Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and neuroinflammation are thought to exacerbate neurocognitive dysfunction in treated people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH). Here, we longitudinally measured brain glucose metabolism as a measure of neuronal integrity in treated PWH using [F]Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in correlation with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) scores, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neuroinflammatory markers, neurocognitive outcomes, and other clinical and laboratory variables (CLVs).
Methods: Well-controlled PWH (n = 36) underwent baseline and follow-up FDG PET/CT obtained 3.
Mutational activation of occurs commonly in lung carcinogenesis and, with the recent U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of covalent inhibitors of KRAS such as sotorasib or adagrasib, KRAS oncoproteins are important pharmacological targets in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: After acute coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), people often experience fatigue, "brain fog," or other central neurologic symptoms (neuro-post-acute SARS-CoV2, or "Neuro-PASC"). In this observational study we evaluated whether abnormalities noted on initial evaluation persist after at least another year.
Methods: Neuro-PASC research participants who had undergone comprehensive inpatient testing at the NIH Clinical Center returned after at least 1 year for follow-up assessments including symptoms rating scales, MRI, lumbar puncture for tests of the CSF, physiologic recordings during the Valsalva maneuver and head-up tilting (with serial plasma catechols and cardiac Doppler ultrasound during the tilting), blood volume measurement, skin biopsies to examine sympathetic innervation, and blood sampling for neuroendocrine and immunologic measures.
Cancer Metastasis Rev
December 2024
The circulation of tumor cells through the bloodstream is a significant step in tumor metastasis. To better understand the metastatic process, circulating tumor cell (CTC) survival in the circulation must be explored. While immune interactions with CTCs in recent decades have been examined, research has yet to sufficiently explain some CTC behaviors in blood flow.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Objectives: The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) can be challenging in clinical practice because MS presentation can be atypical and mimicked by other diseases. We evaluated the diagnostic performance, alone or in combination, of the central vein sign (CVS), paramagnetic rim lesion (PRL), and cortical lesion (CL), as well as their association with clinical outcomes.
Methods: In this multicenter observational study, we first conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the CVS (proportion of CVS-positive lesions or simplified determination of CVS in 3/6 lesions-Select3*/Select6*), PRL, and CL in MS and non-MS cases on 3T-MRI brain images, including 3D T2-FLAIR, T2*-echo-planar imaging magnitude and phase, double inversion recovery, and magnetization prepared rapid gradient echo image sequences.
Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) is responsible for significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. Despite complete control of viral replication with antiretrovirals, cells with integrated HIV-1 provirus can produce viral transcripts. In a cross-sectional study of 84 HIV+ individuals of whom 43 were followed longitudinally, we found that HIV-1 RNAs are present in extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from cerebrospinal fluid and serum of all individuals.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) mediated infections are important to consider in cases with neuroinflammatory presentations. We aimed to characterize cases of NTM with neurological manifestations at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center and review the relevant literature.
Materials And Methods: Between January 1995 and December 2020, six cases were identified.
The stiffness of the extracellular matrix induces differential tension within integrin-based adhesions, triggering differential mechanoresponses. However, it has been unclear if the stiffness-dependent differential tension is induced solely by myosin activity. Here, we report that in the absence of myosin contractility, 3T3 fibroblasts still transmit stiffness-dependent differential levels of traction.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common inherited cardiomyopathy, with a prevalence of 1:200 to 1:500. Cardiac amyloidosis, another cardiomyopathy caused by myocardial deposition of abnormally folded TTR protein, can be acquired or hereditary. The presence of pathogenic TTR gene variants in patients with phenotypic HCM is an underrecognized and clinically important entity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment promotes tumor growth and is one of the main factors limiting the response to cancer immunotherapy. We have previously reported that inhibition of vacuolar protein sorting 34 (VPS34), a crucial lipid kinase in the autophagy/endosomal trafficking pathway, decreases tumor growth in several cancer models, increases infiltration of immune cells and sensitizes tumors to anti-programmed cell death protein 1/programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 therapy by upregulation of C-C motif chemokine 5 (CCL5) and C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CXCL10) chemokines. The purpose of this study was to investigate the signaling mechanism leading to the VPS34-dependent chemokine increase.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: US government personnel stationed internationally have reported anomalous health incidents (AHIs), with some individuals experiencing persistent debilitating symptoms.
Objective: To assess the potential presence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-detectable brain lesions in participants with AHIs, with respect to a well-matched control group.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This exploratory study was conducted at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center and the NIH MRI Research Facility between June 2018 and November 2022.
Importance: Since 2015, US government and related personnel have reported dizziness, pain, visual problems, and cognitive dysfunction after experiencing intrusive sounds and head pressure. The US government has labeled these anomalous health incidents (AHIs).
Objective: To assess whether participants with AHIs differ significantly from US government control participants with respect to clinical, research, and biomarker assessments.
Mutational activation of occurs commonly in lung carcinogenesis and, with the recent FDA approval of covalent inhibitors of KRAS such as sotorasib or adagrasib, KRAS oncoproteins are important pharmacological targets in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, not all KRAS -driven NSCLCs respond to these inhibitors, and the emergence of drug resistance in those patients that do respond can be rapid and pleiotropic. Hence, based on a backbone of covalent inhibition of KRAS , efforts are underway to develop effective combination therapies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To investigate the relationship between neurocognitive deficits and structural changes on brain magnetic resonance imaging in people living with HIV (PLWH) with good virological control on combination antiretroviral therapy, compared with socioeconomically matched control participants recruited from the same communities.
Methods: Brain magnetic resonance imaging scans, and clinical and neuropsychological data were obtained from virologically controlled PLWH (viral load of <50 c/mL and at least 1 year of combination antiretroviral therapy) and socioeconomically matched control participants. Magnetic resonance imaging was carried out on 3 T scanner with 8-channel head coils and segmented using Classification using Derivative-based Features.
The acidic pH of tumor tissue has been used to trigger drug release from nanoparticles. However, dynamic interactions between tumor pH and vascularity present challenges to optimize therapy to particular microenvironment conditions. Despite recent development of pH-sensitive nanomaterials that can accurately quantify drug release from nanoparticles, tailoring release to maximize tumor response remains elusive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntegrated preclinical multimodal imaging systems, such as X-ray computed tomography (CT) combined with positron emission tomography (PET) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with PET, are widely available and typically provide robustly co-registered volumes. However, separate devices are often needed to combine a standalone MRI with an existing PET-CT or to incorporate additional data from optical tomography or high-resolution X-ray microtomography. This necessitates image co-registration, which involves complex aspects such as multimodal mouse bed design, fiducial marker inclusion, image reconstruction, and software-based image fusion.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Allergic reactions are mediated by human IgE antibodies that bind to and cross-link allergen molecules. The sites on allergens that are recognized by IgE antibodies have been difficult to investigate because of the paucity of IgE antibodies in a human serum. Here, we report the production of unique human IgE monoclonal antibodies to major inhaled allergens and food allergens that can be produced at scale in perpetuity.
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