Modulating the activity of the Src Homology 2 (SH2) — containing Inositol 5′-Phosphatase (SHIP) enzyme family with small molecule inhibitors provides a useful and unconventional method of influencing cell signaling in the PI3K pathway. The development of small molecules that selectively target one of the SHIP paralogs (SHIP1 or SHIP2) as well as inhibitors that simultaneously target both enzymes have provided promising data linking the phosphatase activity of the SHIP enzymes to disorders and disease states that are in dire need of new therapeutic targets. These include cancer, immunotherapy, diabetes, obesity, and Alzheimer's disease. In this mini-review, we will provide a brief overview of research in these areas that support targeting SHIP1, SHIP2 or both enzymes for therapeutic purposes.

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Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) have great potential in many areas of research, applications, and future commercialization prospects. Recently, CNCs have emerged as attractive candidates for biomedical applications such as drug and gene delivery systems. As such, cytotoxicity studies have been the major focus in the past decade. However, despite the rod-like nature of CNCs, the potential immune response of surface-modified CNCs is not well investigated. The current study examined the potential immune and antioxidant response induced by CNCs grafted with β-cyclodextrin (CNCs-β-CD) in a human monocyte cell line (THP-1) and a mouse macrophage-like cell line (J774A.1). We analyzed the secretion of the proinflammatory cytokine, interleukin 1β (IL-1β), by ELISA and mitochondria-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) using fluorescence cell imaging and examined the intracellular levels of proteins involved in the immune and antioxidant response by immunoblotting. Our results indicated a dramatic increase neither in the IL-1β secretion nor in the mitochondria-derived ROS resulting in no changes in the intracellular antioxidant response in THP-1 cells treated with different concentrations of CNCs-β-CD. Overall, CNCs-β-CD is nonimmunogenic and do not induce an increased antioxidant response under the conditions tested and hence has the potential to be used as a drug delivery carrier.

A simple method for cleavage of methoxymethyl (MOM)-ether and ester derivatives using bismuth trichloride (BiCl3) is described. Alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, benzyl and anthracene MOM ether derivatives as well as MOM...