Phospholipid Oxygen Microbubbles for Image-Guided Therapy.

In recent work, oxygen microbubbles (OMB) have been shown to oxygenate hypoxic tumors, increase radio-sensitivity and improve tumor control by radiation therapy. Compared to intra-tumoral injection, intravenous delivery of adjuvant agents such as OMBs for radiotherapy offers an attractive means of achieving true theranostic function in a minimally invasive manner via contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), while reducing the risk of injury, infection or displacing tumor cells. However, short intravascular circulation times with conventional DSPC-lipid OMBs may lead to premature off-target dissolution of OMBs with an associated reduction in tumoral oxygen delivery.

Emerin induces nuclear breakage in extract and early embryos.

Emerin is an inner nuclear membrane protein often mutated in Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy. Because emerin has diverse roles in nuclear mechanics, cytoskeletal organization, and gene expression, it has been difficult to elucidate its contribution to nuclear structure and disease pathology. In this study, we investigated emerin's impact on nuclei assembled in egg extract, a simplified biochemical system that lacks potentially confounding cellular factors and activities.