In illicit drug markets, the most recently expanding new synthetic opioid subclass is benzimidazoles, also known as nitazenes, which were originally developed as analgesics in the 1950s. The emergence of this classical, potent drug family has attracted extensive research interest in the field of forensic toxicology; however, information on their psychological and physical dependence is very limited. Herein, we evaluated the rewarding effects of four nitazene analogs using a battery of in vivo experiments, with a positive control drug (isotonitazene).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Melanoma is a highly malignant cancer responsible for 55 000 deaths worldwide annually. Despite its severity, its epidemiology in Japan remains understudied owing to its rarity among Asians. This study aimed to determine the incidence of melanoma in Japan using data from the National Cancer Registry.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMessenger RNA vaccines based on lipid nanoparticles (mRNA-LNPs) are promising vaccine modalities. However, mRNA-LNP vaccines frequently cause adverse reactions such as swelling and fever in humans, partly due to the inflammatory nature of LNP. Modification of the ionizable lipids used in LNPs is one approach to avoid these adverse reactions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFReverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is an essential tool for gene expression analysis; choosing appropriate reference genes for normalization is crucial to ensure data reliability. However, most studies on osteogenic differentiation have had limited success in identifying optimal reference genes. To the best of our knowledge, no optimal reference genes in three-dimensional (3D) osteogenic differentiation culture experiments using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have been identified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGiant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) is a rare osteolytic tumor composed of mononuclear stromal cells, macrophages, and osteoclast-like giant cells. While generally benign, GCTB has a high risk of local recurrence and can occasionally undergo malignant transformation or metastasis, posing significant clinical challenges. The primary treatment is complete surgical resection; however, effective management strategies for recurrent or advanced GCTB remain elusive, underscoring the need for further preclinical research.
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