Assessment of Pre-Clinical Liver Models Based on Their Ability to Predict the Liver-Tropism of Adeno-Associated Virus Vectors.

The liver is a prime target for gene therapies using recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors. Multiple clinical trials have been undertaken for this target in the past 15 years; however, we are still to see market approval of the first liver-targeted adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene therapy. Inefficient expression of the therapeutic transgene, vector-induced liver toxicity and capsid, and/or transgene-mediated immune responses reported at high vector doses are the main challenges to date.

Surveillance of hemorrhagic fever and/or neuroinvasive disease: challenges of diagnosis.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of post mortem laboratory analysis in identifying the causes of hemorrhagic fever and/or neuroinvasive disease in deaths by arbovirus infection.

Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional study based on the differential analysis and final outcome obtained in patients whose samples underwent laboratory testing for arboviruses at the Pathology Center of the Adolfo Lutz Institute, in São Paulo, Brazil.

Results: Of the 1355 adults clinically diagnosed with hemorrhagic fever and/or neuroinvasive disease, the most commonly attributed cause of death and the most common final outcome was dengue fever.

One-step Multiplex Real-time RT-PCR for Molecular Detection and Typing of Dengue Virus Infection From Paraffin-embedded Tissues During the Brazilian 2019 Outbreak.

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues are an important source for investigation of dengue virus (DENV) infection, particularly when blood or fresh frozen (FF) samples are unavailable. Histopathologic features and immunohistochemistry may have poor sensitivity and serotype determination is not always possible. Viral RNA genome detection tests are faster and considered the most sensitive technique for this kind of analysis, however, the use of molecular methods applied to FFPE tissues is still limited.

Culture Cell Block Controls as a Tool to the Biomolecular Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases.

The cell block (CB) technique has allowed easy obtainment of samples such as cellular and culture suspensions, to perform specific molecular tests such as immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. It has been improved along time, accuracy, and quality of the diagnoses, however, the cost of a commercial gel matrix for the preparation of CB is high and not suitable depending on the situation. The objective of this study is to test agarose as an alternative to the commercial gel matrix in the preparation of Aspergillus fumigatus' CB.