Publications by authors named "A B Bloch"
This study investigates the formation and properties of vesicles produced via biocatalytic Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly (bioPISA) as artificial cells. Methods for achieving size uniformity, including gentle centrifugation and sucrose gradient centrifugation, are explored, and the effects of stirring speed on vesicle morphology is investigated. The internal structure of the vesicles, characterized by a polymer-rich matrix, is analyzed using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe masking of therapeutic antibodies by the installation of a blocking module that can be removed under certain physiological conditions, is becoming increasingly important to improve their safety and toxicity profile. To gain access to such masking units, we used chicken immunization in combination with yeast surface display and a competition-based FACS screening campaign to obtain anti-idiotypic single-chain Fv (scFv) fragments. This approach promotes the identification of functional masking units, since specificity and high affinity do not necessarily guarantee a paratope blocking effect.
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- - The study compares genotypes between pediatric cardiomyopathy (pCM) and adult-onset cardiomyopathy (aCM) to understand why pCM has earlier onset and differs in severity.
- - Analysis of 253 pCM patients revealed a higher rate of genetic variants, particularly in restrictive pCM, and identified critical risk factors for adverse outcomes such as early diagnosis and presence of multiple variants.
- - Genetic testing not only clarified the genetic basis for pCM but also enhanced genetic counseling for families, resulting in cases of prenatal diagnosis.
Article Synopsis
- SCN5A gene variants are linked to various cardiac electrical disorders, but they can also result in complex phenotypes like overlap syndromes, which haven't been thoroughly studied.
- The study analyzed DNA from over 13,500 patients with a focus on those carrying pathogenic SCN5A variants, finding that most were tied to well-defined conditions like Brugada syndrome and long QT syndrome.
- About 19% of the variants were associated with complex phenotypes, and only a small number (8 out of 9,960 patients) showed a potential link to dilated cardiomyopathies (DCM), suggesting it's a rare association.
The incidence of erosion of inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) components into adjacent organs is low (<0.1 %). During a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in a patient with prior IPP placement, we encountered IPP tubing that had eroded into the prostate.
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