Research on Plasmodium parasites has driven breakthroughs in reducing malaria morbidity and mortality. Experimental analysis of in vivo/ex vivo versus in vitro samples serve unique roles in Plasmodium research. However, these distinctly different environments lead to discordant biology between parasites in host circulation and those under laboratory cultivation. Here, we review how in vitro factors, such as nutrient levels and physical forces, differ from those in the human host and the resulting implications for parasite growth, survival, and virulence. Additionally, we discuss the current utility of direct-from-host methodologies, which avoid the potentially confounding effects of in vitro cultivation. Finally, we make the case for methodological improvements that will drive research progress of physiologically relevant phenotypes.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2020.08.008 | DOI Listing |
Int J Biol Macromol
December 2024
Department of Pharmacy, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China. Electronic address:
Bladder instillation of chemo-therapeutic agents is common for bladder cancer (BC) treatment, however, due to the poor tissue selectivity of chemotherapeutic agents, this method suffers from bladder irritation or even chemical cystitis. Here, we designed a hydroxyethyl starch-based prodrug for epirubicin (EPI) using a pH-sensitive hydrazone linker and folate as the active targeting moiety (FA-HES-hyd-EPI) to achieve delivery selectivity. Prodrug micelles decorated with FA (FA-m), with diameter of 203.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Cell Biol
December 2024
Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address:
Vascular stabilization is a mechanosensitive process, in part driven by blood flow. Here, we demonstrate the involvement of the mechanosensitive ion channel, Piezo1, in promoting arterial accumulation of vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) during zebrafish development. Using a series of small molecule antagonists or agonists to temporally regulate Piezo1 activity, we identified a role for the Piezo1 channel in regulating klf2a, a blood flow responsive transcription factor, expression levels and altered targeting of vSMCs between arteries and veins.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCirc Res
December 2024
Cardiovascular Research Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. (C.C., P.X., Z.Y., Y.S., E.S.L., J.D.R., M.C.H.).
Background: Preeclampsia is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy characterized by systemic endothelial dysfunction. The pathophysiology of preeclampsia remains incompletely understood. This study used human venous endothelial cell (EC) transcriptional profiling to investigate potential novel mechanisms underlying EC dysfunction in preeclampsia.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEquine Vet J
December 2024
Department of Large Animal Surgery, Anaesthesia and Orthopaedics, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Background: In orthograde endodontic treatments, different methods are available to debride the pulp canals of endodontically compromised equine cheek teeth, but their efficacy is unknown.
Objectives: To explore and compare the efficacy and anatomical changes caused by manual versus reciprocating filing techniques in equine cheek teeth, to explore the presence of instrumentation mishaps described in human dentistry and to explore anatomical complexities of the pulp cavity that often remain uninstrumented using microcomputed tomography (μCT).
Study Design: Ex-vivo randomised experiments.
J Thromb Haemost
December 2024
Division of Hematology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC. Electronic address:
Background: IgG antibodies (Abs) to platelet factor 4 complexed to heparin (PF4/H) commonly occur after heparin exposure but cause life-threatening complications of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) in only a few patients. Presently, only platelet activation assays reliably distinguish anti-PF4/H Abs that cause disease (HIT Abs) from those likely to be asymptomatic (AAbs).
Objectives: Recent studies indicate that complement activation is an important serologic property of HIT Abs and is essential for FcγRIIA-mediated cellular activation.
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