Biochemical Study of Anti-Inflammatory Proteins vCCI and vMIP-II
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is of great concern both to the general population and to the military. There are at least two phases to brain injury: the first is the actual injury, which may result in locally damaged tissue. The second phase is the response of the body to the injury, which may last days or weeks. This second phase includes inflammation, much of which has been shown to be harmful to the injured brain. Indeed, this inflammation may be the major cause of neuronal damage that leads to many of the negative outcomes associated with brain injury. It has been shown that several cytokines and chemokines (which are key pro-inflammatory proteins) are upregulated upon brain injury. We have studied the structural biology and biochemistry of two proteins, vCCI and vMIP-II, each of which has been shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory properties due to inhibition of chemokines (and each having a separate mechanism of action). This work has included mutagenesis, binding studies, and structural studies by NMR. A greater understanding of these anti-inflammatory proteins can allow a molecular understanding of chemokine inhibition. This could eventually lead to strategies for recovery from traumatic brain injury.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 17, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA616131
Entities
People
- Patricia J LiWang
Organizations
- University of California