Acute Sophora alkaloid poisoning in Hong Kong.

Sophora alkaloids, including matrine, oxymatrine, and sophoridine, are quinolizidines found in plants used in traditional Chinese medicine such as Sophora flavescens and Sophora tonkinensis. Reports on acute Sophora alkaloid poisoning in humans outside of mainland China are lacking. This study aimed to characterize the clinical presentations, management, and outcomes of acute poisoning involving Sophora alkaloids in Hong Kong.

Rationale and Design of the HERZCHECK trial: Detection of Early Heart Failure Using Telemedicine and CMR in Structurally Weak Regions (NCT05122793).

Background And Aims: Heart failure (HF) is an imminent global health problem. Yet established screening algorithms for asymptomatic pre-HF, allowing for early and effective preventive interventions, are largely lacking. The HERZCHECK trial, conducted in structurally underserved rural regions of North-Eastern Germany, aims to close this gap by evaluating the feasibility, diagnostic efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of a fully mobile, telemedically-supervised screening approach, combining cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and laboratory testing as central elements.

E-jet 3D printed aligned nerve guidance conduits incorporated with decellularized extracellular matrix hydrogel encapsulating extracellular vesicles for peripheral nerve repair.

Peripheral nerve injury (PNI) as a common clinical issue that presents significant challenges for repair. Factors such as donor site morbidity from autologous transplantation, slow recovery of long-distance nerve damage, and deficiencies in local cytokines and extracellular matrix contribute to the complexity of effective PNI treatment. It is extremely urgent to develop functional nerve guidance conduits (NGCs) as substitutes for nerve autografts.

Application prospect of polysaccharide in the development of vaccine adjuvants.

Vaccination is an effective strategy for preventing infectious diseases. Subunit vaccines offer more precise targeting and safer protection compared with traditional inactivated virus vaccines. However, due to their poor immunogenicity, subunit vaccines necessitate the use of adjuvants to stimulate the immune system.

A nanobody-enzyme fusion protein targeting PD-L1 and sialic acid exerts anti-tumor effects by C-type lectin pathway-mediated tumor associated macrophages repolarizing.

Aberrant sialylated glycosylation in the tumor microenvironment is a novel immune suppression pathway, which has garnered significant attention as a targetable glycoimmune checkpoint for cancer immunotherapy to address the dilemma of existing therapies. However, rational drug design and in-depth mechanistic studies are urgently required for tumor sialic acid to become valuable glycoimmune targets. In this study, we explored the positive correlation of PD-L1 and sialyltransferase expression in clinical colorectal cancer tissues and identified their mutual regulation effects in macrophages.

Scutellarin inhibits pyroptosis via selective autophagy degradation of p30/GSDMD and suppression of ASC oligomerization.

Most of the pyroptosis inhibitors targeted Gasdermin D (GSDMD) are functioning by restraining GSDMD-N (p30) oligomerization. For the first time, this work discovered a pyroptosis inhibitor taking effect by degrading p30 and GSDMD. As the principal bioactive constituent in Erigeron breviscapus, scutellarin (SCU) assumes a pivotal role in the realm of anti-inflammatory processes.

Quercetin-functionalized nanomaterials: Innovative therapeutic avenues for Alzheimer's disease management.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a major global health challenge, largely due to its complex pathology and the limited effectiveness of existing treatments. Quercetin, a bioactive compound belonging to the flavonoid class, its promising antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects in addressing AD. However, its therapeutic potential is hindered by challenges such as low bioavailability, instability, and restricted permeability across the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Optimizing mRNA translation efficiency through rational 5'UTR and 3'UTR combinatorial design.

Advances in molecular medicine and biotechnology have demonstrated messenger RNA (mRNA)-based therapies to be a promising therapeutic modality for infectious diseases, genetic disorders, and cancers. However, key challenges persist, including low translation efficiency and short half-life of exogenous mRNA. The untranslated regions (UTRs) influence important parameters like mRNA stability and translation efficiency.

Swietenolide inhibits the TXNIP/NLRP3 pathways via Nrf2 activation to ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in diabetic mice.

Oxidative stress and inflammation play important roles in diabetic-associated cognitive dysfunction (DACD). Swietenolide (Std), isolated from the fruit of Swietenia macrophylla King, exhibits various potent pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties. However, the effects of Std on DACD remains unexplored.

AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR GENETIC STUDY OF 60 COLORECTAL CARCINOMA BRAIN METASTASES IN PURSUIT OF PREDICTIVE BIOMARKERS FOR CANCER THERAPY.

Colorectal carcinoma brain metastases (n=60) were studied using next-generation sequencing and immunohistochemistry. RAS and BRAF mutations were detected in 58.2% and 7.

Clinical events associated with poor CD4 T-cell recovery in people living with HIV following ART: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly improved outcomes for people living with HIV (PLWH), but poor CD4 T-cell recovery remains a challenge. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between poor CD4 T-cell recovery and the morbidity of clinical events (CEs) in PLWH after ART initiation.

Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search of the EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases up to February 19, 2024, and included studies that reported the number of CEs along with the CD4 count at the time of the CEs or the most recent CD4 count prior to the CEs.

Genomic insights into a multidrug-resistant Pandoraea apista clinical isolate carrying bla from China.

Objectives: Pandoraea apista is notable for its multidrug resistance and is frequently identified in patients with cystic fibrosis or other chronic lung diseases, where it contributes to persistent lung infections. In this study, we describe a strain of P. apista harboring the bla, isolated from the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of an inpatient in China.

Preventive vs. Therapeutic Effects of Shoutai Wan: Maintaining an Acidic Microenvironment at the Maternal-Fetal Interface to Promote Angiogenesis and Minimize Pregnancy Loss in RSA Mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The classic TCM prescription, Shoutai Wan (STW), is extensively used in clinical settings to manage threatened miscarriage and Recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). The complexity of pregnancy physiology, coupled with diverse etiologies, and the specificity of energy metabolism for normal embryo attachment and development,pose challenges to clinical diagnosis and treatment. The specific molecular mechanisms of how STW regulates these biological processes and contributes to the treatment of RSA remain to be elucidated.

PLGA nanocarriers biomimetic of platelet membranes and their interactions with the placental barrier.

This study focuses on the preparation and characterization of platelet membrane biomimetic nanocarriers (P-PLGA NPs) and investigates their interactions with the transplacental barrier. Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (PLGA NPs) were coated with platelet membrane (PLTM) to construct P-PLGA NPs. Additionally, fluorinated polyethylenimine (F-PEI) was grafted onto PLGA NPs to prepare F-PEI-PLGA NPs, which were compared with PLGA NPs.

Vanillin and IGF1-loaded dual-layer multifunctional wound dressing with micro-nanofibrous structure for full-thickness wound healing acceleration.

Multifunctional dual-layer wound dressings hold significant promise for comprehensive full-thickness wound management by closely mimicking the native skin structure and features. Herein, we employed an innovative approach utilizing electrospinning techniques to develop a dual-layer dressing comprising a microfibrous Ecoflex®-Vanillin (Ex-Vnil) top layer (TL) and a nanofibrous Soluplus®-Insulin-like growth factor-1 (Sol-IGF1) bottom layer (BL). The tensile properties of dual-layer wound dressings were within the standard range for use in skin tissue regeneration.

A novel Schirmer Strip-Based Tear Matrix Metalloproteinase Measurement in Dry Eye Evaluation.

Unlabelled: Dry eye disease is a multifactorial disorder of the ocular surface with increasing global prevalence, yet no universally accepted "gold standard" exists for its diagnosis or severity assessment. Tear matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) is widely recognized as a valuable biomarker for dry eye, yet there remains a critical need for a simple, accurate, and broadly applicable method for its quantification. This study aims to develop and evaluate a Schirmer strip-based Eu-time resolved fluorescence immunochromatography (Eu-TRFICO) method for the quantitative detection of MMP-9 in tears.

Discovery of a DNA methylation profile in individuals with Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome.

Pathogenic heterozygous variants in CHD4 cause Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome, a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with brain anomalies, heart defects, macrocephaly, hypogonadism, and additional features with variable expressivity. Most individuals have non-recurrent missense variants, complicating variant interpretation. A few were reported with truncating variants, and their role in disease is unclear.

Immune-cell signatures of persistent inflammation, immunosuppression, and catabolism syndrome after sepsis.

Background: Management of persistent inflammation, immunosuppression, and catabolism syndrome (PICS) after sepsis remains challenging for patients in the intensive care unit, experiencing poor quality of life and death. However, immune-cell signatures in patients with PICS after sepsis remain unclear.

Methods: We determined immune-cell signatures of PICS after sepsis at single-cell resolution.

A constitutive interferon-high immunophenotype defines response to immunotherapy in colorectal cancer.

Fewer than 50% of metastatic deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) colorectal cancer (CRC) patients respond to immune checkpoint inhibition (ICI). Identifying and expanding this patient population remains a pressing clinical need. Here, we report that an interferon-high immunophenotype locally enriched in cytotoxic lymphocytes and antigen-presenting macrophages is required for response.

Preventive effects of taxifolin on dental caries in vitro and in vivo.

Objectives: The present study aimed to explore the inhibitory effect of taxifolin (TAX) on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) in vitro and evaluated the anti-caries efficacy of TAX in vivo.

Design: The anti-microbial and anti-biofilm properties of TAX were examined on the S.

Assessment of Helicobacter pylori infection in Lebanon: Endoscopic and histopathological findings.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a pervasive pathobiont, colonizes the gastric mucosa and plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of several gastroduodenal pathologies ranging from chronic gastritis to more severe disorders including peptic ulcer disease, gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and gastric adenocarcinoma. In symptomatic patients, endoscopy and histological examination of the gastric mucosa are the preferred tests for diagnosing H.

Extracellular HSP70 facilitated β-glucan induced trained immunity in macrophages to suppress sepsis via TLR2-NF-κB axis.

Sepsis is a common systemic infectious disease followed by extremely high incidence and mortality with no effective treatment and clinical drugs. As a key mediator involved in infection and immunity, it has been reported that sepsis patients are accompanied by increased heat shock protein 70 (HSP70). Trained immunity is a novel innate immunity approach that can be activated by β-glucan to fight against sepsis.