Int J Biol Macromol
September 2025
Several polysaccharides extracted from seaweed have immunostimulatory effects. However, active substances from various diverse seaweeds should be identified to determine optimal immune stimulators. The dendritic cell (DC) activation ability of fucoidan extracted from Durvillaea antarctica (FDA) has been verified previously.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of the mindful somatic psychoeducation program (MSPP) on the mental health of unmarried mothers.
Methods: Sixteen unmarried mothers with children aged 0-5 years were randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG, n=8) or control group (CG, n=8). The IG participated in an 8-week MSPP, while the CG maintained their usual routines.
BACKGROUND This study evaluated the effectiveness of a postpartum rehabilitation exercise using rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (RUSI) compared to an aerobic exercise and routine daily activities over a 12-week period. MATERIAL AND METHODS We randomly assigned 56 postpartum women to 3 groups: Group 1 (5R system), Group 2 (aerobic exercise), and Group 3 (control). Groups 1 and 2 engaged in supervised exercise sessions twice per week over a 12-week intervention period.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAsthma is a chronic allergic inflammatory disease of the airways that can have fatal effects by impairing the oxygen transport function of the lungs. In this study, asthma is treated using a drug delivery system that has recently garnered increased attention. To suppress the activity of immune cells involved in asthma, dexamethasone (Dex) is loaded on a poly lactic--glycolic acid polymer and wrapped in lipid-containing monophosphoryl lipid A (MPLA), a toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) ligand.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLaparoscopic procedures in bariatric surgery are evolving to enhance cosmetic outcomes and minimize postoperative complications. This study demonstrates the results of bariatric surgery achieved through the application of surgical techniques derived from gastric cancer surgery. Several surgical techniques from gastric cancer surgery were implemented in bariatric surgery, including: (1) V-shaped liver retraction, (2) Reduced port surgery, (3) Intraoperative endoscopy and (4) Multi-degree-of-freedom articulating device.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNanodiscs, consisting of a lipid bilayer surrounded by membrane scaffold proteins (MSPs), are extensively used to study membrane proteins (MPs) because they provide a stable lipid environment. However, the precise mechanism governing MP behavior within the nanodisc remains elusive. Here, we examined the cryo-EM structures of various MPs reconstituted in nanodiscs from EMPIAR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEffective cancer therapy aims to treat primary tumors and metastatic and recurrent cancer. Immune checkpoint blockade-mediated immunotherapy has shown promising effects against tumors; however, its efficacy in metastatic or recurrent cancer is limited. Here, based on the advantages of nanomedicine, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) that can target tumors are synthesized for photothermal therapy (PTT) and immunotherapy to treat primary and metastatic recurrent cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: This study aimed to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the perspectives of yoga instructors (YIs) regarding teaching methodology, class components, and yoga-related injuries among their clients DESIGN: A cross-sectional design in this study.
Setting: A total of 407 YIs from Northeastern United States completed a customized, web-based survey.
Main Outcome Measures: Chi-square tests were carried out to determine changes in yoga teaching format before and during the pandemic, as well as the counts of yoga related injuries between face-to-face (FtoF) and online teaching format.
Int J Biol Macromol
December 2024
The immune activation ability of FimH, an adhesion protein in pili of Escherichia coli (E. coli), has been recently reported. However, studies on the immune activity of PapG, another major pili terminal protein, have not been well explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMetastasis and recurrence are the main challenges in cancer treatment. Among various therapeutic approaches, immunotherapy holds promise for preventing metastasis and recurrence. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of treating primary cancer and blocking metastasis and recurrence with photo-immunotherapeutic nanoparticles, which were synthesized using two types of charged polysaccharides.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Biol Macromol
September 2024
Immune checkpoint inhibitors are showing groundbreaking results in tumor immunotherapy. However, there are cases where treatment efficiency is insufficient due to limitations in immune activity, and various trials to overcome this are being studied. In this study, we investigated the immune activation ability of fucoidan extracted from Durvillaea antarctica (FDA) and whether it can enhance the anti-cancer effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Several studies have found that the absolute lymphocyte (ALC) or neutrophil count predicts the survival of patients with solid tumors, and that the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and the prognostic nutritional index are useful markers of gastric cancer prognosis. However, it remains unclear whether the ALC is prognostic of lymph node (LN) metastasis in patients with gastric cancer. In this study, we aimed to explore the impact of ALC on prognosis and distinctive clinical characteristics in patients with gastric cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Control Release
September 2024
Nanomedicines hold promise for the treatment of various diseases. However, treating cancer metastasis remains highly challenging. In this study, we synthesized gold nanorods (AuNRs) containing (α-GC), an immune stimulator, for the treatment of primary cancer, metastasis, and recurrence of the cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpithelial-stromal interplay through chemomechanical cues from cells and matrix propels cancer progression. Elevated tissue stiffness in potentially malignant tissues suggests a link between matrix stiffness and enhanced tumor growth. In this study, employing chronic oral/esophageal injury and cancer models, it is demonstrated that epithelial-stromal interplay through matrix stiffness and Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is key in compounding cancer development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Neonates are at risk of nosocomial tuberculosis (TB) infection from health care workers (HCWs) in neonatal care facilities, which can progress to severe TB diseases. Tuberculin skin test (TST) is commonly used for TB diagnosis, but its accuracy in neonates is influenced by various factors, including bacilli Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccination. This study aimed to identify predictors of positive TSTs in neonates exposed to HCWs with pulmonary TB.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has emerged as a significant liver ailment attributed to factors like obesity and diabetes. While ongoing research explores treatments for NAFLD, further investigation is imperative to address this escalating health concern. NAFLD manifests as hepatic steatosis, precipitating insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTo identify risk factors and biomarker for early recurrence in patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer who undergo curative resection. Early recurrence after curative resection of pancreatic cancer is an obstacle to long-term survival. We retrospectively reviewed 162 patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer who underwent curative resection.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: malignancies are major causes of death after organ transplantation because the recipients subsequently receive immunosuppressant drugs. When gastric cancer develops, the clinical course of the tumor may be particularly aggressive. However, there are few reliable studies of gastric cancer treatment after organ transplantation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMol Cells
February 2024
Recently, the incidence of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is increasing due to the high prevalence of metabolic conditions, such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Steatotic liver is a hotspot for cancer metastasis in MASLD. Altered lipid metabolism, a hallmark of MASLD, remodels the tissue microenvironment, making it conducive to the growth of metastatic liver cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEarly detection and surgical treatment are essential to achieve a good outcome in gastric cancer (GC). Stage IV and recurrent GC have a poor prognosis. Therefore, new treatments for GC are needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDNA-templated metallization has emerged as an efficient strategy for creating nanoscale-metal DNA hybrid structures with a desirable conformation and function. Despite the potential of DNA-metal hybrids, their use as combinatory therapeutic agents has rarely been examined. Herein, we present a simple approach for fabricating a multipurpose DNA superstructure that serves as an efficient photoimmunotherapy agent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Immunol
December 2023
Introduction: Immune stimulators are used to improve vaccine efficiency; however, they are accompanied by various side effects. In previous studies, we reported that the adhesion protein, FimH, induces immune activity; however, we did not examine any side effects in colon inflammation.
Methods: FimH was administered orally or intraperitoneally () to mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, and changes in symptoms were observed.