107 results match your criteria: "MA (J.R.S.); and Holy Cross Hospital[Affiliation]"

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, an updated and comprehensive assessment of the global burden attributable to SSBs remains scarce. Here we estimated SSB-attributable T2D and CVD burdens across 184 countries in 1990 and 2020 globally, regionally and nationally, incorporating data from the Global Dietary Database, jointly stratified by age, sex, educational attainment and urbanicity.

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New treatment approaches are warranted for patients with advanced melanoma refractory to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) or BRAF-targeted therapy. We designed BNT221, a personalized, neoantigen-specific autologous T cell product derived from peripheral blood, and tested this in a 3 + 3 dose-finding study with two dose levels (DLs) in patients with locally advanced or metastatic melanoma, disease progression after ICB, measurable disease (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1) and, where appropriate, BRAF-targeted therapy.

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Nascent matrix deposition supports alveolar organoid formation from aggregates in synthetic hydrogels.

Stem Cell Reports

December 2024

Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Electronic address:

Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived alveolar organoids have emerged as a system to model the alveolar epithelium in homeostasis and disease. However, alveolar organoids are typically grown in Matrigel, a mouse sarcoma-derived basement membrane matrix that offers poor control over matrix properties, prompting the development of synthetic hydrogels as a Matrigel alternative. Here, we develop a two-step culture method that involves pre-aggregation of organoids in hydrogel-based microwells followed by embedding in a synthetic hydrogel that supports alveolar organoid growth, while also offering considerable control over organoid and hydrogel properties.

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An umbrella review of meta-analyses regarding the incidence of female-specific malignancies after fertility treatment.

Fertil Steril

November 2024

Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Article Synopsis
  • Understanding the risks of fertility treatments (FTs) is crucial for making informed clinical decisions and providing patient counseling regarding women's health issues, particularly cancer.
  • This study aimed to analyze the relationship between FTs and the incidence of specific female-related cancers such as ovarian, endometrial, breast, and cervical cancers, using systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
  • Results indicated a significant increase in ovarian cancer and borderline ovarian tumors among women undergoing FTs compared to those not treated, especially with certain fertility drug regimens like clomiphene citrate and human menopausal gonadotropin.
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Immune responses in checkpoint myocarditis across heart, blood and tumour.

Nature

December 2024

Center for Immunology and Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

Article Synopsis
  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors, a type of cancer treatment, can cause serious side effects, including immune-related myocarditis (irMyocarditis), which can be fatal.
  • Researchers studied immune responses in the heart, tumor, and blood of 28 patients with irMyocarditis using advanced techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing and T-cell receptor (TCR) sequencing.
  • Their findings showed an increase in certain immune cells in the heart tissue of irMyocarditis patients and identified specific TCR clones associated with severe cases, shedding light on the disease's biology and potential biomarkers.
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Health-Related Behaviors and Risk of Common Age-Related Brain Diseases Across Severities of Genetic Risk.

Neurology

November 2024

From the Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health (S.M., T.N.K., E.M., R.W.P.T., J.R.S., S.P., J.D., C.K., N.Y., R.E.T., J.R., S.S., L.P., C.D.A.), Department of Neurology (S.M., T.N.K., E.M., R.W.P.T., J.R.S., S.P., J.D., C.K., N.Y., R.E.T., J.R., S.S., L.P., C.D.A.), and Division of Neuropsychiatry (C.D.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard (S.M., T.N.K., E.M., R.W.P.T., J.R.S., S.P., J.D., C.K., N.Y., J.R., S.S., L.P., C.D.A.), Cambridge; Center for Genomic Medicine (S.M., T.N.K., E.M., R.W.P.T., J.R.S., S.P., J.D., C.K., N.Y., J.R., S.S., L.P., C.D.A.), Massachusetts General Hospital; Department of Neurology (S.M., T.N.K., J.D., L.P., C.D.A.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; Department of Neurology (R.W.P.T., J.R.S., S.S.), Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands; Yale Center for Brain and Mind Health (C.A.R., G.J.F.), and Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Background And Objectives: The 21-point Brain Care Score (BCS) is an index that ranks behaviors and clinical measurements with the aim of encouraging lifestyle adjustments to lower the incidence of age-related brain disease, including stroke, late-life depression (LLD), and dementia. A higher BCS at baseline is associated with a lower risk of these outcomes. We aimed to investigate whether the associations between BCS and stroke, LLD, and dementia risks are independent of genetic predisposition for these conditions and quantify the effect of healthy lifestyle across genetic risk distributions for these outcomes.

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Targeting the I Channel PKA Phosphorylation Axis to Restore Its Function in High-Risk LQT1 Variants.

Circ Res

September 2024

Dr. Neher's Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, Macao SAR, China (L.Z., Z.Y., D.J., Y.O., H.Z., X.L., C.X., C.H., B.S., S.K.C., Z.-H.J., E.N., P.H.).

Article Synopsis
  • The KCNQ1+KCNE1 potassium channel is vital for heart stress adaptation, where β-adrenergic stimulation enhances its activity via phosphorylation, essential for managing increased heart rates.
  • Variants in the KCNQ1 gene can lead to long-QT syndrome type 1 (LQT1), with some mutations making patients more susceptible to serious heart risks, but the details of how phosphorylation affects channel function and cAMP sensitivity are still unclear.
  • Research using techniques like patch clamp and induced pluripotent stem cells revealed key molecular features in LQT1 variants and identified a small molecule, ML277, that can restore function in high-risk mutations by targeting the phosphorylation axis of the channel.
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Update: Parathyroid CT and Primary Hyperparathyroidism.

Radiographics

August 2024

From the Departments of Radiology (K.L.C., M.J.D., J.R.S., M.E.L., P.M.B.), Endocrinology (M.A.G.), and Surgery (R.W.R.), Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 475 Vine St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101; Department of Radiology, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, La (A.G.); Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Mass (H.R.K.); and Department of Radiology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, Mass (H.R.K.).

- Update articles supplement or update information found in full-length articles previously published in . These updates, written by at least one author of the previous article, provide a brief synopsis that emphasizes important new information such as technological advances, revised imaging protocols, new clinical guidelines involving imaging, or updated classification schemes.

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Post-COVID-19 conditions (long COVID) has impacted many individuals, yet risk factors for this condition are poorly understood. This retrospective analysis of 88,943 COVID-19 patients at a multi-state US health system compares phenotypes, laboratory tests, medication orders, and outcomes for 1,086 long-COVID patients and their matched controls. We found that history of chronic pulmonary disease (CPD) (odds ratio: 1.

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Understanding variants of unknown significance and classification of genomic alterations.

Oncologist

August 2024

Department of Pathology, Foundation Medicine, Inc., Boston, MA, United States, and.

Despite recent efforts to issue clinical guidelines outlining strategies to define the pathogenicity of genomic variants, there is currently no standardized framework for which to make these assertions. This review does not present a step-by-step methodology, but rather takes a holistic approach to discuss many aspects which should be taken into consideration when determining variant pathogenicity. Categorization should be curated to reflect relevant findings within the scope of the specific medical context.

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Study Design: Modified Delphi consensus study.

Objective: To develop consensus-based best practices for the care of pediatric patients who have implanted programmable devices (IPDs) and require spinal deformity surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: Implanted programmable devices (IPDs) are often present in patients with neuromuscular or syndromic scoliosis who require spine surgery.

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By incompletely understood mechanisms, type 2 (T2) inflammation present in the airways of severe asthmatics drives the formation of pathologic mucus which leads to airway mucus plugging. Here we investigate the molecular role and clinical significance of intelectin-1 (ITLN-1) in the development of pathologic airway mucus in asthma. Through analyses of human airway epithelial cells we find that ITLN1 gene expression is highly induced by interleukin-13 (IL-13) in a subset of metaplastic MUC5AC mucus secretory cells, and that ITLN-1 protein is a secreted component of IL-13-induced mucus.

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Background: A major obstacle faced by families with rare diseases is obtaining a genetic diagnosis. The average "diagnostic odyssey" lasts over five years and causal variants are identified in under 50%, even when capturing variants genome-wide. To aid in the interpretation and prioritization of the vast number of variants detected, computational methods are proliferating.

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Background: Viral infections can cause acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), systemic inflammation, and secondary cardiovascular complications. Lung macrophage subsets change during ARDS, but the role of heart macrophages in cardiac injury during viral ARDS remains unknown. Here we investigate how immune signals typical for viral ARDS affect cardiac macrophage subsets, cardiovascular health, and systemic inflammation.

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Treating Hypertension: Important for Heart Health, Fundamental for Brain Health.

Stroke

May 2024

Department of Neurology, Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA (S.D.S., J.R.S., J.R.).

The Brain Health crisis stands as one of humankind's most pressing threats, with age-related noncommunicable brain diseases, particularly stroke, and dementia, affecting hundreds of millions annually and jeopardizing the economic well-being of populations worldwide. Epidemiological studies indicate that ≈40% of dementia and 60% of stroke cases are attributable to modifiable risk factors. In this Comments and Opinions article, we underscore the pivotal role of blood pressure (BP) control in reducing suffering, enhancing economic well-being, and promoting healthy longevity for populations worldwide.

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Long-Term Outcomes in Patients With Spontaneous Cerebellar Hemorrhage: An International Cohort Study.

Stroke

May 2024

Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, the Netherlands (J.R.S., S.D.S., J.P.J.D., J.T., G.J.E.R., H.B.B.).

Background: Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in the cerebellum has a poor short-term prognosis, whereas data on the long-term case fatality and recurrent vascular events are sparse. Herewith, we aimed to assess the long-term case fatality and recurrence rate of vascular events after a first cerebellar ICH.

Methods: In this international cohort study, we included patients from 10 hospitals (the United States and Europe from 1997 to 2017) aged ≥18 years with a first spontaneous cerebellar ICH who were discharged alive.

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In response to the 2022 outbreak of mpox driven by unprecedented human-to-human monkeypox virus (MPXV) transmission, we designed BNT166, aiming to create a highly immunogenic, safe, accessible, and scalable next-generation vaccine against MPXV and related orthopoxviruses. To address the multiple viral forms and increase the breadth of immune response, two candidate multivalent mRNA vaccines were evaluated pre-clinically: a quadrivalent vaccine (BNT166a; encoding the MPXV antigens A35, B6, M1, H3) and a trivalent vaccine (BNT166c; without H3). Both candidates induced robust T cell responses and IgG antibodies in mice, including neutralizing antibodies to both MPXV and vaccinia virus.

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Background: The treatment of complex infra-inguinal disease with drug-coated balloons (DCBs) is associated with a significant number of patients undergoing provisional stenting to treat a suboptimal result. To determine the potential long-term impact of DCB treatment with provisional bare metal stenting in complex lesions in real-world patients, a post hoc analysis was performed on data from the IN.PACT Global Study (The IN.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is a major cause of irreversible blindness, with its underlying causes still not fully understood, particularly in patients with normal intraocular pressure (IOP).
  • - Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified over 240 loci related to POAG and IOP, revealing significant genes involved in pathways such as extracellular matrix organization and cell adhesion.
  • - Single-nucleus RNA sequencing in relevant eye tissues highlighted that the identified genes are concentrated in specific cell types within the aqueous outflow pathways and other critical areas, suggesting both IOP-dependent and independent factors in POAG development.
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Article Synopsis
  • NK cells play a crucial role in cancer immune defense by providing a fast response to tumors, allowing for direct attacks on cancer cells without needing prior antigen recognition.
  • * Gamida Cell's NAM platform aims to boost the effectiveness of NK cells, particularly in treating multiple myeloma (MM) by targeting CD38, a protein common on MM cells.
  • * Researchers have used CRISPR technology to create genetically modified NK cells that lack CD38 and have enhanced abilities to target MM cells, achieving a significant reduction in self-destruction among NK cells during treatment.
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The Role of and Microtubules in Maintaining Normal Ventricular Conduction.

Circ Res

January 2024

Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (D.Y.C., R.V., N.N., A.K., J.R.S., F.V.-O., J.S.O., E.B., C.A.M.).

Article Synopsis
  • Brugada syndrome, primarily caused by loss-of-function variants, has only about 20% of cases explained by known genetic factors; recent studies point to the role of microtubule dynamics in the syndrome.
  • Researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 to create a knockout zebrafish model and conducted various experiments like voltage mapping, ECG, and immunocytochemistry to evaluate cardiac function.
  • Findings showed that knockout hearts had impaired electrical activity and disorganized cell junctions, with a notable improvement when adjusting microtubule dynamics through targeted interventions.
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Mismatch Repair Deficiency (dMMR)/Microsatellite Instability (MSI) is a key biomarker in colorectal cancer (CRC). Universal screening of CRC patients for MSI status is now recommended, but contributes to increased workload for pathologists and delayed therapeutic decisions. Deep learning has the potential to ease dMMR/MSI testing and accelerate oncologist decision making in clinical practice, yet no comprehensive validation of a clinically approved tool has been conducted.

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Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are associated with cardiometabolic diseases and social inequities. For most nations, recent estimates and trends of intake are not available; nor variation by education or urbanicity. We investigated SSB intakes among adults between 1990 and 2018 in 185 countries, stratified subnationally by age, sex, education, and rural/urban residence, using data from the Global Dietary Database.

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