Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, of which adenocarcinoma is the most common subtype. Despite this, lung adenocarcinoma and its metastasis are poorly understood, due to difficulties in feasibly recapitulating disease progression and predicting clinical benefits of therapy. We outline a methodology to develop immunogenic orthotopic lung adenocarcinoma mouse models, by injecting cell-specific cre viruses into the lung of a genetically engineered mouse, which mirrors cancer progression defined by the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The purpose of this study was to explore self-reported diabetes management strategies, social determinants of health (SDOH), and barriers to care among people with diabetes receiving care in a safety-net setting to identify factors contributing to disparities in outcomes for Black and Hispanic adults and inform future interventions.
Methods: Sequential, explanatory, mixed methods study comprised a survey of adults with diabetes seen in primary care at a safety-net hospital in New England, followed by qualitative semistructured interviews with a subset of the Black and Hispanic respondents. Descriptive statistics, chi-square and tests were used to analyze quantitative data.
Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the preeminent non-viral drug delivery vehicle for mRNA-based therapies. Immense effort has been placed on optimizing the ionizable lipid (IL) structure, which contains an amine core conjugated to lipid tails, as small molecular adjustments can result in substantial changes in the overall efficacy of the resulting LNPs. However, despite some advancements, a major barrier for LNP delivery is endosomal escape.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Remaking Recess (RR) is a school-based evidence-based peer social engagement intervention for autistic students. RR involves direct training and coaching with educators; however, educators face several barriers to implementation at both the individual- and organizational-levels. This protocol paper describes a multi-site study that will test whether an educator-level implementation strategy, coaching, with or without a school-level implementation strategy, school-based teams, will maximize educators' use (fidelity and sustainment) of RR for autistic students and their peers who are socially-isolated, rejected, or peripheral and may need additional support during recess.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Survivors of breast and prostate cancer, especially those that are Black and/or Hispanic, are at high risk for cardiovascular events. Physical activity can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in cancer survivors, but Black and Hispanic people are less likely to engage in routine physical activity. Concepts from behavioral economics have been used to design scalable, low-touch gamification interventions that increase physical activity in individuals at high risk for cardiovascular events, but the effectiveness of these strategies in Black and Hispanic survivors of breast and prostate cancer is uncertain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: This study aims to compare micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation (MP-TSCPC) laser parameters and determine the optimal laser setting. : A retrospective study was performed on 351 eyes from patients who underwent MP-TSCPC at four power settings (1500 mW, 2000 mW, 2250 mW, and 2500 mW) from June 2018 to December 2021. The primary measurements of the efficacy of MP-TSCPC were the degree of intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction and the number of glaucoma medication reductions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have emerged as the preeminent nonviral drug delivery vehicles for nucleic acid therapeutics, as exemplified by their usage in the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. As a safe and highly modular delivery platform, LNPs are attractive for a wide range of applications. In addition to vaccines, LNPs are being utilized as platforms for other immunoengineering efforts, especially as cancer immunotherapies by modulating immune cells and their functionality via nucleic acid delivery.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGranulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) is a rare, benign inflammatory disease of the breast that shares some physical diagnostic features with breast cancer. GLM has been rarely reported to be associated with prolactinoma. In this report, we present a case of undiagnosed prolactinoma in a 37-year-old woman with its initial presentation as GLM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPremise: Reticulate evolution, often accompanied by polyploidy, is prevalent in plants, and particularly in the ferns. Resolving the resulting non-bifurcating histories remains a major challenge for plant phylogenetics. Here, we present a phylogenomic investigation into the complex evolutionary history of the vining ferns, Lygodium (Lygodiaceae, Schizaeales).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Thyroid hormones (TH) regulate the basal metabolic rate through their receptors THRα and THRβ. TH activates lipid metabolism via THRβ, however, an excess amount of TH can lead to tachycardia, bone loss, and muscle wasting through THRα. In recent years, TH analogs that selectively bind to THRβ have gained attention as new agents for treating dyslipidemia and obesity, which continue to pose major challenges to public health worldwide.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer with a 40% recurrence rate, lacking effective prognostic biomarkers and surveillance methods. This prospective, multicenter, observational study aimed to evaluate circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a biomarker for detecting MCC recurrence.
Methods: Plasma samples, clinical data, and imaging results were collected from 319 patients.
Understanding tumor-host immune interactions and the mechanisms of lung cancer response to immunotherapy is crucial. Current preclinical models used to study this often fall short of capturing the complexities of human lung cancer and lead to inconclusive results. To bridge the gap, we introduce two new murine monoclonal lung cancer cell lines for use in immunocompetent orthotopic models.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMale breast cancer remains relatively underexplored in the medical literature. At present, male patients with breast cancer follow the same treatment guidelines as female patients with breast cancer, principally because of similar outcomes with treatment. However, this practice should not preclude generating evidence for male breast cancer surveillance, diagnosis, and management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the public's perception of the scope of practice for oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeons (OFPRS).
Methods: A 49-question survey was distributed by Qualtrics to a panel similar to the US demographic composition. Responses collected underwent bivariate statistical analysis.
The use of genetic testing has enhanced the diagnostic accuracy of heritable genetic cardiomyopathies. However, it remains unclear how genetic information is interpreted and incorporated into clinical practice for children with cardiomyopathy. The primary aim of this study was to understand how clinical practice differs regarding sequence variant classifications amongst pediatric cardiologists who treat children with cardiomyopathy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg
May 2024
Importance: In clinical trials, preoperative immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown clinical activity in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC). However, these studies excluded patients with relevant comorbidities.
Objective: To evaluate radiologic and pathologic response rates to neoadjuvant-intent programed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) ICIs in a clinical population.
Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is associated with high rates of recurrence and distant metastatic progression. Current guidelines for surveillance imaging are not evidence based. Better characterization of the pattern of distant metastatic spread will better inform surveillance and facilitate earlier detection of metastases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAtrophic acne scars are the most common type of acne scars and are classified into three main types: icepick, boxcar, and rolling scars. Various procedures and techniques for atrophic acne scarring are discussed in detail, with stronger evidence-based support for lasers (non-fractional, fractional, ablative, and non-ablative), platelet-rich plasma as adjunctive treatment, chemical peels (glycolic acid, trichloroacetic acid, and Jessner's solution), dermal fillers such as hyaluronic acid, and microneedling, and lesser quality evidence for microdermabrasion, subcision, and lipoaspirate grafting. Further research is needed to optimize treatment protocols, assess the efficacy of monotherapies, and establish standardized guidelines for clinicians.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF