BrainPhys neuronal medium optimized for imaging and optogenetics in vitro.

The capabilities of imaging technologies, fluorescent sensors, and optogenetics tools for cell biology are advancing. In parallel, cellular reprogramming and organoid engineering are expanding the use of human neuronal models in vitro. This creates an increasing need for tissue culture conditions better adapted to live-cell imaging.

Biophysical characterisation of DNA origami nanostructures reveals inaccessibility to intercalation binding sites.

Intercalation of drug molecules into synthetic DNA nanostructures formed through self-assembled origami has been postulated as a valuable future method for targeted drug delivery. This is due to the excellent biocompatibility of synthetic DNA nanostructures, and high potential for flexible programmability including facile drug release into or near to target cells. Such favourable properties may enable high initial loading and efficient release for a predictable number of drug molecules per nanostructure carrier, important for efficient delivery of safe and effective drug doses to minimise non-specific release away from target cells.

Notch signalling is a potential resistance mechanism of progenitor cells within patient-derived prostate cultures following ROS-inducing treatments.

Low Temperature Plasma (LTP) generates reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, causing cell death, similarly to radiation. Radiation resistance results in tumour recurrence, however mechanisms of LTP resistance are unknown. LTP was applied to patient-derived prostate epithelial cells and gene expression assessed.

Anti-apoptotic Mutations Desensitize Human Pluripotent Stem Cells to Mitotic Stress and Enable Aneuploid Cell Survival.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are susceptible to numerical and structural chromosomal alterations during long-term culture. We show that mitotic errors occur frequently in hPSCs and that prometaphase arrest leads to very rapid apoptosis in undifferentiated but not in differentiated cells. hPSCs express high levels of proapoptotic protein NOXA in undifferentiated state.

Fast, deterministic computation of irradiance values using a single extended source in 3D.

Presented is a quasi-analytic method for irradiance evaluation through a single refractive surface from a single Lambertian source. The method is compared to Monte-Carlo raytracing for a sample system, producing in much less time an irradiance distribution equal to within the latter's statistical noise. In addition to its interest to optical analysis, the method is also useful for optical design problems by allowing for fast, noise-free evaluation of merit functions, along with their derivatives.

Detecting Genetic Mosaicism in Cultures of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

Genetic changes in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) gained during culture can confound experimental results and potentially jeopardize the outcome of clinical therapies. Particularly common changes in hPSCs are trisomies of chromosomes 1, 12, 17, and 20. Thus, hPSCs should be regularly screened for such aberrations.

Low temperature plasmas as emerging cancer therapeutics: the state of play and thoughts for the future.

The field of plasma medicine has seen substantial advances over the last decade, with applications developed for bacterial sterilisation, wound healing and cancer treatment. Low temperature plasmas (LTPs) are particularly suited for medical purposes since they are operated in the laboratory at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, providing a rich source of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS). A great deal of research has been conducted into the role of reactive species in both the growth and treatment of cancer, where long-established radio- and chemo-therapies exploit their ability to induce potent cytopathic effects.

Low Temperature Plasma Causes Double-Strand Break DNA Damage in Primary Epithelial Cells Cultured from a Human Prostate Tumour.

Research in the new field of plasma medicine continues to demonstrate the efficacy of low temperature plasmas for numerous biomedical applications. Responses such as reduction in cell viability and cell death for cancer therapy, cell proliferation for wound healing, and bacterial inactivation have been observed as a result of plasma treatment. In this study we applied low temperature plasma to prostate cancer primary cells and tissue to inflict irreparable DNA damage.

Low temperature plasma: a novel focal therapy for localized prostate cancer?

Despite considerable advances in recent years for the focal treatment of localized prostate cancer, high recurrence rates and detrimental side effects are still a cause for concern. In this review, we compare current focal therapies to a potentially novel approach for the treatment of early onset prostate cancer: low temperature plasma. The rapidly evolving plasma technology has the potential to deliver a wide range of promising medical applications via the delivery of plasma-induced reactive oxygen and nitrogen species.

BCL-XL mediates the strong selective advantage of a 20q11.21 amplification commonly found in human embryonic stem cell cultures.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) regularly acquire nonrandom genomic aberrations during culture, raising concerns about their safe therapeutic application. The International Stem Cell Initiative identified a copy number variant (CNV) amplification of chromosome 20q11.21 in 25% of hESC lines displaying a normal karyotype.