Gene-Corrected Basal Cells Restore CFTR In Vitro; Transplants Regenerate Epithelium in a Preclinical Sinus Model.

Background: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is caused by mutations in the gene, leading to epithelial dysfunction and progressive lung disease. Although CFTR modulators have transformed care, ∼10% of people with CF remain without effective therapy. Durable, mutation-agnostic approaches are urgently needed.

Improving efficiency in lung SAbR planning using integrated tools for X-ray based adaptive radiotherapy.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of translating clinical lung stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SAbR) templates from Ethos1.1 to Ethos2.0, leveraging new features to facilitate dose fall-off and automate patient-specific beam arrangement.

Enhancing patient-centric care: the role of PROMs utilizing SRS-30 in pediatric scoliosis management.

Background: Scoliosis is defined by a curvature of the spine greater than 10 degrees. The most common type of scoliosis is called Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis and is found in individuals between 11 to 18 years of age. It corresponds to 90% of the cases of scoliosis in the pediatric population, with an overall prevalence of 0.

Visualising ventilation changes following endobronchial valve placement with x-ray velocimetry functional lung imaging.

. Endobronchial valves (EBVs) are a minimally invasive treatment for emphysema. After bronchoscopic placement the valves reduce the flow of air into targeted areas of the lung, causing collapse, and allowing the remainder of the lung to function more effectively.

Virtually delivered lifestyle interventions for overweight and obese pregnant people: A systematic review.

Background: Gestational weight gain (GWG) impacts both foetal and maternal health outcomes, with excessive GWG in overweight and obese people further increasing the risk of complications for this population. Lifestyle changes including consuming a healthy diet and physical activity are core strategies for management. Since 2020 and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, use of telehealth has increased; however, little is known about the effectiveness of virtually delivered strategies for maintaining healthy gestational weight during pregnancy.

Cone Beam Computed Tomography-Guided Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy: Clinical Insights From a Nationwide Staffing Survey.

Purpose: This study aimed to provide insights into the staffing and workflow requirements for cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)-guided online adaptive radiation therapy (ART) systems to guide institutions in optimizing staffing strategies and to promote broader ART adoption.

Methods And Materials: We conducted a nationwide survey to collect data on ART program metrics, clinician roles during online treatment, and physicist staffing models, along with free-text feedback for sharing of insights and challenges. Additionally, we reviewed 26 published articles describing ART workflows across various anatomic sites and performed a literature-based timing analysis to provide further context on workflow efficiency.

Adaptive Radiation Therapy in Lymphomas: Indications, Early Experiences, and Future Directions.

Purpose: Adaptive radiation therapy (RT) allows for smaller treatment volumes and adaptation to shrinking tumors, which is particularly intriguing in lymphomas that are radiosensitive and sometimes in difficult to target locations. We hypothesize that adaptive RT may be beneficial in a variety of lymphoma cases and describe our early experience to outline indications for adaptive RT in lymphomas.

Methods And Materials: An institutional review board-approved prospective registry was reviewed to identify patients with lymphoma who were treated with cone-beam computed tomography-based online adaptive RT (oART) at our institution from 2021 to 2024.

Simulation-Omitting and Using Library Patients for Pre-Planning Online Adaptive Radiotherapy (SUPPORT): A Feasibility Study for Spine Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SAbR) Patients.

Treatment planning in the field of radiation therapy has evolved from three-dimensional (3D) planning to inverse planning and, most recently, to personalized adaptive radiotherapy (ART) [...

Feasibility and Impact of a Radiation Therapy Technologist-Driven Workflow for Cone Beam Computed Tomography Guided Partial Breast Adaptive Radiation Therapy.

Purpose: Cone beam computed tomography-based online adaptive radiation therapy (ART) allows significantly smaller planning target volume margins for patients treated with adaptive stereotactic partial breast irradiation. However, this approach places increased demands on the treatment team, particularly physicians. We hypothesize that with appropriate training, physicians' involvement at the treatment console can be reduced by delegating contouring and planning tasks to radiation therapy technologists (RTTs) with a physicist copilot without reducing treatment quality.

Establishing a Safety Net in X-Ray-Based Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy: Early Detection of Planning Deficiencies Through Upstream Physics Plan Review.

Purpose: Online adaptive radiation therapy (oART) is increasingly adopted in clinics worldwide, making robust error mitigation essential to deliver high-quality treatment. This study reports on a 1-year experience with an upstream physics plan review process aimed at early error detection and prevention of x-ray-based oART planning deficiencies.

Methods And Materials: An upstream plan review process was implemented, enabling physicists to evaluate adaptive plans before physician approval, with a focus on identifying deficiencies early and allowing time for corrective modifications.

Dosimetric Advantages of Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Results From a Prospective Registry Study.

Purpose: Data are limited on the feasibility and dosimetric advantages of cone beam computed tomography-based online adaptive radiation therapy (oART) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. In this retrospective analysis, we assessed the dosimetric outcomes in patients receiving definitive radiation therapy and treated with oART at least once during their treatment course.

Methods And Materials: We retrospectively analyzed 69 patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who received definitive-intent treatment and oART using the Varian Ethos system at a single tertiary care institution between September 2021 and March 2024.

Pediatric functional lung imaging and pulmonary function testing: a scoping review protocol.

Objective: This scoping review aims to identify current and emerging functional lung imaging techniques that have been used in pediatric cohorts and how these techniques have been compared to pulmonary function tests.

Introduction: Functional lung imaging enables the assessment of distribution of pulmonary parameters-including ventilation, perfusion, gas exchange, and biomechanics-to be mapped and quantified non-invasively throughout the lungs. In comparison to pulmonary function testing, functional lung imaging can provide additional clinically relevant information on the regional and spatial localization of lung disease.

An immunocompetent rat model of Mycobacterium abscessus multinodular granulomatous lung infection.

Animal models that can mimic progressive granulomatous pulmonary disease (PD) due to non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) have not been established in rats to date. These models could assist with the study of the pathophysiology of NTM-PD as well as the preclinical development of new therapies. In the present study, an immunocompetent rat model of progressive Mycobacterium abscessus (MABs)- PD was developed using MABs originating from a patient with cystic fibrosis.

Functional Lung Imaging Identifies Peripheral Ventilation Changes in ꞵ-ENaC Mice.

Background And Objective: β-ENaC-Tg mice serve as a relevant model of muco-obstructive lung disease and diffuse-type emphysema, with impaired mucociliary clearance, mucus obstruction, chronic airway inflammation, structural lung damage, and altered lung function. The aim of this study was to undertake a comprehensive analysis of lung function and mechanics of the adult β-ENaC-Tg model.

Methods: Adult β-ENaC-Tg and wild-type littermates underwent X-ray velocimetry (XV) scans using a Permetium XV scanner (4DMedical, Melbourne, Australia).

Arctic food and energy security at the crossroads.

Arctic food systems blend Traditional Ecological Knowledge with modern, often energy-intensive influences, triggered by colonization. Food systems' future depends on alignment of tradition with innovation, facilitation of resilience and a heritage-driven interaction with the global economy - at a pace determined by local communities.

CFTR High Expresser BEST4+ cells are pH-sensing neuropod cells: new implications for intestinal physiology and Cystic Fibrosis disease.

Unlabelled: Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) studies identified a novel subpopulation of epithelial cells along the rostrocaudal axis of human intestine specifically marked by bestrophin 4 (BEST4) that are enriched for genes regulating pH, GPCR acid-sensing receptors, satiety, cGMP signaling, HCO3 secretion, ion transport, neuropeptides, and paracrine hormones. Interestingly, BEST4+ cells in the proximal small intestine express CFTR but have not been linked to the previously described CFTR High Expresser Cell (CHE) subpopulation in rat and human intestine. ScRNA-seq studies in rat jejunum identified CHEs and a gene expression profile consistent with human small intestinal BEST4+ and neuropod cells.

Cone Beam Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy: A Promising Approach for Gastric Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma?

Purpose: Daily online adaptive radiation therapy (oART) opens the opportunity to treat gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma with a reduced margin. This study reports our early experience of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT)-based daily oART treating gastric MALT lymphoma with breath-hold and reduced margins.

Methods And Materials: Ten patients were treated on a CBCT-based oART system.

Assessing population-based to personalized planning strategies for head and neck adaptive radiotherapy.

Purpose: Optimal head-and-neck cancer (HNC) treatment planning requires accurate and feasible planning goals to meet dosimetric constraints and generate robust online adaptive treatment plans. A new x-ray-based adaptive radiotherapy (ART) treatment planning system (TPS) version 2.0 emulator includes novel methods to drive the planning process including the revised intelligent optimization engine algorithm (IOE2).

Mitigating Risks in Cone Beam Computed Tomography Guided Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy: A Preventative Reference Planning Review Approach.

Purpose: Online adaptive radiation therapy (oART) treatment planning requires evaluating the temporal robustness of reference plans and anticipating the potential changes during treatment courses that may even lead to risks unique to the adaptive workflow. This study conducted a risk analysis of the cone beam computed tomography guided adaptive workflow and is the first to assess an adaptive-specific reference planning review that mitigates risk in the planning process to prevent events and treatment deficiencies during adaptation.

Methods And Materials: A quality management team of medical physicists, residents, physicians, and radiation therapists performed a fault tree analysis and failure mode and effects analysis.

Impact of Manual Contour Editing on Plan Quality for Online Adaptive Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer.

Purpose: Online adaptive radiation therapy (oART) has high resource costs especially for head and neck (H&N) cancer, which requires recontouring complex targets and numerous organs-at-risk (OARs). Adaptive radiation therapy systems provide autocontours to help. We aimed to explore the optimal level of editing automatic contours to maintain plan quality in a cone beam computed tomography-based oART system for H&N cancer.

Insights into epithelial-mesenchymal transition from cystic fibrosis rat models.

Background: Molecular pathways contributing to Cystic Fibrosis pathogenesis remain poorly understood. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been recently observed in CF lungs and certain CFTR mutation classes may be more susceptible than others. No investigations of EMT processes in CF animal models have been reported.

Optimized irrigation and fertilization can mitigate negative CO impacts on seed yield and vigor of hybrid maize.

Seed yield and vigor of hybrid maize determine the planting, yield, and quality of maize, and consequently affect food, nutrition, and livelihood security; however, the response of seed yield and vigor to climate change is still unclear. We established an optimization-simulation framework consisting of a water‑nitrogen crop production function, a seed vigor and a gridded process-based model to optimize irrigation and nitrogen fertilization management, and used it to evaluate seed yield and vigor in major seed production locations of China, the USA, and Mexico. This framework could reflect the influence of water and nitrogen inputs at different stages on seed yield and vigor considering the spatio-temporal variability of climate and soil properties.

Lentiviral vector gene therapy and CFTR modulators show comparable effectiveness in cystic fibrosis rat airway models.

Mutation-agnostic treatments such as airway gene therapy have the potential to treat any individual with cystic fibrosis (CF), irrespective of their CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene variants. The aim of this study was to employ two CF rat models, Phe508del and CFTR knockout (KO), to assess the comparative effectiveness of CFTR modulators and lentiviral (LV) vector-mediated gene therapy. Cells were isolated from the tracheas of rats and used to establish air-liquid interface (ALI) cultures.