Analysis of the Implementation of Telehealth Visits for Care of Patients With Cancer in Houston During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of telemedicine amid the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in patients with cancer and assess barriers to its implementation.

Patients And Methods: Telehealth video visits, using the Houston Methodist MyChart platform, were offered to patients with cancer as an alternative to in-person visits. Reasons given by patients who declined to use video visits were documented, and demographic information was collected from all patients.

Complement Receptor 1 (CR1/CD35)-expressing retinal pigment epithelial cells as a potential therapy for age-related macular degeneration.

The purpose of this study was to identify a membrane-bound complement inhibitor that could be overexpressed on retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) providing a potential therapy for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This type of therapy may allow replacement of damaged RPE with cells that are able to limit complement activation in the retina. Complement Receptor 1 (CR1) is a membrane-bound complement inhibitor commonly found on erythrocytes and immune cells.

A Preclinical Safety Study of Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells for Macular Degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common disease trending towards epidemic proportions and is a leading cause of irreversible vision loss in people over the age of 65. A pathomechanism of AMD is death and/or dysfunction of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells; RPE loss invariably results in photoreceptor atrophy. Treatment options for AMD are very limited, and include vitamin supplements and lifestyle changes.

Generation of CDMLe012-A-1 cells: A pluripotent human embryonic stem cell model of Turner's syndrome.

Monosomy of chromosome X is associated with high prenatal mortality of female embryos and severe developmental abnormalities of patients born with Turner's syndrome (45,XO). The CDMLe012-A-1 human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line, derived from a day six blastocyst with a normal 46,XX female karyotype spontaneously lost an X-chromosome during cell culture. This 45,XO karyotype was stably maintained for more than 55 passages.

Derivation and characterization of the human embryonic stem cell line CR-4: Differentiation to human retinal pigment epithelial cells.

The CR-4 human embryonic stem cell line was derived from the inner cell mass of a developing blastocyst. This cell line has been adapted to grow in feeder-free conditions and is especially well-suited for differentiation to retinal pigment epithelium. The line demonstrates a normal human 46,XX female karyotype.