Transscleral Pars Plana Choroid Ablation Using the Iridex Laser System Yields Improvements for Surgical Insertion of the Port Delivery Implant in a Minipig Model.

Purpose: To evaluate an alternative surgical approach for Port Delivery System with ranibizumab (PDS) implant and a novel application of Iridex laser system in Gottingen minipig model.

Methods: A total of seventeen male minipigs (Part 1: 9 animals in non-recovery and Part 2: 8 animals observed for 8-days post-surgery Part 2) received PDS implant insertion into each eye. The effect of Iridex 810 nm infrared diode laser with varying energy (power or duration) on transscleral pars plana ablation, surrounding ocular tissue and postsurgical vitreous hemorrhage (VH) was investigated.

PACAP is a pathogen-inducible resident antimicrobial neuropeptide affording rapid and contextual molecular host defense of the brain.

Defense of the central nervous system (CNS) against infection must be accomplished without generation of potentially injurious immune cell-mediated or off-target inflammation which could impair key functions. As the CNS is an immune-privileged compartment, inducible innate defense mechanisms endogenous to the CNS likely play an essential role in this regard. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide known to regulate neurodevelopment, emotion, and certain stress responses.

Designing Hybrid Antibiotic Peptide Conjugates To Cross Bacterial Membranes.

We design hybrid antibiotic peptide conjugates that can permeate membranes. Integration of multiple components with different functions into a single molecule is often problematic, due to competing chemical requirements for different functions and to mutual interference. By examining the structure of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), we show that it is possible to design and synthesize membrane active antibiotic peptide conjugates (MAAPCs) that synergistically combine multiple forms of antimicrobial activity, resulting in unusually strong activity against persistent bacterial strains.