Inhibition of AXL ameliorates pulmonary fibrosis attenuation of M2 macrophage polarization.

Rationale: Although a relationship between the Gas6/AXL pathway and pulmonary fibrosis (PF) has been suggested, the precise mechanisms and clinical implications of the AXL pathway in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) are still unclear.

Methods: Constitutive and conditional AXL-knockout mice were generated and injected with bleomycin (BLM) to induce pulmonary fibrosis. The expression of AXL and macrophage subtypes in BLM-injected mice and patients with IPF was analysed using flow cytometry.

Tumor-derived miR-9-5p-loaded EVs regulate cholesterol homeostasis to promote breast cancer liver metastasis in mice.

Cancer cells secrete extracellular vesicles (EV) encapsulating bioactive cargoes to facilitate inter-organ communication in vivo and are emerging as critical mediators of tumor progression and metastasis, a condition which is often accompanied by a dysregulated cholesterol metabolism. Whether EVs are involved in the control of cholesterol homeostasis during tumor metastasis is still undefined and warrant further investigation. Here, we find that breast cancer-derived exosomal miR-9-5p induces the expression of HMGCR and CH25H, two enzymes involved in cholesterol synthesis and the conversion of 25-hydroxycholesterol from cholesterol by targeting INSIG1, INSIG2 and ATF3 genes in the liver.

Regulation of Colonic Inflammation and Macrophage Homeostasis of IFN-γ-Primed Canine AMSCs in Experimental Colitis in Mice.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown potential in treating immune-mediated diseases due to their immunomodulatory properties, which can be enhanced by priming with inflammatory cytokines like interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). This study evaluates the therapeutic effects of IFN-γ-primed canine adipose tissue-derived MSCs (AMSCs) in a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Canine AMSCs were primed with 50 ng/mL recombinant canine IFN-γ for 48 h, and the effects were compared to those seen in naïve (unprimed) AMSCs.

Striatal Cholinergic Interneurons Control Physical Nicotine Withdrawal via Muscarinic Receptor Signaling.

Striatal cholinergic interneurons (ChIs) provide acetylcholine tone to the striatum and govern motor functions. Nicotine withdrawal elicits physical symptoms that dysregulate motor behavior. Here, the role of striatal ChIs in physical nicotine withdrawal is investigated.

2024 Korean Society of Myocardial Infarction/National Evidence-Based Healthcare Collaborating Agency Guideline for the Pharmacotherapy of Acute Coronary Syndromes.

Many countries have published clinical practice guidelines for appropriate clinical decisions, optimal treatment, and improved clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Developing guidelines that are specifically tailored to the Korean environment is crucial, considering the treatment system, available medications and medical devices, racial differences, and level of language communication. In 2017, the Korean Society of Myocardial Infarction established a guideline development committee.

Simple and robust high-throughput serum proteomics workflow with low-microflow LC-MS/MS.

Clinical proteomics has substantially advanced in identifying and quantifying proteins from biofluids, such as blood, contributing to the discovery of biomarkers. The throughput and reproducibility of serum proteomics for large-scale clinical sample analyses require improvements. High-throughput analysis typically relies on automated equipment, which can be costly and has limited accessibility.

Simultaneous detection of myostatin-targeting monoclonal antibodies in dried blood spots and plasma using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with field asymmetric ion mobility spectrometry.

Transforming growth factor-β superfamily members, such as myostatin, growth/differentiation factor 11, and activin A, negatively regulate skeletal muscle mass. Inhibitors targeting these cytokines or activin receptor type IIB have the potential to treat muscular diseases and enhance physical performance. However, because of their effects on muscle mass and potential misuse, they are strictly prohibited in sports.

GloGen: PPG prompts for few-shot transfer learning in blood pressure estimation.

With the rapid advancements in machine learning, its applications in the medical field have garnered increasing interest, particularly in non-invasive health monitoring methods. Blood pressure (BP) estimation using Photoplethysmogram (PPG) signals presents a promising opportunity for real-time, continuous monitoring. However, existing models often struggle with generalization, especially for high-risk groups like hypotension and hypertension, where precise predictions are crucial.

Electron Release via Internal Polarization Fields for Optimal S-H Bonding States.

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have received considerable attention as promising electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), yet their potential is often constrained by the inertness of the basal planes arising from their poor hydrogen adsorption ability. Here, the relationship between the electronic structure of the WS basal plane and HER activity is systemically analyzed to establish a clear insight. The valance state of the sulfur atoms on the basal plane has been tuned to enhance hydrogen adsorption through sequential engineering processes, including direct phase transition and heterostructure that induces work function-difference-induced unidirectional electron transfer.

Multifunctional Natural and Synthetic Melanin for Bioelectronic Applications: A Review.

Emerging material interest in bioelectronic applications has highlighted natural melanin and its derivatives as promising alternatives to conventional synthetic conductors. These materials, traditionally noted for their adhesive, antioxidant, biocompatible, and biodegradable properties, have barely been used as conductors due to their extremely low electrical activities. However, recent studies have demonstrated good conductive properties in melanin materials that promote electronic-ionic hybrid charge transfer, attributed to the formation of an extended conjugated backbone.

Comprehensive immune cell spectral library for large-scale human primary T, B, and NK cell proteomics.

Although proteomics is extensively used in immune research, there is currently no publicly accessible spectral assay library for the comprehensive proteome of immune cells. This study generated spectral assay libraries for five human immune cell lines and four primary immune cells: CD4 T, CD8 T, natural killer (NK) cells, and B cells. This was achieved by utilizing data-dependent acquisition (DDA) and employing fractionated samples from over 100 µg of proteins, which was applied to acquire the highest-quality MS/MS spectral data.

Coexistence of double seropositivity for MPO antibody and anti-GBM antibody in ANCA-associated vasculitis concurrent with multiple myeloma: A case report.

Rationale: Immune-mediated vasculitis with 2 or more autoantibodies, for example, anti-proteinase-3, combined with anti-myeloperoxidase (MPO) or anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibodies, is extremely unusual. Furthermore, the coexistence of autoimmune vasculitis and hematological malignancies is uncommon. Herein, we describe a case of double-seropositive anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) vasculitis with multiple myeloma.

Joint-specific regulation of homeobox D10 expression in rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic immune-mediated disease characterized by joint inflammation and destruction. The disease typically affects small joints in the hands and feet, later progressing to involve larger joints such as the knees, shoulders, and hips. While the reasons for these joint-specific differences are unclear, distinct epigenetic patterns associated with joint location have been reported.

Preoperative echocardiography as a predictor of spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension in older patients with mild left ventricular diastolic dysfunction: a retrospective observational study.

Background: Spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension (SAH) frequently occurs in older patients, many of whom have mild left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction, often asymptomatic at rest. This study investigated the association between preoperative echocardiographic measurements and SAH in older patients with mild LV diastolic dysfunction.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study using data from electronic medical records.

Development of an Ephedrine In-House Matrix Reference Material and Its Application to Doping Analysis.

Biomatrix-based reference materials (RMs) improve the quality of laboratory test results by better representing actual samples. However, a matrix RM of ephedrine (EP) for threshold substances that require accurate analysis results has not yet been developed. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an in-house matrix RM for EP and subsequently apply it to analytical procedures.

Safety evaluation of vitamin K2 (menaquinone-7) via toxicological tests.

This study aims to evaluate the safety of MK-7 produced by fermentation process using a Bacillus subtilis var. natto strain for human ingestion via acute oral toxicity, repeated dose 90-day oral toxicity, 28-day recovery test, and genotoxicity tests. The acute oral toxicity test results indicated that all subjects survived at the dose of 5000 mg/kg with no toxic effects.

Impaired Capillary Recruitment Capacity in Obesity: A Subgroup Analysis of Prospective Observational Study on Anesthesia Effects.

BACKGROUND This subgroup analysis of prospective observational research, involving 71 participants, compared the effects of anesthesia on microvascular reactivity in obese vs lean individuals using near-infrared spectroscopy and vascular occlusion tests. The correlation between the body mass index (BMI) and microvascular reactivity under general anesthesia was also investigated. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study enrolled adult patients classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I or II, undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia.

Cost-effectiveness of the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor intravitreal injection and panretinal photocoagulation for patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy in South Korea.

Background: We determined the cost-effectiveness of the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) intravitreal injection versus panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) for patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in South Korea.

Methods: We simulated four treatment strategies using PRP and the anti-VEGF injection by constructing a Markov model for a hypothetical cohort of 50-year-old PDR patients: (1) PRP only; (2) anti-VEGF injection only; (3) PRP first; and (4) anti-VEGF injection first.

Results: In this cost-effectiveness analysis, compared with only-PRP, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was $95,456 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) for PRP first, $34,375 per QALY for anti-VEGF injection first, and $33,405 per QALY for anti-VEGF injection only from a healthcare perspective.

Application of Skyline software for detecting prohibited substances in doping control analysis.

As the number of prohibited drugs has been progressively increasing and analytical methods for detecting such substances are renewed continuously for doping control, the need for more sensitive and accurate doping analysis has increased. To address the urgent need for high throughput and accurate analysis, liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry is actively utilized in case of most of the newly designated prohibited substances. However, because all mass spectrometer vendors provide data processing software that is incapable of handling other instrumental data, it is difficult to cover all doping analysis procedures, from method development to result reporting, on one platform.

Glial cell proteome using targeted quantitative methods for potential multi-diagnostic biomarkers.

Glioblastoma is one of the most malignant primary brain cancer. Despite surgical resection with modern technology followed by chemo-radiation therapy with temozolomide, resistance to the treatment and recurrence is common due to its aggressive and infiltrating nature of the tumor with high proliferation index. The median survival time of the patients with glioblastomas is less than 15 months.