The importance of microbiology reference laboratories and adequate funding for infectious disease surveillance.

Microbiology reference laboratories perform a crucial role within public health systems. This role was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this Viewpoint, we emphasise the importance of microbiology reference laboratories and highlight the types of digital data and expertise they provide, which benefit national and international public health.

PCV13 vaccine prevents pneumococcal biofilms without affecting population within the polymicrobial biofilm.

In respiratory pathogens such as , biofilm formation is associated with the colonization of the nasopharynx and chronic respiratory infection. Previous data have shown that pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) had an impact on colonization and a potential replacement by other respiratory pathogens such as . The objective of this work was to evaluate the evasion of the immune system by monospecific biofilms and by mixed biofilms.

Impact of COVID-19 infection on genitourinary cancer management. SOGUG-COVID-19: A spanish, multicenter, observational study.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic is a great burden worldwide, but its impact on patients with genitourinary cancer (GUC) is poorly characterized. This study aimed to characterize the clinical features and evolution of GUC patients affected by COVID-19 in Spain.

Patients And Methods: SOGUG-COVID-19 was an observational ambispective non-interventional study that recruited patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection who had been treated for GUC in 32 Spanish hospitals.

Induction avelumab followed by chemoimmunotherapy and maintenance versus chemotherapy alone as first-line therapy in cis-ineligible metastatic urothelial carcinoma (INDUCOMAIN): a randomized phase II study.

Background: Platinum-based chemotherapy (ChT) has been the standard first-line treatment for metastatic urothelial carcinoma (mUC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of induction avelumab followed by avelumab in combination with carboplatin-gemcitabine (carbo/gem) followed by avelumab maintenance. We tested the hypothesis that induction immunotherapy (IO) could enhance the response to ChT and prevent its detrimental effect on immune cells.

Heparan Sulfate-Collagen Surface Multilayers Support Serum-Free Microcarrier Culture of Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

The increasing cost of high-volume cultures and dependence on serum and growth factor supplementation limit the affordability of mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapies. This has spurred interest in developing strategies that support adherent cell expansion while reducing raw material costs. Culture surfaces coated with sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), specifically heparan sulfate (HS), are an alternative to prolong growth factor retention in cell cultures.

Design, synthesis and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies of an unusual class of non-cationic fatty amine-tripeptide conjugates as novel synthetic antimicrobial agents.

Cationic ultrashort lipopeptides (USLPs) are promising antimicrobial candidates to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria. Using DICAMs, a newly synthesized family of tripeptides with net charges from -2 to +1 and a fatty amine conjugated to the -terminus, we demonstrate that anionic and neutral zwitterionic USLPs can possess potent antimicrobial and membrane-disrupting activities against prevalent human pathogens such as and The strongest antimicrobials completely halt bacterial growth at low micromolar concentrations, reduce bacterial survival by several orders of magnitude, and may kill planktonic cells and biofilms. All of them comprise either an anionic or neutral zwitterionic peptide attached to a long fatty amine (16-18 carbon atoms) and show a preference for anionic lipid membranes enriched in phosphatidylglycerol (PG), which excludes electrostatic interactions as the main driving force for DICAM action.

Surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease in Spain exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (2019-2023).

Objectives: Dynamic trends of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) including the evolution of prevalent serotypes are very useful to evaluate the impact of current and future pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) and the rise of non-vaccine serotypes. In this study, we include epidemiological patterns of S. pneumoniae before and after COVID-19 pandemic.

Effects of walnut consumption for 2 years on older adults' bone health in the Walnuts and Healthy Aging (WAHA) trial.

Background: Nutritional strategies to maintain bone health in aging individuals are of great interest. Given the beneficial nutrient composition of walnuts, rich in alpha-linolenic (the vegetable n-3 fatty acid) and polyphenols, their regular consumption might be a dietary option to reduce age-related bone loss. We determined whether daily walnut consumption improves bone mineral density (BMD) and circulating biomarkers of bone turnover.

The S-REAL study: Spanish real-world data on unresectable stage III NSCLC patients treated with durvalumab after chemoradiotherapy.

Objectives: The S-REAL study aimed to assess the effectiveness of durvalumab as consolidation therapy after definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in a real-world cohort of patients with locally advanced, unresectable stage III non-small cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) included in a Spanish early access program (EAP).

Methods: In this multicentre, observational, retrospective study we analysed data from patients treated in 39 Spanish hospitals, who started intravenous durvalumab (10 mg/kg every 2 weeks) between September 2017 and December 2018. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS).

[The euthanasia law and professional experiences: tensions in clinical practice].

Objective: To analyze the process of assisted death provision in Catalonia and identify the main tensions, difficulties, and/or sources of discomfort related to professional practice.

Method: A qualitative study was conducted based on interviews (n=29) and focus groups (n=19) with professionals who participated in the euthanasia process. The selection of participants combined the snowball and maximization of variability procedures, taking into account the variables of professional profile, setting, gender, age and territoriality.

Development and Independent Validation of a Prognostic Gene Expression Signature Based on RB1, PTEN, and TP53 in Metastatic Hormone-sensitive Prostate Cancer Patients.

Background: Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with docetaxel (D) and/or antiandrogen receptor therapies (ARTs) are the standard therapies in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer (mHSPC). Alterations in the tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) RB1, PTEN, and TP53 are associated with an aggressive evolution and treatment resistance in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC).

Objective: To study the clinical implications of TSG mRNA expression in mHSPC patients.

The C250T Mutation of Might Grant a Better Prognosis to Glioblastoma by Exerting Less Biological Effect on Telomeres and Chromosomes Than the C228T Mutation.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to determine how mutations impact glioblastoma prognosis.

Materials And Methods: mutations were assessed in a retrospective cohort of 258 uniformly treated glioblastoma patients. RNA-sequencing and whole exome sequencing results were available in a subset of patients.

A Walnut-Enriched Diet for 2 Years Changes the Serum Oxylipin Profile in Healthy Older Persons.

Background: Oxylipins are products derived from polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that play a role in cardiovascular disease and aging. Fish oil-derived n-3 PUFAs promote the formation of anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory oxylipins; however, there are little data on oxylipins derived from α-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3), the primary plant-derived n-3 PUFA. Walnuts are a source of C18:3n-3.

Molecular characterization of the new clinical entity associated with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: the CAH-X syndrome in the Spanish population.

Objectives: The chimeras causing the CAH-X syndrome (SCAH-X) result from recombination between - and their respective pseudogenes (-). The clinical manifestations of this syndrome include congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). Since SCAH-X has been recently described, the number of publications available is limited.

Heparin-collagen I bilayers stimulate FAK/ERK½ signaling via α2β1 integrin to support the growth and anti-inflammatory potency of mesenchymal stromal cells.

Understanding mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) growth mechanisms in response to surface chemistries is essential to optimize culture methods for high-quality and robust cell yields in cell manufacturing applications. Heparin (HEP) and collagen 1 (COL) substrates have been reported to enhance cell adhesion, growth, viability, and secretory potential in MSCs. However, the biomolecular mechanisms underlying the benefits of combined HEP/COL substrates are unknown.

PCL/PEO Polymer Membrane Prevents Biofouling in Wearable Detection Sensors.

Technological advances in biosensing offer extraordinary opportunities to transfer technologies from a laboratory setting to clinical point-of-care applications. Recent developments in the field have focused on electrochemical and optical biosensing platforms. Unfortunately, these platforms offer relatively poor sensitivity for most of the clinically relevant targets that can be measured on the skin.

Substrate topographies modulate the secretory activity of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) secrete a diversity of factors with broad therapeutic potential, yet current culture methods limit potency outcomes. In this study, we used topographical cues on polystyrene films to investigate their impact on the secretory profile and potency of bone marrow-derived MSCs (hBM-MSCs). hBM-MSCs from four donors were cultured on topographic substrates depicting defined roughness, curvature, grooves and various levels of wettability.

Predictive signature of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in muscle-invasive bladder cancer integrating mRNA expression, taxonomic subtypes, and clinicopathological features.

Background And Objective: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by cystectomy is the standard of care in muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Pathological response has been associated with longer survival, but no currently available clinicopathological variables can identify patients likely to respond, highlighting the need for predictive biomarkers. We sought to identify a predictive signature of response to NAC integrating clinical score, taxonomic subtype, and gene expression.

Prevalence of immune-related adverse events and anti-tumor efficacy in advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma following immune-checkpoint inhibitor treatment.

Purpose: We evaluated the prevalence of immune-related adverse events and anti-tumor efficacy in advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma following immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) treatment.

Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study of patients with advanced/metastatic urothelial carcinoma treated with ICIs in four Spanish institutions. irAEs were classified using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Event (CTCAE) v.

Surface roughness modulates EGFR signaling and stemness of triple-negative breast cancer cells.

Cancer stem cells (CSC), a major culprit of drug-resistant phenotypes and tumor relapse, represent less than 2 % of the bulk of TNBC cells, making them difficult to isolate, study, and thus, limiting our understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease. Current methods for CSC enrichment, such as 3D spheroid culture, genetic modification, and stem cell conditioning, are time consuming, expensive, and unsuitable for high-throughput assays. One way to address these limitations is to use topographical stimuli to enhance CSC populations in planar culture.

Recurrent Glioblastoma: Ongoing Clinical Challenges and Future Prospects.

Virtually all glioblastomas treated in the first-line setting will recur in a short period of time, and the search for alternative effective treatments has so far been unsuccessful. Various obstacles remain unresolved, and no effective salvage therapy for recurrent glioblastoma can be envisaged in the short term. One of the main impediments to progress is the low incidence of the disease itself in comparison with other pathologies, which will be made even lower by the recent WHO classification of gliomas, which includes molecular alterations.