A Site-Specific MiniAp4-Trastuzumab Conjugate Prevents Brain Metastasis.

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are changing cancer treatments. However, the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-tumor barrier (BTB) limits the use of mAbs to treat brain cancer or brain metastasis. Molecules that hijack endogenous transport mechanisms on the brain endothelium (brain shuttles) have been shown to increase the transport of large molecules and nanoparticles across the BBB.

Vibrational fiber photometry: label-free and reporter-free minimally invasive Raman spectroscopy deep in the mouse brain.

Optical approaches to monitor neural activity are transforming neuroscience, owing to a fast-evolving palette of genetically encoded molecular reporters. However, the field still requires robust and label-free technologies to monitor the multifaceted biomolecular changes accompanying brain development, aging or disease. Here, we have developed vibrational fiber photometry as a low-invasive method for label-free monitoring of the biomolecular content of arbitrarily deep regions of the mouse brain in vivo through spontaneous Raman spectroscopy.

Potential of ex vivo organotypic slice cultures in neuro-oncology.

Over recent decades, in vitro and in vivo models have significantly advanced brain cancer research; however, each presents distinct challenges for accurately mimicking in situ conditions. In response, organotypic slice cultures have emerged as a promising model recapitulating precisely specific in vivo phenotypes through an ex vivo approach. Ex vivo organotypic brain slice models can integrate biological relevance and patient-specific variability early in drug discovery, thereby aiming for more precise treatment stratification.

Integrating priorities at the intersection of cancer and neuroscience.

Cancer neuroscience is a rapidly growing multidisciplinary field that conceptualizes tumors as tissues fully integrated into the nervous system. Recognizing the complexity and challenges in this field is of fundamental importance to achieving the goal of translational impact for cancer patients. Our commentary highlights key scientific priorities, optimal training settings, and roadblocks to translating scientific findings to the clinic in this emerging field, aiming to formulate a transformative and cohesive path forward.

TIMP1 Mediates Astrocyte-Dependent Local Immunosuppression in Brain Metastasis Acting on Infiltrating CD8+ T Cells.

Immunotherapies against brain metastases have shown clinical benefits when applied to asymptomatic patients, but they are largely ineffective in symptomatic cases for unknown reasons. Here, we dissect the heterogeneity in metastasis-associated astrocytes using single-cell RNA sequencing and report a population that blocks the antitumoral activity of infiltrating T cells. This protumoral activity is mediated by the secretion of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP1) from a cluster of pSTAT3+ astrocytes that acts on CD63+ CD8+ T cells to modulate their function.

Full kinetic modeling analysis of [F]fluorocholine Positron Emission Tomography (PET) at initial diagnosis of high-grade glioma.

Purpose: The main objective was to characterize the tracer uptake kinetics of [F]fluoromethylcholine ([F]F-CHO) in high-grade gliomas (HGG) through a full PET kinetic modeling approach. Secondarily, we aimed to explore the relationship between the PET uptake measures and the HGG molecular features.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-four patients with a suspected diagnosis of HGG were prospectively included.

Trace cisplatin adsorption by thiol-functionalized sponge (TFS) and Sn/SnO-coated TFS: Adsorption study and mechanism investigation.

To remove trace cisplatin from aqueous solution, commercial sponges were functionalized by esterification with 3-mercaptopropionic acid, followed by reduction with NaS·9HO or SnCl·2HO. The resulting thiol-functionalized sponges (TFSs), TFS_1 and TFS_2, were tested for the removal of cisplatin (235 μg L) achieving maximum removal of 95.5 ± 0.

Macrophage-fibroblast JAK/STAT dependent crosstalk promotes liver metastatic outgrowth in pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly metastatic disease for which better therapies are urgently needed. Fibroblasts and macrophages are heterogeneous cell populations able to enhance metastasis, but the role of a macrophage-fibroblast crosstalk in regulating their pro-metastatic functions remains poorly understood. Here we deconvolve how macrophages regulate metastasis-associated fibroblast (MAF) heterogeneity in the liver.

Carbosilane Dendritic Amphiphiles from Cholesterol or Vitamin E for Micelle Formation.

Cationic dendritic amphiphiles were prepared through the linkage of interesting hydrophobic molecules such as cholesterol or vitamin E to the focal point of carbosilane dendrons. These new dendritic systems self-assembled in saline, producing micellar aggregates with hydrodynamic diameters ranging from 6.5 to 9.

Next Directions in the Neuroscience of Cancers Arising outside the CNS.

The field of cancer neuroscience has begun to define the contributions of nerves to cancer initiation and progression; here, we highlight the future directions of basic and translational cancer neuroscience for malignancies arising outside of the central nervous system.

Liposomes as selenium nanocarriers for foliar application to wheat plants: A biofortification strategy.

In the present work, liposomes have been used as nanocarriers in the biofortification of wheat plants with selenium (Se) through foliar application. Liposomal formulations were prepared using 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and Phospholipon®90H (P90H) (average size <100 nm), loaded with different concentrations of inorganic Se (selenite and selenate) and applied twice to the plants in the stage of vegetative growth. Liposomes enhanced Se uptake by wheat plants compared to direct application.

Phytochemical Profile, Bioactive Properties, and Se Speciation of Se-Biofortified Red Radish (), Green Pea (), and Alfalfa () Microgreens.

The impact of selenium (Se) enrichment on bioactive compounds and sugars and Se speciation was assessed on different microgreens (green pea, red radish, and alfalfa). Sodium selenite and sodium selenate at a total concentration of 20 μM (1:1) lead to a noticeable Se biofortification (40-90 mg Se kg DW). In green pea and alfalfa, Se did not negatively impact phenolics and antioxidant capacity, while in red radish, a significant decrease was found.

Invasive growth of brain metastases is linked to CHI3L1 release from pSTAT3-positive astrocytes.

Background: Compared to minimally invasive brain metastases (MI BrM), highly invasive (HI) lesions form abundant contacts with cells in the peritumoral brain parenchyma and are associated with poor prognosis. Reactive astrocytes (RAs) labeled by phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3) have recently emerged as a promising therapeutic target for BrM. Here, we explore whether the BrM invasion pattern is influenced by pSTAT3+ RAs and may serve as a predictive biomarker for STAT3 inhibition.

Effective Removal of Boron from Aqueous Solutions by Inorganic Adsorbents: A Review.

Increasing levels of boron in water exceeding acceptable thresholds have triggered concerns regarding environmental pollution and adverse health effects. In response, significant efforts are being made to develop new adsorbents for the removal of boron from contaminated water. Among the various materials proposed, inorganic adsorbents have emerged as promising materials due to their chemical, thermal, and mechanical stability.

Mercury speciation in selenium enriched wheat plants hydroponically exposed to mercury pollution.

Mercury (Hg) pollution in agricultural soils and its potential pathway to the human food chain can pose a serious health concern. Understanding the pathway of Hg in plants and how the speciation may change upon interaction with other elements used for biofortification can be critical to assess the real implications for the final plant-based product. In that respect, selenium (Se) biofortification of crops grown in Se-poor soil regions is becoming a common practice to overcome Se deficient diets.

Focusing on Infections: Distribution, Antimicrobial Susceptibilities and Phylogeny.

The immunosuppression conditions and the presence of medical devices in patients favor the infections. However, the features of this aerobic actinomycete have been little explored. Strains ( = 164) were characterized with 16S rDNA and A1 genes to define their phylogenetic relationships, and subjected to broth microdilution to profile the antimicrobial susceptibilities of species that caused infections in Spain during the 2005-2021 period.

Updating cancer research with patient-focused networks.

Multidisciplinary patient-centered networks offer access to difficult-to-get samples and initiate projects from human material. Improving such networks to include 'living' samples could be transformative, not only for research but for clinical trial design, especially when focused on unmet clinical needs, such as brain metastasis.

Exploring the genetic background of the botulism neurotoxin BoNT/B2 in Spain.

To determine whether the neurotoxin BoNT/B2 causing botulism in Spain is clonal, the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of from food-borne episodes and infant cases of the condition were explored. The botulinum toxin gene () subtype, the variable region of the flagellin gene (VR), and a seven-gene multi-locus sequence type were examined by sequencing 37 BoNT-positive cultures obtained over the period 2010 to 2022. Out of 37 botulism events, 16 food-borne episodes and 16 infant cases were associated with 2.

Machine learning identifies experimental brain metastasis subtypes based on their influence on neural circuits.

A high percentage of patients with brain metastases frequently develop neurocognitive symptoms; however, understanding how brain metastasis co-opts the function of neuronal circuits beyond a tumor mass effect remains unknown. We report a comprehensive multidimensional modeling of brain functional analyses in the context of brain metastasis. By testing different preclinical models of brain metastasis from various primary sources and oncogenic profiles, we dissociated the heterogeneous impact on local field potential oscillatory activity from cortical and hippocampal areas that we detected from the homogeneous inter-model tumor size or glial response.

Growth exponents reflect evolutionary processes and treatment response in brain metastases.

Tumor growth is the result of the interplay of complex biological processes in huge numbers of individual cells living in changing environments. Effective simple mathematical laws have been shown to describe tumor growth in vitro, or simple animal models with bounded-growth dynamics accurately. However, results for the growth of human cancers in patients are scarce.

Validated method for polystyrene nanoplastic separation in aqueous matrices by asymmetric-flow field flow fraction coupled to MALS and UV-Vis detectors.

Plastics with nanosize (nanoplastics, NPLs) must be characterized, since they can be toxic or act as carriers of organic and inorganic pollutants, but there is a lack of reference materials and validated methods in the nanosize range. Therefore, this study has focused on the development and validation of a separation and size characterization methodology of polystyrene latex nanospheres, by using an asymmetric-flow field flow fraction system coupled to multi-angle light scattering and ultraviolet-visible detectors (AF4-MALS-UV). Hence, this work presents a fully validated methodology in the particle size range 30 to 490 nm, with bias between 95 and 109%, precision between 1 and 18%, LOD and LOQ below 0.

Comparative study on removal of platinum cytostatic drugs at trace level by cysteine, diethylenetriamino functionalized Si-gels and polyethyleneimine functionalized sponge: Adsorption performance and mechanisms.

To efficiently remove trace Pt-based cytostatic drugs (Pt-CDs) from aqueous environments, a comparative investigation was conducted on the adsorption behavior of three commercial adsorbents including cysteine-functionalized silica gel (Si-Cys), 3-(diethylenetriamino) propyl-functionalized silica gel (Si-DETA) and open-celled cellulose MetalZorb® sponge (Sponge). The research on the adsorption of cisplatin and carboplatin encompasses investigations of pH dependence, adsorption kinetics, adsorption isotherms, and adsorption thermodynamics. The obtained results were compared with those of PtCl to better understand the adsorption mechanisms.