Lower mean corpuscular hemoglobin levels as a predictive factor of future exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a pulmonary and systemic inflammatory disease, and the management of systemic comorbidities is important. We previously reported that a lower mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) at admission was an independent prognostic factor for death in patients with COPD exacerbation. This study aimed to determine the association between MCHC levels and prognosis in patients with stable COPD.

Targeted animal models for preclinical assessment of cellular and gene therapies in pancreatic and liver diseases: regulatory and practical insights.

Cellular and gene therapy (CGT) products have emerged as a popular approach in regenerative medicine, showing promise in treating various pancreatic and liver diseases in numerous clinical trials. Before these therapies can be tested in human clinical trials, it is essential to evaluate their safety and efficacy in relevant animal models. Such preclinical testing is often required to obtain regulatory approval for investigational new drugs.

Regulated and adaptive in vivo insulin secretion from islets only containing β-cells.

Insulin-producing β-cells in pancreatic islets are regulated by systemic cues and, locally, by adjacent islet hormone-producing 'non-β-cells' (namely α-cells, δ-cells and γ-cells). Yet whether the non-β-cells are required for accurate insulin secretion is unclear. Here, we studied mice in which adult islets are exclusively composed of β-cells and human pseudoislets containing only primary β-cells.