Identification of novel biomarkers for anti- IgM detection and the potential application in rapid diagnostic fluorescent tests.

Toxoplasmosis, while often asymptomatic and prevalent as a foodborne disease, poses a considerable mortality risk for immunocompromised individuals during pregnancy. Point-of-care serological tests that detect specific IgG and IgM in patient sera are critical for disease management under limited resources. Despite many efforts to replace the total lysate antigens (TLAs) by recombinant antigens (rAgs) in commercial kits, while IgG detection provides significant specificity and sensitivity, IgM detection remains comparatively low in sensitivity.

Microfluidics-assisted fabrication of natural killer cell-laden microgel enhances the therapeutic efficacy for tumor immunotherapy.

Recently, interest in cancer immunotherapy has increased over traditional anti-cancer therapies such as chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Natural killer (NK) cells are part of the immune cell family and essential to tumor immunotherapy as they detect and kill cancer cells. However, the disadvantage of NK cells is that cell culture is difficult.

Decellularized matrix bioink with gelatin methacrylate for simultaneous improvements in printability and biofunctionality.

Gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) bioink has been widely used in bioprinting because it is a printable and biocompatible biomaterial. However, it is difficult to print GelMA bioink without any temperature control because it has a thermally-sensitive rheological property. Therefore, in this study, we developed a temperature-controlled printing system in real time without affecting the viability of the cells encapsulated in the bioink.

Identification of specific neutralizing antibodies for highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 2.3.4.4b clades to facilitate vaccine design and therapeutics.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 2.3.4.

Eco-friendly polycaprolactone-bound diatomite filter for the removal of metal ions and micro/nanoplastics from water.

Over the last few decades, pollution levels in aquatic environments due to heavy metal ions and micro/nanoplastics have increased owing to industrial development, causing adverse effects on microorganisms. Adsorbent-based filtration is a well-developed technique for removing contaminants from aquatic environments. However, this technique should be improved from the perspectives of eco-friendliness and cost-effectiveness, as commercial adsorbents require energy-intensive synthesis and post-processing with chelating agents.

A bioactive microparticle-loaded osteogenically enhanced bioprinted scaffold that permits sustained release of BMP-2.

Extrusion-based bioprinting technology is widely used for tissue regeneration and reconstruction. However, the method that uses only hydrogel as the bioink base material exhibits limited biofunctional properties and needs improvement to achieve the desired tissue regeneration. In this study, we present a three-dimensionally printed bioactive microparticle-loaded scaffold for use in bone regeneration applications.

NK cells encapsulated in micro/macropore-forming hydrogels via 3D bioprinting for tumor immunotherapy.

Background: Patients face a serious threat if a solid tumor leaves behind partial residuals or cannot be completely removed after surgical resection. Immunotherapy has attracted attention as a method to prevent this condition. However, the conventional immunotherapy method targeting solid tumors, that is, intravenous injection, has limitations in homing in on the tumor and in vivo expansion and has not shown effective clinical results.

Controlled synthesis of solid-shelled non-spherical and faceted microbubbles.

The ability to control the shape of hollow particles (, capsules or bubbles) holds great promise for enhancing the encapsulation efficiency and mechanical/optical properties. However, conventional preparation methods suffer from a low yield, difficulty in controlling the shape, and a tedious production process, limiting their widespread application. Here, we present a method for fabricating polyhedral graphene oxide (GO)-shelled microbubbles with sharp edges and vertices, which is based on the microfluidic generation of spherical compound bubbles followed by shell deformation.

Assessing potential pathogenicity of novel highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N6) viruses isolated from Mongolian wild duck feces using a mouse model.

Several novel highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAIVs) A(H5N6) viruses were reported in Mongolia in 2020, some of which included host-specific markers associated with mammalian infection. However, their pathogenicity has not yet been investigated. Here, we isolated and evaluate two novel genotypes of A(H5N6) subtype in Mongolia during 2018-2019 (A/wildDuck/MN/H5N6/2018-19).

An osteogenic bioink composed of alginate, cellulose nanofibrils, and polydopamine nanoparticles for 3D bioprinting and bone tissue engineering.

Bioprinting is an emerging technology for manufacturing cell-laden three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds, which are used to fabricate complex 3D constructs and provide specific microenvironments for supporting cell growth and differentiation. The development of bioinks with appropriate printability and specific bioactivities is crucial for bioprinting and tissue engineering applications, including bone tissue regeneration. Therefore, to produce functional bioinks for osteoblast printing and bone tissue formation, we formulated various nanocomposite hydrogel-based bioinks using natural and biocompatible biomaterials (i.

Development of Surgically Transplantable Parathyroid Hormone-Releasing Microbeads.

Hypoparathyroidism is an endocrine disorder that occurs because of the inability to produce parathyroid hormone (PTH) effectively. Previously, we reported the efficacy of tonsil-derived mesenchymal stem cells (TMSCs) differentiated into parathyroid-like cells for the treatment of hypoparathyroidism. Here, we investigated the feasibility of three-dimensional structural microbeads fabricated with TMSCs and alginate, a natural biodegradable polymer, to treat hypoparathyroidism.

Molecular Analysis of the Avian H7 Influenza Viruses Circulating in South Korea during 2018-2019: Evolutionary Significance and Associated Zoonotic Threats.

Avian influenza virus (AIV) subtypes H5 and H7, possessing the ability to mutate spontaneously from low pathogenic (LP) to highly pathogenic (HP) variants, are major concerns for enormous socio-economic losses in the poultry industry, as well as for fatal human infections. Through antigenic drift and shift, genetic reassortments of the genotypes pose serious threats of increased virulence and pathogenicity leading to potential pandemics. In this study, we isolated the H7-subtype AIVs circulating in the Republic of Korea during 2018-2019, and perform detailed molecular analysis to study their circulation, evolution, and possible emergence as a zoonotic threat.

Development of a Rapid Fluorescent Diagnostic System to Detect Subtype H9 Influenza A Virus in Chicken Feces.

The circulation of the H9N2 virus results in significant economic losses in the poultry industry, and its zoonotic transmission highlights the need for a highly sensitive and rapid diagnostic and detection system for this virus. In this study, the performance of lateral flow test strips for a fluorescent immunochromatographic test (FICT) was optimized for the diagnosis of H9N2 virus-infected animal samples. The novel monoclonal antibodies (McAbs) against influenza A H9 viruses were developed, and two categories of McAbs with linear and conformational epitopes were compared for the performance of rapid diagnostic performance in the presence of feces sample at different time points (2, 4, and 6 days) post-infection (dpi).