Characteristics of the Gut Microbiota Composition of the Arctic Zone Residents in the Far Eastern Region.

. In many studies over the past decade, scientists have made a connection between the composition of gut microbiota and human health. A number of publications have shown that gut bacteria are involved in many metabolic and physiological processes of the organism.

The Association between Gut Microbiota and Serum Biomarkers in Children with Atopic Dermatitis.

Currently, it is known that the gut microbiota plays an important role in the functioning of the immune system, and a rebalancing of the bacterial community can arouse complex immune reactions and lead to immune-mediated responses in an organism, in particular, the development of atopic dermatitis (AD). Cytokines and chemokines are regulators of the innate and adaptive immune response and represent the most important biomarkers of the immune system. It is known that changes in cytokine profiles are a hallmark of many diseases, including atopy.

Enterotype-Dependent Probiotic-Mediated Changes in the Male Rat Intestinal Microbiome In Vivo and In Vitro.

Beneficial properties of lactic acid bacteria have been known long ago, but particular interest in probiotics has arisen in the last two decades due to the understanding of the important role of intestinal microflora in human life. Thus, the ability of probiotics to support healthy homeostasis of gut microbiomes has received particular attention. Here, we evaluated the effect of a probiotic consisting of and on the gut microbiome of male rats, assessed their persistence in the fecal biota, and compared probiotic-mediated changes in vitro and in vivo.

Characteristics of the Gut Microbiota in Regard to Atopic Dermatitis and Food Allergies of Children.

The gut microbiota plays an important role in maintaining human health, as well as in the development of various pathologies, as indicated by a large amount of research. One of the manifestations of an imbalance in the gut microbiome composition is the appearance of various diseases or immune reactions, in particular, atopic dermatitis (AD) and/or food allergies (FA). In this research, using 16S NGS sequencing, it was found that the gut microbiome of children with food allergies and children with atopic dermatitis can be characterized as having higher inflammatory potential.

Correction: Optimization and characterization of miRNA-129-5p-encapsulated poly (lactic--glycolic acid) nanoparticles to reprogram activated microglia.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1039/D3NA00149K.].

Biodegradable nanoparticles targeting circulating immune cells reduce central and peripheral sensitization to alleviate neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury.

Neuropathic pain is a critical source of comorbidity following spinal cord injury (SCI) that can be exacerbated by immune-mediated pathologies in the central and peripheral nervous systems. In this article, we investigate whether drug-free, biodegradable, poly(lactide- co -glycolide) (PLG) nanoparticle treatment mitigates the development of post-SCI neuropathic pain in female mice. Our results show that acute treatment with PLG nanoparticles following thoracic SCI significantly reduces tactile and cold hypersensitivity scores in a durable fashion.

Folate-mediated Transport of Nanoparticles across the Placenta.

Background: In this study, a prototype of a targeted nanocarrier for drug delivery for prenatal therapy of the developing fetus was developed and examined and ex vivo. The folate transport mechanism in the human placenta was utilized as a possible pathway for the transplacental delivery of targeted nanoparticles.

Methods: Several types of folic acid-decorated polymeric nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized.

Optimization and characterization of miRNA-129-5p-encapsulated poly (lactic--glycolic acid) nanoparticles to reprogram activated microglia.

Microglia have become a therapeutic target of many inflammation-mediated diseases in the central nervous system (CNS). Recently, microRNA (miRNA) has been proposed as an important regulator of immune responses. Specifically, miRNA-129-5p has been shown to play critical roles in the regulation of microglia activation.

Therapeutic Potential of Combinative shRNA-Encoded Lentivirus-Mediated Gene Silencing to Accelerate Somatosensory Recovery After Spinal Cord Trauma.

Neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a difficult problem that affects more than 80% of SCI patients. Growing evidence indicates that neuroinflammatory responses play a key role in neuropathic pain after SCI. Short hairpin RNA (shRNA) interference is an efficient tool for the knockdown of disease-related specific gene expression after SCI, yet insufficient data is available to establish guidelines.

Ceria-based nanotheranostic agent for rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that affects 1-2% of the human population worldwide, and effective therapies with targeted delivery for local immune suppression have not been described. We address this problem by developing a novel theranostic nanoparticle for RA and assessed its therapeutic and targeting effects under image-guidance. Albumin-cerium oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by the biomineralization process and further conjugated with near-infrared, indocyanine green (ICG) dye.

Biodegradable Hollow Manganese Silicate Nanocomposites to Alleviate Tumor Hypoxia toward Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy.

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been extensively explored as a minimally invasive treatment strategy for malignant cancers. It works with the help of a photosensitizer located within cancer cells that is irradiated by near-infrared light to produce potent toxins and singlet oxygen (O) and induce cell death. However, reactive oxygen species can be overexpressed in tumor tissue because of the rapid metabolic activity in cancer cells, and the insufficient oxygenation (hypoxia) can lead to low production of singlet oxygen (O) during PDT.

Functional response of Betula species to edaphic and nutrient stress during restoration of fly ash deposits in the Middle Urals (Russia).

We studied the impact of fly ash produced by the thermal power station in the Middle Urals (Russia) on functional traits of two Betula species naturally colonizing ash dump lagoons. The main limiting factors for tree growth on fly ash deposits were nitrogen deficiency, high alkalinity, and unfavorable mechanical composition of substrate. Leaf area ratio (LAR) and leaf mass ratio (LMR) per tree, leaf area (LA), leaf shape coefficient (LSh), leaf thickness (LT), leaf mass per area (LMA), photosynthesis (A) and transpiration rates, chlorophyll (Chl), carotenoid (Car), and nitrogen (N) content were measured in Betula pendula Roth and Betula pubescens Ehrh.

Nanoparticles decorated with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor for targeting myeloid cells.

Dysregulated myeloid cell activity underlies a variety of pathologies, including immunosuppression in malignant cancers. Current treatments to alter myeloid cell behavior also alter other immune cell subpopulations and nonimmune cell types with deleterious side effects. Therefore, improved selectivity of myeloid treatment is an urgent need.

Nanoparticle delivery of curcumin induces cellular hypoxia and ROS-mediated apoptosis via modulation of Bcl-2/Bax in human neuroblastoma.

In this study, several formulations of nanoceria and dextran-nanoceria with curcumin, each demonstrated to have anti-cancer properties, were synthesized and applied as treatment for human childhood neuroblastoma. The anti-cancer activities of these formulations were explored in neuroblastoma models of both MYCN-amplified and non-amplified cell lines. Ceria nanoparticles, coated with dextran and loaded with curcumin, were found to induce substantial cell death in neuroblastoma cells (up to a 2-fold and a 1.

Nanomaterials for wound healing: scope and advancement.

Innovative methods for treating impaired and hard-to-heal wounds are needed. Novel strategies are needed for faster healing by reducing infection, moisturizing the wound, stimulating the healing mechanisms, speeding up the wound closure and reducing scar formation. In the past few years, nanotechnology has been constantly revolutionizing the treatment and management of wound care, by offering novel solutions which include but are not limited to: state-of-the-art materials, so called 'smart' biomaterials and theranostic nanoparticles.

Preparation, characterization, and transport of dexamethasone-loaded polymeric nanoparticles across a human placental in vitro model.

The purpose of this study was to prepare dexamethasone-loaded polymeric nanoparticles and evaluate their potential for transport across human placenta. Statistical modeling and factorial design was applied to investigate the influence of process parameters on the following nanoparticle characteristics: particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and drug encapsulation efficiency. Dexamethasone and nanoparticle transport was subsequently investigated using the BeWo b30 cell line, an in vitro model of human placental trophoblast cells, which represent the rate-limiting barrier for maternal-fetal transfer.

Modulation of cellulose nanocrystals amphiphilic properties to stabilize oil/water interface.

Neutral cellulose nanocrystals dispersed in water were shown in a previous work to stabilize oil/water interfaces and produce Pickering emulsions with outstanding stability, whereas sulfated nanocrystals obtained from cotton did not show interfacial properties. To develop a better understanding of the stabilization mechanism, amphiphilic properties of the nanocrystals were modulated by tuning the surface charge density to investigate emulsifying capability on two sources of cellulose: cotton linters (CCN) and bacterial cellulose (BCN). This charge adjustment made it possible to determine the conditions where a low surface charge density, below 0.

New Pickering emulsions stabilized by bacterial cellulose nanocrystals.

We studied oil in water Pickering emulsions stabilized by cellulose nanocrystals obtained by hydrochloric acid hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose. The resulting solid particles, called bacterial cellulose nanocrystals (BCNs), present an elongated shape and low surface charge density, forming a colloidal suspension in water. The BCNs produced proved to stabilize the hexadecane/water interface, promoting monodispersed oil in water droplets around 4 μm in diameter stable for several months.

The development and use of algorithms for diagnosing and choosing treatment of ostomy complications: results of a prospective evaluation .

Stoma complications are classified and treated based on the etiology, pathology, location, and clinical presentation of the complication. Clinical assessments and descriptions of abdominal stomal topography differ among care providers, hampering interpretation and communication. Using existing literature and clinical experience at the State Scientific Centre of Coloproctology in Russia, algorithms were developed to facilitate a uniform approach to the diagnosis and choice of treatment of ostomy complications.

Mechanisms of penicillin antibiotic interactions with human erythrocytes.

Significant effects of penicillin antibiotics, used in pediatrics, on the erythrocyte structural characteristics were detected by recording kinetic curves of osmotic and acid hemolysis. Possible relationships between erythrocyte properties and concentrations, duration of exposure to, and structure of antibiotics were revealed. Recommendations for dose correction for effective use of antibiotics in medicine with consideration for individual features of the patient are proposed.

Development of a strategy of influenza virus separation based on pseudoaffinity chromatography on short monolithic columns.

This research is devoted to the development and optimization of fine purification processes realized on short monolithic columns (CIM disks), using influenza vaccine and viruslike synthetic particles as model objects. The pseudoaffinity mode of liquid chromatography has been used as a tool for dynamic adsorption experiments. Viruslike particles, close to the dimensions of influenza viruses, were developed by means of main antigen of influenza viruses (hemeagglutinin) covalent binding to the outer aminated surface of synthetic latex particles.

Macroporous monolithic layers as efficient 3-D microarrays for quantitative detection of virus-like particles.

The main objective of the present paper was to test the recently developed new type of 3-D protein microarray system based on glycidyl methacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (GMA-EDMA) monolithic material for efficient and fast virus detection. The large-size synthetic particles bearing adsorption-responsible biomolecules on their surface were used as a virus model. Two affinity pairs were chosen for present study.

Study of dynamic adsorption behavior of large-size protein-bearing particles.

The subject of this paper is an investigation of the peculiarities of dynamic adsorption behavior of nanoparticles. For this purpose, virus-mimicking synthetic particles bearing different proteins at their outer surface were specially constructed using two approaches, e.g.