Publications by authors named "Dana Atrakchi"

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is composed of brain microvasculature that provides selective transport of solutes from the systemic circulation into the central nervous system to protect the brain and spinal microenvironment. Damage to the BBB in the acute phase after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is recognized as a major underlying mechanism leading to secondary long-term damage. Because of the lack of technological ability to detect subtle BBB disruption (BBBd) in the chronic phase, however, the presence of chronic BBBd is disputable.

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Article Synopsis
  • Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a major public health concern, notably due to its association with aging populations and the role of microglial dysregulation in the disease.
  • Researchers found a specific microglial subset, marked by CD11c, that produces Osteopontin (OPN) and divides microglia into two types: a protective one that helps clear amyloid β and a pathogenic one that contributes to inflammation and cognitive decline.
  • Genetic removal of OPN or treatment with anti-OPN antibodies in a mouse model improved cognitive function and reduced inflammation, suggesting that targeting OPN could lead to new immunotherapy options for AD patients.
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Human serum albumin (HSA) is efficiently taken up by cancer cells as a source of carbon and energy. In this study, we prepared a monomodified derivative of HSA covalently linked to an EDTA derivative and investigated its efficacy to shuttle weakly anti-proliferative EDTA associating ligands such as vanadium, into a cancer cell line. HSA-S-MAL-(CH)-NH-CO-EDTA was found to associate both with the vanadium anion (+5) and the vanadium cation (+4) with more than thrice the associating affinity of those ligands toward EDTA.

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Titanium dioxide (TiO) is a frequently used biomaterial, particularly in orthopedic and dental implants, and it is considered an inert and benign compound. This has resulted in toxicological scrutiny for TiO in the past decade, with numerus studies showing potential pathologic downstream effects. Herein we describe case report of a 77-year-old male with subacute CNS dysfunction, secondary to breakdown of a titanium-based carotid stent and leading to blood levels 1000 times higher (3 ppm) than the reported normal.

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The objective of this study was to investigate the molecular response to damage at the blood brain barrier (BBB) and to elucidate critical pathways that might lead to effective treatment in central nervous system (CNS) pathologies in which the BBB is compromised. We have used a human, stem-cell derived in-vitro BBB injury model to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms controlling BBB integrity. Chemical injury induced by exposure to an organophosphate resulted in rapid lipid peroxidation, initiating a ferroptosis-like process.

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Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is critical for normal brain development and function. DHA is in danger of being significantly reduced in the human food supply, and the question of whether its metabolic precursor, the essential n-3 alpha linolenic acid (ALA) during pregnancy, can support fetal brain DHA levels for optimal neurodevelopment, is fundamental. Female mice were fed either ALA-enriched or Control diet during pregnancy and lactation.

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The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a major hurdle for the treatment of central nervous system disorders, limiting passage of both small and large therapeutic agents from the blood stream into the brain. Thus, means for inducing BBB disruption (BBBd) are urgently needed. Here, we studied the application of low pulsed electrical fields (PEFs) for inducing BBBd in mice.

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Background: Excessive inflammation might activate and injure the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a common feature of many central nervous system (CNS) disorders. We previously developed an in vitro BBB injury model in which the organophosphate paraoxon (PX) affects the BBB endothelium by attenuating junctional protein expression leading to weakened barrier integrity. The objective of this study was to investigate the inflammatory cellular response at the BBB to elucidate critical pathways that might lead to effective treatment in CNS pathologies in which the BBB is compromised.

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The prognosis of Glioblastoma Multiforme patients is poor despite aggressive therapy. Reasons include poor chemotherapy penetration across the blood-brain barrier and tumor infiltration into surrounding tissues. Here we studied the effects of combined point-source electroporation (EP) and systemic chemotherapy in glioma-bearing rats.

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Bleomycin is an anticancer antibiotic effective against a range of human malignancies. Yet its usefulness is limited by serious side effects. In this study, we converted bleomycin into a prodrug by covalently linking 2-sulfo, 9 fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (FMS) to the primary amino side chain of bleomycin.

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The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is limiting transcellular and paracellular movement of molecules and cells, controls molecular traffic, and keeps out toxins. However, this protective function is the major hurdle for treating brain diseases such as brain tumors, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, etc. It was previously demonstrated that high pulsed electrical fields (PEFs) can disrupt the BBB by inducing electroporation (EP) which increases the permeability of the transcellular route.

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