Publications by authors named "J R Philips"
(Mtb), the etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB), remains a significant global health challenge. Mtb is transmitted by respiratory aerosols and infects a variety of myeloid populations. Our recent study shows that the Mtb virulence lipid phthiocerol dimycocerosate (PDIM) promotes the intracellular survival of Mtb in macrophages by inhibiting NADPH oxidase, thereby impairing LC3-associated phagocytosis, and in vivo PDIM also antagonizes canonical macroautophagy/autophagy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNeuroinflammation plays an important role in the pathological cascade of Alzheimer's disease (AD) along with aggregation of extracellular amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and intracellular aggregates of tau protein. In animal models of amyloidosis, local immune activation is centered around Aβ plaques, which are usually of uniform morphology, dependent on the transgenic model used. In postmortem human brains a diversity of Aβ plaque morphologies is seen including diffuse plaques (non-neuritic plaques, non-NP), dense-core plaques, cotton-wool plaques, and NP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground General practitioners (GPs) often expedite indeterminate scrotal lumps for urological evaluation. While a scrotal examination by a urologist is crucial, ultrasound (US) has become a routine component of clinical assessment regardless of the clinical examination findings and the nature of the symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of clinical examination compared to scrotal ultrasound, even when the suspicion of cancer was low.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- Finerenone is a targeted, non-steroidal drug that blocks the mineralocorticoid receptor and is effective in reducing heart and kidney disease complications in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
- Evidence from large clinical trials (FIDELIO-DKD and FIGARO-DKD) shows that it lowers the risk of cardiovascular issues and slows kidney disease progression.
- Additional studies are confirming its safety and efficacy in heart failure patients, and international guidelines recommend its use for high-risk individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Article Synopsis
- - Acute lower respiratory tract infection (ALRI) is a leading cause of child mortality globally, particularly affecting children in Papua New Guinea (PNG) due to Streptococcus pneumoniae.
- - Researchers conducted whole-exome sequencing on children in PNG and found a specific genetic variant (a single-nucleotide variant in the COQ6 gene) that is linked to higher morbidity from ALRI, with evidence from both human and mouse studies supporting its role.
- - The COQ6 variant plays a significant role in the biosynthesis of ubiquinone and impacts how the immune system responds to infections, highlighting a new genetic risk factor for pneumonia in PNG and the enzyme's involvement in inflammatory responses.