Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: heterogeneous pathomechanisms and effectiveness of metabolism-based treatment.

The global epidemic of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasing worldwide. People with MASLD can progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, and extrahepatic cancers. Most people with MASLD die from cardiac-related causes.

HBV Remodels PP2A Complexes to Rewire Kinase Signaling in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections promote liver cancer initiation by inducing inflammation and cellular stress. Despite the primarily indirect effect on oncogenesis, HBV is associated with a recurrent genomic phenotype in HCC, suggesting that it impacts the biology of established HCC. Characterization of the interaction of HBV with host proteins and the mechanistic contributions of HBV to HCC initiation and maintenance could provide insights into HCC biology and uncover therapeutic vulnerabilities.

European Respiratory Society Research Seminar on Preventing Pediatric Asthma.

This report is a summary of the presentations given at the European Respiratory Society's Research Seminar on Asthma Prevention. The seminar reviewed both epidemiological and mechanistic studies and concluded that; (i) reducing exposure of pregnant women and children to air pollution will reduce incident asthma, (ii) there are promising data that both fish oil and a component of raw cow's milk prevent asthma, and (iii) modulating trained immunity by either mimicking helminth infection or oral and sublingual bacterial products is a promising area of research.

Carrageenan and insulin resistance in humans: a randomised double-blind cross-over trial.

Background: The potential impact of specific food additives, common in Western diets, on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is not well understood. This study focuses on carrageenan, a widely used food additive known to induce insulin resistance and gut inflammation in animal models, and its effects on human health.

Methods: In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial conducted at a university hospital metabolic study centre, 20 males (age 27.

Increased cardiovascular risk in people with LADA in comparison to type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes: Findings from the DPV registry in Germany and Austria.

Introduction: We aimed to characterise and compare individuals diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D), latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), in a real-world setting.

Methods: Anthropometric and clinical data from 36 959 people with diabetes diagnosed at age 30-70 years enrolled in the prospective diabetes patients follow-up (DPV) registry from 1995 to 2022 were analysed cross-sectionally at diagnosis and follow-up (≥6 months after diagnosis). LADA was defined as clinical diagnosis of T2D, positivity of ≥1 islet autoantibody and an insulin-free interval of ≥6 months upon diabetes diagnosis.

Epigenetic training of human bronchial epithelium cells by repeated rhinovirus infections.

Background: Humans are subjected to various environmental stressors (bacteria, viruses, pollution) throughout life. As such, an inherent relationship exists between the effect of these exposures with age. The impact of these environmental stressors can manifest through DNA methylation (DNAm).

Evaluation of the fate of wastewater effluent organic matter in receiving water: Effect of sequential photochemical and biological processes.

Effluent organic matter (EfOM) discharged from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) carry substantial risks to river ecosystems. The fate and role of EfOM in the receiving water is affected by its exposure to sunlight and microbial processes, but the extent of these processes remains unclear. In this study, three-phase sequence of irradiation and microbial incubation with EfOM were conducted to compare the behavior of EfOM with that of natural organic matter in receiving rivers (RNOM).

Myocardial inflammation is associated with impaired mitochondrial oxidative capacity in ischaemic cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Myocardial inflammation and impaired mitochondrial oxidative capacity are hallmarks of heart failure (HF) pathophysiology. The extent of myocardial inflammation in patients suffering from ischaemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) or dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and its association with mitochondrial energy metabolism are unknown. We aimed at establishing a relevant role of cardiac inflammation in the impairment of mitochondrial energy production in advanced ischaemic and non-ischaemic HF.

Systemic and local lipid adaptations underlie regeneration in Drosophila melanogaster and Ambystoma mexicanum.

In regenerating tissues, synthesis and remodeling of membranes rely on lipid turnover and transport. Our study addresses lipid adaptations in intestinal regeneration of Drosophila melanogaster and limb regeneration of Ambystoma mexicanum. We found changes in lipid profiles at different locations: transport, storage organs and regenerating tissues.

Physiological and pathogenic T cell autoreactivity converge in type 1 diabetes.

Autoimmune diseases result from autoantigen-mediated activation of adaptive immunity; intriguingly, autoantigen-specific T cells are also present in healthy donors. An assessment of dynamic changes of this autoreactive repertoire in both health and disease is thus warranted. Here we investigate the physiological versus pathogenic autoreactive processes in the context of Type 1 diabetes (T1D) and one of its landmark autoantigens, glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65).

Atomic Force Microscopy Measurements of Cartilage in Intact and Regenerating Axolotl Limbs.

Mechanical forces provide important signals for normal cell function and pattern formation in developing tissues, and their role has been widely studied during embryogenesis and pathogenesis. Comparatively, little is known of these signals during animal regeneration. The axolotl is an important model organism for the study of regeneration, given its ability to fully restore many organs and tissues after injury, including missing cartilage and bone.

Gene expression profiles in placenta and their association with anesthesia, delivery mode and maternal diabetes.

Introduction: Fetal development is dependent on placenta and affected by multiple factors including maternal diabetes. Here we aimed to identify maternal diabetes-associated changes in placentas and analyzed placental gene expression to understand its modulation by maternal diabetes and birth mode.

Methods: Placental RNAseq transcriptome analyses were performed on maternally-derived decidua and fetal-derived villous tissue from pregnancies of mothers with type 1 diabetes (n = 14), gestational diabetes (n = 6) and without diabetes (n = 14).

The Molecular Tumor Board Turns 10: The Age of Complexity.

Gene sequencing has brought a titanic of complex data into clinical precision oncology. Deciphering this complexity for practice requires new constructs. In 2014, the Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) was introduced into the literature by a publication in The Oncologist.

Evaluation of a host-protein signature score for differentiating between bacterial and viral infections: real-life evidence from a German tertiary hospital.

Purpose: A host-protein signature score, consisting of serum-concentrations of C-reactive protein, tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand, and interferon gamma-induced protein 10, was validated for distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections as an antimicrobial stewardship measure for routine clinical practice among adult patients in a German tertiary hospital.

Methods: This single-centre, explorative study prospectively assessed the host-protein signature score, comparing it with serum procalcitonin (PCT) in patients with blood stream infections (BSI) and evaluating its efficacy in patients with viral infections against the standard of care (SOC) to assess the need for antibiotics due to suspected bacterial super/coinfection. Manufacturer-specified threshold scores were used to differentiate viral (< 35) and bacterial (> 65) infections.

Axolotl mandible regeneration occurs through mechanical gap closure and a shared regenerative program with the limb.

The mandible plays an essential part in human life and, thus, defects in this structure can dramatically impair the quality of life in patients. Axolotls, unlike humans, are capable of regenerating their lower jaws; however, the underlying mechanisms and their similarities to those in limb regeneration are unknown. In this work, we used morphological, histological and transcriptomic approaches to analyze the regeneration of lateral resection defects in the axolotl mandible.

Small RNA-Seq and real time rt-qPCR reveal islet miRNA released under stress conditions.

Replacement of beta cells through transplantation is a potential therapeutic approach for individuals with pancreas removal or poorly controllable type 1 diabetes. However, stress and death of beta cells pose significant challenges. Circulating miRNA has emerged as potential biomarkers reflecting early beta cell stress and death, allowing for timely intervention.

The effect of Mankai plant consumption on postprandial glycaemic response among patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized crossover trial.

Aim: To explore the effect of Mankai, a cultivated aquatic duckweed green plant, on postprandial glucose (PG) excursions in type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: In a 4-week, randomized crossover-controlled trial, we enrolled 45 adults with T2D (HbA1c range: 6.5%-8.

Antiphospholipid Antibody Testing in a Maximum Care Hospital: Method-Dependent Differences.

Antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) testing is critical for the classification of antiphospholipid syndrome. The 2023 ACR/EULAR classification criteria recommend the use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and specific thresholds for aPL positivity. Since non-ELISA methods are increasingly used, we compared and evaluated ELISA and non-ELISA aPL assays in a real-world maximum care hospital setting.

A meta-analysis of genome-wide studies of resilience in the German population.

Resilience is the capacity to adapt to stressful life events. As such, this trait is associated with physical and mental functions and conditions. Here, we aimed to identify the genetic factors contributing to shape resilience.