Injectable Endoplasmin-Loaded Lipid Nanoparticles-Hydrogel Composite for Cartilage Regeneration.

Background: Endoplasmin (ENPL), a heat shock protein 90 family member, promotes chondrogenic differentiation of stem cells by inhibiting ERK1/2 phosphorylation and inducing endoplasmic reticulum stress. However, its large size limits cellular uptake and therapeutic potential. To overcome this challenge, a cationic lipid nanoparticle (C_LNP) system was designed to deliver ENPL intracellularly, enhancing its effects on human tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hTMSCs).

Neurochemical Characterization of A53T-alpha-synuclein and 6-OHDA Rat Models for Parkinson's Disease through Animal PET Imaging Analysis.

Objective: In preclinical research of Parkinson's disease, several rodent models, notably the classical 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) model and the A53T-alpha-synuclein model, have been widely used, yet their distinct neurochemical characteristics in conjunction with behavioral and histopathological changes have been scarcely documented.

Methods: We examined the two rat models of Parkinson's disease and characterized them using [18F]FP-CIT animal PET imaging. The 6-OHDA model (n=10) was induced by unilateral injection of 6-OHDA into the middle forebrain bundle, while the A53T-alpha-synuclein model (n=10) was mediated by the adeno-associated viral vectors injected into the substantia nigra.

Distinctive salivary oral microbiome in patients with burning mouth syndrome depending on pain intensity compared to healthy subjects.

Background/purpose: Burning moouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic pain condition similar to neuropathic pain. It is characterized by a persistent burning sensation in the oral cavity. Despite the lack of clarity regarding the etiology of BMS, recent studies have reported an association between the gut microbiome and neuropathic pain.

Next-generation sequencing analysis of bacterial species present in the sequestrum of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw patients.

Objective: Antiresorptives cases of adverse reactions to highly effective drugs used to treat skeletal-related events that occur during treatment of osteoporosis or malignancy have been reported in the jaw. To date, there is no clear pathophysiology for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ), but the role of inflammation or infection has been proposed as one of several possible pathogenesis theories. This study was designed to investigate the role of infection in the pathogenesis of MRONJ by analyzing the microbial communities observed in the bone samples from MRONJ patients.

Tumor burden with AFP improves survival prediction for TACE-treated patients with HCC: An international observational study.

Background & Aims: Current prognostic models for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) are not extensively validated and widely accepted. We aimed to develop and validate a continuous model incorporating tumor burden and biology for individual survival prediction and risk stratification.

Methods: Overall, 4,377 treatment-naive candidates for whom TACE was recommended, from 39 centers in five countries, were enrolled and divided into training, internal validation, and two external validation datasets.

AI model using CT-based imaging biomarkers to predict hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B.

Background & Aims: Various hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prediction models have been proposed for patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) using clinical variables. We aimed to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based HCC prediction model by incorporating imaging biomarkers derived from abdominal computed tomography (CT) images along with clinical variables.

Methods: An AI prediction model employing a gradient-boosting machine algorithm was developed utilizing imaging biomarkers extracted by DeepFore, a deep learning-based CT auto-segmentation software.

Optimizing microbiome reference databases with PacBio full-length 16S rRNA sequencing for enhanced taxonomic classification and biomarker discovery.

Background: The study of the human microbiome is crucial for understanding disease mechanisms, identifying biomarkers, and guiding preventive measures. Advances in sequencing platforms, particularly 16S rRNA sequencing, have revolutionized microbiome research. Despite the benefits, large microbiome reference databases (DBs) pose challenges, including computational demands and potential inaccuracies.

Relationship of the Degree of Sarcopenia with the Severity of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Cardiometabolic Risk in Adolescents.

The association between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and sarcopenia has been suggested. We investigated sarcopenia's impact on NAFLD severity and its relationship with cardiometabolic risk in adolescents. We conducted a retrospective study on 122 patients aged 13-18 years and diagnosed with both NAFLD and sarcopenia by laboratory tests, abdominal ultrasound (US), and multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis.

The pivotal role of osteopontin in UV-induced skin inflammation in a mouse model.

Osteopontin (OPN) is a pro-inflammatory protein that influences bone remodelling, wound healing, angiogenesis, allergic inflammation, and skin diseases such as psoriasis, contact dermatitis and skin cancer. However, the role of OPN in the skin remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of OPN in the skin, particularly in the context of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation-induced inflammation.

Imaging Surveillance After Breast-Conserving Surgery for Cancer With Acellular Dermal Matrix Reconstruction.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate postoperative imaging findings of patients who underwent breast-conserving surgery for cancer and reconstruction with MegaDerm (sheet-type and pellet-type), analyzing false positives and recurrences, using multi-modality images.

Materials And Methods: This study included 201 women (age range: 28-81 years, mean age ± standard deviation: 53.2 ± 8.

Downregulation of carnitine acetyltransferase by promoter hypermethylation regulates ultraviolet-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1 expression in human dermal fibroblasts.

Background: Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation accelerates skin aging, resulting in wrinkle formation, reduced skin elasticity, and hyperpigmentation. UV irradiation induces increased matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that degrade collagen in the extracellular matrix. Skin aging is also accompanied by epigenetic alterations such as promoter methylation by DNA methyltransferases, leading to the activation or suppression of gene expression.

Fragment-based approaches to discover ligands for tumor-specific E3 ligases.

Introduction: Targeted protein degradation (TPD) has emerged as an innovative therapeutic strategy through selective degradation of specific proteins by harnessing the cellular ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS), which involves over 600 E3 ubiquitin ligases. Recent proteome profiling reported tumor-specific E3 ligases in human. Development of those tumor-specific E3 ligase ligands would provide a solution for tumor-specific TPD for effective cancer treatment.

H Antigen expression modulates epidermal Keratinocyte Integrity and differentiation.

Background: ABO blood group antigens (ABH antigens) are carbohydrate chains glycosylated on epithelial and red blood cells. Recent findings suggest reduced ABH expression in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease with retained scale. H antigen, a precursor for A and B antigens, is synthesized by fucosyltransferase 1 (FUT1).

High glucose condition aggravates inflammatory response induced by Porphyromonas gingivalis in THP-1 macrophages via autophagy inhibition.

Background: Porphyromonase gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is a type of bacteria that causes periodontitis, which is strongly correlated with systemic diseases such as diabetes. However, the effect of hyperglycemia on periodontitis are unclear.

Streamlining Radioembolization without Lung Shunt Estimation versus Regular Radioembolization in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma within the Milan Criteria.

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness and safety of streamlining transarterial radioembolization (S-TARE) without lung shunt fraction estimation using nuclear medicine imaging, compared with regular transarterial radioembolization (R-TARE), for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within the Milan criteria.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2012 and December 2022, 100 consecutive patients with HCC within the Milan criteria underwent R-TARE (n = 38) or S-TARE (n = 62) and were retrospectively analyzed. Adverse events, complete response (CR) rates, and time to progression (TTP) by the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (mRECIST) and localized mRECIST following each treatment were compared using the Fisher exact test and Kaplan-Meier curve analyses with covariate adjustment.

Adiponectin Prevents Skin Inflammation in Rosacea by Suppressing S6 Phosphorylation in Keratinocytes.

Numerous recent evidence highlights epidemiological connections between rosacea and metabolic disorders. However, the precise path through which metabolic factors impact rosacea risk is still unclear. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the role of adiponectin, a crucial adipokine that regulates metabolic homeostasis, in the pathogenesis of rosacea.

Comparison of Chemoembolization Outcomes Using 70-150 µm and 100-300 µm Drug-Eluting Beads in Treating Small Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Korean Multicenter Study.

Objective: To evaluate the outcomes of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) according to the size of the beads for the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 212 patients with a single HCC ≤5 cm from five tertiary institutions. One hundred and nine patients were treated with 70-150-µm doxorubicin DEBs (group A), and 103 patients received 100-300-µm doxorubicin DEBs (group B).

Conditional PROTAC: Recent Strategies for Modulating Targeted Protein Degradation.

Proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have emerged as a promising technology for inducing targeted protein degradation by leveraging the intrinsic ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS). While the potential druggability of PROTACs toward undruggable proteins has accelerated their rapid development and the wide-range of applications across diverse disease contexts, off-tissue effects and side-effects of PROTACs have recently received attentions to improve their efficacy. To address these issues, spatial or temporal target protein degradation by PROTACs has been spotlighted.

Interventional Radiology for Bleeding Ectopic Varices: Individualized Approach Based on Vascular Anatomy.

Ectopic varices are rare but potentially life-threatening conditions usually resulting from a combination of global portal hypertension and local occlusive components. As imaging, innovative devices, and interventional radiologic techniques evolve and are more widely adopted, interventional radiology is becoming essential in the management of ectopic varices. The interventional radiologist starts by diagnosing the underlying causes of portal hypertension and evaluating the afferent and efferent veins of ectopic varices with CT.