Proteomic and transcriptomic analyses of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) offer unique insights into molecular changes associated with central nervous system (CNS) diseases and may result in biomarker identification. No gold standard method to enrich EVs from CSF has been established, and head-to-head comparisons of outputs of different protocols are scarce. Using a large pool of CSF, we characterised the EV preparations resulting from four enrichment protocols and compared them in terms of yield and purity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe SWI/SNF (or BAF) complex is an essential chromatin remodeler, which is frequently mutated in cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders. These are often heterozygous loss-of-function mutations, indicating a dosage-sensitive role for SWI/SNF subunits. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating SWI/SNF subunit dosage to ensure complex assembly remain largely unexplored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOpen Forum Infect Dis
April 2025
Background: Haploidentical allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant recipients (allo-HCTr) receiving posttransplant cyclophosphamide (haplo-PTCy) are at higher risk for infectious complications, including viral infections.
Methods: We performed a retrospective, single-center, propensity-score matched-pair study including adult haplo-PTCy and allo-HCTr from human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched donors, undergoing transplantation in our institution between 2016 and 2022. For each patient, 4 blood samples (day [D] 0, D30, D90, and D180 posttransplantation) were extracted from the biobank and tested with metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) to describe the blood virome and identify viral RNA/DNA signatures potentially unrecognized by routinely available tests.
Invariant natural killer T cells are a rare, heterogeneous T-cell subset with cytotoxic and immunomodulatory properties. During thymic development, murine invariant natural killer T cells go through different maturation stages differentiating into distinct sublineages, namely, invariant natural killer T1, 2, and 17 cells. Recent reports indicate that invariant natural killer T2 cells display immature properties and give rise to other subsets, whereas invariant natural killer T1 cells seem to be terminally differentiated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBacteriophage therapy has been suggested as an alternative or complementary strategy for the treatment of multidrug resistant (MDR) bacterial infections. Here, we report the favourable clinical evolution of a 41-year-old male patient with a Kartagener syndrome complicated by a life-threatening chronic MDR Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, who is treated successfully with iterative aerosolized phage treatments specifically directed against the patient's isolate. We follow the longitudinal evolution of both phage and bacterial loads during and after phage administration in respiratory samples.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: We propose a new approach for designing personalized treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, by combining ex vivo organoid efficacy testing with mathematical modeling of the results.
Methods: The validated phenotypic approach called Therapeutically Guided Multidrug Optimization (TGMO) was used to identify four low-dose synergistic optimized drug combinations (ODC) in 3D human CRC models of cells that are either sensitive or resistant to first-line CRC chemotherapy (FOLFOXIRI). Our findings were obtained using second order linear regression and adaptive lasso.
Cancers (Basel)
September 2022
FOLFOXIRI, i.e., the combination of folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan, is a first-line treatment for colorectal carcinoma (CRC), yet non-personalized and aggressive.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Cancer Res Clin Oncol
August 2022
Background: Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare chronic B cell malignancy, characterized by infiltration of bone marrow, blood and spleen by typical "hairy cells" that bear the BRAFV600E mutation. However, in addition to the intrinsic activation of the MAP kinase pathway as a consequence of the BRAFV600E mutation, the potential participation of other signaling pathways to the pathophysiology of the disease remains unclear as the precise origin of the malignant hairy B cells.
Materials And Methods: Using mRNA gene expression profiling based on the Nanostring technology and the analysis of 290 genes with crucial roles in B cell lymphomas, we defined a 17 gene expression signature specific for HCL.
The goal of this study was to explore the specific signaling pathways related to inflammation in two experimental mouse dry eye (EDE) models. Female C57BL/6 mice housed for 10 days in a controlled desiccative environment were either treated with scopolamine (EDE-1; = 18) or subjected to extraorbital lacrimal gland excision bilaterally (EDE-2; = 10). Non-induced mice ( = 20) served as healthy controls.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRepurposed drugs have been evaluated for the management of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), but only a few have influenced the overall survival of patients with advanced disease. To combine repurposed non-oncology with oncological drugs, we applied our validated phenotypic method, which consisted of a reduced experimental part and data modeling. A synergistic optimized multidrug combination (ODC) was identified to significantly reduce the energy levels in cancer remaining inactive in non-cancerous cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFResistance in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) against sunitinib is a multifaceted process encompassing numerous molecular aberrations. This induces clinical complications, reducing the treatment success. Understanding these aberrations helps us to select an adapted treatment strategy that surpasses resistance mechanisms, reverting the treatment insensitivity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEmerg Microbes Infect
December 2021
Background: Vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) is a chronic, potentially blinding ocular allergic disease affecting children with uncertain pathogenic mechanisms.
Objective: To identify differences in gene expression between VKC and normal subjects (CT) and to evaluate the expression of pattern recognition receptors (PRRs).
Methods: Conjunctival cells were collected by impression cytology device from 25 VKC patients and 10 CT.
The current standard of care for colorectal cancer (CRC) is a combination of chemotherapeutics, often supplemented with targeted biological drugs. An urgent need exists for improved drug efficacy and minimized side effects, especially at late-stage disease. We employed the phenotypically driven therapeutically guided multidrug optimization (TGMO) technology to identify optimized drug combinations (ODCs) in CRC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: On-clopidogrel platelet reactivity (PR) is associated with the risk of thrombotic or bleeding event in selected populations of high-risk patients. PR is a highly heritable phenotype and a few variants of cytochrome genes, essentially CYP2C19, are associated with PR but only explain 5% to 12% of the variability.
Objective: The aim of this study is to delineate genetic determinants of on-clopidogrel PR using high-throughput sequencing.
Emerg Microbes Infect
June 2019
Unlabelled: Purpose/Aim: Inflammation is recognized as playing an etiological role in dry eye disease. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of various topical cyclosporine A (CsA) formulations on cornea inflammatory markers in a mouse model of dry eye.
Material And Methods: Six- to 7-week-old mice treated with scopolamine were housed in a controlled environment room to induce dry eye.
In several multicenter clinical trials, HLA-DR was found to be a potential biomarker of dry eye disease (DED)'s severity and prognosis. Given the fact that HLA-DR receptor is a heterodimer consisting in an alpha and a beta chain, we intended to investigate the correlation of inflammatory targets with the corresponding transcripts, and , to characterize specific targets closely related to HLA-DR expressed in conjunctival cells from patients suffering from DED of various etiologies. A prospective study was conducted in 88 patients with different forms of DED.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWater Res
September 2017
Water quality degradation is a worldwide problem, but risk evaluation of chronic pollution in-situ is still a challenge. The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of transcriptomic analyses in representative aquatic primary producers to assess the impact of environmental pollution in-situ: the microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and the macrophyte Elodea nuttallii were exposed 2 h in the Babeni Reservoir of the Olt River impacted by chlor-alkali plant effluent release resulting in increased concentrations of Hg and NaCl in receiving water. The response at the transcriptomic level was strong, resulting in up to 5485, and 8700 dysregulated genes (DG) for the microalga and for the macrophyte exposed in the most contaminated site, respectively.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Although the risk of transmitting infectious agents by blood transfusion is dramatically reduced after donor selection, leukoreduction, and laboratory testing, some could still be present in donor's blood. A description of metagenomes in blood products eligible for transfusion represents relevant information to evaluate the risk of pathogen transmission by transfusion.
Study Design And Methods: Detection of viruses, bacteria, and fungi genomes was made by high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of 600 manufactured blood products eligible for transfusion: 300 red blood cell (RBC) and 300 fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) units.
The post-mortem diagnosis of acute myocardial ischemia remains a challenge for both clinical and forensic pathologists. We performed an experimental study (ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery in rats) in order to identify early markers of myocardial ischemia, to further apply to forensic and clinical pathology in cases of sudden cardiac death. Using immunohistochemistry, Western blots, and gene expression analyses, we investigated a number of markers, selected among those which are currently used in emergency departments to diagnose myocardial infarction and those which are under investigation in basic research and autopsy pathology studies on cardiovascular diseases.
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