Assessing the utility of epigenetic clocks for health prediction in South Korean.

Epigenetic clocks have been developed to track both chronological age and biological age, which is defined by physiological biomarkers and the risk of adverse health outcomes. Epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) has been found to predict various diseases, aging-related factors, and mortality. However, epigenetic clocks have predominantly been developed with individuals of European or Hispanic ancestry, and their association with health outcomes and environmental factors has not been sufficiently assessed in East Asian populations.

Clinical Potential of Novel Microbial Therapeutic LP51 Based on Xerosis-Microbiome Index.

Xerosis, characterized by dry, rough skin, causes discomfort and aesthetic concerns, necessitating effective treatment. Traditional treatments often show limited efficacy, prompting the need for innovative therapies. This study highlights the efficacy of microbiome therapeutic LP51, derived from a healthy vaginal microbiome, in improving xerosis.

The Geriatric Nutrition Risk Index Is Not a Prognostic Predictor for Postoperative Morbidity in Extremely Elderly Patients Undergoing Surgery for Proximal Femur Fractures.

The geriatric nutrition risk index (GnRI) has been regarded as a useful predictor of morbidity and mortality in elderly patients. This study aimed to determine the use of the GnRI as a prognostic predictor in extremely elderly patients undergoing proximal femur fracture surgery and the usefulness of evaluation tools related to a patient's underlying disease and functional capacity in predicting the prognosis of extremely elderly patients. : We analyzed 548 patients who had undergone surgery for proximal femur fracture caused by trauma, with an age of ≥80 years, without other accompanying trauma.

Towards Autonomous Retinal Microsurgery Using RGB-D Images.

Retinal surgery is a challenging procedure requiring precise manipulation of the fragile retinal tissue, often at the scale of tens-of-micrometers. Its difficulty has motivated the development of robotic assistance platforms to enable precise motion, and more recently, novel sensors such as microscope integrated optical coherence tomography (OCT) for RGB-D view of the surgical workspace. The combination of these devices opens new possibilities for robotic automation of tasks such as subretinal injection (SI), a procedure that involves precise needle insertion into the retina for targeted drug delivery.

Development, High-Throughput Profiling, and Biopanning of a Large Phage Display Single-Domain Antibody Library.

Immunoglobulin G-based monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have been effective in treating various diseases, but their large molecular size can limit their penetration of tissue and efficacy in multifactorial diseases, necessitating the exploration of alternative forms. In this study, we constructed a phage display library comprising single-domain antibodies (sdAbs; or "VHHs"), known for their small size and remarkable stability, using a total of 1.6 × 10 lymphocytes collected from 20 different alpacas, resulting in approximately 7.

A dual-targeting approach using a human bispecific antibody against the receptor-binding domain of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus.

The emergence of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) has posed a significant global health concern due to its severe respiratory illness and high fatality rate. Currently, despite the potential for resurgence, there are no specific treatments for MERS-CoV, and only supportive care is available. Our study aimed to address this therapeutic gap by developing a potent neutralizing bispecific antibody (bsAb) against MERS-CoV.

The Effect of Intermittent Pneumatic Compression on Hemodynamics and Regional Cerebral Oxygen Saturation in Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery with Mild Hypercapnia in the Steep Reverse Trendelenburg Position.

Obesity negatively affects hemodynamics and cerebral physiology. We investigated the effect of the utilization of an intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) device on hemodynamics and cerebral physiology in patients undergoing laparoscopic bariatric surgery under general anesthesia with lung-protective ventilation. Sixty-four patients (body mass index > 30 kg/m) were randomly assigned to groups that received an IPC device (IPC group, = 32) and did not (control group, = 32).

Autonomous Needle Navigation in Subretinal Injections via iOCT.

Subretinal injection is an effective method for direct delivery of therapeutic agents to treat prevalent subretinal diseases. Among the challenges for surgeons are physiological hand tremor, difficulty resolving single-micron scale depth perception, and lack of tactile feedback. The recent introduction of intraoperative Optical Coherence Tomography (iOCT) enables precise depth information during subretinal surgery.

Targeting cell surface glucose-regulated protein 94 in gastric cancer with an anti-GRP94 human monoclonal antibody.

Gastric cancer (GC), a leading cause of cancer-related mortality, remains a significant challenge despite recent therapeutic advancements. In this study, we explore the potential of targeting cell surface glucose-regulated protein 94 (GRP94) with antibodies as a novel therapeutic approach for GC. Our comprehensive analysis of GRP94 expression across various cancer types, with a specific focus on GC, revealed a substantial overexpression of GRP94, highlighting its potential as a promising target.

Empowering SARS-CoV-2 variant neutralization with a bifunctional antibody engineered with tandem heptad repeat 2 peptides.

With the global pandemic and the continuous mutations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the need for effective and broadly neutralizing treatments has become increasingly urgent. This study introduces a novel strategy that targets two aspects simultaneously, using bifunctional antibodies to inhibit both the attachment of SARS-CoV-2 to host cell membranes and viral fusion. We developed pioneering IgG4-(HR2) bifunctional antibodies by creating immunoglobulin G4-based and phage display-derived human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that specifically bind to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain, engineered with four heptad repeat 2 (HR2) peptides.

The efficacy of newly proposed gastric open peroral endoscopic myotomy (GO-POEM) in preventing post-endoscopic submucosal dissection stenosis: A comparison with non-GO-POEM group.

Extensive endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for gastric adenoma or early cancer can lead to post-ESD stenosis. This may cause a decrease in quality of life and an increase in medical issues. Therefore, this study examined the safety and effectiveness of gastric open peroral endoscopic myotomy (GO-POEM) in preventing stenosis following ESD.

Autonomous Needle Navigation in Retinal Microsurgery: Evaluation in Porcine Eyes.

Important challenges in retinal microsurgery include prolonged operating time, inadequate force feedback, and poor depth perception due to a constrained top-down view of the surgery. The introduction of robot-assisted technology could potentially deal with such challenges and improve the surgeon's performance. Motivated by such challenges, this work develops a strategy for autonomous needle navigation in retinal microsurgery aiming to achieve precise manipulation, reduced end-to-end surgery time, and enhanced safety.

Evaluation of optimal methods and ancestries for calculating polygenic risk scores in East Asian population.

Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have been studied for predicting human diseases, and various methods for PRS calculation have been developed. Most PRS studies to date have focused on European ancestry, and the performance of PRS has not been sufficiently assessed in East Asia. Herein, we evaluated the predictive performance of PRSs for East Asian populations under various conditions.

A novel bispecific antibody dual-targeting approach for enhanced neutralization against fast-evolving SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Introduction: The emergence of new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants has caused unprecedented health and socioeconomic crises, necessitating the immediate development of highly effective neutralizing antibodies. Despite recent advancements in anti-SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) derived from convalescent patient samples, their efficacy against emerging variants has been limited. In this study, we present a novel dual-targeting strategy using bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) that specifically recognize both the SARS-CoV-2 RBD and fusion peptide (FP), crucial domains for viral attachment to the host cell membrane and fusion in SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Highly Water-Dispersed and Stable Deinoxanthin Nanocapsule for Effective Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activity.

Introduction: Deinoxanthin (DX), a carotenoid, has excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, owing to its lipophilicity, it is unfavorably dispersed in water and has low stability, limiting its application in cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals. Therefore, it is necessary to study nanoparticles to increase the loading capacity and stability of DX.

OCT-guided Robotic Subretinal Needle Injections: A Deep Learning-Based Registration Approach.

Subretinal injection (SI) is an ophthalmic surgical procedure that allows for the direct injection of therapeutic substances into the subretinal space to treat vitreoretinal disorders. Although this treatment has grown in popularity, various factors contribute to its difficulty. These include the retina's fragile, nonregenerative tissue, as well as hand tremor and poor visual depth perception.

Thrombopoietin receptor agonist antibody for treating chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia.

Background: Thrombocytopenia is a common complication in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia (CIT) leads to dose reduction and treatment delays, lowering chemotherapy efficacy and survival rate. Thus, rapid recovery and continuous maintenance of platelet count during chemotherapy cycles are crucial in patients with CIT.

Generation and Next-Generation Sequencing-Based Characterization of a Large Human Combinatorial Antibody Library.

Antibody phage display is a key technology for the discovery and development of target-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for use in research, diagnostics, and therapy. The construction of a high-quality antibody library, with larger and more diverse antibody repertoires, is essential for the successful development of phage display-derived mAbs. In this study, a large human combinatorial single-chain variable fragment library (1.

Novel bispecific human antibody platform specifically targeting a fully open spike conformation potently neutralizes multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Rapid emergence of new variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has prompted an urgent need for the development of broadly applicable and potently neutralizing antibody platform against the SARS-CoV-2, which can be used for combatting the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, based on a noncompeting pair of phage display-derived human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) specific to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 isolated from human synthetic antibody library, we generated K202.B, a novel engineered bispecific antibody with an immunoglobulin G4-single-chain variable fragment design, with sub- or low nanomolar antigen-binding avidity.