3D Bioprinting of Model Tissues That Mimic the Tumor Microenvironment.

The tumor microenvironment (TME) influences cancer progression. Therefore, engineered TME models are being developed for fundamental research and anti-cancer drug screening. This paper reports the biofabrication of 3D-printed avascular structures that recapitulate several features of the TME.

Balkan endemic nephropathy and aristolochic acid I: an investigation into the role of soil and soil organic matter contamination, as a potential natural exposure pathway.

Aristolochic acids (AAs) are carcinogenic and nephrotoxic plant alkaloids present in Aristolochia species, used in traditional medicine. Recent biomolecular and environmental studies have incriminated these toxins as an etiological agent in Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN), a severe kidney disease occurring in the Balkan Peninsula. The questions on how the susceptible populations are exposed to these toxins have not yet been clearly answered.

The In Vitro and In Vivo Effect of Carvacrol in Preventing Campylobacter Infection, Colonization and in Improving Productivity of Chicken Broilers.

The current trend in reducing the antibiotic usage in animal production imposes urgency in the identification of novel biocides. The essential oil carvacrol, for example, changes the morphology of the cell and acts against a variety of targets within the bacterial membranes and cytoplasm, and our in vitro results show that it reduces adhesion and invasion of chicken intestinal primary cells and also biofilm formation. A trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of carvacrol at four concentrations (0, 120, 200, and 300 mg/kg of diet) on the performance of Lactobacillus spp.

NADPH oxidase-derived H2O2 subverts pathogen signaling by oxidative phosphotyrosine conversion to PB-DOPA.

Strengthening the host immune system to fully exploit its potential as antimicrobial defense is vital in countering antibiotic resistance. Chemical compounds released during bidirectional host-pathogen cross-talk, which follows a sensing-response paradigm, can serve as protective mediators. A potent, diffusible messenger is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), but its consequences on extracellular pathogens are unknown.

Explants-isolated human placenta and umbilical cord cells share characteristics of both epithelial and mesenchymal stem cells.

In recent years, identification of new sources of adult stem cells developed rapidly, pursuing to find easily available tissues, which will give rise to homogenous stem cells populations. Up to present, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are unanimously considered to fulfill the criteria for being used in clinical settings, but adipose stem cells, placental and umbilical cord stem cells, and other tissue-derived stem cells are making their way to being used at least in autologous transplantation. We isolated cellular populations from placental tissue and umbilical cord using the explants method.

Microsatellite and Mitochondrial DNA Study of Native Eastern European Cattle Populations: The Case of the Romanian Grey.

The Eastern European Grey cattle are regarded as the direct descendants of the aurochs (Bos taurus primigenius). Nowadays in Romania, less than 100 Grey animals are being reared and included in the national gene reserve. We examined the genetic diversity among Romanian Grey, Brown, Spotted and Black and White cattle breeds, with a particular focus on Romanian Grey through the use of (i) 11 bovine specific microsatellite markers on 83 animals and (ii) 638 bp length of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop region sequence data from a total of 81 animals.

Virulence characteristics of hcp (+) Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli isolates from retail chicken.

Background: Recently the Type VI secretion system (T6SS), which can play a significant role in bacterial survival and pathogenesis, was reported in Campylobacter spp., having the hcp gene as a key component.

Methods: Campylobacteriosis is associated with the consumption of infected chicken meat.

Effect of human isolated probiotic bacteria on preventing Campylobacter jejuni colonization of poultry.

This study was performed in order to determine whether human isolated probiotic bacteria can be effective in reducing Campylobacter jejuni infection of chicken intestinal cells, in vitro, and in decreasing its colonization abilities within the chicken gut. Our results show that the probiotic strains Lactobacillus paracasei J. R, L.

Virulence characteristics of five new Campylobacter jejuni chicken isolates.

Campylobacter enteritis has emerged as one of the most common forms of human diarrheal illness. In this study we have investigated the virulence potential of five new C. jejuni chicken isolates (RO14, RO19, RO24, RO29 and RO37) originated from private households in the rural regions of Banat and Transylvania in Romania.