constitutive G-protein activation but reduced ligand binding affinity. Assessing the different effects, the results suggest that, compared to radicals, low pH is a more important determinant of overall GPCR function in an inflamed environment. Future drug design efforts should take this into account. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-27699-w VL - 13 IS - 607 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Prasad, Anup K. A1 - Tiwari, Chandni A1 - Ray, Sourav A1 - Holden, Stephanie A1 - Armstrong, David A. A1 - Rosengren, K. Johan A1 - Rodger, Alison A1 - Panwar, Ajay S. A1 - Martin, Lisandra L. T1 - Secondary Structure Transitions for a Family of Amyloidogenic, Antimircobial Uperin 3 Peptides in Contact with Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate JF - ChemPlusChem Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/cplu.202100408 VL - 87 SP - e202100408 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bauer, Wolfgang A1 - Weber, Marcus A1 - Diehl-Wiesenecker, Eva A1 - Galtung, Noa A1 - Prpic, Monika A1 - Somasundaram, Rajan A1 - Tauber, Rudolf A1 - Schwenk, Jochen A1 - Micke, Patrick A1 - Kappert, Kai T1 - Plasma Proteome Fingerprints Reveal Distinctiveness and Clinical Outcome of SARS-CoV-2 Infection JF - Viruses N2 - We evaluated how plasma proteomic signatures in patients with suspected COVID-19 can unravel the pathophysiology, and determine kinetics and clinical outcome of the infection. We identified distinct plasma proteins linked to the presence and course of COVID-19. These plasma proteomic findings may translate to a protein fingerprint, helping to assist clinical management decisions. Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/v13122456 VL - 13 IS - 12 SP - 2456 ER -