COVID-19 is a new zoonotic disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Since its emergence in Wuhan City, China, the virus has rapidly spread across the globe causing calamitous health, economic and societal consequences. It causes disproportionately severe disease in the elderly and those with co-morbidities, such as hypertension and diabetes. There is currently no proven treatment for COVID-19 and a safe and effective vaccine is at least a year away. The virus gains access to the respiratory epithelium through cell surface angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The receptor binding domain (RBD) of the virus is unlikely to mutate without loss of pathogenicity and thus represents an attractive target for antiviral treatment. Inhaled modified recombinant human ACE2, may bind SARS-CoV-2 and mitigate lung damage. This decoy strategy is unlikely to provoke an adverse immune response and may reduce morbidity and mortality in high-risk groups.
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Toluene Toxicity in the Brain: From Cellular Targets to Molecular Mechanisms.
Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol
January 2025
Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, Tennessee, USA; email:
Toluene intoxication constitutes a persistent public health problem worldwide. While most organs can be damaged, the brain is a primary target whether exposure is accidental, occupational, or recreational. Interventions to prevent/revert brain damage by toluene are curtailed by the scarce information on the molecular targets and mechanisms mediating toluene's brain toxicity and the common exposure to other neurotoxins and/or coexistence of neurological/psychiatric disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEngineered extracellular vesicles loaded in boronated cyclodextrin framework for pulmonary delivery.
Carbohydr Polym
March 2025
Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China; Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang 110016, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China. Electronic address:
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are promising therapeutic carriers for their ideal nano-size and intrinsic biocompatibility, while rapid clearance and limited targeting ability are the major setbacks of EVs. With minimal absorption into the systemic circulation, inhalation for pulmonary disease therapy minimizes off-target toxicity to other organs and offers a safe and effective treatment for respiratory disorders. Herein, a nano-grid carrier made of boronated cyclodextrin framework (BCF) was prepared for pH/HO responsive release of EVs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInduced Sputum: A Valuable Tool for Assessing Cellular and Microbiological Characteristics in Cystic Fibrosis Expectorating Teenagers.
Pediatr Pulmonol
January 2025
Centre de Ressources et de Compétences pour la Mucoviscidose, CHU Timone-Enfants, Marseille, France.
Introduction: Cellular characteristics of induced sputum (IS) are not investigated in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.
Objectives: This pilot study, conducted on 17 expectorating CF adolescents, compared sputa obtained the same day, in a stable period, by autogenic drainage (expectorating sputum, ES) and 4 h later after inhaling hypertonic saline (IS).
Results: No difference was noted concerning weight, volume, and percentage of dead cells between the two collection methods.
Perfusion estimation from dynamic non-contrast computed tomography using self-supervised learning and a physics-inspired U-net transformer architecture.
Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg
January 2025
Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
Purpose: Pulmonary perfusion imaging is a key lung health indicator with clinical utility as a diagnostic and treatment planning tool. However, current nuclear medicine modalities face challenges like low spatial resolution and long acquisition times which limit clinical utility to non-emergency settings and often placing extra financial burden on the patient. This study introduces a novel deep learning approach to predict perfusion imaging from non-contrast inhale and exhale computed tomography scans (IE-CT).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInfluence of macrophages and neutrophilic granulocyte-like cells on crystalline silica-induced toxicity in human lung epithelial cells.
Toxicol Res (Camb)
February 2025
Département Toxicologie et Biométrologie, Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité pour la prévention des accidents du travail et des maladies professionnelles (INRS), 1 rue du Morvan, 54519 Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy, France.
In many industrial activities, workers may be exposed by inhalation to particles that are aerosolized, To predict the human health hazard of these materials, we propose to develop a co-culture model (macrophages, granulocytes, and alveolar epithelial cells) designed to be more representative of the inflammatory pulmonary response occurring in vivo. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-differentiated THP-1 cells were used as macrophages, All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA)-differentiated HL60 were used as granulocytes and A549 were used as epithelial alveolar type II cells. A crystalline silica sample DQ12 was used as a prototypical particle for its capabilities to induce DNA damage, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress in epithelial cells; its polyvinylpyridine-N-oxide (PVNO)-surface modified counterpart was also used as a negative particulate control.
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