Technology-assisted and sutureless microvascular anastomoses: evidence for current techniques.

Background: Since the birth of reconstructive microvascular surgery, attempts have been made to shorten the operative time while maintaining patency and efficacy. Several devices have been developed to aid microsurgical anastomoses. This article investigates each of the currently available technologies and attempts to provide objective evidence supporting their use.

Protection against heterologous Burkholderia pseudomallei strains by dendritic cell immunization.

Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, is a gram-negative bacterium which can cause either chronic infections or acute lethal sepsis in infected individuals. The disease is endemic in Southeast Asia and northern Australia, but little is known about the mechanisms of protective immunity to the bacterium. In this study, we have developed a procedure to utilize dendritic cells in combination with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides as a vaccine delivery vector to induce protective immune responses to various strains of B.

Immunological responses after immunisation of mice with microparticles containing antigen and single stranded RNA (polyuridylic acid).

Certain toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, e.g. CpG DNA, can be used as potent vaccine 'adjuvants'.

Activation of dendritic cells by microparticles containing Bacillus anthracis protective antigen.

We have carried out an in vitro investigation into the mechanism by which microencapsulation enhances the immunogenicity of recombinant protective antigen (rPA) from Bacillus anthracis. Murine bone marrow derived dendritic cells (DC) were cocultured with soluble and microencapsulated rPA and the activation status of the cells monitored using FACS. As compared with soluble rPA, it was found that coculture of DC with rPA-loaded microparticles stimulated higher levels of MHC II, CD54, CD80 and CD86 expression (p<0.