Microbiota-dependent in vivo biotransformation, accumulation, and excretion of arsenic from arsenobetaine-rich diet.

Arsenobetaine (AB), a major organic arsenic (As) species in seafood, is regarded as safe by current regulatory assessments due to low toxicity and rapid unmodified urinary excretion. This notion has been challenged by reports of AB metabolism by intestinal bacteria in vitro and more recent evidence of in vivo AB metabolism in mice. However, these studies did not establish the causal role of intestinal bacteria in AB transformation in vivo.

Lipid nanoparticle-mediated messenger RNA delivery for ex vivo engineering of natural killer cells.

Natural killer (NK) cells participate in the immune system by eliminating cancer and virally infected cells through germline-encoded surface receptors. Their independence from prior activation as well as their significantly lower toxicity have placed them in the spotlight as an alternative to T cells for adoptive cell therapy (ACT). Engineering NK cells with mRNA has shown great potential in ACT by enhancing their tumor targeting and cytotoxicity.

Bracing for the Storm: One Health Care System's Planning for the COVID-19 Surge.

Problem: University of Washington Medicine (UW Medicine), an academic health system in Washington State, was at the epicenter of the first outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The extent of emergency activation needed to adequately respond to this global pandemic was not immediately known, as the evolving situation differed significantly from any past disaster response preparations in that there was potential for exponential growth of infection, unproven mitigation strategies, serious risk to health care workers, and inadequate supply chains for critical equipment.

Approach: The rapid transition of the UW Medicine system to account for projected COVID-19 and usual patient care, while balancing patient and staff safety and conservation of resources, represents an example of an adaptive disaster response.