Restoration of the Lost Human Beta Defensin-1 Protein in Cancer as a Strategy to Improve the Efficacy of Chemotherapy.

Both innate and adaptive immunity are important components of the human defense system against various diseases including cancer. Human beta defensin-1 (hBD-1) is one such immunomodulatory peptide which is lost in malignant cancers, while high levels of expression are maintained in benign cells, making it a potential biomarker for the onset and metastasis of the disease. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive form of breast cancer for which no targeted therapy has been approved so far.

Impact of non-invasive post-mortem micro-CT imaging on a fetal autopsy service: a single centre retrospective study.

Aim: To evaluate the impact of a new, less-invasive micro-computed tomography (CT) service on autopsy service provision. We recorded parental consent, type of autopsy performed, autopsy reporting times and time taken for the body to be released from the mortuary.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective, single-centre case series was conducted for all perinatal deaths since the introduction of our micro-CT service in 2016, with a detailed review of records extracted from 2019 and 2021.

Renal Pathology of Ciliopathies.

Renal ciliopathies are a group of genetic disorders that affect the function of the primary cilium in the kidney, as well as other organs. Since primary cilia are important for regulation of cell signaling pathways, ciliary dysfunction results in a range of clinical manifestations, including renal failure, cyst formation, and hypertension. We summarize the current understanding of the pathophysiological and pathological features of renal ciliopathies in childhood, including autosomal dominant and recessive polycystic kidney disease, nephronophthisis, and Bardet-Biedl syndrome, as well as skeletal dysplasia associated renal ciliopathies.

Simultaneous selection of nanobodies for accessible epitopes on immune cells in the tumor microenvironment.

In the rapidly advancing field of synthetic biology, there exists a critical need for technology to discover targeting moieties for therapeutic biologics. Here we present INSPIRE-seq, an approach that utilizes a nanobody library and next-generation sequencing to identify nanobodies selected for complex environments. INSPIRE-seq enables the parallel enrichment of immune cell-binding nanobodies that penetrate the tumor microenvironment.

Restoration of the Lost Human Beta Defensin (hBD-1) in Cancer as a Strategy to Improve the Efficacy of Chemotherapy.

Both innate and adaptive immunity are the important components of the human defense system against various diseases including cancer. Human Beta Defensin (hBD-1) is one such immunomodulatory peptide which is lost at high frequencies in malignant cancers, while high levels of expression are maintained in benign regions making it a potential biomarker for the onset and metastasis of the disease. Loss of putative function of hBD-1 as a tumor suppressor gene combined with the defects in apoptosis pathways (CD95, ASK1) make tumor cells insensitive to chemotherapy and render it ineffective.

Adsorption of Selenium and Lanthanum by Agrobacterium-mediated Hairy Roots of Hybanthus Enneaspermus (L.) F. Muell: A Greener Phytoremediation Strategy.

In this study, phytoremediation potential of toxic metals like selenium (Se) and lanthanum (La) by transformed hairy roots was investigated and compared with plantlets under in-vitro conditions. Agrobacterium rhizogenes A4RS could induce hairy roots with higher biomass in 5-7 days of infection on in-vitro leaves of Hybanthus enneaspermus. The ICP-OES data indicated that the hairy roots were able to accumulate both selenium and lanthanum efficiently compared to plantlets.

Effectiveness of Social Skills Training Groups in Persons with Severe Mental Illness: A Pre-Post Intervention Study.

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a social skills training program provided at the occupational therapy unit of a tertiary care center in India.

Methods: The study used a pre-post interventional design where 101 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder, between 18 and 60 years, who provided written informed consent, were assessed on the Vellore Assessment of Social Performance (VASP) during the first week of attendance (baseline). Subsequently, they were enrolled in a six-session social skills group training program for two weeks.

SARS-COV2 placentitis and pregnancy outcome: A multicentre experience during the Alpha and early Delta waves of coronavirus pandemic in England.

Background: Pregnant women with SARS-CoV-2 infection experience higher rates of stillbirth and preterm birth. A unique pattern of chronic histiocytic intervillositis (CHI) and/or massive perivillous fibrin deposition (MPFD) has emerged, coined as SARS-CoV-2 placentitis.

Methods: The aim of this study was to describe a cohort of placentas diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 placentitis during October 2020-March 2021.

A pragmatic evidence-based approach to post-mortem perinatal imaging.

Post-mortem imaging has a high acceptance rate amongst parents and healthcare professionals as a non-invasive method for investigating perinatal deaths. Previously viewed as a 'niche' subspecialty, it is becoming increasingly requested, with general radiologists now more frequently asked to oversee and advise on appropriate imaging protocols. Much of the current literature to date has focussed on diagnostic accuracy and clinical experiences of individual centres and their imaging techniques (e.

Prevalence of cardiovascular health risk behaviors in college-going women in a major metropolis in India.

There is an increasing incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Indian men and women of younger ages but research related to CVD risk behaviors in college-going women in India is limited. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey conducted among 554 students from two women's colleges in Chennai showed that there was an alarmingly high prevalence of unhealthy diet and inadequate exercise, a moderately high prevalence of psychosocial risk and a low prevalence of tobacco use and alcohol consumption. It is imperative to increase awareness and provide targeted interventions to help our young women adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle.

Biopsy-proven Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis: a single center experience.

Background: Knowledge on normal progress and treatment of Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) is limited. This study reviews outcome, clinical, pathological, and therapeutic factors affecting the prognosis of HSPN patients.

Methods: Forty-nine children with biopsy-confirmed HSPN diagnosed between September 2008 and 2018 were included.

Successful angioembolization for blunt adrenal gland trauma.

Blunt adrenal gland trauma is an uncommon injury owing to the location of the adrenal gland in the retroperitoneum surrounded by major viscera and bony structures. We present a case of a 23-year-old male, who had sustained multiple injuries following a road traffic accident. Computed tomography scan revealed a large retroperitoneal hematoma, and active contrast extravasation was noted in the retroperitoneum adjacent to the bare area of the liver and right adrenal gland.

Feasibility of INTACT (INcisionless TArgeted Core Tissue) biopsy procedure for perinatal autopsy.

Objectives: To determine the feasibility and tissue yield of a perinatal incisionless ultrasound-guided biopsy procedure, the INcisionless Targeted Core Tissue (INTACT) technique, in the context of minimally invasive autopsy.

Methods: Cases of perinatal death in which the parents consented for minimally invasive autopsy underwent postmortem magnetic resonance imaging and an INTACT biopsy procedure, defined as needle biopsy of organs via the umbilical cord, performed under ultrasound guidance. In each case, three cores of tissue were obtained from seven target organs (both lungs, both kidneys, heart, spleen and liver).

Molecular fingerprinting of the Indian medicinal plant Dennst.

Genomic DNA of (Dennst) of sixteen geographical regions were amplified using thirteen primers. The analyses of products of Radom Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) revealed polymorphism among the samples. The polymorphic information content (PIC) was maximum for the primer of OPB-04 (0.

Ultrasound-guided delivery of thymidine kinase-nitroreductase dual therapeutic genes by PEGylated-PLGA/PIE nanoparticles for enhanced triple negative breast cancer therapy.

Aim: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype. Since no targeted therapy is available, gene-directed enzyme prodrug therapy (GDEPT) could be an attractive strategy for treating TNBC.

Materials & Methods: Polyethylene glycol (PEG)ylated-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)/polyethyleneimine nanoparticles (PLGA/PEI NPs) were synthesized and complexed with TK-NTR fusion gene.

A protein folding molecular imaging biosensor monitors the effects of drugs that restore mutant p53 structure and its downstream function in glioblastoma cells.

Misfolding mutations in the DNA-binding domain of p53 alter its conformation, affecting the efficiency with which it binds to chromatin to regulate target gene expression and cell cycle checkpoint functions in many cancers, including glioblastoma. Small molecule drugs that recover misfolded p53 structure and function may improve chemotherapy by activating p53-mediated senescence. We constructed and optimized a split luciferase (RLUC) complementation molecular biosensor (NRLUC-p53-CRLUC) to determine small molecule-meditated folding changes in p53 protein.

Targeted nanoparticle delivery of therapeutic antisense microRNAs presensitizes glioblastoma cells to lower effective doses of temozolomide and in a mouse model.

Temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy for glioblastoma (GBM) is generally well tolerated at standard doses but it can cause side effects. GBMs overexpress microRNA-21 and microRNA-10b, two known oncomiRs that promote cancer development, progression and resistance to drug treatment. We hypothesized that systemic injection of antisense microRNAs (antagomiR-21 and antagomiR-10b) encapsulated in cRGD-tagged PEG-PLGA nanoparticles would result in high cellular delivery of intact functional antagomiRs, with consequent efficient therapeutic response and increased sensitivity of GBM cells to lower doses of TMZ.

Plaque-like Myofibroblastic Tumor: 2 Cases of This Unusual Dermal Tumor Which Occurs in Infancy and Early Childhood.

Plaque-like myofibroblastic tumor (PLMT) is a rare dermal spindle cell tumor which occurs in infancy or childhood within the first 4 years of life. The tumor is often pruritic and mostly presents on the lower back. We describe 2 cases with characteristic clinical and histological features of this entity, thus adding to the 10 cases which have so far been reported.