Janus USPION modular platform (JUMP) for theranostic ultrasound-mediated targeted intratumoral microvascular imaging and DNA/miRNA delivery.

High mortality in pancreatic cancer (PDAC) and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) highlight the need to capitalize on nanoscale-design advantages for multifunctional diagnostics and therapies. DNA/RNA-therapies can provide potential breakthroughs, however, to date, there is no FDA-approved systemic delivery system to solid tumors. Here, we report a Janus-nanoparticle (jNP)-system with modular targeting, payload-delivery, and targeted-imaging capabilities.

Organotypic Cultures from the Adult CNS: A Novel Model to Study Demyelination and Remyelination Ex Vivo.

Experimental models of multiple sclerosis (MS) have significantly advanced our understanding of pathophysiology and therapeutic interventions. Although in vivo rodent models are considered to most closely represent the complex cellular and molecular disease states of the human central nervous system (CNS), these can be costly to maintain and require long timelines. Organotypic slice cultures maintain the cytotypic organization observed in the intact CNS, yet provide many of the experimental advantages of in vitro cell culture models.

Confirmation of translatability and functionality certifies the dual endothelin1/VEGFsp receptor (DEspR) protein.

Background: In contrast to rat and mouse databases, the NCBI gene database lists the human dual-endothelin1/VEGFsp receptor (DEspR, formerly Dear) as a unitary transcribed pseudogene due to a stop [TGA]-codon at codon#14 in automated DNA and RNA sequences. However, re-analysis is needed given prior single gene studies detected a tryptophan [TGG]-codon#14 by manual Sanger sequencing, demonstrated DEspR translatability and functionality, and since the demonstration of actual non-translatability through expression studies, the standard-of-excellence for pseudogene designation, has not been performed. Re-analysis must meet UNIPROT criteria for demonstration of a protein's existence at the highest (protein) level, which a priori, would override DNA- or RNA-based deductions.

Evaluation of expansile nanoparticle tumor localization and efficacy in a cancer stem cell-derived model of pancreatic peritoneal carcinomatosis.

Aim: To evaluate the tumor localization and efficacy pH-responsive expansile nanoparticles (eNPs) as a drug delivery system for pancreatic peritoneal carcinomatosis (PPC) modeled in nude rats.

Methods & Materials: A Panc-1-cancer stem cell xeno1graft model of PPC was validated in vitro and in vivo. Tumor localization was tracked via in situ imaging of fluorescent eNPs.

DEspR roles in tumor vasculo-angiogenesis, invasiveness, CSC-survival and anoikis resistance: a 'common receptor coordinator' paradigm.

A priori, a common receptor induced in tumor microvessels, cancer cells and cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) that is involved in tumor angiogenesis, invasiveness, and CSC anoikis resistance and survival, could underlie contemporaneous coordination of these events rather than assume stochasticity. Here we show that functional analysis of the dual endothelin1/VEGFsignal peptide receptor, DEspR, (formerly named Dear, Chr.4q31.

Sex-specific effects on spatial learning and memory, and sex-independent effects on blood pressure of a <3.3 Mbp rat chromosome 2 QTL region in Dahl salt-sensitive rats.

Epidemiological studies have consistently found that hypertension is associated with poor cognitive performance. We hypothesize that a putative causal mechanism underlying this association is due to genetic loci affecting both blood pressure and cognition. Consistent with this notion, we reported several blood pressure (BP) quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that co-localized with navigational performance (Nav)-QTLs influencing spatial learning and memory in Dahl rats.

Dahl (S × R) rat congenic strain analysis confirms and defines a chromosome 17 spatial navigation quantitative trait locus to <10 Mbp.

A quantitative trait locus (QTL) linked with ability to find a platform in the Morris Water Maze (MWM) was located on chromosome 17 (Nav-5 QTL) using intercross between Dahl S and Dahl R rats. We developed two congenic strains, S.R17A and S.