iPSC-Derived Organoids as Therapeutic Models in Regenerative Medicine and Oncology.

Progress made during the last decade in stem cell biology allows currently an unprecedented potential to translate these advances into the clinical applications and to shape the future of regenerative medicine. Organoid technology is amongst these major developments, derived from primary tissues or more recently, from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC). The use of iPSC technology offers the possibility of cancer modeling especially in hereditary cancers with germline oncogenic mutations.

Combinatory chemical and biological approaches to investigate metal elements in agricultural runoff water.

As part of a project studying the interactions between farming practices, soil erosion processes, and fate of agricultural pollutants into runoff waters, we conducted a pilot study to investigate the relationship between metal contents and metallothionein-2A (MT-2A) as a bioindicator of metal exposure. Runoff water samples were collected between May and November 1999 at the point of outlet of an elementary watershed located in the Paris basin. Selected metals (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Hg, Ni, and Zn) were analyzed using conventional techniques.

Inhibition of in vitro cell adherence of Clostridium difficile by Saccharomyces boulardii.

The influence on the adherence of Clostridium difficile to Vero cells of the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii, the yeast fractions (cytoplasm and cell wall) and the culture supernatant was investigated in vitro. C. difficile adherence was significantly inhibited when bacteria were pre-incubated with the whole yeast and the cell wall fraction; this adherence inhibition was dose-dependent.

Role of FliC and FliD flagellar proteins of Clostridium difficile in adherence and gut colonization.

In vitro and in vivo adhesive properties of flagella and recombinant flagellin FliC and flagellar cap FliD proteins of Clostridium difficile were analyzed. FliC, FliD, and crude flagella adhered in vitro to axenic mouse cecal mucus. Radiolabeled cultured cells bound to a high degree to FliD and weakly to flagella deposited on a membrane.

Molecular characterization of fliD gene encoding flagellar cap and its expression among Clostridium difficile isolates from different serogroups.

The fliD gene encoding the flagellar cap protein (FliD) of Clostridium difficile was studied in 46 isolates belonging to serogroups A, B, C, D, F, G, H, I, K, X, and S3, including 30 flagellated strains and 16 nonflagellated strains. In all but three isolates, amplification by PCR and reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated that the fliD gene is present and transcribed in both flagellated and nonflagellated strains. PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of amplified fliD gene products revealed interstrain homogeneity, with one of two major patterns (a and b) found in all but one of the strains, which had pattern c.