Polypropylene Sulfide Nanoparticle p24 Vaccine Promotes Dendritic Cell-Mediated Specific Immune Responses against HIV-1.

Delivery of vaccine formulations into the dermis using antigen-coated microneedle patches is a promising and safe approach because of efficient antigen delivery and safety. We evaluated an intradermal vaccine using HIV-1 p24 Gag peptide-conjugated polypropylene sulfide nanoparticles to induce immunity against HIV-1. This peptide-conjugated polypropylene sulfide nanoparticle formulation did not accelerate the maturation of blood- or skin-derived subsets of dendritic cells, either generated in vitro or purified ex vivo, despite efficient uptake in the absence of adjuvant.

Surgery results in complete cure of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome in a patient with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma.

Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome is a paraneoplastic phenomenon associated with neuroendocrine tumours, most frequently small cell lung carcinoma. Merkel cell carcinoma is a rare cause of Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome. A 70-year old gentleman was referred with metastatic axillary nodal disease from a previously resected Merkel cell carcinoma of the left arm.

The birth of plastic surgery: the story of nasal reconstruction from the Edwin Smith Papyrus to the twenty-first century.

Background: The nose is the central and most prominent feature on the human face; and on its shape, size, and appearance depends the relative facial beauty of the person. The objective of this article was to give a succinct and interesting account of the development of nasal reconstruction from antiquity to the present day.

Methods: The authors present the story of nasal reconstruction, including those contributions not often cited in the English literature using articles sourced from MEDLINE, ancient manuscripts, original quotes, techniques, and illustrations.

Quantifying collagen type in mature burn scars: a novel approach using histology and digital image analysis.

Using Herovici staining and digital image analysis, we have studied the collagen subtype and fiber orientation in mature burn scars. These techniques have shown mature burn scars to have increased type I/type III collagen ratios compared with normal skin. Additionally, the collagen orientation of burn scars has been shown to be thickened, tightly packed, and lacking the "basket weave" appearance of normal skin specimens.