Central Drug Research Institute

About: Central Drug Research Institute is a facility organization based out in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Leishmania donovani & Brugia malayi. The organization has 4357 authors who have published 7257 publications receiving 143871 citations. The organization is also known as: Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow & CDRI.

Thymopentin and splenopentin as immunomodulators. Current status.

Abstract: Splenopentin (SP-5, Arg-Lys-Glu-Val-Tyr) and thymopentin (TP-5, Arg-Lys-Asp-Val-Tyr) are synthetic immunomodulating peptides corresponding to the region 32-34 of a splenic product called splenin (SP) and the thymic hormone thymopoietin (TP), respectively. TP was originally isolated as a 5-kDa (49-amino acids) protein from bovine thymus while studying effects of the thymic extracts on neuromuscular transmission and was subsequently observed to affect T cell differentiation and function. TP I and II are two closely related polypeptides isolated from bovine thymus. A radioimmunoassay for TP revealed a crossreaction with a product found in spleen and lymph node. This product, named splenin, differs from TP only in position 34, aspartic acid for bovine TP and glutamic acid for bovine splenin and it was called TP III as well. Synthetic pentapeptides (TP-5) and (SP-5), reproduce the biological activities of TP and SP, respectively. It is now evident that various forms of TPs were created by proteolytic cleavage of larger proteins during isolation. cDNA clones have been isolated for three alternatively spliced mRNAs that encodes three distinct human T cell TPs. The immunomodulatory properties of TP, SP, TP-5, SP-5 and some of their synthetic analogs reported in the literature have been briefly reviewed.

Discovery of novel antileishmanial agents in an attempt to synthesize pentamidine-aplysinopsin hybrid molecule.

Abstract: In an attempt to synthesize pentamidine−aplysinopsin hybrid molecule 25, a lead molecule 8 (containing Z-configured aplysinopsin moiety) was identified for antileishmanial activity. Optimization of lead 8 provided 24 (containing E-configured aplysinopsin) possessing 10 times more activity and 401-fold less toxicity than the drug pentamidine in cell based assays. Synthesis of 24 was possible, surprisingly, because of two innate reactivities of indole-3-carbaldehyde which provided it in diastereo- and regio-selectively pure form without recourse to the long reaction pathway.

Comparative expression analysis of rpf-like genes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv under different physiological stress and growth conditions.

Abstract: Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv possesses five resuscitation-promoting factors, RpfA-E, which are required for the resuscitation of dormancy in mycobacteria induced by prolonged incubation of the culture in stationary phase. This study explores the transcriptional profile of all the rpf-like genes of M. tuberculosis H37Rv in the exponential phase, stationary phase, non-culturable phase and Rpf-mediated resuscitation phase. The relative expression was also monitored under acid stress, nutrient starvation and low-oxygen (hypoxia) conditions by real-time quantitative PCR. We show differential relative expression of the rpf genes during different stages of growth and under stress. During early resuscitation, all rpf genes were expressed with maximal expression ratios for rpfA and rpfD. rpfC was consistently expressed during all stages of growth and nutrient starvation. Acid stress induced higher relative expression of rpfD and rpfE and hypoxia of rpfC and rpfE. These results therefore provide further evidence that the rpf genes perform distinct roles during cell growth and cell survival under different physiological stresses, and are consistent with the rpf-like genes being differentially regulated.

An expedient route for the practical synthesis of pachastrissamine (jaspine B) starting from 3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl-d-galactal

Abstract: A practically efficient stereoselective synthesis of pachastrissamine (jaspine B) is described starting from 3,4,6-tri-O-benzyl- d -galactal in eight steps and 11% overall yield.