Adaptable Manufacturing and Biofabrication of Milliscale Organ Chips With Perfusable Vascular Beds.

Microphysiological systems (MPS) containing perfusable vascular beds unlock the ability to model tissue-scale elements of vascular physiology and disease in vitro. Access to inexpensive stereolithography (SLA) 3D printers now enables benchtop fabrication of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) organ chips, eliminating the need for cleanroom access and microfabrication expertise, and can facilitate broader adoption of MPS approaches in preclinical research. Rapid prototyping of organ chip mold designs accelerates the processes of design, testing, and iteration, but geometric distortion and surface roughness of SLA resin prints can impede the development of standardizable manufacturing workflows.

Decoding RAS mutations in thyroid cancer: A meta-analysis unveils specific links to distant metastasis and increased mortality.

Background/objectives: RAS mutations are common in thyroid cancer, but their impact on clinical outcomes remains controversial. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of RAS mutations in thyroid cancer and their association with various clinical and pathological features.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting on RAS mutations in thyroid cancer.

Comparative efficacy, safety, and oncological outcomes of percutaneous thermal and chemical ablation modalities for recurrent metastatic cervical lymphadenopathy from thyroid cancer.

Background: Thermal and chemical ablation techniques may consolidate recurrent metastatic cervical lymph nodes as alternatives to repeat neck dissection in thyroid cancer patients. This meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy and safety across modalities.

Methods: Four databases were searched for studies on radiofrequency (RFA), microwave (MWA), laser (LA), and ethanol ablation (EA) treating metastatic cervical nodes from thyroid cancer.

Veterans Affairs Military Toxic Exposure Research Conference: Veteran-centric Approach and Community of Practice.

The U.S. Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act expands benefits and services to U.

In vivo evolution of env in SHIV-AD8-infected rhesus macaques after AAV-vectored delivery of eCD4-Ig.

eCD4-immunoglobulin (Ig) is an HIV entry inhibitor that mimics the engagement of both CD4 and CCR5 with the HIV envelope (Env) protein, a property that imbues it with remarkable potency and breadth. However, env is exceptionally genetically malleable and can evolve to escape a wide variety of entry inhibitors. Here we document the evolution of partial eCD4-Ig resistance in SHIV-AD8-infected rhesus macaques (RMs) treated with adeno-associated virus vectors encoding eCD4-Ig.

Prophylactic gastrostomy tube during chemoradiation for head and neck cancer decreases weight loss but increases rate of tube use beyond six months.

Importance: The role of prophylactic percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients treated with chemoradiation remains controversial and varies by center.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of prophylactic PEG tube placement in patients undergoing chemoradiation for HNC PEG tube use for more than 6 months and weight loss.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This single-institution retrospective study included 502 patients with head and neck cancer.

Screening of a kinase inhibitor library identified novel targetable kinase pathways in triple-negative breast cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly invasive breast cancer subtype that is challenging to treat due to inherent heterogeneity and absence of estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor 2 receptors. Kinase signaling networks drive cancer growth and development, and kinase inhibitors are promising anti-cancer strategies in diverse cancer subtypes. Kinase inhibitor screens are an efficient, valuable means of identifying compounds that suppress cancer cell growth in vitro , facilitating the identification of kinase vulnerabilities to target therapeutically.

Understanding and Addressing Mental Health Disparities and Stigma in Serious Illness and Palliative Care.

Patients receiving palliative care experience stigma associated with their illness, personal identity, and healthcare utilization. These stigmas can occur at any stage of the disease process. Varying stigmas combine to cause palliative care patients to feel misunderstood, contribute to treatment barriers, and further negative stereotypes held by clinicians.

Context-Dependent Estrogenic Actions of (+)-Pisatin Produced in Elicited Green or Snow Pea ().

Legumes are a predominant source of isoflavones, termed phytoestrogens, that mimic 17β-estradiol (E2). Phytoalexins are inducible isoflavones produced in plants subjected to environmental stressors (e.g.

Unraveling the link between language barriers and cancer risk.

Purpose: Clear patient communication with the physician is an integral aspect of cancer treatment and successful health outcomes. Previous research has shown improved cancer screening in cases of patient navigator assistance to limited English proficient patients, but no research has analyzed the relationship between language isolation and cancer incidence rates in the United States.

Methods: Using state-level data from the United States Census Bureau and the National Cancer Institute, we analyzed the correlations between language isolation and age-adjusted incidence rates across 19 different invasive cancers.

Teriflunomide-related development of inverse psoriasis and worsening of pre-existing plaque psoriasis.

Leflunomide can be used in management of psoriatic disease. Leflunomide's active metabolite, teriflunomide, is used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and has unexpectedly been rarely reported to induce pustular psoriasis. In this report, we present a patient with multiple sclerosis who developed inverse psoriasis after starting teriflunomide.

Sex-dimorphic tumor growth is regulated by tumor microenvironmental and systemic signals.

Tumor growth and progression involve coordinated regulation by internal, microenvironmental, and systemic signals and often display conspicuous sexual dimorphism. The mechanisms governing the integration and coordination of these signals, along with their sex-based differences, remain largely unknown. Using a tumor model originating from nonreproductive tissue, we show that female-biased tumor growth involves multifaceted communications among tumor cells, hemocytes, and neuroendocrine insulin-producing cells (IPCs).

The YAP1-MAML2 fusion drives tumorigenesis and sustains tumor growth.

The Yes1-associated transcriptional regulator-mastermind-like transcriptional co-activator 2 (YAP1-MAML2 [YM]) fusion protein arises from an intrachromosomal inversion and is implicated in various cancers. However, the oncogenic role of the endogenous YM fusion protein remained undefined. In this study, we employed YM-positive ES-2 ovarian cancer cells as a model to explore the roles of the YM fusion in cancer initiation and maintenance.

Blood-based tumor mutational burden impacts clinical outcomes of immune checkpoint inhibitor treated breast and prostate cancers.

Background: Breast and prostate tumors are known to be less responsive to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Tissue-based tumor mutation burden (tTMB) has emerged as a predictive biomarker of response to ICIs, including in these "cold tumors". In clinical practice, when tTMB is not available, blood-based TMB score (bTMB) can be used to consider treatment with ICIs.

Characteristics and healthcare utilization of patients with myasthenia gravis exacerbation.

Purpose: This retrospective cohort study describes the characteristics of patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) who developed exacerbations (MG-E) and compares their healthcare utilization (HRU) to patients who did not experience exacerbations (MG-O).

Method: De-identified data from patients who had ≥2 MG-related diagnostic code submissions were extracted from the National Veterans Affairs Health Care Network electronic health records between 1999 and 2022. Descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and per-patient per-year (PPPY) HRU were used to compare the two patient groups.

Assessment of joint health in females with haemophilia: The carriers ultrasound project (CUP) study.

Introduction: The needs of haemophilia carriers (HC) have been historically overlooked. It is now recognised that HC manifests bleeding symptoms, including haemarthrosis. The natural history of joint health in HC is not yet defined.

Regulation of the Intestinal Stem Cell Pool and Proliferation in .

Understanding the regulation of somatic stem cells, both during homeostasis and in response to environmental challenges like injury, infection, chemical exposure, and nutritional changes, is critical because their dysregulation can result in tissue degeneration or tumorigenesis. The use of models such as the and mammalian adult intestines offers valuable insights into tissue homeostasis and regeneration, advancing our knowledge of stem cell biology and cancer development. This review highlights significant findings from recent studies, unveiling the molecular mechanisms that govern self-renewal, proliferation, differentiation, and regeneration of intestinal stem cells (ISCs).

Comparative lifespan and healthspan of nonhuman primate species common to biomedical research.

There is a critical need to generate age- and sex-specific survival curves to characterize chronological aging consistently across nonhuman primates (NHP) used in biomedical research. Sex-specific Kaplan-Meier survival curves were computed in 12 translational aging models: baboon, bonnet macaque, chimpanzee, common marmoset, coppery titi monkey, cotton-top tamarin, cynomolgus macaque, Japanese macaque, pigtail macaque, rhesus macaque, squirrel monkey, and vervet/African green. After employing strict inclusion criteria, primary results are based on 12,269 NHPs that survived to adulthood and died of natural/health-related causes.

Long-term visual outcomes and histopathologic findings after cataract surgery in Ebola virus disease survivors in the Ebola virus RNA persistence in ocular tissues and fluids (EVICT) study.

Background/objectives: Ebola virus disease (EVD) survivors develop post-acute ophthalmic sequelae, including a high prevalence of uveitis that may be complicated by vision-threatening cataract. After the non-detection of Ebola virus (EBOV) RNA in sampled ocular fluid, vision impairment due to cataract can be treated safely and effectively via manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS). However, the long-term ocular visual outcomes and assessment of ocular tissues, including for genomic RNA, have been infrequently or not reported in Western African survivors.

Personality Feedback With Tailored Self-Care Recommendations Improves Self-Efficacy for Cancer Management: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: To test whether a personality feedback intervention improves three domains of cancer self-management: self-awareness, self-efficacy, and positive affect.

Methods: From 11/2020-02/2021, 372 adults diagnosed with cancer participated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an intervention that entailed reading a brief personality-related excerpt during an online survey. Eligibility included self-reported age ≥ 18 years, current or past cancer diagnosis, and ability to read English.