Engineering Self-Assembling Peptide Hydrogel to Enhance the Capacity of Dendritic Cells to Activate In Vivo T-Cell Immunity.

The efficacy of the dendritic cell (DC) has failed to meet expectations thus far, and crucial problems such as the immature state of DCs, low targeting efficiency, insufficient number of dendritic cells, and microenvironment are still the current focus. To address these problems, we developed two self-assembling peptides, RLDI and RQDT, that mimic extracellular matrix (ECM). These peptides can be self-assembled into highly ordered three-dimensional nanofiber scaffold structures, where RLDI can form gelation immediately.

Fluorescein videoangiography data analysis protocol for mapping retinal vascular permeability in humans.

Fluorescein video angiographies (FVAs) are a diagnostic tool for eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy (DR). Currently, kinetic tracer model methods based on indicator-dilutions theory use FVAs to extract biomarkers (e.g.

Distinct Reproductive Phenotypes Segregate With Differences in Body Weight in Adolescent Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogenous clinical syndrome defined by hyperandrogenism and irregular menses. In adult women with PCOS, discrete metabolic and reproductive subgroups have been identified. We hypothesize that distinct phenotypes can be distinguished between adolescent girls who are lean (LN-G) and girls with obesity (OB-G) at the time of PCOS diagnosis.

Androgenicity in Young Women and Development of Metabolic Syndrome Before Menopause: The CARDIA and CARDIA Women's Studies.

Context: There are no reported data from prospective long-term studies on the relation of androgen levels in young women with development of metabolic syndrome (MetS) before menopause.

Objective: We investigated associations of androgens and SHBG with incident MetS during 23 years of follow-up.

Methods: We included 366 White and 375 Black women ages 20 to 32 years participating in the CARDIA study and CARDIA Women's study, free of MetS at baseline examination (1987-1988), and premenopausal 23 years later.

Molecular Research on Heart Protection.

Recently, various molecular bases of heart protection have been discovered and used in many experimental and clinical investigations [...

Long-range action of an HDAC inhibitor treats chronic pain in a spared nerve injury rat model.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) that modulate epigenetic regulation and are approved for treating rare cancers have, in disease models, also been shown to mitigate neurological conditions, including chronic pain. They are of interest as non-opioid treatments, but achieving long-term efficacy with limited dosing has remained elusive. Here we utilize a triple combination formulation (TCF) comprised of a pan-HDACi vorinostat (Vo at its FDA-approved daily dose of 50mg/Kg), the caging agent 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPBCD) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) known to boost plasma and brain exposure and efficacy of Vo in mice and rats, of various ages, spared nerve injury (SNI) model of chronic neuropathic pain.

Statistical evaluation of tongue capability with visual feedback.

Background: Analysis of tongue movement would benefit from a reference showcasing healthy tongue capability. We aimed to develop a reference of tongue capability and evaluated the role of visual feedback on the expression of movement.

Methods: Using a wireless tracking intraoral wearable device, we composed probability distributions of the tongue tip as subjects were asked to explore the entire sensing surface area.

Nutritional needs, resources, and barriers among unhoused adults cared for by a street medicine organization in Chicago, Illinois: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Those experiencing houselessness rely on obtaining food from community organizers and donations. Simultaneously, the houseless face disproportionally high rates of medical conditions that may be affected by diet including diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. There is limited literature on the resources and barriers of the houseless community regarding optimal nutrition from an actionable perspective.

Physiological stress improves stem cell modeling of dystrophic cardiomyopathy.

Heart failure contributes to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), which arises from mutations that ablate dystrophin, rendering the plasma membrane prone to disruption. Cardiomyocyte membrane breakdown in patients with DMD yields a serum injury profile similar to other types of myocardial injury with the release of creatine kinase and troponin isoforms. Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) are highly useful but can be improved.

Prostate cancer patient stratification by molecular signatures in the Veterans Precision Oncology Data Commons.

Veterans are at an increased risk for prostate cancer, a disease with extraordinary clinical and molecular heterogeneity, compared with the general population. However, little is known about the underlying molecular heterogeneity within the veteran population and its impact on patient management and treatment. Using clinical and targeted tumor sequencing data from the National Veterans Affairs health system, we conducted a retrospective cohort study on 45 patients with advanced prostate cancer in the Veterans Precision Oncology Data Commons (VPODC), most of whom were metastatic castration-resistant.

Collective and Coordinated Conformational Changes Determine Agonism or Antagonism at the Human Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 1.

The human trace amine-associated receptor (hTAAR1), a G protein-coupled receptor, has been postulated as a new target in the treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions. The mechanism associated with activation or inactivation by agonists or antagonists in hTAAR1 and other GPCRs has not yet been fully elucidated. In this study, we combined computational methods including homology modeling, docking, and molecular dynamic simulations to reveal novel conformational changes associated with agonist and antagonist interactions in hTAAR1.

Trunk postural reactions to the force perturbation intensity and frequency during sitting astride in children with cerebral palsy.

The purpose of this study was to examine kinematic and neuromuscular responses of the head and body to pelvis perturbations with different intensities and frequencies during sitting astride in children with CP. Sixteen children with spastic CP (mean age 7.4 ± 2.

Utilizing 3D Printing Technology to Create Prosthetic Irises: Proof of Concept and Workflow.

Purpose: There are currently limited treatment options for aniridia. In this context, 3D printed iris implants may provide a cost-effective, cosmetically acceptable alternative for patients with aniridia. The purpose of this study was to develop a proof-of-concept workflow for manufacturing 3D printed iris implants using a silicone ink palette that aesthetically matches iris shades, identified in slit lamp images.

Apta FastZ: An Algorithm for the Rapid Identification of Aptamers with Defined Binding Affinities.

Real-time biomolecular monitoring requires biosensors based on affinity reagents, such as aptamers, with moderate to low affinities for the best binding dynamics and signal gain. We recently reported Pro-SELEX, an approach that utilizes parallelized SELEX and high-content bioinformatics for the selection of aptamers with predefined binding affinities. The Pro-SELEX pipeline relies on an algorithm, termed AptaZ, that can predict the binding affinities of selected aptamers.

Muscle Spasms after Spinal Cord Injury Stem from Changes in Motoneuron Excitability and Synaptic Inhibition, Not Synaptic Excitation.

Muscle spasms are common in chronic spinal cord injury (SCI), posing challenges to rehabilitation and daily activities. Pharmacological management of spasms mostly targets suppression of excitatory inputs, an approach known to hinder motor recovery. To identify better targets, we investigated changes in inhibitory and excitatory synaptic inputs to motoneurons as well as motoneuron excitability in chronic SCI.

Unraveling the Link between Olfactory Deficits and Neuropsychiatric Disorders.

Smell loss has caught public attention during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Research on olfactory function in health and disease gains new momentum. Smell deficits have long been recognized as an early clinical sign associated with neuropsychiatric disorders.

Physician Perspectives on Performing Newborn Circumcisions: Barriers and Opportunities.

Objective: Over half of infant boys born in the United States undergo newborn circumcision. However, available data indicate that boys who are publicly insured, or Black/African American, have less access to desired newborn circumcision, thus concentrating riskier, more costly operative circumcision among these populations. This study ascertains perinatal physician perspectives about barriers and facilitators to providing newborn circumcisions, with a goal of informing future strategies to ensure more equitable access.

Proteomic quantification of native and ECM-enriched mouse ovaries reveals an age-dependent fibro-inflammatory signature.

The ovarian microenvironment becomes fibrotic and stiff with age, in part due to increased collagen and decreased hyaluronan. However, the extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex network of hundreds of proteins, glycoproteins, and glycans which are highly tissue specific and undergo pronounced changes with age. To obtain an unbiased and comprehensive profile of age-associated alterations to the murine ovarian proteome and ECM, we used a label-free quantitative proteomic methodology.