Interruption of the visual cycle in a novel animal model induces progressive vision loss resembling Stargardts Disease.

Mutations in the gene ABCA4 coding for photoreceptor-specific ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member 4, are responsible for Stargardts Disease type 1 (STGD1), the most common form of inherited macular degeneration. STGD1 typically declares early in life and leads to severe visual handicap. Abca4 gene-deletion mouse models of STGD1 accumulate lipofuscin, a hallmark of the disease, but unlike the human disease show no or only moderate structural changes and no functional decline.

Tolerance of free-living larval stage of a parasite from coastal mining areas in northern Humboldt Current to copper pollution at low and high temperatures.

Metal pollution is a worldwide problem and one of the greatest threats to ecosystem integrity due to its toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulation in biological systems. Anthropogenic pollution impacts marine organisms and host-parasite dynamics, with the northern Chilean coast experiencing elevated copper levels in marine waters and sediments due to mining activities. In this study, we assessed the effects of exposure to copper concentrations at low and high-water temperatures on the survival and longevity of the marine parasite Himasthla sp.

Wolbachia-based emerging strategies for control of vector-transmitted disease.

Dengue fever is a mosquito-transmitted disease of great public health importance. Dengue lacks adequate vaccine protection and insecticide-based methods of mosquito control are proving increasingly ineffective. Here we review the emerging use of mosquitoes transinfected with the obligate intracellular bacterium Wolbachia pipientis for vector control.

Prevalence of postoperative complications in oncologic gastro-esophageal surgeries: a cross-sectional study.

Purpose: This study evaluated the prevalence of complications in the postoperative period of esophagogastric oncological surgeries.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study, adhering to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines. The study size implied 163 patients who underwent surgical treatment for esophageal and gastric cancer and experienced postoperative complications between January 2018 and December 2022.

Iron overload and chelation modulates bisretinoid levels in the retina.

Aim: Iron dysregulation in conjunction with other disease processes may exacerbate retinal degeneration. We employed models of iron overload and iron chelation to explore the interactions between iron-catalyzed oxidation and photoreactive bisretinoid lipofuscin.

Methods: The mice were injected intravitreally with ferric ammonium citrate (FAC) or were treated using the iron chelator deferiprone (DFP) from birth to 2 months of age.