Theranostic Role of Iron Oxide Nanoparticle for Treating Renal Anemia: Evidence of Efficacy and Significance by MRI, Histology and Biomarkers.

(1) Background: Increasing attention has been given to applying nanosized iron oxide nanoparticles (IOPs) to treat iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients who suffer from IDA often need long-term iron supplements. We aim to evaluate the safety and therapeutic effect of MPB-1523, a novel IOPs, in anemic CKD mice and to monitor iron storage by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

IOP Injection, A Novel Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Particle MRI Contrast Agent for the Detection of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Phase II Clinical Trial.

Background: MRI is crucial in diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (SPIO) are liver-specific contrast agents which enhance lesions in T -weighted images. Iron oxide nano-particle m-PEG-silane (IOP) Injection, a newly developed SPIO, showed promising imaging effects and good safety profile in preclinical studies and in phase I clinical trial.

Cell Types Promoting Goosebumps Form a Niche to Regulate Hair Follicle Stem Cells.

Piloerection (goosebumps) requires concerted actions of the hair follicle, the arrector pili muscle (APM), and the sympathetic nerve, providing a model to study interactions across epithelium, mesenchyme, and nerves. Here, we show that APMs and sympathetic nerves form a dual-component niche to modulate hair follicle stem cell (HFSC) activity. Sympathetic nerves form synapse-like structures with HFSCs and regulate HFSCs through norepinephrine, whereas APMs maintain sympathetic innervation to HFSCs.

Functional complexity of hair follicle stem cell niche and therapeutic targeting of niche dysfunction for hair regeneration.

Stem cell activity is subject to non-cell-autonomous regulation from the local microenvironment, or niche. In adaption to varying physiological conditions and the ever-changing external environment, the stem cell niche has evolved with multifunctionality that enables stem cells to detect these changes and to communicate with remote cells/tissues to tailor their activity for organismal needs. The cyclic growth of hair follicles is powered by hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs).

External light activates hair follicle stem cells through eyes via an ipRGC-SCN-sympathetic neural pathway.

Changes in external light patterns can alter cell activities in peripheral tissues through slow entrainment of the central clock in suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). It remains unclear whether cells in otherwise photo-insensitive tissues can achieve rapid responses to changes in external light. Here we show that light stimulation of animals' eyes results in rapid activation of hair follicle stem cells with prominent hair regeneration.

Inducing hair follicle neogenesis with secreted proteins enriched in embryonic skin.

Organ development is a sophisticated process of self-organization. However, despite growing understanding of the developmental mechanisms, little is known about how to reactivate them postnatally for regeneration. We found that treatment of adult non-hair fibroblasts with cell-free extract from embryonic skin conferred upon them the competency to regenerate hair follicles.

Targeted Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for In Vivo Magnetic Resonance Imaging of T-Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to develop a targeted nanoparticle platform for T cell labeling and tracking in vivo.

Procedures: Through carboxylation of the polyethylene glycol (PEG) surface of SPION, carboxylated-PEG-SPION (IOPC) was generated as a precursor for further conjugation with the targeting probe. The IOPC could readily cross-link with a variety of amide-containing molecules by exploiting the reaction between 1-ethyl-3-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide.

Zebrafish cyclin Dx is required for development of motor neuron progenitors, and its expression is regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor 2α.

Cyclins play a central role in cell-cycle regulation; in mammals, the D family of cyclins consists of cyclin D1, D2, and D3. In Xenopus, only homologs of cyclins D1 and D2 have been reported, while a novel cyclin, cyclin Dx (ccndx), was found to be required for the maintenance of motor neuron progenitors during embryogenesis. It remains unknown whether zebrafish possess cyclin D3 or cyclin Dx.

Cyclin D1 acts as a barrier to pluripotent reprogramming by promoting neural progenitor fate commitment.

A short G1 phase is a characteristic feature of the cell cycle structure of pluripotent cells, and is reestablished during Yamanaka factor-mediated pluripotent reprogramming. How cell cycle control is adjusted to meet the requirements of pluripotent cell fate commitment during reprogramming is less well understood. Elevated levels of cyclin D1 were initially found to impair pluripotency maintenance.

Intercomparison of diffusion coefficient derived from the through-diffusion experiment using different numerical methods.

Diffusion is a dominant mechanism regulating the transport of released nuclides. The through-diffusion method is typically applied to determine the diffusion coefficients (D). Depending on the design of the experiment, the concentrations in the source term [i.

Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang attenuates allergic airway inflammation and remodeling in repetitive Dermatogoides pteronyssinus challenged chronic asthmatic mice model.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Xiao-Qing-Long-Tang (XQLT) has been used for centuries in Asia to effectively treat patients with bronchial asthma.

Aim Of The Study: We previously found that single and multiple doses of XQLT administered to sensitized mice before allergen challenge resulted in suppressed airway hyper-responsiveness and airway inflammation. In this study we aimed to investigate whether XQLT has the potential to attenuate the severity of asthma symptoms, and immunomodulatory mechanism of XQLT in a repetitive Dermatogoides pteronyssinus (D.

Tracking T-cells in vivo with a new nano-sized MRI contrast agent.

Unlabelled: Non-invasive in vivo tracking of T-cells by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can lead to a better understanding of many pathophysiological situations, including AIDS, cancer, diabetes, graft rejection. However, an efficient MRI contrast agent and a reliable technique to track non-phagocytic T-cells are needed. We report a novel superparamagnetic nano-sized iron-oxide particle, IOPC-NH2 series particles, coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG), with high transverse relaxivity (250 s(-1) mM(-1)), thus useful for MRI studies.

A new nano-sized iron oxide particle with high sensitivity for cellular magnetic resonance imaging.

Purpose: In this study, we investigated the labeling efficiency and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal sensitivity of a newly synthesized, nano-sized iron oxide particle (IOP) coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG), designed by Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI).

Procedures: Macrophages, bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells, and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were isolated from rats and labeled by incubating with ITRI-IOP, along with three other iron oxide particles in different sizes and coatings as reference. These labeled cells were characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM), light and fluorescence microscopy, phantom MRI, and finally in vivo MRI and ex vivo magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) of transplanted hearts in rats infused with labeled macrophages.

Serine protease inhibitors nafamostat mesilate and gabexate mesilate attenuate allergen-induced airway inflammation and eosinophilia in a murine model of asthma.

Background: Serine proteases such as mast cell tryptase and certain allergens are important in the pathogenesis of allergic inflammation of asthma.

Objective: We sought to investigate the effects of serine protease inhibitors nafamostat mesilate (FUT), gabexate mesilate (FOY), and ulinastatin (UTI) on airway inflammation in a mouse model of allergic asthma.

Methods: BALB/c mice were sensitized to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Der p) and intratracheally challenged with Der p (0.

Total synthesis of ailanthoidol and precursor XH14 by Stille coupling.

Ailanthoidol 1, which can be isolated from Chinese herbal medicine, is achieved in which the longest linear sequence is only six steps in 48% overall yield from commercially available 5-bromo-2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde. The key transformations in the synthesis are the Stille coupling reactions of benzofuranyl bromide with stannanyl compounds. This synthetic strategy can be modified to give access to a variety of different ailanthoidol and XH14 analogues.