Publications by authors named "P Brunker"
Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) in blood encompass DNA, RNA, and protein biomarkers, but clinical utility is limited by their rarity. To enable tumor epitope-agnostic interrogation of large blood volumes, we developed a high-throughput microfluidic device, depleting hematopoietic cells through high-flow channels and force-amplifying magnetic lenses. Here, we apply this technology to analyze patient-derived leukapheresis products, interrogating a mean blood volume of 5.
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- β-thalassemia and sickle cell disease are common genetic blood disorders caused by mutations in the β-globin gene, leading to anemia and requiring treatments like blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants.
- New research is exploring the potential of inducing ε-globin expression, which was previously thought non-inducible postnatally, as a way to improve treatment outcomes for these conditions.
- The review highlights the need for further research into the mechanisms of ε-globin silencing and suggests future drug development initiatives to harness its therapeutic benefits.
In patients with immune thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (iTTP), autoantibodies against the metalloprotease ADAMTS13 lead to catastrophic microvascular thrombosis. However, the potential benefits of recombinant human ADAMTS13 (rADAMTS13) in patients with iTTP remain unknown. Here, we report the clinical use of rADAMTS13, which resulted in the rapid suppression of disease activity and complete recovery in a critically ill patient whose condition had proved to be refractory to all available treatments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To present a new method for displaying blood utilization data based on analysis of decision time intervals (DTIs).
Methods: Retrospective study of patients treated in a medical intensive care unit (ICU), surgical ICU, or postcardiac surgery ICU at an academic hospital between January 2018 and June 2023. Each patient's episode of care was divided into a series of DTIs.
Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs), interrogated by sampling blood from patients with cancer, contain multiple analytes, including intact RNA, high molecular weight DNA, proteins, and metabolic markers. However, the clinical utility of tumor cell-based liquid biopsy has been limited since CTCs are very rare, and current technologies cannot process the blood volumes required to isolate a sufficient number of tumor cells for in-depth assays. We previously described a high-throughput microfluidic prototype utilizing high-flow channels and amplification of cell sorting forces through magnetic lenses.
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