Armoring chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells as micropharmacies for cancer therapy.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T-cell therapy has emerged as a powerful weapon in the fight against cancer. However, its efficacy is often hindered by challenges such as limited tumor penetration, antigen escape, and immune suppression within the tumor microenvironment. This review explores the potential of armored CAR-T cells, or 'micropharmacies', in overcoming these obstacles and enhancing the therapeutic outcomes of adoptive T-cell (ATC) therapy.

Organ Tropism of Larval Stages in Infected African Giant Snails ().

is a metastrongyloid lungworm causing severe cardiovascular disease in domestic and wild animals. During its heteroxenous life cycle, requires obligate gastropod intermediate hosts. Little is known about larval organ tropism and development in gastropod intermediate hosts.

Does Incision Location Matter? Analysis of Single-Port Cosmesis in Urologic Reconstructive Surgery.

One potential advantage of single-port (SP) robotic surgery compared with multiport (MP) robotic surgery is improved cosmesis. The only studies in urology patients to suggest this finding did not assess differences based on incision site. Our study evaluated SP, MP, incision location, age, gender, and prior abdominal surgery as predictors of cosmesis and scar consciousness for reconstructive procedures.

Dopamine, norepinephrine, and vasopressin accelerate particle transport velocity in murine tracheal epithelium via substance-specific receptor pathways: dependency on intra- and extracellular Ca sources.

Background: The unique ability of the respiratory tract to protect the integrity of the airways by removing potentially harmful substances is defined as mucociliary clearance. This complex physiological mechanism protects the lower airways by ridding them of pollutants and pathogens. This study aimed to evaluate the potential influence of clinically relevant vasopressors on mucociliary clearance.

Acetyl-DL-leucine in two individuals with REM sleep behavior disorder improves symptoms, reverses loss of striatal dopamine-transporter binding and stabilizes pathological metabolic brain pattern-case reports.

Isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder (iRBD) is considered a prodrome of Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigate whether the potentially disease-modifying compound acetyl-DL-leucine (ADLL; 5 g/d) has an effect on prodromal PD progression in 2 iRBD-patients. Outcome parameters are RBD-severity sum-score (RBD-SS-3), dopamine-transporter single-photon emission computerized tomography (DAT-SPECT) and metabolic "Parkinson-Disease-related-Pattern (PDRP)"-z-score in F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET).

A short scale to measure health-related quality of life after traumatic brain injury in children and adolescents (QOLIBRI-OS-KID/ADO): psychometric properties and German reference values.

Purpose: The impact of pediatric traumatic brain injury (pTBI) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents remains understudied. Short scales have some advantages in terms of economy and administration over longer scales, especially in younger children. The aim of the present study is to psychometrically evaluate the six-item German version of the QOLIBRI-OS-KID/ADO scale for children and adolescents.

DRAGen in Application-An Approach for Microstructural Fatigue Predictions of Non-Oriented Electrical Steel Sheets.

This study investigates multiple cyclic loading scenarios of non-oriented electrical steel sheets through both experimental and numerical approaches. The numerical simulations were conducted using Representative Volume Elements generated with DRAGen. DRAGen allowed for the generation of Representative Volume Elements with a non-cubic shape to cover the complete sheet thickness and enough grains to represent the material's texture.

Interferon-gamma producing CD4 T cells quantified by flow cytometry as early markers for Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis infection in cattle.

Current diagnostic methods for Johne's disease in cattle allow reliable detection of infections with Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) not before animals are 2 years of age. Applying a flow cytometry-based approach (FCA) to quantify a MAP-specific interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) response in T cell subsets, the present study sought to monitor the kinetics of the cell-mediated immune response in experimentally infected calves.

Comparative analysis of primer sets for the assessment of clonality in feline lymphomas.

Introduction: Lymphomas are among the most important and common malignant tumors in cats. Differentiating lymphomas from reactive lymphoid proliferations can be challenging, so additional tools such as clonality assessment by PCR are important in diagnosis finding. Several PCR assays have been developed to assess clonality in feline lymphomas.

A taste of wilderness: supplementary feeding of red deer (Cervus elaphus) increases individual bacterial microbiota diversity but lowers abundance of important gut symbionts.

The gut microbiome plays a crucial role in the health and well-being of animals. It is especially critical for ruminants that depend on this bacterial community for digesting their food. In this study, we investigated the effects of management conditions and supplemental feeding on the gut bacterial microbiota of red deer (Cervus elaphus) in the Bavarian Forest National Park, Germany.

Final Validation of the Quality of Life after Brain Injury for Children and Adolescents (QOLIBRI-KID/ADO) Questionnaire.

Until recently, no disease-specific health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire existed for pediatric traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). In this revalidation study, the psychometric properties and the validity of the 35-item QOLIBRI-KID/ADO questionnaire in its final German version were examined in 300 children and adolescents. It is the first self-reported TBI-specific tool for measuring pediatric HRQoL in individuals aged between 8 and 17 years.

Encoding contact size using static and dynamic electrotactile finger stimulation: natural decoding vs. trained cues.

Electrotactile stimulation through matrix electrodes is a promising technology to restore high-resolution tactile feedback in extended reality applications. One of the fundamental tactile effects that should be simulated is the change in the size of the contact between the finger and a virtual object. The present study investigated how participants perceive the increase of stimulation area when stimulating the index finger using static or dynamic (moving) stimuli produced by activating 1 to 6 electrode pads.

In vitro chemosensitivity testing of the feline large granular lymphocyte cell line (S87).

Background: Feline large granular lymphocyte (LGL) lymphoma is an aggressive neoplasia characterised by short survival and poor response to chemotherapy.

Objectives: In this study, the effect of different chemotherapeutic agents on the growth kinetics of the feline cell line S87, a non-MHC-restricted feline LGL cell line, was investigated. Where possible, IC (inhibitory concentration 50) values were determined.

First detection of autochthonous Lamanema chavezi infections in llamas (Lama glama) in Europe.

Lamanema chavezi is one of the most pathogenic nematode species of South American camelids (SAC), with a homoxenous life cycle involving enterohepatic migration of its larvae in the host. So far, it has been found in the Americas and New Zealand. The first autochthonous L.

α-Synuclein pathology disrupts mitochondrial function in dopaminergic and cholinergic neurons at-risk in Parkinson's disease.

Background: Pathological accumulation of aggregated α-synuclein (aSYN) is a common feature of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the mechanisms by which intracellular aSYN pathology contributes to dysfunction and degeneration of neurons in the brain are still unclear. A potentially relevant target of aSYN is the mitochondrion.

[Cytologic evidence of hepatocytotropic T-cell-lymphoma in a 15-year-old male cat].

This case report describes the rare phenomenon of emperipolesis-like invasion of lymphatic blasts into the hepatocytes of a 15-year-old European Shorthair cat. The cat presented with nonspecific clinical signs (inappetence and weight loss). Cytologic examination of an ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspirate of the liver showed a subset of hepatocytes with emperipolesis-like invasion by lymphatic blasts.

Metastasizing squamous cell carcinoma in a 50-year-old Eastern Hermann's tortoise (Testudo hermannii boettgeri).

A 50-year-old female Hermann's tortoise () was presented with anorexia and lethargy. Clinical examination revealed multiple, visually inconspicuous but indentable areas in the shell corresponding to osteolysis radiographically. Soft tissue nodules and osteolytic lesions were also noted in the limbs.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease - a key disease hallmark with therapeutic potential.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is strongly implicated in the etiology of idiopathic and genetic Parkinson's disease (PD). However, strategies aimed at ameliorating mitochondrial dysfunction, including antioxidants, antidiabetic drugs, and iron chelators, have failed in disease-modification clinical trials. In this review, we summarize the cellular determinants of mitochondrial dysfunction, including impairment of electron transport chain complex 1, increased oxidative stress, disturbed mitochondrial quality control mechanisms, and cellular bioenergetic deficiency.

Estimating effective survey duration in camera trap distance sampling surveys.

Among other approaches, camera trap distance sampling (CTDS) is used to estimate animal abundance from unmarked populations. It was formulated for videos and observation distances are measured at predetermined 'snapshot moments'. Surveys recording still images with passive infrared motion sensors suffer from frequent periods where animals are not photographed, either because of technical delays before the camera can be triggered again (i.