Curcumin Mitigates Gut Dysbiosis and Enhances Gut Barrier Function to Alleviate Metabolic Dysfunction in Obese, Aged Mice.

The gut microbiome plays a critical role in maintaining gut and metabolic health, and its composition is often altered by aging and obesity. This study aimed to investigate the protective effects of curcumin on gut dysbiosis, gut barrier integrity, and bile acid homeostasis in aged mice fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet (HFHSD). Eighteen- to twenty-one-month-old male C57BL/6 mice were divided into groups fed a normal chow diet or HFHSD, with or without curcumin supplementation (0.

Lentivirus-based production of human chimeric antigen receptor macrophages from peripheral blood.

Although chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has shown remarkable efficacy against leukemic cells, it still has critical limitations. CAR macrophage has been regarded as a potential alternative to CAR T cells. However, due to the difficulties in gene transduction into macrophages, the production of primary human CAR macrophages from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using lentivirus is highly challenging.

Risk Factors for Impaired Cellular or Humoral Immunity after Three Doses of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Healthy and Immunocompromised Individuals.

We aimed to identify the risk factors for impaired cellular and humoral immunity after three doses of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Six months after the third vaccine dose, T-cell immunity was evaluated using interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) in 60 healthy and 139 immunocompromised (IC) individuals, including patients with hematologic malignancy (HM), solid malignancy (SM), rheumatic disease (RD), and kidney transplantation (KT). Neutralizing antibody titers were measured using the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) and surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT).

Curcumin-Rich Diet Mitigates Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) by Attenuating Fat Accumulation and Improving Insulin Sensitivity in Aged Female Mice under Nutritional Stress.

Background: The high incidence of metabolic syndrome in the elderly poses a significant challenge to the healthcare system, emphasizing the need for interventions tailored to geriatric patients. Given the limited focus on females in previous studies, this research aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary curcumin on obesity and NAFLD outcomes in naturally aged (18-month-old) female mice.

Methods: Female C57BL/6 mice aged 18 months were fed a normal chow diet (NCD) and a HFHSD, with or without curcumin (0.

SARS-CoV-2 antigenemia and RNAemia in association with disease severity in patients with COVID-19.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, causes a spectrum of symptoms ranging from mild upper to severe lower respiratory tract infections. However, the dynamics of nucleocapsid (N) protein antigenemia and RNAemia are not fully understood. We conducted a cohort study involving 117 patients with clinically confirmed COVID-19, focusing on the kinetics of antigenemia and RNAemia and their association with various clinical characteristics.

Spectral and mass characterization of kinetic conversion from retinoids to retinoic acid in an in vitro 3-D human skin equivalent model.

To investigate the effect of retinoids, such as retinol (ROL), retinal (RAL), and retinyl palmitate (RP), on epidermal integrity, skin deposition, and bioconversion to retinoic acid (RA). 3-D human skin equivalent model (EpiDermFT™) was used. Epidermal cellular integrity measured by TEER values was significantly higher for a topical treatment of ROL and RAL than RP (p < 0.

Curcumin Mitigates the High-Fat High-Sugar Diet-Induced Impairment of Spatial Memory, Hepatic Metabolism, and the Alteration of the Gut Microbiome in Alzheimer's Disease-Induced (3xTg-AD) Mice.

The escalating prevalence of metabolic diseases and an aging demographic has been correlated with a concerning rise in Alzheimer's disease (AD) incidence. This study aimed to access the protective effects of curcumin, a bioactive flavonoid from turmeric, on spatial memory, metabolic functions, and the regulation of the gut microbiome in AD-induced (3xTg-AD) mice fed with either a normal chow diet (NCD) or a high-fat high-sugar diet (HFHSD). Our findings revealed an augmented susceptibility of the HFHSD-fed 3xTg-AD mice for weight gain and memory impairment, while curcumin supplementation demonstrated a protective effect against these changes.

Red Ginseng Attenuates the Hepatic Cellular Senescence in Aged Mice.

Cellular senescence is defined as an irreversible cell cycle arrest accompanied by morphological and physiological alterations during aging. Red ginseng (RG), processed from fresh ginseng ( C.A.

Development of Genetically Engineered Feeder Cells for Natural Killer Cell Expansion.

Background/aim: To obtain sufficient numbers of high-quality natural killer (NK) cells, we developed feeder cells using synthetic biology techniques.

Materials And Methods: K562 cells were engineered to express membrane bound interleukin-2 (mbIL2) or interleukin-13 (mbIL13).

Results: The incubation of human primary NK cells isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) with these feeder cells significantly increased the number of activated NK cells compared to K562 parental cells.

Optimized conditions for gene transduction into primary immune cells using viral vectors.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has emerged as a promising modality for anti-cancer treatment. Its efficacy is quite remarkable in hematological tumors. Owing to their excellent clinical results, gene- modified cell therapies, including T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, and macrophages, are being actively studied in both academia and industry.

T Cells Expressing CAR Equipped With Extracellular Domain of BTLA Are Effective Against HVEM-over-expressing Melanoma Cell Lines.

Background/aim: Several chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells have been used to treat melanoma but have not shown favorable results. This study investigated whether Herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM), which is overexpressed in melanoma, is a potential novel antigen for CAR T cell therapy.

Materials And Methods: A CAR construct, composed of the BTLA extracellular domain for HVEM recognition (BTLA-28z), was developed and tested.

Dietary Curcumin Attenuates Hepatic Cellular Senescence by Suppressing the MAPK/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Aged Mice.

Dietary interventions with bioactive compounds have been found to suppress the accumulation of senescent cells and senescence-associated secretory phenotypes (SASPs). One such compound, curcumin (CUR), has beneficial health and biological effects, including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, but its ability to prevent hepatic cellular senescence is unclear. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary CUR as an antioxidant on hepatic cellular senescence and determine its benefits on aged mice.

Evaluation of Garlic Juice Processing Waste Supplementation in Juvenile Black Rockfish () Diets on Growth Performance, Antioxidant and Digestive Enzyme Activity, Growth- and Antioxidant-Related Gene Expression, and Disease Resistance against .

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of various dietary levels of garlic juice processing waste (GJPW) on the growth, feed utilization, digestive and antioxidant enzyme activity, growth- and antioxidant-related gene expression, and resistance to infection of juvenile black rockfish (). A total of 450 juvenile rockfish were randomly distributed into 30 L rectangular tanks (30 fish per tank). Five experimental diets were prepared in triplicate.

Reduction in the Migration Activity of Microglia Treated with Silica-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles and their Recovery Using Citrate.

Nanoparticles have garnered significant interest in neurological research in recent years owing to their efficient penetration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). However, significant concerns are associated with their harmful effects, including those related to the immune response mediated by microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain, which are exposed to nanoparticles. We analysed the cytotoxic effects of silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles containing rhodamine B isothiocyanate dye [MNPs@SiO(RITC)] in a BV2 microglial cell line using systems toxicological analysis.

Black Ginseng Ameliorates Cellular Senescence via p53-p21/p16 Pathway in Aged Mice.

Cellular senescence, one of the hallmarks of aging, refers to permanent cell cycle arrest and is accelerated during the aging process. Black ginseng (BG), prepared by a repeated steaming and drying process nine times from fresh ginseng ( C.A.

Copper-Mediated Three-Component Reaction for the Synthesis of -Acylsulfonamide on DNA.

The DNA-encoded library (DEL) technology is a new method for discovering hit compounds for target proteins in the pharmaceutical industry. The -acylsulfonamide functional group has been reported to exhibit various pharmacological activities, and based on this, the demand for a method that allows its introduction into the DEL platform has increased. In this report, a procedure for synthesizing -acylsulfonamide functional groups applicable to DEL construction was developed in the presence of a copper reagent and water as a nucleophile from simple alkynes or sulfonyl azides, which are widely commercially available.

Dietary Supplementation with Ginger () Residue from Juice Extraction Improves Juvenile Black Rockfish () Growth Performance, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Resistance to Infection.

Plant-derived feed additives provide cost effective and environmentally friendly alternatives to antibiotics for improving fish performance in aquaculture. An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary ginger residue from juice extraction (GRJE) on juvenile black rockfish () growth performance, antioxidant enzyme activities, and resistance to Streptococcus iniae infection. Juvenile rockfish ( = 450; initial weight = 2.

c-Met-Specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Demonstrate Anti-Tumor Effect in c-Met Positive Gastric Cancer.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology has been highlighted in recent years as a new therapeutic approach for cancer treatment. Although the impressive efficacy of CAR-based T cell adoptive immunotherapy has been observed in hematologic cancers, limited effect has been reported on solid tumors. Approximately 20% of gastric cancer (GC) patients exhibit a high expression of c-Met.

Silica-coated magnetic-nanoparticle-induced cytotoxicity is reduced in microglia by glutathione and citrate identified using integrated omics.

Background: Nanoparticles have been utilized in brain research and therapeutics, including imaging, diagnosis, and drug delivery, owing to their versatile properties compared to bulk materials. However, exposure to nanoparticles leads to their accumulation in the brain, but drug development to counteract this nanotoxicity remains challenging. To date, concerns have risen about the potential toxicity to the brain associated with nanoparticles exposure via penetration of the brain blood barrier to address this issue.

Impact of soy lecithin, zinc oxide, and methylsulfonylmethane, as excipient ingredients, on the bioaccessibility and intestinal transport of branched-chain amino acids from animal and plant protein mixtures.

To maximize the biological activity of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), it is necessary to find a new excipient agent to increase the bioavailability of BCAAs in protein mixtures. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of soy lecithin (SLC), zinc oxide (ZnO), and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) on the bioaccessibility and intestinal transport of BCAAs from animal and plant protein mixtures (PMs) an digestion model with human intestinal epithelial (Caco-2) cells. The bioaccessibility of total BCAAs in PMs considerably increased by 107.

Analysis of Nanotoxicity with Integrated Omics and Mechanobiology.

Nanoparticles (NPs) in biomedical applications have benefits owing to their small size. However, their intricate and sensitive nature makes an evaluation of the adverse effects of NPs on health necessary and challenging. Since there are limitations to conventional toxicological methods and omics analyses provide a more comprehensive molecular profiling of multifactorial biological systems, omics approaches are necessary to evaluate nanotoxicity.

Strategies to Improve the Quality and Freshness of Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Neurological Diseases.

Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs) have been studied for their application to manage various neurological diseases, owing to their anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, paracrine, and antiapoptotic ability, as well as their homing capacity to specific regions of brain injury. Among mesenchymal stem cells, such as BM-MSCs, adipose-derived MSCs, and umbilical cord MSCs, BM-MSCs have many merits as cell therapeutic agents based on their widespread availability and relatively easy attainability and in vitro handling. For stem cell-based therapy with BM-MSCs, it is essential to perform ex vivo expansion as low numbers of MSCs are obtained in bone marrow aspirates.

Silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles activate microglia and induce neurotoxic D-serine secretion.

Background: Nanoparticles have been studied for brain imaging, diagnosis, and drug delivery owing to their versatile properties due to their small sizes. However, there are growing concerns that nanoparticles may exert toxic effects in the brain. In this study, we assessed direct nanotoxicity on microglia, the resident macrophages of the central nervous system, and indirect toxicity on neuronal cells exerted by silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles containing rhodamine B isothiocyanate dye [MNPs@SiO(RITC)].

Curcumin Attenuates Sarcopenia in Chronic Forced Exercise Executed Aged Mice by Regulating Muscle Degradation and Protein Synthesis with Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory Effects.

The aim of the current study is to investigate the effects of spray dry powders of containing 40% curcumin (CM-SD), as a new aqueous curcumin formula, on sarcopenia in chronic forced exercise executed 10 month old ICR mice. CM-SD (80 and 40 mg/kg) increased calf thicknesses and strengths, total body and calf protein amounts, and muscle weights in both gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. mRNA expressions regarding muscle growth and protein synthesis were induced, while those of muscle degradation significantly declined in CM-SD treatment.