The Role of αvβ3 Integrin in Lamina Cribrosa Cell Mechanotransduction in Glaucoma.

Glaucoma, one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness, is a common progressive optic neuropathy characterised by visual field defects and structural changes to the optic nerve head (ONH). There is extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation and fibrosis of the lamina cribrosa (LC) in the ONH, and consequently increased tissue stiffness of the LC connective tissue. Integrins are cell surface proteins that provide the key molecular link connecting cells to the ECM and serve as bidirectional sensors transmitting signals between cells and their environment to promote cell adhesion, proliferation, and remodelling of the ECM.

Swallowed topical steroid therapy for eosinophilic oesophagitis in children: practical, evidence-based guidance by the BSPGHAN Eosinophilic Oesophagitis Working Group.

Objective: To develop evidence-based guidance for topical steroid use in paediatric eosinophilic oesophagitis (pEoE) in the UK for both induction and maintenance treatment.

Methods: A systematic literature review using Cochrane guidance was carried out by the British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (BSPGHAN) Eosinophilic Oesophagitis (EoE) Working Group (WG) and research leads to determine the evidence base for preparation, dosing and duration of use of swallowed topical steroid (STS) formulations in EoE. Seven themes relating to pEoE were reviewed by the WG, alongside the Cochrane review this formed the evidence base for consensus recommendations for pEoE in the UK.

Dissecting components of the gene cluster under iron limitation.

is a bacterium that is prevalent in the ceca of farmed poultry such as chickens. Consumption of ill-prepared poultry is thus the most common route by which infects the human gut to cause a typically self-limiting but severe gastrointestinal illness that can be fatal to very young, old, or immunocompromised people. The lack of a vaccine and an increasing resistance to current antibiotics highlight a need to better understand the mechanisms that make a successful human pathogen.

Dissecting components of the gene cluster in iron scavenging.

is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Acute infection can be antecedent to highly debilitating long-term sequelae. Expression of iron acquisition systems is vital for to survive the low iron availability within the human gut.

Multiple proteins affecting the peptidoglycan structure and the degree of helical cell curvature.

is a Gram-negative helical bacterium. Its helical morphology, maintained by the peptidoglycan (PG) layer, plays a key role in its transmission in the environment, colonization, and pathogenic properties. The previously characterized PG hydrolases Pgp1 and Pgp2 are important for generating helical morphology, with deletion mutants being rod-shaped and showing alterations in their PG muropeptide profiles in comparison to the wild type.