Metagenomic Profiling of Oral Microbiome Dynamics During Chemoradiotherapy in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients.

Background: We explored the interaction between the oral microbiome and the development of radiation-induced mucositis in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) undergoing chemoradiotherapy (CRT). We prospectively studied the oral microbiome and compared it to healthy controls. Additionally, we compared patients with low-grade (LGM) vs.

Usability Testing of a Digitized Interventional Prehabilitation Tool for Health Care Professionals and Patients Before Major Surgeries: Formative and Summative Evaluation.

Background: The development of a medical device requires strict adherence to regulatory processes. Prehabilitation in this context is a new area in surgery that trains, coaches, and advises patients in mental well-being, nutrition, and physical activity. As staff is permanently drained from clinical care, remote and digital solutions with real-time assessments of data, including patient-related outcome reporting, may simplify preparation before major surgeries.

Repeat modules and N-linked glycans define structure and antigenicity of a critical enterotoxigenic E. coli adhesin.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) cause hundreds of millions of cases of infectious diarrhea annually, predominantly in children from low-middle income regions. Notably, in children, as well as volunteers challenged with ETEC, diarrheal severity is significantly increased in blood group A (bgA) individuals. EtpA, is a secreted glycoprotein adhesin that functions as a blood group A lectin to promote critical interactions between ETEC and blood group A glycans on intestinal epithelia for effective bacterial adhesion and toxin delivery.

Host-derived CEACAM-laden vesicles engage enterotoxigenic for elimination and toxin neutralization.

Enterotoxigenic (ETEC) cause hundreds of millions of diarrheal illnesses annually ranging from mildly symptomatic cases to severe, life-threatening cholera-like diarrhea. Although ETEC are associated with long-term sequelae including malnutrition, the acute diarrheal illness is largely self-limited. Recent studies indicate that in addition to causing diarrhea, the ETEC heat-labile toxin (LT) modulates the expression of many genes in intestinal epithelia, including carcinoembryonic cell adhesion molecules (CEACAMs) which ETEC exploit as receptors, enabling toxin delivery.