Investigating alveolar macrophages in an human ex vivo precision-cut lung slice model of SARS-CoV-2 infection using Raman spectroscopy-A case study.

Background: Alveolar macrophages (AMs) are crucial innate immune cells that play important roles during infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Ex vivo human precision-cut lung slices (PCLSs) are well-suited models to study immune reactions and biochemical changes within host cells as well as to follow functional macrophage phenotype plasticity within complex tissue environment. Raman spectroscopy emerged in recent years as a powerful method for label-free cell characterization.

Qualitative comparison of decalcifiers for mouse bone cryosections for subsequent biophotonic analysis.

Bone tissue, with its complex structure, often necessitates decalcification of the hard tissue for ex vivo morphological studies. The choice of a suitable decalcification method plays a crucial role in preserving desired features and ensuring compatibility with diverse imaging techniques. The search for a universal decalcification method that is suitable for a range of biophotonic analyses remains an ongoing challenge.

Short-Term Urinary Incontinence After Radical Prostatectomy Is Still Based on Patients' Age, Nerve-Sparing Approach, and Surgical-Experience, Despite the Higher-Use of Robotic Surgery in 2022 Compared to 2016 Real-World Results of a Large Rehabilitation Center in Germany.

Background: Despite constant improvements, incontinence is one of the most relevant and quality-of-life-reducing side effects of radical prostatectomy (RP) and, in addition to patient-specific factors such as age, the experience of the surgeon/center and the surgical technique used play an important role.

Aims: To present current real-world data on short-term incontinence after RP from one of the largest German rehabilitation centers in 2022 and to compare it to the results from the same institution in 2016.

Methods And Results: Retrospective, unicentric, univariate analysis of data from 1394 men after RP in 2022 on admission and discharge from the rehabilitation clinic.

Quantification of Polystyrene Uptake by Different Cell Lines Using Fluorescence Microscopy and Label-Free Visualization of Intracellular Polystyrene Particles by Raman Microspectroscopic Imaging.

Environmental pollution caused by plastic is a present problem. Polystyrene is a widely used packaging material (e.g.

Label-Free Characterization of Macrophage Polarization Using Raman Spectroscopy.

Macrophages are important cells of the innate immune system that play many different roles in host defense, a fact that is reflected by their polarization into many distinct subtypes. Depending on their function and phenotype, macrophages can be grossly classified into classically activated macrophages (pro-inflammatory M1 cells), alternatively activated macrophages (anti-inflammatory M2 cells), and non-activated cells (resting M0 cells). A fast, label-free and non-destructive characterization of macrophage phenotypes could be of importance for studying the contribution of the various subtypes to numerous pathologies.

Sensitization of Patient-Derived Colorectal Cancer Organoids to Photon and Proton Radiation by Targeting DNA Damage Response Mechanisms.

Pathological complete response (pCR) has been correlated with overall survival in several cancer entities including colorectal cancer. Novel total neoadjuvant treatment (TNT) in rectal cancer has achieved pathological complete response in one-third of the patients. To define better treatment options for nonresponding patients, we used patient-derived organoids (PDOs) as avatars of the patient's tumor to apply both photon- and proton-based irradiation as well as single and combined chemo(radio)therapeutic treatments.

Combined Systemic Drug Treatment with Proton Therapy: Investigations on Patient-Derived Organoids.

To optimize neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the value of new irradiation modalities such as proton therapy needs to be investigated in relevant preclinical models. We studied individual treatment responses to RCT using patient-derived PDAC organoids (PDO). Four PDO lines were treated with gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracile (5FU), photon and proton irradiation and combined RCT.

Multielectrode biosensor chip for spatial resolution screening of 3D cell models based on microcavity arrays.

Three-dimensional cell models represent the native in vivo situation more closely than two-dimensional cultures and are therefore preferred today for in vitro studies. In this context, there is a great demand for fast, non-invasive, real-time, and label-free methods that are capable for detailed analyses of three-dimensional cultures. To characterize heterogeneous cultures or to detect localized drug effects, a measurement method such as impedance spectroscopy in combination with microcavity arrays (MCAs) is desirable, which additionally offers spatial resolution.