Patient-derived organoid biobank identifies epigenetic dysregulation of intestinal epithelial MHC-I as a novel mechanism in severe Crohn's Disease.

Objective: Epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation (DNAm), have been proposed to play a key role in Crohn's disease (CD) pathogenesis. However, the specific cell types and pathways affected as well as their potential impact on disease phenotype and outcome remain unknown. We set out to investigate the role of intestinal epithelial DNAm in CD pathogenesis.

Early diagnosis of Malan syndrome in an infant presenting with macrocephaly.

We present an infant with persistent macrocephaly and developmental delay. There is a wide range of differential diagnoses for this presentation, including many rare genetic conditions. Here, a diagnosis of Malan syndrome was made-a rare overgrowth syndrome caused by haploinsufficiency of and features affecting the neurological and musculoskeletal systems.

Epigenetics in IBD: a conceptual framework for disease pathogenesis.

The global incidence and prevalence of paediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing, with a notable emergence in developing countries with historically low rates. This suggests that environmental and epigenetic factors may play an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of IBD. Epigenetics refers to the study of biological mechanisms that result in a change of phenotype, without an change in the underlying DNA sequence.

Pushing the Surgical Limits: Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty Using Rotational Prosthesis in a 96-Year-Old Lady with End-Stage Osteoarthritis.

We present the case of a 96-year-old patient treated for severe osteoarthritis with primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using a rotational prosthesis. The patient had significant medical comorbidities and her independence was limited due to her severe functional immobility. This case demonstrates that TKA can be a safe procedure with good outcomes in nonagenarians with severe osteoarthritis.

Unusual presentation of Henöch-Schonlein purpura.

We present a rare case of a 4-year-old boy with newly diagnosed Henöch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) affecting the scrotum and penis. The patient presented to the emergency department with palpable purpura symmetrically distributed over the lower limbs. This was associated with arthritis of the right knee, abdominal pain and scrotal swelling.

Nanotechnology for Neuroscience: Promising Approaches for Diagnostics, Therapeutics and Brain Activity Mapping.

Unlocking the secrets of the brain is a task fraught with complexity and challenge - not least due to the intricacy of the circuits involved. With advancements in the scale and precision of scientific technologies, we are increasingly equipped to explore how these components interact to produce a vast range of outputs that constitute function and disease. Here, an insight is offered into key areas in which the marriage of neuroscience and nanotechnology has revolutionized the industry.

Nanotechnology and regenerative therapeutics in plastic surgery: The next frontier.

The rapid ascent of nanotechnology and regenerative therapeutics as applied to medicine and surgery has seen an exponential rise in the scale of research generated in this field. This is evidenced not only by the sheer volume of papers dedicated to nanotechnology but also in a large number of new journals dedicated to nanotechnology and regenerative therapeutics specifically to medicine and surgery. Aspects of nanotechnology that have already brought benefits to these areas include advanced drug delivery platforms, molecular imaging and materials engineering for surgical implants.

Vascularisation in regenerative therapeutics and surgery.

Vascularisation is often deemed the holy grail of tissue engineering because it is one of the key preconditions that determine the in vivo viability of tissue constructs. Given that a well-developed vascular network allows greater complexity in tissue design and helps regulate tissue metabolism, it appears that the overall outcome of engineered tissue implants depends on the success of microvessel formation, maturation and patterning. Current approaches to vascularising tissue include both in vivo and ex vivo techniques, where blood vessel formation is either spontaneous or guided by physical or biochemical factors.

Hearts beating through decellularized scaffolds: whole-organ engineering for cardiac regeneration and transplantation.

Whole-organ decellularization and tissue engineering approaches have made significant inroads during recent years. If proven to be successful and clinically viable, it is highly likely that this field would be poised to revolutionize organ transplantation surgery. In particular, whole-heart decellularization has captured the attention and imagination of the scientific community.

Personalized in vitro cancer modeling - fantasy or reality?

With greater technological advancements and understanding of pathophysiology, "personalized medicine" has become a more realistic goal. In the field of cancer, personalized medicine is the ultimate objective, as each cancer is unique and each tumor is heterogeneous. For many decades, researchers have relied upon studying the histopathology of tumors in the hope that it would provide clues to understanding the pathophysiology of cancer.

Tissue engineering vascular grafts a fortiori: looking back and going forward.

Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease often necessitate the surgical repair using conduits. Although autografts still remain the gold standard, the inconvenience of harvesting and/or insufficient availability in patients with atherosclerotic disease has given impetus to look into alternative sources for vascular grafts.

Areas Covered: There are four main techniques to produce tissue-engineered vascular grafts (TEVGs): i) biodegradable synthetic scaffolds; ii) gel-based scaffolds; iii) decellularised scaffolds and iv) self-assembled cell-sheet-based techniques.

Exosomes as immunotheranostic nanoparticles.

Background: Exosomes are small biological membrane vesicles that measure 30 to 100 nm in diameter. They are involved in a wide array of biological activities, such as cell-cell communication, signal transduction, transport of genetic materials, and modulation of immune response. Evidence indicates that they can be used as not only therapeutic agents targeted against disease but also diagnostic biomarkers for pathologic conditions.

Surface modification of a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane poly(carbonate-urea) urethane (POSS-PCU) nanocomposite polymer as a stent coating for enhanced capture of endothelial progenitor cells.

An unmet need exists for the development of next-generation multifunctional nanocomposite materials for biomedical applications, particularly in the field of cardiovascular regenerative biology. Herein, we describe the preparation and characterization of a novel polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane poly(carbonate-urea) urethane (POSS-PCU) nanocomposite polymer with covalently attached anti-CD34 antibodies to enhance capture of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). This material may be used as a new coating for bare metal stents used after balloon angioplasty to improve re-endothelialization.

An anti-CD34 antibody-functionalized clinical-grade POSS-PCU nanocomposite polymer for cardiovascular stent coating applications: a preliminary assessment of endothelial progenitor cell capture and hemocompatibility.

In situ endothelialization of cardiovascular implants has emerged in recent years as an attractive means of targeting the persistent problems of thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of immobilizing anti-CD34 antibodies onto a POSS-PCU nanocomposite polymer surface to sequester endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from human blood, and to characterize the surface properties and hemocompatibility of this surface. Amine-functionalized fumed silica was used to covalently conjugate anti-CD34 to the polymer surface.

Channelrhodopsins: visual regeneration and neural activation by a light switch.

The advent of optogenetics provides a new direction for the field of neuroscience and biotechnology, serving both as a refined investigative tool and as potential cure for many medical conditions via genetic manipulation. Although still in its infancy, recent advances in optogenetics has made it possible to remotely manipulate in vivo cellular functions using light. Coined Nature Methods' 'Method of the Year' in 2010, the optogenetic toolbox has the potential to control cell, tissue and even animal behaviour.

Intracranial arteriovenous malformation with maternal carbamazepine use.

1 1/2 month old child born to primigravida mother on prolonged carbamazepine therapy presented with recurrent seizures. The child had abnormal facies and was diagnosed to be having arteriovenous malformation with intracranial hemorrhage on neuroimaging. This case suggests that development of arteriovenous malformation in a child with maternal carbamazepine therapy may occur as a part of clinical profile of 'fetal anticonvulsant syndrome'.

Camptomelic dysplasia: prenatal diagnosis by ultrasound.

We report a case of camptomelic dysplasia, an extremely rare lethal congenital bony dysplasia with an incidence of about 2 per million live births. Diagnosis was made antenatally at a gestational age of about 25 weeks by sonographic demonstration of anterior bowing of long bones, hypoplastic scapulae, bilateral talipes equinovarus, and normally ossified unfractured ribs. The mother elected to terminate the pregnancy, and the diagnosis was confirmed on clinical and radiographic examination of the fetus.