Pump in Parallel-Mechanical Assistance of Partial Cavopulmonary Circulation Using a Conventional Ventricular Assist Device.

Mechanical assistance of systemic single ventricle is effective in pulling blood through a cavopulmonary circuit. In patients with superior cavopulmonary connection, this strategy can lead to arterial desaturation secondary to increased inferior caval flow. We hypothesized that overall augmentation in cardiac output with mechanical assistance compensates for the drop in oxygen saturation thereby maintaining tissue oxygen delivery (DO2).

Influence of central hemodynamics on VV ECMO oxygen delivery in neonatal animal model.

Background: Recirculation of oxygenated blood in venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO) can decrease the oxygen delivery provided by the ECMO support. This study investigated the influence of central hemodynamics and catheter position on the amount of recirculation and oxygen delivery during VV ECMO.

Methods: Recirculation was measured in seven newborn lambs (mean weight 4.

Targeting Attenuated Interferon-α to Myeloma Cells with a CD38 Antibody Induces Potent Tumor Regression with Reduced Off-Target Activity.

Interferon-α (IFNα) has been prescribed to effectively treat multiple myeloma (MM) and other malignancies for decades. Its use has waned in recent years, however, due to significant toxicity and a narrow therapeutic index (TI). We sought to improve IFNα's TI by, first, attaching it to an anti-CD38 antibody, thereby directly targeting it to MM cells, and, second, by introducing an attenuating mutation into the IFNα portion of the fusion protein rendering it relatively inactive on normal, CD38 negative cells.

Effect of mechanical assistance of the systemic ventricle in single ventricle circulation with cavopulmonary connection.

Background: Previous attempts to support single ventricle circulation mechanically have suggested that a custom-built assist device is needed to push, rather than pull, through the pulmonary circulation. We hypothesized that using a conventional ventricular assist device, with or without conversion of a total cavopulmonary connection to a bidirectional Glenn cavopulmonary connection, would allow assistance by pulling blood through the circuit and improve the cardiac index (CI).

Methods: Cavopulmonary connections were established in each of 5 Yorkshire pigs (25 kg) using ePTFE conduits in a Y configuration with appropriate clamping of the limbs of the Y to achieve a total cavopulmonary Fontan connection (TCPC), superior vena cava cavopulmonary connection (SVC Glenn), and inferior vena cava cavopulmonary connection (IVC Glenn).