Publications by authors named "M C Leong"

Land use change threatens global biodiversity and compromises ecosystem functions, including pollination and food production. Reduced taxonomic α-diversity is often reported under land use change, yet the impacts could be different at larger spatial scales (i.e.

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The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) nuclear antigen leader protein (EBNALP) is essential for the immortalization of naive B lymphocytes (NBLs). However, the mechanisms remain elusive. To understand EBNALP's role in B-cell transformation, we compare NBLs infected with wild-type EBV and an EBNALP-null mutant EBV using multi-omics techniques.

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The clinical drug-drug interaction side-effects of Ritonavir, an ingredient in Paxlovid™, have been documented, highlighting the need to explore alternative administration methods for Nirmatrelvir, another drug in the Paxlovid™ combination. In this study, the skin permeability potential of Nirmatrelvir was assessed using various models. The prediction results suggest that Nirmatrelvir could be administrated via the transdermal route, offering a promising avenue to enhance the efficacy of anti-COVID-19 agents.

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Purpose: Intravitreal delivery of therapeutic transgenes to the retina via engineered viral vectors can provide sustained local concentrations of therapeutic proteins and thus potentially reduce the treatment burden and improve long-term vision outcomes for patients with neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic macular edema (DME), and diabetic retinopathy.

Methods: We performed directed evolution in nonhuman primates (NHP) to invent an adeno-associated viral (AAV) variant (R100) with the capacity to cross vitreoretinal barriers and transduce all regions and layers of the retina following intravitreal injection. We then engineered 4D-150, an R100-based genetic medicine carrying 2 therapeutic transgenes: a codon-optimized sequence encoding aflibercept, a recombinant protein that inhibits VEGF-A, VEGF-B, and PlGF, and a microRNA sequence that inhibits expression of VEGF-C.

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Background: Karyomegalic interstitial nephritis (KIN) is a rare renal diagnosis associated with both genetic and medication etiologies. The primary gene associated with KIN is the FAN1 gene which encodes a protein responsible for DNA interstrand repair. Common medication triggers of KIN are chemotherapeutic agents, especially those which disrupt DNA structure such as carboplatin.

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