Biomedical Chemistry: Research and Methods

Inactivation of Viruses by Accelerated Electrons: Prospects and Challenges of Creating Antiviral Vaccines

D.D. Zhdanov — 2026-10-01

The technology for virus inactivation with accelerated electron (AE) for the development and production of inactivated antiviral vaccines is actively developing. The use of AE is a successful alternative to traditional chemical methods of inactivation, since it allows to select the irradiation conditions for complete degradation of the viral genome while preserving antigenic immunogenic epitopes. This review describes the physical features of AE, their mechanism of virus inactivation, and also provides the examples of antiviral vaccines developed for humans and farm animals. Methods for assessing the structural and biochemical properties of viral particles inactivated by AE are considered. The development of virus AE irradiation technology requires the construction of electron accelerators that meet the requirements of both radiation and viral safety. The radioresistance of some viruses is also a limitation that must be overcome for the successful creation of antiviral vaccines.

Application Features of Boron-Containing Compounds and New Boron-Based Nanomaterials in Medicine and Oncology

Yu.V. Tumanov — 2026-09-20

This review examines modern methods for developing optimal nanocarriers for biomedical applications and new 2D boron-based nanomaterials (Xenes). The review highlights the key properties of borophene (conductivity, anisotropy, plasmonic and enzymatic properties), demonstrating the potential of borophene in diagnostics and theranostic monitoring of biological molecules using modern detection methods (electrochemical, spectroscopic and colorimetric Aromatic organic compounds containing boron in their structure have numerous applications, ranging from drug delivery to nanotechnology, including cancer biomarker detection and theranostics. Advances in the chemistry of organoboron compounds have demonstrated, both experimentally and theoretically, high potential in medical research and pharmaceutical engineering. Currently, new applications of icosahedral boron clusters as key components in new medical materials are attracting particular attention. Interdisciplinary research can combine expertise in chemistry, biology, materials science, and medicine to address diverse challenges and stimulate innovation in the application of new diagnostic and bioimaging platforms.

Electrochemical Immunosensor Analysis of Polio Pseudovirus Particles

A.V. Berezhnova — 2026-10-01

To obtain pseudoviral particles for vaccine production, an electrochemical immunosensor was developed to assess the integrity of the D-antigen of the Sabin strain of poliovirus types 2 and 1 after inactivation. Gold nanoparticles obtained by electrosynthesis on the surface of a working graphite electrode were used to immobilize monoclonal antibodies. The increase of the concentration of the antigen was detected as a decline of the peak current of potassium ferricyanide. The limits of detection (LOD) for the Sabin strains of poliovirus types 1 and 2 were determined to be 9.4 DU/ml and 15 DU/ml, respectively (DU/ml - D-antigen units per milliliter, 1 DU = 15ng). The binding constants (Kb) of the antibody-antigen complexes were calculated and corresponded to 4.68×10⁸ M⁻¹ for Mab2-SII and 1.07×10¹⁰ M⁻¹ for Mab1-SI. High-affinity interactions (Kb ~10⁸ M⁻¹ – 10¹⁰ M⁻¹) in the antibody-antigen systems indicate the preservation of the D-antigen structure after poliovirus inactivation by means of different methods.

The Study of Specificity of Antirenalase Antibody Interactions with Some Proteins

V.I. Fedchenko — 2026-10-01

Renalase (RNLS) is a multifunctional protein exhibiting various intracellular and extracellular functions. RNLS levels in tissues and biological fluids are typically assessed using commercially available antibodies, which vary in their specificity to the target protein. In this study we have used Western blot analysis to investigate the interaction of several primary polyclonal and monoclonal anti-renalase antibodies with recombinant human and rat RNLS, as well as with chimeric proteins in which RNLS sequences encoded by alternative exons (9 and 10) were fused to dihydrofolate reductase. To verify interaction specificity, we have used lactate dehydrogenase preparations (LDHA and LDHB), which have recently been shown to interact with certain anti-renalase antibody preparations. All polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies tested interacted effectively with all RNLS preparations examined, including fragments generated by protease treatment of the full-length recombinant protein and fragments contained within the chimeric protein fused to dihydrofolate reductase. LDHA and LDHB preparations also reacted with anti-renalase antibodies; however, the nonspecific interaction of these antibodies with LDHA and LDHB could be significantly reduced by dilution (1:10,000 instead of the 1:1,000 recommended by the manufacturers). Notably, polyclonal antibodies interacted more effectively with full-length recombinant renalase, whereas monoclonal antibodies interacted more effectively with peptide fragments generated by treating the target protein with proteases (trypsin, chymotrypsin, and chymase).

Prediction of Therapeutic Targets for Pharmacological Intervention in Alcoholism through Signaling Pathway Enrichment Analysis of Prefrontal Cortex RNA-seq Data

M.I. Airapetov — 2026-10-09

The aim of this study was to predict targets for the pharmacological correction of alcoholism by enriching biological processes with transcriptional data from postmortem material of the human dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. RNA-seq data from 96 patients from the open GEO database was analyzed. Differential expression analysis was performed using the DESeq2 method. Enrichment of biological processes was performed using the GSEA method against the GO:BP database. Connectivity Map analysis was used to identify pharmacological agents. Sixty-one significantly differentially expressed genes were detected. Using GSEA, we identified the relationship between changes in gene expression and biological processes in the body. Connectivity Map analysis identified three pharmacological classes with a potential effect correcting the predicted changes: JAK kinase inhibitors, ATPase inhibitors, and chemokine receptor antagonists.