Inducers of the endothelial cell barrier identified through chemogenomic screening in genome-edited hPSC-endothelial cells.

The blood-retina barrier and blood-brain barrier (BRB/BBB) are selective and semipermeable and are critical for supporting and protecting central nervous system (CNS)-resident cells. Endothelial cells (ECs) within the BRB/BBB are tightly coupled, express high levels of Claudin-5 (CLDN5), a junctional protein that stabilizes ECs, and are important for proper neuronal function. To identify novel CLDN5 regulators (and ultimately EC stabilizers), we generated a CLDN5-P2A-GFP stable cell line from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), directed their differentiation to ECs (CLDN5-GFP hPSC-ECs), and performed flow cytometry-based chemogenomic library screening to measure GFP expression as a surrogate reporter of barrier integrity.

N-Terminomics identifies HtrA1 cleavage of thrombospondin-1 with generation of a proangiogenic fragment in the polarized retinal pigment epithelial cell model of age-related macular degeneration.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly population. Variants in the HTRA1-ARMS2 locus have been linked to increased AMD risk. In the present study we investigated the impact of elevated HtrA1 levels on the retina pigment epithelial (RPE) secretome using a polarized culture system.

25I-NBOMe related death in Australia: a case report.

We present a toxicologically confirmed 25I-NBOMe related death from Australia. 25I-NBOMe is a synthetic new psychoactive substance (NPS), which is a derivative of the 2C-X series of phenethylamines. NBOMe compounds have hallucinogenic and stimulant properties and are potent agonists of the human 5HT2A receptor.

The risk of urinary incontinence after partial urethral resection in patients with anterior vulvar cancer.

Objective: The number of women with vulvar carcinoma located in the anterior fourchette in immediate proximity to the urethral opening has increased. A retrospective analysis was performed in order to evaluate the risk of urinary incontinence after tumor-resection, standard inguinal lymphadenectomy and additional partial urethral resection.

Study Design: Between 2002 and 2007, 19 women with vulvar carcinomas located close to the urethral opening and consequently treated by additional partial urethral resection of up to 1.

Single large inguinal lymph node metastasis in human papillomavirus-induced early invasive vulvar cancer of the anterior fourchette in two young women.

The incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)-induced vulvar cancer in young women is increasing and often presents as microinvasive or early invasive tumors in a grade 3 vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia. So far, the risk of lymph node metastases in early invasive vulvar carcinoma (depth of invasion 1.1-2.