Publications by authors named "Olga Hartwig"

Background & Aims: Pancreatic ducts form an intricate network of tubules that secrete bicarbonate and drive acinar secretions into the duodenum. This network is formed by centroacinar cells, terminal, intercalated, intracalated ducts, and the main pancreatic duct. Ductal heterogeneity at the single-cell level has been poorly characterized; therefore, our understanding of the role of ductal cells in pancreas regeneration and exocrine pathogenesis has been hampered by the limited knowledge and unexplained diversity within the ductal network.

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Article Synopsis
  • Stromal cells are crucial for maintaining the balance of epithelial and immune cells and are significant in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
  • The research investigates the stromal response to inflammation in pediatric IBD, identifying specific inflammatory reactions in different parts of the colon and intestinal layers.
  • Findings show that certain fibroblasts and monocytes/macrophages interact closely in the intestine, with fibroblasts promoting the conversion of monocytes into a specific type of macrophage that resembles those found in young IBD patients, indicating the stroma's role in guiding macrophage development.
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Benznidazole, a poorly soluble in water drug, is the first-line medication for the treatment of Chagas disease, but long treatment periods at high dosages cause several adverse effects with insufficient activity in the chronic phase. According to these facts, there is a serious need for novel benznidazole formulations for improving the chemotherapy of Chagas disease. Thus, this work aimed to incorporate benznidazole into lipid nanocapsules for improving its solubility, dissolution rate in different media, and permeability.

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Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) sparked substantial therapeutic interest, particularly due to their ability to mediate targeted transport between tissues and cells. Yet, EVs' technological translation as therapeutics strongly depends on better biocompatibility assessments in more complex models and elementary in vitro-in vivo correlation, and comparison of mammalian versus bacterial vesicles. With this in mind, two new types of EVs derived from human B-lymphoid cells with low immunogenicity and from non-pathogenic myxobacteria SBSr073 are introduced here.

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The recent success of mRNA vaccines using lipid-based vectors highlights the importance of strategies for nucleotide delivery under the pandemic situation. Although current mRNA delivery is focused on lipid-based vectors, still they need to be optimized for increasing stability, targeting, and efficiency, and for reducing toxicity. In this regard, other vector systems featuring smart strategies such as pH-responsive degradability and endosomal escape ability hold the potential to overcome the current limitations.

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Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease affecting the American continent and also some regions of Europe. Benznidazole, approved by FDA, is a drug of choice but its poor aqueous solubility may lead to a low bioavailability and efficacy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to formulate nanoparticles of benznidazole for improving its solubility, dissolution and permeability.

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Article Synopsis
  • Complex in vitro models simulating human immune cells and intestinal tissue can aid in evaluating anti-inflammatory drugs for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which involve chronic inflammation and impaired immune function.
  • A co-culture system of specific human cells was developed to replicate the intestinal barrier breakdown typical in IBD for studying drug permeability and effectiveness of JAK inhibitors like tofacitinib and siRNA nanomedicine.
  • The leaky gut model demonstrated significant alterations in barrier function and immune response, allowing for effective tracking of how these compounds engage with immune pathways and their potential therapeutic effects in a simulated inflammatory environment.
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Background: The homeobox gene homeobrain (hbn) is located in the 57B region together with two other homeobox genes, Drosophila Retinal homeobox (DRx) and orthopedia (otp). All three genes encode transcription factors with important functions in brain development. Hbn mutants are embryonic lethal and characterized by a reduction in the anterior protocerebrum, including the mushroom bodies, and a loss of the supraoesophageal brain commissure.

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Current treatment strategies for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) seek to alleviate the undesirable symptoms of the disorder. Despite the higher specificity of newer generation therapeutics, e.g.

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Purpose: The aim of this work was to formulate and characterize surfactant-free glibenclamide nanoparticles using Eudragit RLPO and polyethylene glycol as sole stabilizer.

Methods: Glibenclamide nanoparticles were obtained by nanoprecipitation and evaluated in terms of drug content, encapsulation efficiency, apparent saturation solubility, drug release profile, solid state and storage stability. The influence of different stirring speed on the particle size, size distribution and zeta potential of the nanoparticles was investigated.

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Mucus is a complex hydrogel that acts as a protective barrier in various parts of the human body. Both composition and structural properties play a crucial role in maintaining barrier properties while dictating diffusion of molecules and (nano)materials. In this study, we compare previously described mucus surrogates with the native human airway and pig intestinal mucus.

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A layer of mucus covers the surface of all wet epithelia throughout the human body. Mucus is a hydrogel mainly composed of water, mucins (glycoproteins), DNA, proteins, lipids, and cell debris. This complex composition yields a tenacious viscoelastic hydrogel that lubricates and protects the exposed epithelia from external threats and enzymatic degradation.

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