Effects of Acute Exercise Bouts on Cardiovascular Biomarkers in Runners with Exercise-Induced Hypertension.

Exercise-induced hypertension (EIH) has increasingly been observed among middle-aged long-distance runners, raising concerns about cardiovascular risk. This study aimed to investigate acute changes in cardiovascular biomarkers associated with vascular inflammation, oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, endothelial function, and myocardial burden in runners with EIH. Thirty-seven middle-aged male runners (aged 40-65 years) were categorized into a normal blood pressure group (NBPG; systolic blood pressure <210 mmHg, = 23) and an EIH group (EIHG; ≥210 mmHg, = 14) based on maximal systolic blood pressure during a graded exercise test (GXT).

Advances in biomaterial-based composite spheroid for articular cartilage regeneration.

Articular cartilage plays a crucial role in reducing friction between bones and enabling movements; however, it is frequently degraded due to persistent joint stress, aging, and osteoarthritis. As its self-repair ability is limited, various cell-based therapeutic strategies have been developed for cartilage regeneration. Conventional two-dimensional (2D) cell cultures inadequately replicate the complex intercellular interactions of native cartilage.

Effect of Hop-Stabilization Training on Ankle Instability and Function of Adolescent Female Basketball Players with Chronic Ankle Instability: A Double-Blind, Prospective, Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial.

Adolescent female basketball players are frequently affected by lateral ankle sprains that may progress to chronic ankle instability (CAI) if not adequately managed. This double-blind, prospective, cluster-randomized controlled trial aimed to compare the effects of hop-stabilization training (hop training) and those of traditional balance training on ankle instability and functional performance of this population. Thirty-two adolescent female basketball players with CAI were cluster-randomized into the hop training group (HG; = 16) or balance training group (BG; = 16).

Derivation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells through Sequential Presentation of Growth Factors via Gelatin Microparticles in Pluripotent Stem Cell Spheroids.

The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in regenerative medicine has gained considerable attention in recent years with the development of clinically relevant MSCs from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and embryonic stem cells. Through sequential presentations of appropriate growth factors (GFs), iPSCs can be differentiated into mesodermal cells and then into MSCs. Furthermore, the formation of 3-dimensional cell spheroids, known as embryoid bodies, can be used to mimic in vivo conditions.

Cardiac Cell Membrane-Coated Nanoparticles as a Potential Targeted Delivery System for Cardiac Therapy.

Cardiomyopathies, a cause of heart failure, are a predominant cause of death globally and may lead to discernible myocardial abnormalities. Several therapeutic agents were discovered, developed, investigated, and evaluated to save patients' lives and improve their quality of life. The effective administration of drugs improves therapeutic outcomes while reducing side effects.

Impact of Resistance Exercise and Nitrate Supplementation on Muscle Function and Clinical Outcomes After Knee Osteoarthritis Surgery in Middle-Aged Women with Sarcopenia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

Sarcopenia, characterized by reduced muscle mass and strength, is associated with osteoarthritis (OA), particularly in middle-aged women, and may worsen postoperatively. Resistance exercise (RE) can resolve sarcopenia; however, recovery is often suboptimal. Nitrate (NO) supplementation may enhance muscle recovery and complement RE.

Cell free supernatants of Bifidobacterium adolescentis and Bifidobacterium longum suppress the tumor growth in colorectal cancer organoid model.

The probiotic gut microbiome and its metabolites are pivotal in regulating host metabolism, inflammation, and immunity. Host genetics, colonization at birth, the host lifestyle, and exposure to diseases and drugs determine microbial composition. Dysbiosis and disruption of homeostasis in the beneficial microbiome have been reported to be involved in the tumorigenesis and progression of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Differential Urinary Microbiome and Its Metabolic Footprint in Bladder Cancer Patients Following BCG Treatment.

Recent studies have identified a urinary microbiome, dispelling the myth of urine sterility. Intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy is the preferred treatment for intermediate to high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (BCa), although resistance occurs in 30-50% of cases. Progression to muscle-invasive cancer necessitates radical cystectomy.

Navigating Latency-Inducing Viral Infections: Therapeutic Targeting and Nanoparticle Utilization.

The investigation into viral latency illuminates its pivotal role in the survival strategies of diverse viruses, including herpesviruses, HIV, and HPV. This underscores the delicate balance between dormancy and the potential for reactivation. The study explores the intricate mechanisms governing viral latency, encompassing episomal and proviral forms, and their integration with the host's genetic material.

Comprehensive metabolomic analysis identifies key biomarkers and modulators of immunotherapy response in NSCLC patients.

Although immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized immuno-oncology with effective clinical responses, only 30 to 40 % of patients respond to ICIs, highlighting the need for reliable biomarkers to predict and enhance therapeutic outcomes. This study investigated how amino acid, glycolysis, and bile acid metabolism affect ICI efficacy in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Through targeted metabolomic profiling and machine learning analysis, we identified amino acid metabolism as a key factor, with histidine (His) linked to favorable outcomes and homocysteine (HCys), phenylalanine (Phe), and sarcosine (Sar) linked to poor outcomes.

Contactin-4 suppresses antitumor T cell responses by engaging amyloid precursor protein.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors have substantial advanced tumor treatment, but their limited benefits and strong responses in only a subset of patients remain challenging. In this study, we explored the immunomodulatory function of contactin-4 (CNTN4). CNTN4 was highly expressed in tumor tissues, and expression impaired the antitumor function of T cells.

Microbiome-derived indole-3-lactic acid reduces amyloidopathy through aryl-hydrocarbon receptor activation.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis has been associated with the gut microbiome and its metabolites, though the specific mechanisms have remained unclear. In our study, we used a multi-omics approach to identify specific microbial strains and metabolites that could potentially mitigate amyloidopathy in 5xFAD mice, a widely used model for AD research. Among the microbial strains tested, three showed promising results in reducing soluble amyloid-beta (Aβ) levels.

Genome-wide CRISPR screening identifies tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase-2 as a target for augmenting anti-PD1 efficacy.

Background: Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) provides durable responses in select cancer patients, yet resistance remains a significant challenge, prompting the exploration of underlying molecular mechanisms. Tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase-2 (TPST2), known for its role in protein tyrosine O-sulfation, has been suggested to modulate the extracellular protein-protein interactions, but its specific role in cancer immunity remains largely unexplored.

Methods: To explore tumor cell-intrinsic factors influencing anti-PD1 responsiveness, we conducted a pooled loss-of-function genetic screen in humanized mice engrafted with human immune cells.

Predicting septic shock in obstructive pyelonephritis associated with ureteral stones: A retrospective study.

To identify the best combination of potential predictors of septic shock in patients with obstructive acute pyelonephritis associated with ureteral stones (OAPN-US) according to Sepsis-3 criteria. Patients who underwent percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) with OAPN-US were retrospectively evaluated. Recursive feature elimination (RFE) was applied to patients with and without septic shock to identify factors associated with the prediction of progression to septic shock.

Fecal microbiota transplantation improves anti-PD-1 inhibitor efficacy in unresectable or metastatic solid cancers refractory to anti-PD-1 inhibitor.

The gut microbiome significantly influences immune responses and the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors. We conducted a clinical trial (NCT04264975) combining an anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) inhibitor with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) from anti-PD-1 responder in 13 patients with anti-PD-1-refractory advanced solid cancers. FMT induced sustained microbiota changes and clinical benefits in 6 of 13 patients, with 1 partial response and 5 stable diseases, achieving an objective response rate of 7.

Tumor necrosis factor-α-treated human adipose-derived stem cells enhance inherent radiation tolerance and alleviate in vivo radiation-induced capsular contracture.

Introduction: Post-mastectomy radiotherapy plays a crucial role in breast cancer treatment but can lead to an inflammatory response causing soft tissue damage, particularly radiation-induced capsular contracture (RICC), impacting breast reconstruction outcomes. Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), known for their regenerative potential via paracrine capacity, exhibit inherent radiotolerance. The influence of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) on ADSCs has been reported to enhance the paracrine effect of ADSCs, promoting wound healing by modulating inflammatory responses.

Applications of Biomolecular Nanostructures for Anti-Angiogenic Theranostics.

Angiogenesis is a physiological process of forming new blood vessels that has pathological importance in seemingly unrelated illnesses like cancer, diabetes, and various inflammatory diseases. Treatment targeting angiogenesis has shown promise for these types of diseases, but current anti-angiogenic agents have critical limitations in delivery and side-effects. This necessitates exploration of alternative approaches like biomolecule-based drugs.

Stepwise dual-release microparticles of BMP-4 and SCF in induced pluripotent stem cell spheroids enhance differentiation into hematopoietic stem cells.

Recently, the formation of three-dimensional (3D) cell aggregates known as embryoid bodies (EBs) grown in media supplemented with HSC-specific morphogens has been utilized for the directed differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), into clinically relevant hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). However, delivering growth factors and nutrients have become ineffective in inducing synchronous differentiation of cells due to their 3D conformation. Moreover, irregularly sized EBs often lead to the formation of necrotic cores in larger EBs, impairing differentiation.

CXCR4-Targeted Macrophage-Derived Biomimetic Hybrid Vesicle Nanoplatform for Enhanced Cancer Therapy through Codelivery of Manganese and Doxorubicin.

Immune-cell-derived membranes have garnered significant attention as innovative delivery modalities in cancer immunotherapy for their intrinsic immune-modulating functionalities and superior biocompatibilities. Integrating additional parental cell membranes or synthetic lipid vesicles into cellular vesicles can further potentiate their capacities to perform combinatorial pharmacological activities in activating antitumor immunity, thus providing insights into the potential of hybrid cellular vesicles as versatile delivery vehicles for cancer immunotherapy. Here, we have developed a macrophage-membrane-derived hybrid vesicle that has the dual functions of transporting immunotherapeutic drugs and shaping the polarization of tumor-associated macrophages for cancer immunotherapy.

Effective wound healing on diabetic mice by adhesive antibacterial GNPs-lysine composited hydrogel.

Current trends in wound care research focus on creating dressings for diverse wound types, aiming to effectively control the wound healing process. We proposed a wound dressing composed of oxidized hyaluronic acid and amine gelatin with embedded lysine-modified gelatin nanoparticles (HGel-GNPs-lysine). This dressing improves mechanical properties and reduces degradation rates.

Thiol-yne click crosslink hyaluronic acid/chitosan hydrogel for three-dimensional follicle development.

There is a great deal of potential for follicle growth to provide an alternative approach to fertility preservation. This strategy reduces the possibility of cancer cells re-exposure after transplantation, and it does not require hormone stimulation. Adopting a three-dimensional (3D) culture method helps preserve the architecture of the follicle and promotes the maturity of oocytes.

Novel bioengineering strategies for drug delivery systems.

Cellular membrane-derived vesicles (CMVs) have recently attracted attention as a drug delivery system (DDS) because CMVs offer unique advantages, including nanosized particles, superior transcellular cross-communication, excellent biocompatibility, and active targeting ability. However, some challenges remain in the design and production of CMVs, such as their low yield, chemical and mechanical instability, and difficulties in functionalizing membrane surfaces. In this paper, we introduce three strategies to overcome the limitation of CMVs.

Intracellular Adhesion Molecule-1 Improves Responsiveness to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor by Activating CD8 T Cells.

Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) clinically benefits cancer treatment. However, the ICI responses are only achieved in a subset of patients, and the underlying mechanisms of the limited response remain unclear. 160 patients with non-small cell lung cancer treated with anti-programmed cell death protein-1 (anti-PD-1) or anti-programmed death ligand-1 (anti-PD-L1) are analyzed to understand the early determinants of response to ICI.

Progress and emerging techniques for biomaterial-based derivation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs).

The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) for clinical purposes has skyrocketed in the past decade. Their multilineage differentiation potentials and immunomodulatory properties have facilitated the discovery of therapies for various illnesses. MSCs can be isolated from infant and adult tissue sources, which means they are easily available.