Anatomy Nights: An international public engagement event increases audience knowledge of brain anatomy.

Anatomy Nights is an international public engagement event created to bring anatomy and anatomists back to public spaces with the goal of increasing the public's understanding of their own anatomy by comparison with non-human tissues. The event consists of a 30-minute mini-lecture on the anatomy of a specific anatomical organ followed by a dissection of animal tissues to demonstrate the same organ anatomy. Before and after the lecture and dissection, participants complete research surveys designed to assess prior knowledge and knowledge gained as a result of participation in the event, respectively.

Astrocytes lure CXCR2-expressing CD4 T cells to gray matter via TAK1-mediated chemokine production in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease of the central nervous system driven by peripheral immune cell infiltration and glial activation. The pathological hallmark of MS is demyelination, and mounting evidence suggests neuronal damage in gray matter is a major contributor to disease irreversibility. While T cells are found in both gray and white matter of MS tissue, they are typically confined to the white matter of the most commonly used mouse model of MS, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).

Neutrophil-selective deletion of Cxcr2 protects against CNS neurodegeneration in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic debilitating immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system (CNS) driven by demyelination and gray matter neurodegeneration. We previously reported an experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) MS mouse model with elevated serum CXCL1 that developed severe and prolonged neuron damage. Our findings suggested that CXCR2 signaling may be important in neuronal damage, thus implicating neutrophils, which express CXCR2 in abundance, as a potential cell type involved.

Improved gene transfection efficacy and cytocompatibility of multifunctional polyamidoamine-cross-linked hyaluronan particles.

We describe a multi-functional, cationic hyaluronic acid (HA)-based gene carrier with improved transfection over non-cross-linked HA, and negligible cytotoxicity. Cationized particles are developed by cross-linking HA chain carboxyl groups with polyamidoamine amine termini to produce well segregated particles of 350-400 nm with a surface charge density of +2 mV, compared with -35 mV for non-cationized particles. A tethered antibody fragment retains ligand binding for cell targeting.

Isolation and characterisation of a recombinant antibody fragment that binds NCAM1-expressing intervertebral disc cells.

Degeneration of the intervertebral discs (IVD) is a leading cause of neck and low back pain. Degeneration begins in the central nucleus pulposus region, leading to loss of IVD osmotic properties. Regeneration approaches include administration of matrix-mimicking scaffolds, cells and/or therapeutic factors.

Truncated forms of viral VP2 proteins fused to EGFP assemble into fluorescent parvovirus-like particles.

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) monitors random movements of fluorescent molecules in solution, giving information about the number and the size of for example nano-particles. The canine parvovirus VP2 structural protein as well as N-terminal deletion mutants of VP2 (-14, -23, and -40 amino acids) were fused to the C-terminus of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The proteins were produced in insect cells, purified, and analyzed by western blotting, confocal and electron microscopy as well as FCS.