High Goblet Cell Count Is Inversely Associated with Ploidy Abnormalities and Risk of Adenocarcinoma in Barrett's Esophagus.

Purpose: Goblet cells may represent a potentially successful adaptive response to acid and bile by producing a thick mucous barrier that protects against cancer development in Barrett's esophagus (BE). The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between goblet cells (GC) and risk of progression to adenocarcinoma, and DNA content flow cytometric abnormalities, in BE patients.

Experimental Design: Baseline mucosal biopsies (N=2988) from 213 patients, 32 of whom developed cancer during the follow up period, enrolled in a prospective dynamic cohort of BE patients were scored in a blinded fashion, for the total number (#) of GC, mean # of GC/crypt (GC density), # of crypts with ≥ 1 GC, and the proportion of crypts with ≥1 GC, in both dysplastic and non-dysplastic epithelium separately.

Induction of HIV-1-specific mucosal immune responses following intramuscular recombinant adenovirus serotype 26 HIV-1 vaccination of humans.

Background: Defining mucosal immune responses and inflammation to candidate human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) vaccines represents a current research priority for the HIV-1 vaccine field. In particular, it is unclear whether intramuscular immunization can elicit immune responses at mucosal surfaces in humans.

Methods: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, we evaluated systemic and mucosal immune responses to a candidate adenovirus serotype 26 (Ad26) vectored HIV-1 envelop (Env) vaccine in baseline Ad26-seronegative and Ad26-seropositive healthy volunteers.

Transduced Schwann cells promote axon growth and myelination after spinal cord injury.

We sought to directly compare growth and myelination of local and supraspinal axons by implanting into the injured spinal cord Schwann cells (SCs) transduced ex vivo with adenoviral (AdV) or lentiviral (LV) vectors encoding a bifunctional neurotrophin molecule (D15A). D15A mimics actions of both neurotrophin-3 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Transduced SCs were injected into the injury center 1 week after a moderate thoracic (T8) adult rat spinal cord contusion.