Gastrointestinal Device-Mediated Delivery of mRNA-Lipid Nanoparticles Achieves Distinct Expression and Biodistribution in Mice and Pigs.

Recent investigations into autonomous ingestible microjet devices have demonstrated the feasibility of delivering many drug modalities directly into the gastrointestinal (GI) wall via the oral route. However, the expression and biodistribution of mRNA after such injections remain unexplored. mRNA-lipid nanoparticles (mRNA-LNPs) are promising therapeutics for treating or vaccinating against many diseases and pathogens.

Cephalopod-inspired jetting devices for gastrointestinal drug delivery.

Needle-based injections currently enable the administration of a wide range of biomacromolecule therapies across the body, including the gastrointestinal tract, through recent developments in ingestible robotic devices. However, needles generally require training, sharps management and disposal, and pose challenges for autonomous ingestible systems. Here, inspired by the jetting systems of cephalopods, we have developed and evaluated microjet delivery systems that can deliver jets in axial and radial directions into tissue, making them suitable for tubular and globular segments of the gastrointestinal tract.

The association of maternal COVID-19-infection during pregnancy on the neonatal immune profile and associations with later diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Despite the prevalence and significant concern of COVID-19 in maternal and offspring health, little is known about the impact of COVID-19 during pregnancy on newborn immunity and neurodevelopment. This study aimed to examine 1) the relationship between maternal COVID-19 during pregnancy and newborn immune profiles and investigate the 2) associations between specific newborn immune profiles and the risk of subsequent diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) among children with prenatal exposure to COVID-19. Newborn dried bloodspots (NBS) from 545 children born at Kaiser Permanente Northern California between January 2020 and September 2021 (460 [223 males, 237 females] to COVID-19-infected [COVID+] mothers; 85 [45 males, 40 females] to COVID-19-uninfected [COVID-] mothers) were used to profile newborn immune molecules via a 42-plex cytokine/chemokine assay.

Insights into the occurrence of phylosymbiosis and co-phylogeny in the holobionts of octocorals from the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea.

Background: Corals are the foundational species of coral reefs and coralligenous ecosystems. Their success has been linked to symbioses with microorganisms, and a coral host and its symbionts are therefore considered a single entity, called the holobiont. This suggests that there may be evolutionary links between corals and their microbiomes.

Altered brain metabolites in male nonhuman primate offspring exposed to maternal immune activation.

Converging data show that exposure to maternal immune activation (MIA) in utero alters brain development in animals and increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in humans. A recently developed non-human primate MIA model affords opportunities for studies with uniquely strong translational relevance to human neurodevelopment. The current longitudinal study used 1H-MRS to investigate the developmental trajectory of prefrontal cortex metabolites in male rhesus monkey offspring of dams (n = 14) exposed to a modified form of the inflammatory viral mimic, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly IC), in the late first trimester.