Symptomatic Autonomic Dysfunction in Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome.

Importance: Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is a highly prevalent condition with incompletely understood pathophysiology, especially in relation to the systemic symptoms experienced. The role of autonomic nervous system dysfunction in IC/BPS remains poorly understood.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between autonomic symptom severity and clinical characteristics of patients with IC/BPS.

Safety and complications of continuation of aspirin therapy in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic simple prostatectomy.

To evaluate the safety and feasibility of continued perioperative aspirin at the time of robotic assisted simple prostatectomy (RASP). We performed a retrospective review of our IRB approved institutional database of patients who underwent RASP between 2013 and 2022. Comparative groups included patients taking aspirin in the perioperative period and those not taking aspirin pre-operatively.

The role of preoperative immune cell metrics in renal cell carcinoma with a tumor thrombus.

Introduction: The objective of this study was to stratify preoperative immune cell counts by cancer specific outcomes in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and a tumor thrombus after radical nephrectomy with tumor thrombectomy.

Methods: Patients with a diagnosis of RCC with tumor thrombus that underwent radical nephrectomy with thrombectomy across an international consortium of seven institutions were included. Patients who were metastatic at diagnosis and those who received preoperative medical treatment were also included.

Xeno-free cryopreservation of adherent retinal pigmented epithelium yields viable and functional cells in vitro and in vivo.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the primary cause of blindness in adults over 60 years of age, and clinical trials are currently assessing the therapeutic potential of retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cell monolayers on implantable scaffolds to treat this disease. However, challenges related to the culture, long-term storage, and long-distance transport of such implants currently limit the widespread use of adherent RPE cells as therapeutics. Here we report a xeno-free protocol to cryopreserve a confluent monolayer of clinical-grade, human embryonic stem cell-derived RPE cells on a parylene scaffold (REPS) that yields viable, polarized, and functional RPE cells post-thaw.