Shibis

Human primary natural killer (NK) cells are being widely advanced for cancer immunotherapy. However, methods for gene editing of these cells have suffered low transduction rates, high cell death, and loss of transgene expression after expansion. Here, we developed a highly efficient method for site-specific gene insertion in NK cells using CRISPR (Cas9/RNP) and AAVs. We compared AAV vectors designed to mediate gene insertion by different DNA repair mechanisms, homology arm lengths, and virus concentrations...

Upconversion nanophosphors, particles that can absorb low energy radiation and emit high energy light through multi-photon absorption processes, have gained augmented attention in recent years. Due to their admirable optical and chemical properties, these nanoparticles are finding wide range of applications in the field of bioimaging, light emitting devices and security printing. However, for any practical application, it is extremely important that a facile synthetic route is developed that can lead to the generation of nanophosphors exhibiting efficient upconversion luminescence under diverse experimental conditions...

Objective: To prepare adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs)-embedded alginate-gelatinemicrospheres (Alg-Gel-ADSCs MSs) by electrospray and evaluate their feasibility for cartilage tissue engineering. To observe the efficacy of Alg-Gel-ADSCs MSs in repairing articular cartilage defects in SD rats. Methods: ADSCs were isolated and characterized by performing induced differentiation and flow cytometry assays. Alginate-gelatine microspheres with different gelatine concentrations were manufactured by electrospraying, and the appropriate alginate-gelatine concentration and ratio were determined by evaluating microsphere formation...

To obtain a rapid processible LED encapsulant that leads to high and stable light extraction efficiency (LEE), UV curable ZrO2 /phenyl-siloxane nano-composite (ZSC) double-layer encapsulants were prepared and optimized. The highly crystalline ZrO2 nanoparticles with a diameter of ∼14 nm were synthesized through a modified hydrothermal method at mild conditions, and a UV curable methacryl-diphenyl-polysiloxane (MDPS) with a refractive index (RI) of 1.54 (at 633 nm) was synthesized from self-condensation of diphenylsilanediol and an end-capping reaction...

A lack of stratification methods in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is likely implicated in therapeutic failures. Regional diversities and pathophysiological abnormalities in astrocytes from mice with SOD1 mutations (mSOD1-ALS) can now be explored in human patients using somatic cell reprogramming. Here, fibroblasts from four sporadic (sALS) and three mSOD1-ALS patients were transdifferentiated into induced astrocytes (iAstrocytes). ALS iAstrocytes were neurotoxic toward HB9-GFP mouse motor neurons (MNs) and exhibited subtype stratification through GFAP, CX43, Ki-67, miR-155 and miR-146a expression levels...

Background: Allan-Herndon-Dudley syndrome (AHDS) is a severe psychomotor disability disorder that also manifests characteristic abnormal thyroid hormone (TH) levels. AHDS is caused by inactivating mutations in monocarboxylate transporter 8 (MCT8), a specific TH plasma membrane transporter widely expressed in the central nervous system (CNS). MCT8 mutations cause impaired transport of TH across brain barriers, leading to insufficient neural TH supply. There is currently no successful therapy for the neurological symptoms...

PURPOSE: To investigate the rate of secondary glaucoma after intravitreal (IV) dexamethasone implant (ozurdex) 0.7 mg injection in a retinal disorder over a clinical treatment period of 2 years in a tertiary eye care center. METHODS: Retrospective study based on the records of patients receiving IV ozurdex 0.7 mg implant for T/t of cystoid macular edema (CME), diabetic macular edema (DME), macular edema due to central retinal vein occlusion/branch retinal vein occlusion (CRVO/BRVO), and choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) at a tertiary eye care hospital for 2 years with 6 months of follow-up...

BACKGROUND: There is limited evidence to provide an insight on the VEMP characteristics to explain the association between chronic renal disease (CRD) and its effect on otolith structures. OBJECTIVE: To compare the otolithic function of individuals with CRD and individuals with no known CRD. To investigate the relationship between disease duration and VEMP and creatine level and VEMP among individuals with CRD. METHOD: A cross-sectional study design using convenient sampling method was adapted for the present study...

The attitudes of medical students towards the clinical importance of neuroanatomy have been little studied. Because it has been reported that medical students find neuroanatomy difficult and can have 'neurophobia', here we test the hypothesis that early-stage medical students across Europe have a low regard for neuroanatomy's clinical relevance. The work was conducted under the auspices of the Trans-European Pedagogic Research Group (TEPARG), with just over 1500 students from 12 European medical schools providing responses to a survey (52% response rate) that assessed their attitudes using Thurstone and Chave methodologies...

OBJECTIVES: To test if the early kinetics of neurofilament light (NFL) in blood adds to the absolute values of NFL in the prediction of outcome, and to evaluate if NFL can discriminate individuals with severe hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (sHIBI) from those with other causes of poor outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). DESIGN AND SETTING: Monocentric retrospective study involving individuals following non-traumatic OHCA between April 2014 and April 2016...

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, which has emerged as a global pandemic causing serious concerns. Lack of specific and effective therapeutics for the treatment of COVID-19 is a major concern and the development of vaccines is another important aspect in managing the infection effectively. The first step in the SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis is the viral entry and it is mediated by its densely glycosylated spike protein (S-protein)...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for metastatic disease to the brain is associated with higher in-brain failures compared to whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT). Here we investigated the relationship between low-dose fall off during SRS and location of new brain lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred sixty-seven patients treated with single fraction or fractionated SRS for intact or resected brain metastases at our institution from January 2016 to June 2018 were reviewed...

BACKGROUND: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a refractory disease due to its unclear pathomechanism. Neither conservative treatment nor surgical treatment during the early stage of ONFH achieves satisfactory results. Therefore, this study aims to explore the available evidence on the effect of zoledronic acid on early-stage ONFH. METHODS: For groups were established:the Normal group, model group, Normal saline group(NS group) and zoledronic acid-treated group ...

Batten disease is a family of rare, fatal, neuropediatric diseases presenting with memory/learning decline, blindness, and loss of motor function. Recently, we reported the use of an AAV9-mediated gene therapy that prevents disease progression in a mouse model of CLN6-Batten disease ( Cln6 nclf ), restoring lifespans in treated animals. Despite the success of our viral-mediated gene therapy, the dosing strategy was optimized for delivery to the brain parenchyma and may limit the therapeutic potential to other disease-relevant tissues, such as the eye...

Articular cartilage regeneration is one of the challenges faced by orthopedic surgeons. Microcarrier applications have made great advances in cartilage tissue engineering in recent years and enable cost-effective cell expansion, thus providing permissive microenvironments for cells. In addition, microcarriers can be loaded with proteins, factors, and drugs for cartilage regeneration. Some microcarriers also have the advantages of injectability and targeted delivery. The application of microcarriers with these characteristics can overcome the limitations of traditional methods and provide additional advantages...

Objective: Tissue engineering approaches seem to be an attractive therapy for tendon rupture. Novel injectable porous gelatin microcryogels (GMs) can promote cell attachment and proliferation, thus facilitating the repair potential for target tissue regeneration. The research objectives of this study were to assess the efficacy of tissue-like microunits constructed by multiple GMs laden with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) in accelerated tendon regeneration in a rat model...

CLN8 disease is a rare form of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis caused by biallelic mutations in the CLN8 gene, which encodes a transmembrane endoplasmic reticulum protein involved in trafficking of lysosomal enzymes. CLN8 disease patients present with myoclonus, tonic-clonic seizures, and progressive declines in cognitive and motor function, with many cases resulting in premature death early in life. There are currently no treatments that can cure the disease or substantially slow disease progression. Using a mouse model of CLN8 disease, we tested the safety and efficacy of an intracerebroventricularly (i...

OBJECTIVE: This prospective study aims to evaluate the efficacy of Continuous upper arm brachial block (modified interscalene block) with an arthroscopic capsular release in the outcome of resistant frozen shoulder cases. METHODS: We studied 123 patients who underwent arthroscopic capsular release and subacromial decompression for resistant frozen shoulder cases between June 2016 and July 2019. Postoperative analgesia was provided with Continuous upper arm brachial block and ambulatory patient-controlled analgesia pump for 2-3 weeks...

INTRODUCTION: The value of learning anatomy through cadaveric dissection is widely acclaimed; however, the demand for cadavers exceeds supply. For the number of donors to increase, there needs to be a broader understanding of what influences an individual's perception towards whole-body donation. The hypotheses were that individuals with a biomedical background or with higher levels of education would respectively have a more positive perception towards whole-body donation than those with an arts background or less education...

An acute respiratory disease caused by a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that surfaced in China in late 2019, continues to spread rapidly across the globe causing serious concerns. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is declared as a public health emergency worldwide by the World Health Organization (WHO). Increasing evidences have demonstrated human-to-human transmission that primarily affects the upper respiratory tract followed by lower respiratory tract damage leading to severe pneumonia...