The role of low-carbohydrate diets in the intensive care unit.

Low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) nutrition therapy is characterized by carbohydrates comprising <26% of the daily caloric intake and a higher proportion of fat. LCHF therapies reduce exogenous glucose load, improve glycemic control, decrease inflammation, and improve clinical outcomes such as respiratory function. Given the altered metabolism in critically ill patients, LCHF nutrition therapy may be especially beneficial as it enables the conservation of protein and glucose for metabolic roles beyond energy use.

Selective inhibition of TGFβ1 activation overcomes primary resistance to checkpoint blockade therapy by altering tumor immune landscape.

Despite breakthroughs achieved with cancer checkpoint blockade therapy (CBT), many patients do not respond to anti-programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) due to primary or acquired resistance. Human tumor profiling and preclinical studies in tumor models have recently uncovered transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling activity as a potential point of intervention to overcome primary resistance to CBT. However, the development of therapies targeting TGFβ signaling has been hindered by dose-limiting cardiotoxicities, possibly due to nonselective inhibition of multiple TGFβ isoforms.

Recombinant factor VIII Fc fusion protein drives regulatory macrophage polarization.

The main complication of replacement therapy with factor in hemophilia A (HemA) is the formation of inhibitors (neutralizing anti-factor VIII [FVIII] antibodies) in ∼30% of severe HemA patients. Because these inhibitors render replacement FVIII treatment essentially ineffective, preventing or eliminating them is of top priority in disease management. The extended half-life recombinant FVIII Fc fusion protein (rFVIIIFc) is an approved therapy for HemA patients.

Hearing Care Intervention for Persons with Dementia: A Pilot Study.

Objective: Hearing loss is a commonly unmet need among adults with dementia that may exacerbate common dementia-related behavioral symptoms. Accessing traditional audiology services for hearing loss is a challenge because of high cost and time commitment. To improve accessibility and affordability of hearing treatment for persons with dementia, there is a need for unique service delivery models.

Elucidating the interplay between IgG-Fc valency and FcγR activation for the design of immune complex inhibitors.

Autoantibody immune complex (IC) activation of Fcγ receptors (FcγRs) is a common pathogenic hallmark of multiple autoimmune diseases. Given that the IC structural features that elicit FcγR activation are poorly understood and the FcγR system is highly complex, few therapeutics can directly block these processes without inadvertently activating the FcγR system. To address these issues, the structure activity relationships of an engineered panel of multivalent Fc constructs were evaluated using sensitive FcγR binding and signaling cellular assays.

Age-related hearing loss in older adults with cognitive impairment.

Background: Hearing loss can impair effective communication between caregivers and individuals with cognitive impairment. However, hearing loss is not often measured or addressed in care plans for these individuals. The aim of this study is to measure the prevalence of hearing loss and the utilization of hearing aids in a sample of individuals with cognitive impairment in a tertiary care memory clinic.

Impaired gastrointestinal transit and its associated morbidity in the intensive care unit.

Purpose: To determine the proportion of critically ill adults developing impaired gastrointestinal transit (IGT) using a clinically pragmatic definition, its associated morbidity and risk factors.

Materials And Methods: Critically ill adult patients receiving enteral nutrition for ≥ 72 hours and mechanically ventilated for ≥ 48 hours were prospectively identified. IGT was defined as absence of a bowel movement for ≥ 3 days, treatment for constipation, and one of the following: (1) radiologic confirmed ileus, (2) feed intolerance, (3) abdominal distention, or (4) gastric decompression.