Publications by authors named "Y Nagasaki"
Poly(-lysine)--poly(ethylene glycol)--poly(-lysine) (PLys--PEG--PLys) triblock copolymers formed polyion complex (PIC) with poly(acrylic acid) (PAAc) or sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS), leading to the formation of flower micelle-type nanoparticles (Nano or Nano) with tens of nanometers size in water at a polymer concentration of 10 mg/mL. The flower micelles exhibited irreversible temperature-driven sol-gel transitions at physiological ionic strength, even at low polymer concentrations such as 40 mg/mL, making them promising candidates for injectable hydrogel applications. Rheological studies showed that the chain length of PLys segments and the choice of polyanions significantly impacted irreversible hydrogel formation, with PSS being superior to PAAc for the formation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhole-genome sequencing analysis of Japanese autism spectrum disorder trios.
Psychiatry Clin Neurosci
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to explore the genetic basis and pathogenic variants associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by performing whole-genome sequencing on 57 Japanese ASD patients and their parents.
- Researchers identified potentially pathogenic variants in about 31.6% of the patients, with a higher rate (43.5%) among those with comorbid intellectual developmental disorder (IDD), highlighting specific genes like PTEN and CHD7 linked to recognized ASD phenotypes.
- The findings emphasize the importance of understanding the genetic underpinnings of ASD to aid in clinical diagnosis and treatment, though no significant results were found regarding short tandem repeats or polygenic risk scores.
PLAAT5 as an N-acyltransferase responsible for the generation of anti-inflammatory N-acylethanolamines in testis.
Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids
November 2024
Article Synopsis
- N-Acylethanolamines (NAEs) are lipid mediators important for reducing inflammation and suppressing appetite, with palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA) interacting with specific receptors.
- The enzyme PLAAT5 is highlighted as crucial for producing NAEs in testes, as research using PLAAT5-deficient mice revealed a significant drop in NAE levels and their associated anti-inflammatory effects.
- Inflammation in testicular tissue was exacerbated in PLAAT5-deficient mice but could be mitigated by PEA and AEA, indicating that these compounds could provide protective roles through their receptor pathways.
Background: Myxoid liposarcoma, a rare type of tumor, accounts for approximately 30% of all liposarcomas. Myxoid liposarcomas harboring the FUS/CHOP fusion gene have shown promising results with trabectedin in basic research and some clinical experiments. However, the efficacy and safety of trabectedin in chemotherapy-naive soft tissue sarcomas or FUS/CHOP fusion gene-positive myxoid liposarcomas have not yet been established.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants that escape neutralising antibodies hampers the development of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. IGHV3-53/3-66-derived public antibodies, which are generally specific to the prototype virus and are frequently induced in infected or vaccinated individuals, show minimal affinity maturation and high potency against prototype SARS-CoV-2.
Methods: Monoclonal antibodies isolated from a Delta breakthrough infection case were analysed for cross-neutralising activities against SARS-CoV-2 variants.