Publications by authors named "F Prato"
The microbiota is integral to human health and has been mostly characterized through various ex vivo 'omic'-based approaches. To better understand the real-time function and impact of the microbiota, in vivo molecular imaging is required. With technologies such as positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT), insight into microbiological processes may be coupled to in vivo information.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo detect cellular activities deep within the body using magnetic resonance platforms, magnetosomes are the ideal model of genetically-encoded nanoparticles. These membrane-bound iron biominerals produced by magnetotactic bacteria are highly regulated by approximately 30 genes; however, the number of magnetosome genes that are essential and/or constitute the root structure upon which biominerals form is largely undefined. To examine the possibility that key magnetosome genes may interact in a foreign environment, we expressed mamI and mamL as fluorescent fusion proteins in mammalian cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe peptide hormone ghrelin is produced in cardiomyocytes and acts through the myocardial growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR) to promote cardiomyocyte survival. Administration of ghrelin may have therapeutic effects on post-myocardial infarction (MI) outcomes. Therefore, there is a need to develop molecular imaging probes that can track the dynamics of GHSR in health and disease to better predict the effectiveness of ghrelin-based therapeutics.
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- Breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP), especially the non-predictable subtype (NP-BTcP), shows notable gender differences in intensity, frequency, and treatment needs among cancer patients.
- A study analyzed data from the Italian Oncologic Pain Survey and found that males experienced higher rates of BTcP in the thorax area, required larger doses of therapy, and had lower overall health scores compared to females.
- Understanding these gender differences could enhance pain management strategies for cancer patients, indicating a need for more research on the characteristics of BTcP across different demographics.
Article Synopsis
- Bacteria are a major component of the human microbiota, and their interactions are complex, making it hard to study them outside the body.
- Researchers used MRI to analyze specific bacterial strains and found significant variations in how they relax in magnetic fields, with lactobacilli exhibiting notably high relaxation rates partly due to higher manganese levels.
- The study highlighted Lactobacillus crispatus, which had exceptionally high MRI signals, suggesting that different bacterial strains can be tracked in the body over time, potentially improving molecular imaging techniques.