Publications by authors named "Gerner C"
Article Synopsis
- Lipid-containing vacuoles in microglia have been associated with neurodegenerative disorders for over a century, and recent studies show altered lipid metabolism in these conditions.
- Research focused on how lipid-enriched nanoparticles affect microglia, revealing that these nanoparticles lead to vacuolization and the formation of Gitterzellen, a distinct microglia phenotype seen in Alzheimer's disease.
- The study suggests that lipid-nanoparticles trigger this process through specific pathways, providing a valuable in vitro model to investigate the long-term effects of neurodegeneration.
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- Biological sex is crucial for archeological and forensic studies, but current methods lack standardization for fast and accurate identification.
- A new mass spectrometry-based workflow using human dental enamel allows for efficient sex determination, processing up to 200 samples per day with high accuracy.
- This method has been validated on various teeth and successfully applied to archeological materials, enhancing the ability to study large populations rather than just individual specimens.
Article Synopsis
- Elastin is crucial for skin elasticity and decreases with age, making it a target for anti-aging products.
- RiboScreen technology was used to find ribosomal proteins that enhance the production of tropoelastin, identifying ribosomal protein L40 (eL40) as a key regulator.
- A small molecule that activates eL40 was discovered, leading to increased levels of tropoelastin in cells, suggesting potential applications in skincare and cardiovascular health.
Article Synopsis
- Mass spectrometry-based omics technologies are utilized in drug effect studies, highlighting how fold change and experimental variation impact the identification of molecular events in biological pathways.
- Memory effects from prior subculture significantly influence the variation observed in perturbation profiles of colon carcinoma cell lines, with these effects differing based on cell growth states.
- Controlling subculture homogeneity enhanced the identification of causal relationships in perturbation networks, revealing new insights into arsenic trioxide's mode of action and potential treatment combinations for overcoming resistance mechanisms.
Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of inflammation requires robust animal models. Sheep are commonly used in immune-related studies, yet the validity of sheep as animal models for immune and inflammatory diseases remains to be established. This cross-species comparative study analyzed the in vitro inflammatory response of ovine (oPBMCs) and human PBMCs (hPBMCs) using mass spectrometry, profiling the proteome of the secretome and whole cell lysate.
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- Gallic acid (GA) has anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, and this study involves modifying dendritic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (DMSNs) with GA to explore their effects on osteosarcoma cells.
- Different DMSN variants showed that GA-conjugated materials, especially DMSN-NH-GA, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and cell migration more effectively than non-modified DMSNs, with less cytotoxicity.
- In the presence of an external ROS stressor, DMSN-NCO-GA showed better ROS reduction, indicating that the chemical modifications of nanoparticles play a crucial role in their biological responses, suggesting potential for future cancer treatments.
Electron sources are crucial elements in diverse applications such as electron microscopes, synchrotrons, and free-electron lasers. Nanometer-sharp needle tips are electron emitters with the highest beam quality, yet for a single needle the current is limited. Combining the emission of multiple needles promises large current yields while preserving the individual emitters' favorable properties.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of the present study was to investigate retinal microcirculatory and functional metabolic changes in patients after they had recovered from a moderate to severe acute COVID-19 infection. Retinal perfusion was quantified using laser speckle flowgraphy. Oxygen saturation and retinal calibers were assessed with a dynamic vessel analyzer.
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- Optimizing experimental parameters for on-bead phosphoproteomics preparation led to identifying over 16,000 phosphopeptides using only 30 μg of peptide in a rapid LC-MS/MS process.
- Various factors like buffer concentrations, peptide-to-bead ratios, and sample volumes were analyzed to enhance phosphoproteome coverage and sensitivity.
- A sequential enrichment method demonstrated a 20% increase in coverage, allowing for the identification of over 32,000 phosphopeptides from a diluted cell sample in a short half-hour analysis.
Article Synopsis
- Metabolomics is a bioanalytical method aiding clinical research, but using serum may lead to variable results due to the influence of platelet activity during blood coagulation.
- A study showed that while serum and plasma have correlated metabolites, they exhibit significant differences in lipid mediators and proteins, highlighting the inconsistency of serum analysis.
- Research indicated that plasma is a better choice than serum for clinical metabolomics studies as it provides more reliable data by avoiding confounding effects introduced by platelets.
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- Severe junctional epidermolysis bullosa is a rare genetic skin disease mostly caused by harmful mutations in the LAMB3 gene, which is essential for skin structure.
- Current treatments using translational readthrough-inducing drugs are limited by toxicity, while ribosome editing offers a more targeted approach.
- This study found that repurposing the drugs artesunate and atazanavir, alongside ribosomal protein L35, significantly increases the production of the full-length LAMB3 protein in affected cells, suggesting a promising therapeutic option for the disease.
Article Synopsis
- A series of seven clinical trials explored if manipulating ligand-receptor interactions in tumors could make cancer treatment more effective, focusing on relapsed or refractory metastatic neoplasias.
- Different combinations of pioglitazone, a drug that activates specific receptors, with various transcriptional modulators and low-dose chemotherapy showed promise in reprogramming cancer characteristics, leading to tumor cell death and improved disease control across several cancer types.
- The research suggests that pioglitazone can be a key drug in innovative treatment strategies by harnessing tumor plasticity and enhancing the effects of existing therapies.
Article Synopsis
- During a process called megakaryopoiesis, special cells called megakaryocytes change their shape and mix up the fats in their membranes.
- Scientists studied these changes to see how they affect the cells and found that as megakaryocytes mature, they take in more fatty acids and make more fats, which is important for forming platelets (tiny blood cells that help with clotting).
- When they messed with the fat intake and production, it stopped the megakaryocytes from developing correctly, leading to fewer platelets in the blood, which can cause bleeding problems.
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- This study addresses the lack of predictive biomarkers for patients with metastatic melanoma undergoing anti-PD-1 therapy, emphasizing the clinical need for better indicators of treatment response.
- Through comprehensive proteomic analysis across multiple serum cohorts, the researchers identified significant proteins and biological processes linked to treatment outcomes, confirming key differences between responders and nonresponders.
- Ultimately, the study proposes a promising set of 10 serum markers for further investigation and identifies additional markers from primary melanoma tumor cells that could aid in understanding treatment resistance.
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- Orchidaceae plants, particularly a new hybrid called Pearl Vera (DH), have potential health benefits due to their bioactive compounds, but specific properties of DH were previously unexplored.
- The study analyzed extracts of DH using different solvents and found that the propanolic extract (DH-P) had the highest concentrations of beneficial compounds, showcasing significant free radical scavenging ability.
- DH-P also demonstrated notable inhibition of human tyrosinase and reduced melanoma cell proliferation, with components identified that could aid in skin whitening and have antioxidant and anticancer properties.
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- Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is an aggressive type of cancer that grows in a unique tumor microenvironment (TME), but effective cell models for studying this environment are limited.
- Researchers developed new cell models using mesothelial cells and mesothelioma-associated fibroblasts (Meso-CAFs) from patients, which included the introduction of the hTERT gene to enhance cell growth capabilities.
- The study found that while these new hTERT-transduced models maintained key characteristics of primary cells, the conditioned media from both primary and transduced Meso-CAFs significantly stimulated PM cell growth, suggesting these models are effective for studying PM interactions in its TME.
Article Synopsis
- Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, and the study focuses on neuroblastoma (NB), a childhood tumor, specifically examining the poorly understood metastatic niche in the bone marrow (BM).
- Researchers conducted single-cell analysis on BM samples from NB patients and non-metastatic controls to explore the cellular composition and interactions in the metastatic environment.
- The findings reveal that NB tumor cells maintain plasticity during metastasis, interact with immune cells, and suggest potential therapeutic strategies by targeting tumor-microenvironment interactions.
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- Recent studies highlight metal-based drugs as potential regulators of cytoskeletal proteins like actin, vimentin, and plectin.
- Limited structural data exists on how these drugs interact at the molecular level.
- Understanding binding sites and drug-target interactions is crucial for developing effective cancer treatment strategies.
Article Synopsis
- ABCA7, an ABC transporter, shows unusual expression patterns in various cancers, including breast cancer, prompting an investigation into its genetic and epigenetic changes.
- Analysis of breast cancer tissues revealed specific alterations in DNA methylation, particularly at the exon 5-intron 5 boundary, indicating potential subtype-specific molecular changes and suggesting a phenomenon called epigenetic field cancerization.
- In breast cancer cell lines, changes in intron-containing mRNA transcripts following drug treatment corresponded with disruptions in splicing factors, highlighting the complexity of ABCA7 expression regulation and its relationship with alternative splicing dynamics.
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- Intestinal cells are regularly exposed to dietary fats, notably oleic acid (OA) and palmitic acid (PA), which have both essential roles and potential harmful effects when consumed in excess.
- Research shows that OA and PA affect non-cancerous intestinal cells differently from colon cancer cells (HCT116), particularly in their ability to adapt to mechanical stress and their cellular structures.
- The study findings suggest that dietary fatty acids may influence the mechanics of intestinal cell function, contributing to both healthy physiology and the progression of cancer.
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- Eicosanoids, which are important lipids found in packed red blood cells, may influence transfusion-related immunomodulation (TRIM).
- A feasibility study analyzed eicosanoid profiles in postoperative ICU patients receiving transfusions, focusing on those with varied medical backgrounds.
- The study found that while most eicosanoids were detectable in PRBCs and correlated with storage duration, their levels in patient plasma showed limited changes over time following transfusion.
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- Obesity leads to genetic instability, contributing to cancer and aging, prompting a study on the effects of bariatric surgery (BS) on various DNA repair and oxidative damage markers.
- Post-surgery results from 35 patients showed a significant 27.5% weight loss, decreased DNA damage, and increased telomere lengths six months after the surgery.
- The surgery appeared to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress while leaving antioxidant enzyme activity unchanged, indicating it may provide long-term health benefits.
Article Synopsis
- Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic condition with increasing prevalence and uncertain causes, and advanced molecular profiling may reveal important insights into its mechanisms and remission features.
- The study involved analyzing tissue and plasma samples from UC patients using mass spectrometry to identify changes in proteins and metabolites during active disease and remission, compared to healthy individuals.
- Results showed that inflammation involved various immune cells and indicated ongoing microvascular damage and platelet abnormalities even during remission, suggesting persistent molecular markers associated with UC.
Article Synopsis
- Proteomics is a key technique for studying biological systems through proteins and their variations, with a recent shift towards bottom-up shotgun methods over traditional gel-based techniques.
- A study compared the performance of label-free shotgun and 2D-DIGE methods using human prostate carcinoma cells, revealing that label-free shotgun provides quicker results but with higher variability, while 2D-DIGE offers detailed information about protein forms and modifications despite being more time-consuming.
- The research highlights the complementary strengths of both techniques, suggesting their combined use can better address complex biological inquiries.