A Novel Port to Facilitate Magnetic Hyperthermia Therapy for Glioma.

High-grade gliomas (HGG) are the most common primary brain malignancy and continue to be associated with a dismal prognosis (median survival rate of 15-18 months) with standard of care therapy. Magnetic hyperthermia therapy (MHT) is an emerging intervention that leverages the ferromagnetic properties of magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles (MIONPs) to target cancer cells that are otherwise left behind after resection. We report a novel port device to facilitate localization, delivery, and temperature measurement of MIONPs within a target lesion for MHT therapy.

Cancer telomeres and white crows.

This mini-review article discusses past and present prostate-focused research on telomere and telomerase biology conducted at Johns Hopkins, through the eyes of a Donald S Coffey trainee. Included are past discoveries of abnormalities in telomere biology in the context of prostate cancer and its pre-malignant precursor prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN); the finding that telomerase activity is androgen-regulated in the prostate, and the potential role of telomerase in prostate epithelial stem cells. Also reviewed are more recent results showing that in situ telomere length measurements in patient tissue specimens may have utility in risk assessment and as a prognostic biomarker.

Aptamers and apple pies: a mini-review of PSMA aptamers and lessons from Donald S. Coffey.

This mini-review article is part of a special issue dedicated to Donald S. Coffey, a pioneer translational research scientist, exemplary mentor, and leader in urologic and urologic oncology research. This article first briefly reflects on life and scientific lessons from Don Coffey.

Long noncoding RNA CNALPTC1 promotes cell proliferation and migration of papillary thyroid cancer via sponging miR-30 family.

Several somatic copy number variations (CNVs) have been identified in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). However, the functional roles of CNVs and the genes responsible for the roles of CNVs are largely unknown. In this study, we identified a novel long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) CNALPTC1 (copy number amplified long noncoding RNA in papillary thyroid cancer 1).

Intraocular Injection of ES Cell-Derived Neural Progenitors Improve Visual Function in Retinal Ganglion Cell-Depleted Mouse Models.

Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) transplantation is a promising strategy to restore visual function resulting from irreversible RGC degeneration occurring in glaucoma or inherited optic neuropathies. We previously demonstrated FGF2 induced differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESC) to RGC lineage, capable of retinal ganglion cell layer (GCL) integration upon transplantation. Here, we evaluated possible improvement of visual function by transplantation of ES cell derived neural progenitors in RGC depleted glaucoma mice models.

Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer MRI Signal Loss of the Substantia Nigra as an Imaging Biomarker to Evaluate the Diagnosis and Severity of Parkinson's Disease.

The early diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and the accurate evaluation of disease severity are crucial for intervention and treatment in PD patients. In this study, we applied chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) imaging to patients at different stages of PD and explored the clinical value of the CEST signal loss of the substantia nigra as an imaging biomarker of PD. The measured CEST signal intensities (including amide proton transfer-weighted or APTw, and total CEST or CEST) of the substantia nigra in PD patients showed a significantly decreased tendency with PD progression.

Oral Immunization with a Multivalent Epitope-Based Vaccine, Based on NAP, Urease, HSP60, and HpaA, Provides Therapeutic Effect on Infection in Mongolian gerbils.

Epitope-based vaccine is a promising strategy for therapeutic vaccination against () infection. A multivalent subunit vaccine containing various antigens from is superior to a univalent subunit vaccine. However, whether a multivalent epitope-based vaccine is superior to a univalent epitope-based vaccine in therapeutic vaccination against , remains unclear.

Qualitative and Quantitative Features of Music Reported to Support Peak Mystical Experiences during Psychedelic Therapy Sessions.

Psilocybin is a classic (serotonergic) hallucinogen ("psychedelic" drug) that may occasion mystical experiences (characterized by a profound feeling of oneness or unity) during acute effects. Such experiences may have therapeutic value. Research and clinical applications of psychedelics usually include music listening during acute drug effects, based on the expectation that music will provide psychological support during the acute effects of psychedelic drugs, and may even facilitate the occurrence of mystical experiences.

Probabilistic White Matter Atlases of Human Auditory, Basal Ganglia, Language, Precuneus, Sensorimotor, Visual and Visuospatial Networks.

: Despite the popularity of functional connectivity analyses and the well-known topology of several intrinsic cortical networks, relatively little is known about the white matter regions (i.e., structural connectivity) underlying these networks.

Age and Glaucoma-Related Characteristics in Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Choroid: Localized Morphometrics and Visualization Using Functional Shapes Registration.

Optical coherence tomography provides high-resolution 3D imaging of the posterior segment of the eye. However, quantitative morphological analysis, particularly relevant in retinal degenerative diseases such as glaucoma, has been confined to simple sectorization and averaging with limited spatial sensitivity for detection of clinical markers. In this paper, we present point-wise analysis and visualization of the retinal nerve fiber layer and choroid from cross-sectional data using functional shapes (fshape) registration.

Investigating Focal Connectivity Deficits in Alzheimer's Disease Using Directional Brain Networks Derived from Resting-State fMRI.

Connectivity analysis of resting-state fMRI has been widely used to identify biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on brain network aberrations. However, it is not straightforward to interpret such connectivity results since our understanding of brain functioning relies on regional properties (activations and morphometric changes) more than connections. Further, from an interventional standpoint, it is easier to modulate the activity of regions (using brain stimulation, neurofeedback, etc.

Feature Selection Methods for Zero-Shot Learning of Neural Activity.

Dimensionality poses a serious challenge when making predictions from human neuroimaging data. Across imaging modalities, large pools of potential neural features (e.g.

The Origins of Ashkenaz, Ashkenazic Jews, and Yiddish.

Recently, the geographical origins of Ashkenazic Jews (AJs) and their native language Yiddish were investigated by applying the Geographic Population Structure (GPS) to a cohort of exclusively Yiddish-speaking and multilingual AJs. GPS localized most AJs along major ancient trade routes in northeastern Turkey adjacent to primeval villages with names that resemble the word "Ashkenaz." These findings were compatible with the hypothesis of an Irano-Turko-Slavic origin for AJs and a Slavic origin for Yiddish and at odds with the Rhineland hypothesis advocating a Levantine origin for AJs and German origins for Yiddish.

Mice Lacking the Alpha9 Subunit of the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Exhibit Deficits in Frequency Difference Limens and Sound Localization.

Sound processing in the cochlea is modulated by cholinergic efferent axons arising from medial olivocochlear neurons in the brainstem. These axons contact outer hair cells in the mature cochlea and inner hair cells during development and activate nicotinic acetylcholine receptors composed of α9 and α10 subunits. The α9 subunit is necessary for mediating the effects of acetylcholine on hair cells as genetic deletion of the α9 subunit results in functional cholinergic de-efferentation of the cochlea.

Plasma Extracellular Vesicles Enriched for Neuronal Origin: A Potential Window into Brain Pathologic Processes.

Our team has been a pioneer in harvesting extracellular vesicles (EVs) enriched for neuronal origin from peripheral blood and using them as a biomarker discovery platform for neurological disorders. This methodology has demonstrated excellent diagnostic and predictive performance for Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases in multiple studies, providing a strong proof of concept for this approach. Here, we describe our methodology in detail and offer further evidence that isolated EVs are enriched for neuronal origin.

A New Rabbit-Skin Model to Evaluate Protective Efficacy of Tuberculosis Vaccines.

BCG protection is suboptimal and there is significant interest to develop new tuberculosis (TB) vaccines. However, there are significant limitations of the current vaccine evaluation systems in the mouse model. Here, we developed a BCG-challenge rabbit skin model as a new way to evaluate the protective efficacy of selected TB subunit vaccine candidates.

GABA Concentrations in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex Are Associated with Fear Network Function and Fear Recovery in Humans.

Relapse of fear after successful treatment is a common phenomenon in patients with anxiety disorders. Animal research suggests that the inhibitory neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) plays a key role in the maintenance of extinguished fear. Here, we combined magnetic resonance spectroscopy and functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the role of GABA in fear recovery in 70 healthy male participants.

Identification of Genes Controlled by the Essential YycFG Two-Component System Reveals a Role for Biofilm Modulation in .

Biofilms play a crucial role in the pathogenicity of , while little is known about whether the essential YycFG two-component signal transduction system (TCS) is involved in biofilm formation. We used antisense RNA (asRNA) to silence the TCS in order to study its regulatory functions in . Strain 1457 expressing asRNA exhibited a significant delay (~4-5 h) in entry to log phase, which was partially complemented by overexpressing .