VE-cadherin may suppress inflammation depending on the phase of inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives A disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM)-15 and vascular endothelial (VE)-cadherin are involved in angiogenesis. We investigated the relationship between ADAM-15 and VE-cadherin expressions in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods VE-cadherin concentrations in the serum of patients with RA were measured using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Real-world experience of tixagevimab/cilgavimab prophylaxis in Japanese patients with immunodeficiency.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes severe illness and mortality in patients with immunodeficiency. Although vaccination has been recommended, the induction of protective antibodies by immunization, and thus the disease-preventive effect, has proven insufficient in immunodeficient patients, especially in those with predominantly antibody deficiency. A monoclonal antibody combination of tixagevimab and cilgavimab (TIX/CIL) was developed as a pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Questionnaire-based real-world survey of diagnosing food allergy in children: Utilization of oral food challenge tests and other diagnostic methods.

Background: Oral food challenge tests are considered the reference standard for diagnosing food allergies; however, studies on their real-world implementation rates are limited.

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the proportion of school-age children who underwent the oral food challenge test and to understand the motivations behind food elimination and utilization of various health care services.

Methods: The questionnaire-based survey for the parents of the students who submitted the "Certificate for School Life Management (For Allergic Diseases)" was conducted across public elementary and junior high schools in Gifu prefecture, Japan.

Which is more important for predicting de novo DSA production in donor-sensitized kidney transplant recipients, B-cell epitope or T-cell epitope analysis?

De novo donor-specific antibodies (dnDSA), particularly those against human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II, can cause kidney allograft rejection, resulting in poor prognosis. Recently, HLA matching at both B-cell and T-cell epitopes, assessed by eplet mismatches and predicted indirectly recognizable HLA epitopes (PIRCHE) score, respectively, has been reported to be associated with dnDSA production. It remains unclear how these epitopes are involved in transplant immunology and how the results of the analysis can be applied in clinical practice.

Recent Insights into Roles of Hypoxia-Inducible Factors in Retinal Diseases.

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are transcriptional factors that function as strong regulators of oxygen homeostasis and cellular metabolisms. The maintenance of cellular oxygen levels is critical as either insufficient or excessive oxygen affects development and physiologic and pathologic conditions. In the eye, retinas have a high metabolic demand for oxygen.

Non-destructive estimation of flesh oil content in avocado (Persea americana Mill.) using fluorescence images from 365-nm UV light excitation.

The flesh oil content (OC) is a crucial commercial indicator of avocado maturity and directly correlates with its nutritional quality. To meet export standards and optimize edible characteristics, avocados must be harvested at the appropriate stage of physiological maturity. The significant variability in OC during maturation, without any external morphological indicators, poses a longstanding challenge.

Mammalian genome research resources available from the National BioResource Project in Japan.

Mammalian genome research has conventionally involved mice and rats as model organisms for humans. Given the recent advances in life science research, to understand complex and higher-order biological phenomena and to elucidate pathologies and develop therapies to promote human health and overcome diseases, it is necessary to utilize not only mice and rats but also other bioresources such as standardized genetic materials and appropriate cell lines in order to gain deeper molecular and cellular insights. The Japanese bioresource infrastructure program called the National BioResource Project (NBRP) systematically collects, preserves, controls the quality, and provides bioresources for use in life science research worldwide.

Human RP105 monoclonal antibody enhances antigen-specific antibody production in unique culture conditions.

Detecting antibodies, particularly those targeting donor human leukocyte antigens in organ transplantation and self-antigens in autoimmune diseases, is crucial for diagnosis and therapy. Radioprotective 105 (RP105), a Toll-like receptor family protein, is expressed in immune-competent cells, such as B cells. Studies in mice have shown that the anti-mouse RP105 antibody strongly activates B cells and triggers an adjuvant effect against viral infections.

Inhibition of hypoxia-inducible factors suppresses subretinal fibrosis.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a common cause of vision loss. The aggressive form of AMD is associated with ocular neovascularization and subretinal fibrosis, representing a responsive outcome against neovascularization mediated by epithelial-mesenchymal transition of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. A failure of the current treatment (anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy) has also been attributed to the progression of subretinal fibrosis.

Removal of phosphoglycolate in hyperthermophilic archaea.

Many organisms that utilize the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle for autotrophic growth harbor metabolic pathways to remove and/or salvage 2-phosphoglycolate, the product of the oxygenase activity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco). It has been presumed that the occurrence of 2-phosphoglycolate salvage is linked to the CBB cycle, and in particular, the C2 pathway to the CBB cycle and oxygenic photosynthesis. Here, we examined 2-phosphoglycolate salvage in the hyperthermophilic archaeon , an obligate anaerobe that harbors a Rubisco that functions in the pentose bisphosphate pathway.

Halofuginone prevents outer retinal degeneration in a mouse model of light-induced retinopathy.

Photoreceptor cell death can cause progressive and irreversible visual impairments. Still, effective therapies on retinal neuroprotection are not available. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) are transcriptional factors which strongly regulate angiogenesis, erythropoiesis, intracellular metabolism, and programed cell death under a hypoxic or an abnormal metabolic oxidative stress condition.

Effect of porphyrin ligands on the catalytic CH oxidation activity of monocationic μ-nitrido-bridged iron porphyrinoid dimers by using HO as an oxidant.

The μ-nitrido-bridged iron phthalocyanine homodimer is a potent molecule-based CH oxidation catalyst that can effectively oxidize chemically stable CH under mild reaction conditions in an acidic aqueous solution including an oxidant such as HO. The reactive intermediate is a high-valent iron-oxo species generated upon reaction with HO. However, a detailed comparison of the CH oxidation activity of the μ-nitrido-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimer with those of μ-nitrido-bridged iron porphyrinoid dimers containing one or two porphyrin ring(s) has not been yet reported, although porphyrins are the most important class of porphyrinoids.

Magnetic Supramolecular Spherical Arrays: Direct Formation of Micellar Cubic Mesophase by Lanthanide Metallomesogens with 7-Coordination Geometry.

Here, an unprecedented phenomenon in which 7-coordinate lanthanide metallomesogens, which align via hydrogen bonds mediated by coordinated HO molecules, form micellar cubic mesophases at room temperature, creating body-centered cubic (BCC)-type supramolecular spherical arrays, is reported. The results of experiments and molecular dynamics simulations reveal that spherical assemblies of three complexes surrounded by an amorphous alkyl domain spontaneously align in an energetically stable orientation to form the BCC structure. This phenomenon differs greatly from the conventional self-assembling behavior of 6-coordinated metallomesogens, which form columnar assemblies due to strong intermolecular interactions.

Blood compatibility of poly(propylene glycol diester) and its water structure observed by differential scanning calorimetry and H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Recently, we applied solution H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H NMR) to analyze the water (deuterium oxide, DO) structure in several biopolymers at ambient temperature. We established that polymers with good blood compatibility (i.e.

Novel variant of FBN2 in a patient with congenital contractual arachnodactyly.

Congenital contractual arachnodactyly (CCA) is a genetic connective tissue disorder that is characterized by arachnodactyly, kyphoscoliosis, marfanoid habitus, and crumpled ears. We report a case of a boy with suspected Marfan syndrome. Genetic analysis revealed c.

A case of A20 haploinsufficiency complicated by autoimmune hepatitis.

Aim: A20 haploinsufficiency (HA20) is a recently described autoinflammatory disease that manifests symptoms similar to those of Behçet's disease. However, little is known about the involvement of the liver in HA20. Here, we report a case of HA20 complicated by autoimmune hepatitis (AIH).

Efficient selection of knocked-in pluripotent stem cells using a dual cassette cellular elimination system.

Although recent advances in genome editing technology with homology-directed repair have enabled the insertion of various reporter genes into the genome of mammalian cells, the efficiency is still low due to the random insertion of donor vectors into the host genome. To efficiently select knocked-in cells without random insertion, we developed the "double-tk donor vector system," in which the expression units of the thymidine kinase of herpes simplex virus (HSV-tk) are placed on both outer sides of homology arms. This system is superior in enriching knocked-in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) than conventional donor vector systems with a single or no HSV-tk cassette.

CO switchable adhesion of ionic polydimethylsiloxane elastomers.

We have developed ionic polydimethylsiloxane elastomers that rapidly and reversibly increase their adhesion upon exposure to carbon dioxide (CO) gas. The CO molecules dissolve quickly into the ionic aggregates, physically crosslinking the polymer chains and plasticizing them. The elastomer consequently becomes softer and more adhesive upon exposure to CO.