Parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5) amplifying virus-like particles expressing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antigens protect mice against RSV infection.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the leading cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under one year of age. In addition to causing severe respiratory diseases in children, it is also a major cause of morbidity and mortality among the elderly and immunocompromised individuals. RSV is the most common cause of lower respiratory tract infections, yet there are currently no licensed vaccines.

Developing a platform system for gene delivery: amplifying virus-like particles (AVLP) as an influenza vaccine.

Delivery of a gene of interest to target cells is highly desirable for translational medicine, such as gene therapy, regenerative medicine, vaccine development, and studies of gene function. Parainfluenza virus 5 (PIV5), a paramyxovirus with a negative-sense RNA genome, normally infects cells without causing obvious cytopathic effect, and it can infect many cell types. To exploit these features of PIV5, we established a system generating self-amplifying, virus-like particles (AVLP).

Establishing a small animal model for evaluating protective immunity against mumps virus.

Although mumps vaccines have been used for several decades, protective immune correlates have not been defined. Recently, mumps outbreaks have occurred in vaccinated populations. To better understand the causes of the outbreaks and to develop means to control outbreaks in mumps vaccine immunized populations, defining protective immune correlates will be critical.

Oligomerization of Mumps Virus Phosphoprotein.

Unlabelled: The mumps virus (MuV) genome encodes a phosphoprotein (P) that is important for viral RNA synthesis. P forms the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase with the large protein (L). P also interacts with the viral nucleoprotein (NP) and self-associates to form a homotetramer.

Evaluation of pre-radiotherapy apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC): patterns of recurrence and survival outcomes analysis in patients treated for glioblastoma multiforme.

Purpose: To investigate the association of pre-radiotherapy apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) abnormalities with patterns of recurrence and outcomes in patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

Materials And Methods: Fifty-two patients with recurrent GBM were retrospectively evaluated. Diffusion MRI images were acquired for all patients postoperatively prior to radiotherapy.

Use of Helical TomoTherapy for the Focal Hypofractionated Treatment of Limited Brain Metastases in the Initial and Recurrent Setting.

Background: Whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT), stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), or both are commonly employed in the treatment of limited brain metastases in the initial or recurrent setting. Hypofractionated partial volume irradiation is also employed, however, published experience using helical TomoTherapy (HT) for this purposes is limited. We reviewed our institutional experience to assess patient selection factors, fractionation scheme, and outcomes associated with this technique.

Evaluation of absolute and normalized apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values within the post-operative T2/FLAIR volume as adverse prognostic indicators in glioblastoma.

To evaluate the association of normalized and absolute ADC metrics with progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in patients treated for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Fifty-two patients with preradiotherapy diffusion weighted imaging treated with post-operative chemoradiation for GBM were evaluated. Region of interest analysis for ADC metrics including mean and minimum ADC value (ADCmean) and (ADCmin) was performed within the T2/FLAIR volume.

Effect of treatment modality on the hypothalamic-pituitary function of patients treated with radiation therapy for pituitary adenomas: hypothalamic dose and endocrine outcomes.

Background: Both fractionated external beam radiotherapy and single fraction radiosurgery for pituitary adenomas are associated with the risk of hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) axis dysfunction.

Objective: To analyze the effect of treatment modality (Linac, TomoTherapy, or gamma knife) on hypothalamic dose and correlate these with HP-axis deficits after radiotherapy.

Methods: Radiation plans of patients treated post-operatively for pituitary adenomas using Linac-based 3D-conformal radiotherapy (CRT) (n = 11), TomoTherapy-based intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) (n = 10), or gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery (n = 12) were retrospectively reviewed.

Roles of serine and threonine residues of mumps virus P protein in viral transcription and replication.

Unlabelled: Mumps virus (MuV), a paramyxovirus containing a negative-sense nonsegmented RNA genome, is a human pathogen that causes an acute infection with symptoms ranging from parotitis to mild meningitis and severe encephalitis. Vaccination against mumps virus has been effective in reducing mumps cases. However, recently large outbreaks have occurred in vaccinated populations.

Substrate recognition reduces side-chain flexibility for conserved hydrophobic residues in human Pin1.

Pin1 is a peptidyl-prolyl isomerase consisting of a WW domain and a catalytic isomerase (PPIase) domain connected by a flexible linker. Pin1 recognizes phospho-Ser/Thr-Pro motifs in cell-signaling proteins, and is both a cancer and an Alzheimer's disease target. Here, we provide novel insight into the functional motions underlying Pin1 substrate interaction using nuclear magnetic resonance deuterium ((2)D) and carbon ((13)C) spin relaxation.

p38 MAP kinase activity is correlated with angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker-induced left ventricular reverse remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive heart failure rats.

Background: Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker L-158,809 (ARB) induces reverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive heart failure (SHHF) rats. However, the signaling mechanism that mediates ARB-induced reverse LV remodeling remains unclear. The present study was to determine if changes in mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK, including ERK, JNK, and p38) signaling correlate with ARB-elicited reversal of cardiac hypertrophy in SHHF rats.