Baseline gene expression in BALB/c and C57BL/6 peritoneal macrophages influences but does not dictate their functional phenotypes.

Macrophages are effector cells of the immune system and essential modulators of immune responses. Different functional phenotypes of macrophages with specific roles in the response to stimuli have been described. The C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse strains tend to selectively display distinct macrophage activation states in response to pathogens, namely, the M1 and M2 phenotypes, respectively.

Carcinogenic Air Pollutants and Breast Cancer Risk in the Arkansas Rural Community Health Study: A Nested Case-Control Study.

Background: Previous epidemiological studies on the associations between hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) and breast cancer (BC) have largely neglected rural, medically underserved areas in the United States, which differ in exposures and disparities compared to urban areas.

Objectives: We aimed to examine the associations between carcinogenic HAPs and BC risk in a rural population.

Methods: Using a nested case-control design, 574 cases and 2,295 incidence density-sampled controls matched 1:4 on index age and race were included from the Arkansas Rural Community Health study.

Measuring Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Traumatic Craniomaxillofacial Injuries: Development of the AO CMF Injury Symptom Battery.

Traumatic craniomaxillofacial (CMF) injuries are associated with various symptoms/concerns that affect patients' quality of life. The assessment of outcomes from the patient perspective has been limited by the absence of patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures tailored to this patient population. To address this need, we employed a mixed methods, multi-step process to first identify the most important symptoms/concerns and then use this information to construct a PRO symptom battery.

Progress in the discovery and development of anticancer agents from marine cyanobacteria.

Covering 2010-April 2024There have been tremendous new discoveries and developments since 2010 in anticancer research based on marine cyanobacteria. Marine cyanobacteria are prolific sources of anticancer natural products, including the tubulin agents dolastatins 10 and 15 which were originally isolated from a mollusk that feeds on cyanobacteria. Decades of research have culminated in the approval of six antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) and many ongoing clinical trials.