A lentiviral toolkit to monitor airway epithelial cell differentiation using bioluminescence.

Basal cells are adult stem cells in the airway epithelium and regenerate differentiated cell populations, including the mucosecretory and ciliated cells that enact mucociliary clearance. Human basal cells can proliferate and produce differentiated epithelium in vitro. However, studies of airway epithelial differentiation mostly rely on immunohistochemical or immunofluorescence-based staining approaches, meaning that a dynamic approach is lacking, and quantitative data are limited.

Insights into the prey of (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Washington state, obtained from metabarcoding of larval feces.

The northern giant hornet, (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), was detected for the first time in North America in 2019. Four nests have since been located and removed in northwestern Washington State as part of an extensive survey and eradication program. This recent introduction into North America has prompted new research on the biology and ecology of to help inform management strategies.

Lentiviral expression of wild-type LAMA3A restores cell adhesion in airway basal cells from children with epidermolysis bullosa.

The hallmark of epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is fragile attachment of epithelia due to genetic variants in cell adhesion genes. We describe 16 EB patients treated in the ear, nose, and throat department of a tertiary pediatric hospital linked to the United Kingdom's national EB unit between 1992 and 2023. Patients suffered a high degree of morbidity and mortality from laryngotracheal stenosis.

Lung viral infection modelling in a bioengineered whole-organ.

Lung infections are one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and this situation has been exacerbated by the emergence of COVID-19. Pre-clinical modelling of viral infections has relied on cell cultures that lack 3D structure and the context of lung extracellular matrices. Here, we propose a bioreactor-based, whole-organ lung model of viral infection.

Acceptability, Suitability, and Feasibility of an Evidence-Based Intervention to Reduce HIV Risk Behaviors: Engaging Comadronas in HIV Prevention in Rural Guatemala.

This study addresses rural Guatemala's poor maternal health and HIV status by culturally adapting an evidence-based HIV intervention, SEPA (Self-Care, Education, Prevention, Self-Care), to extend the capacity of comadronas (Mayan birth attendants) as HIV prevention providers. This mixed-method study examined the acceptability, suitability, and feasibility of SEPA presented to traditional elder and a younger cohort of comadronas over three sessions. Outcome variables were reported as mean scores.

Cell-intrinsic differences between human airway epithelial cells from children and adults.

The airway epithelium is a protective barrier that is maintained by the self-renewal and differentiation of basal stem cells. Increasing age is a principle risk factor for chronic lung diseases, but few studies have explored age-related molecular or functional changes in the airway epithelium. We retrieved epithelial biopsies from histologically normal tracheobronchial sites from pediatric and adult donors and compared their cellular composition and gene expression profile (in laser capture-microdissected whole epithelium, fluorescence-activated cell-sorted basal cells, and basal cells in cell culture).

Multilevel Determinants of Rapid Antiretroviral Treatment Implementation and Demand in Miami-Dade County.

Background: Rapidly linking newly diagnosed HIV patients to antiretroviral treatment (ART) is the best practice for achieving optimal treatment outcomes, including viral suppression. However, rapid ART implementation varies throughout the United States, highlighting the importance of identifying rapid ART implementation determinants in US HIV epicenters, such as Miami-Dade County (MDC).

Methods: Clinic focus groups (N = 4 clinics) and patient interviews (N = 31 recently diagnosed patients) systematically and qualitatively assessed rapid ART implementation determinants in MDC.

Sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with transdermal alcohol concentration from the SCRAM biosensor among persons living with and without HIV.

Background: Transdermal alcohol biosensors can objectively monitor alcohol use by measuring transdermal alcohol concentration (TAC). However, it is unclear how sociodemographic and clinical factors that influence alcohol metabolism are associated with TAC. The main aim of this study was to examine how sociodemographic factors (sex, age, race/ethnicity) and clinical factors (body mass index, liver enzymes: alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and aspartate transaminase [AST]), alcohol use disorder, and HIV status were associated with TAC while controlling for level of alcohol use.

Stem Cell-derived Respiratory Epithelial Cell Cultures as Human Disease Models.

Advances in stem cell biology and the understanding of factors that determine lung stem cell self-renewal have enabled long-term culture of human lung cells derived from airway basal and alveolar type II cells. Improved capability to expand and study primary cells long term, including in clonal cultures that are recently derived from a single cell, will allow experiments that address fundamental questions about lung homeostasis and repair, as well as translational questions in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer research. Here, we provide a brief history of postnatal lung epithelial cell culture and describe recent methodological advances.

Bioengineered airway epithelial grafts with mucociliary function based on collagen IV- and laminin-containing extracellular matrix scaffolds.

Current methods to replace damaged upper airway epithelium with exogenous cells are limited. Existing strategies use grafts that lack mucociliary function, leading to infection and the retention of secretions and keratin debris. Strategies that regenerate airway epithelium with mucociliary function are clearly desirable and would enable new treatments for complex airway disease.

The tissue diagnostic instrument.

Tissue mechanical properties reflect extracellular matrix composition and organization, and as such, their changes can be a signature of disease. Examples of such diseases include intervertebral disk degeneration, cancer, atherosclerosis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and tooth decay. Here we introduce the tissue diagnostic instrument (TDI), a device designed to probe the mechanical properties of normal and diseased soft and hard tissues not only in the laboratory but also in patients.