Clinically translatable quantitative molecular photoacoustic imaging with liposome-encapsulated ICG J-aggregates.

Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is a functional and molecular imaging technique capable of high sensitivity and spatiotemporal resolution at depth. Widespread use of PA imaging, however, is limited by currently available contrast agents, which either lack PA-signal-generation ability for deep imaging or their absorbance spectra overlap with hemoglobin, reducing sensitivity. Here we report on a PA contrast agent based on targeted liposomes loaded with J-aggregated indocyanine green (ICG) dye (i.

Viral microRNA effects on pathogenesis of polyomavirus SV40 infections in syrian golden hamsters.

Effects of polyomavirus SV40 microRNA on pathogenesis of viral infections in vivo are not known. Syrian golden hamsters are the small animal model for studies of SV40. We report here effects of SV40 microRNA and influence of the structure of the regulatory region on dynamics of SV40 DNA levels in vivo.

Effects of route of inoculation and viral genetic variation on antibody responses to polyomavirus SV40 in Syrian golden hamsters.

Genetic variants of polyomavirus SV40 are powerful agents with which to define viral effects on cells and carcinogenesis pathways. We hypothesized that differences in biologic variation among viral strains affect the process of viral infection and are reflected in antibody responses to the viral nonstructural large T-antigen (TAg) protein but not in neutralizing antibody responses against the inoculated viral particles. We analyzed the production of TAg antibody and neutralizing antibody in Syrian golden hamsters that were inoculated with SV40 viral strains by intracardiac, intravenous, or intraperitoneal routes and remained tumor free.

Lower respiratory tract infection in cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) infected with group A Streptococcus.

Group A Streptococcus (GAS), a human-specific pathogen, is best known for causing pharyngitis ("strep-throat") and necrotizing fasciitis ("flesh-eating disease"). However, the organism is also an uncommon but important cause of community-acquired bronchopneumonia, an infection with an exceptionally high mortality rate. Inasmuch as little is known about the molecular pathogenesis of GAS lower respiratory tract infection, we sought to develop a relevant human infection model.

Lack of a major role of Staphylococcus aureus Panton-Valentine leukocidin in lower respiratory tract infection in nonhuman primates.

Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) is a two-component cytolytic toxin epidemiologically linked to community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) infections, including serious invasive infections caused by the epidemic clone referred to as strain USA300. Although PVL has long been known to be a S. aureus virulence molecule in vitro, the relative contribution of this leukotoxin to invasive CA-MRSA infections such as pneumonia remains controversial.