Cross-disease modeling of peripheral blood identifies biomarkers of type 2 diabetes predictive of Alzheimer's disease.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a significant risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Despite multiple studies reporting this connection, the mechanism by which T2D exacerbates AD is poorly understood. It is challenging to design studies that address co-occurring and comorbid diseases, limiting the number of existing evidence bases.

Optimizing venous anastomosis for forearm loop arteriovenous grafts: A comparative analysis of elbow veins and upper arm basilic veins in end-stage kidney disease patients.

Introduction: Optimizing vascular access for hemodialysis in end-stage kidney disease is crucial. While arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) are preferred for better patency and fewer complications, many patients require alternatives options like arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) due to anatomical constraints. This study compares outcomes between elbow and upper arm (UA) basilic veins for forearm loop AVGs, highlighting the potential benefits of the UA basilic vein to improve patency and feasibility in patients with poor elbow veins through retrospective analysis.

Integration of estimated regional gene expression with neuroimaging and clinical phenotypes at biobank scale.

An understanding of human brain individuality requires the integration of data on brain organization across people and brain regions, molecular and systems scales, as well as healthy and clinical states. Here, we help advance this understanding by leveraging methods from computational genomics to integrate large-scale genomic, transcriptomic, neuroimaging, and electronic-health record data sets. We estimated genetically regulated gene expression (gr-expression) of 18,647 genes, across 10 cortical and subcortical regions of 45,549 people from the UK Biobank.

Nationwide analysis of EVAR explantation outcomes in Korea: A comprehensive dataset study.

Objective: Endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) is the primary treatment for abdominal aortic aneurysms, constituting 70%-80% of interventions. Despite initial benefits, long-term studies show increased mortality. Using nationwide data, this study assesses outcomes of EVAR, open aortic repair (OAR), and EVAR explantation (EE) in Korea, while exploring characteristics of late open conversion, including the rising EE incidence.

Targeted Liquid Biopsy Using Irradiation to Facilitate the Release of Cell-Free DNA from a Spatially Aimed Tumor Tissue.

Purpose: We investigated the feasibility of using an anatomically localized, target-enriched liquid biopsy (TLB) in mouse models of lung cancer.

Materials And Methods: After irradiating xenograft mouse with human lung cancer cell lines, H1299 (NRAS proto-oncogene, GTPase [NRAS] Q61K) and HCC827 (epidermal growth factor receptor [EGFR] E746-750del), circulating (cell-free) tumor DNA (ctDNA) levels were monitored with quantitative polymerase chain reaction on human long interspersed nuclear element-1 and cell line-specific mutations. We checked dose-dependency at 6, 12, or 18 Gy to each tumor-bearing mouse leg using 6-MV photon beams.

Novel DNA-based T-Cell Activator Promotes Rapid T-Cell Activation and Expansion.

Autologous chimeric antigen receptor engineered T-cell therapies are beginning to dramatically change the outlook for patients with several hematological malignancies. Yet methods to activate and expand these cells are limited, often pose challenges to automation, and have biological limitations impacting the output of the injectable dose. This study describes the development of a novel, highly flexible, soluble DNA-based T-cell activation and expansion platform which alleviates the limitations of current technologies and provides rapid T-cell activation and expansion.

Preclinical study of influenza bivalent vaccine delivered with a two compartmental microneedle array.

Multiple vaccines can be mixed into a single combination to be a single product. However, combination vaccines have problems of complexity. In this study, microneedles were utilized in a compartmental microneedle array (CMA) to deliver two influenza vaccine strains without mixing.

Development and clinical study of the use of infrared radiation to accelerate the dissolution rate of a microneedle array patch (MAP).

The dissolution rate of a microneedle array patch (MAP) determines how long a MAP must remain attached to the skin (often called "wear time"). In this study, the dissolution rate of a MAP was increased, not by changing the drug formulation but by employing an infrared (IR) device that is widely used for hospital treatment and in-home therapy. A MAP with microneedles 480 μm in height was prepared using hyaluronic acid (HA).

Preparation of H1N1 microneedles by a low-temperature process without a stabilizer.

During the manufacture of H1N1 microneedles, a stabilizer is usually added to maintain the antigenicity of the vaccine. However, finding a suitable stabilizer is difficult, and the addition of a stabilizer can limit the antigen dose and the addition of an adjuvant because of the limited volume of the microneedles. In this study, the authors evaluated whether H1N1 microneedles could be fabricated without a stabilizer by keeping the production environment at a low temperature.

Iclaprim activity against wild-type and corresponding thymidine kinase-deficient Staphylococcus aureus in a mouse protection model.

The in vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activities of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) inhibitors are inhibited in the presence of free thymidine in the growth milieu and in rodent efficacy models. However, for thymidine kinase (TK) deficient mutant bacteria, the presence of free thymidine does not impact the activity of DHFR inhibitors, and these mutants were used to assess the in vivo efficacy of the DHFR inhibitor, iclaprim. The efficacies of iclaprim, trimethoprim, and vancomycin were evaluated in a systemic mouse infection model.

Identification of the Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamic Driver of Iclaprim.

The neutropenic murine thigh infection model was used to define the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic index linked to efficacy of iclaprim against ATCC 29213 and ATCC 10813. The 24-h area under the curve (AUC)/MIC index was most closely linked to efficacy for (, 0.65), while both the 24-h AUC/MIC and the percentage of time that drug concentrations remain above the MIC (%>MIC) were strongly associated with effect (, 0.

Role of Nrf2 and protective effects of Metformin against tobacco smoke-induced cerebrovascular toxicity.

Cigarette smoking (CS) is associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction in a causative way primarily related to the TS content of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nicotine, and inflammation. TS promotes glucose intolerance and increases the risk of developing type-2 diabetes mellitus (2DM) with which it shares other pathogenic traits including the high risk of cerebrovascular and neurological disorders like stroke via ROS generation, inflammation, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) impairment. Herein we provide evidence of the role played by nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) in CS-induced cerebrobvascular/BBB impairments and how these cerebrovascular harmful effects can be circumvented by the use of metformin (MF; a widely prescribed, firstline anti-diabetic drug) treatment.

Periimplant bone regeneration in hydroxyapatite block grafts with mesenchymal stem cells and bone morphogenetic protein-2.

Hydroxyapatite (HA) blocks as an alternative material for autogenous onlay bone grafts are regarded as an insufficient substitute for osseointegration of dental implant. In this study, we evaluated the effects of dog mesenchymal stromal cells (dMSCs) with or without bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP) on new peri-implant bone formation after HA block graft. In four mandibular bone defects (8×8×6 mm each) in five beagle dogs, dental implants were placed with HA block loaded with autogenous dMSCs with or without BMP-2.

Impact of cigarette smoke extract and hyperglycemic conditions on blood-brain barrier endothelial cells.

Background: Diabetes and tobacco smoking are significant public health concerns which have been shown to independently impact the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Since smoking is a risk factor for diabetes and shares some of the common pathological pathways leading to metabolic abnormalities, it is hypothesized that their combination would produce additive or synergistic BBB dysfunction. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess this hypothesis and evaluate the magnitude of these effects in vitro using hCMEC/D3 cells; a well-established human BBB endothelial cell line.

Incidental diagnosis of vaginal schwannoma in a patient with thigh pain.

Schwannoma commonly arises from Schwann cells of the neural sheath, and is rare in the groin region. Here, we describe a vaginal schwannoma incidentally detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a patient with thigh pain. A 43-year-old woman presented with thigh pain with burning and tingling sensations in the medial aspect of her left thigh.

Liver recurrence in early endometrial cancer with focal myometrial invasion.

Endometrial cancer is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract. The cancer spreads by direct extension, transtubal dissemination, lymphatic dissemination, and/or by hematogenous spread, usually results in lung metastasis, but may less commonly involve liver, brain, and bone. Here, we describe a patient with stage IA endometrial cancer who developed liver recurrence 17 months after surgery.

Squamous cell carcinoma arising in an ovarian mature cystic teratoma complicating pregnancy.

Mature cystic teratomas of the ovary (MCT) are usually observed in women of reproductive age with the most dreadful complication being malignant transformation which occurs in approximately 1% to 3% of MCTs. In this case report, we present a patient with squamous cell carcinoma which developed from a MCT during pregnancy. The patient was treated conservatively without adjuvant chemotherapy and was followed without evidence of disease for more than 60 months using conventional tools as well as positron emission tomography-computed tomography following the initial surgery.

Case of uterine leiomyoma showing fludeoxyglucose uptake on F-18 fludeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography.

In order not to over treat uterine leiomyoma and to avoid overlooking uterine leiomyosarcoma, a highly reliable diagnostic method has been thought. Occasionally, it is difficult to discriminate uterine leiomyoma from uterine leiomyosarcoma. Recently positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has been proved useful in assessing pelvic malignancies.

MGMT -535G>T polymorphism is associated with prognosis for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy.

Purpose: The present study analyzed the polymorphisms of DNA repair genes and their impact on the response to chemotherapy and survival of patients with colorectal cancer.

Patients And Methods: A total of 94 patients with recurrent or metastatic colorectal cancer treated with oxaliplatin-based combination chemotherapy were enrolled in the present study. The single nucleotide polymorphisms of 16 DNA repair genes were determined using a PCR-RFLP assay.

An ovarian mucinous cystadenocarcinoma arising from mature cystic teratoma with para-aortic lymph node metastasis: a case report.

Malignant transformation of a mature cystic teratoma (MCT) is an uncommon complication. The most common form of malignant transformation of a MCT is squamous cell carcinoma, representing 75% of malignant transformations. The frequency of malignant transformation of MCT to adenocarcinoma is just 6.

Hypermethylation of E-cadherin in endometrial carcinoma.

Objective: Hypermethylation of CpG island is a common mechanism for the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. Hypermethylation of the E-cadherin promoter region has been rarely studied in endometrial carcinoma of Korean women. The purpose of this study is to investigate methylation status of E-cadherin promoter region in endometrial carcinomas and endometrial hyperplasias, and analyze the correlation with clinicopathologic variables in endometrial carcinomas.

Expression of Cyclooxygenase-2 and Bcl-2 in human gastric adenomas.

Background: Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 is the rate-limiting enzyme in prostaglandin synthesis. An increased expression has been implicated in the development and progression of human gastric cancers and colorectal adenomas and cancers. This study aimed to determine the involvement and association of COX-2 and Bcl-2 in precancerous gastric adenomas.