Nasal microbiota transplantation: a gateway to novel treatments.

Two recent studies have highlighted the potential of nasal microbiota transplantation (NMT) to treat chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Here we evaluate these findings and propose that lessons from fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) could guide NMT development, with possible implications for combating antimicrobial resistance in respiratory infections.

Neuropathology-based approach reveals novel Alzheimer's Disease genes and highlights female-specific pathways and causal links to disrupted lipid metabolism: insights into a vicious cycle.

Dementia refers to an umbrella phenotype of many different underlying pathologies with Alzheimer's disease (AD) being the most common type. Neuropathological examination remains the gold standard for accurate AD diagnosis, however, most that we know about AD genetics is based on Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) of clinically defined AD. Such studies have identified multiple AD susceptibility variants with a significant portion of the heritability unexplained and highlighting the phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of the clinically defined entity.

Method validation and characterization of stress degradation products of azelastine hydrochloride using LC-UV/PDA and LC-Q/TOF-MS studies.

Rationale: Azelastine HCl is a second-generation H -receptor antagonist approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for treating seasonal allergic rhinitis and non-allergic vasomotor rhinitis. This study encompasses the validation of a liquid chromatography-ultra violet photo diode array (LC-UV/PDA) method for the drug and its extension to liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-Q/TOF-MS) studies for identification and characterization of various stress degradation products of the drug.

Methods: Stress degradation of azelastine HCl was undertaken under the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) prescribed conditions of hydrolytic, photolytic, oxidative, and thermal stress.

Enhancement of Macrophage Immunity against Chlamydial Infection by Natural Killer T Cells.

Lung macrophage (LM) is vital in host defence against bacterial infections. However, the influence of other innate immune cells on its function, including the polarisation of different subpopulations, remains poorly understood. This study examined the polarisation of LM subpopulations (monocytes/undifferentiated macrophages (Mo/Mφ), interstitial macrophages (IM), and alveolar macrophages (AM)).

Culture-independent assessment of the indigenous microbial diversity of Raniganj coal bed methane block, Durgapur.

It is widely acknowledged that conventional mining and extraction techniques have left many parts of the world with depleting coal reserves. A sustainable method for improving the recovery of natural gas from coalbeds involves enhancing the production of biogenic methane in coal mines. By taking a culture-independent approach, the diversity of the microbial community present in the formation water of an Indian reservoir was examined using 16S rRNA gene amplification in order to study the potential of microbial-enhanced coal bed methane (CBM) production from the deep thermogenic wells at a depth of 800-1200 m.

Evaluation of Citrated Plasma After Thawing for Routine Coagulation Testing.

Objective: We aim to find the time in which a thawed citrate plasma sample that was preserved can be analyzed for routine coagulation testing without losing precision.

Methods: Whole blood samples from 30 healthy volunteers were collected in 3.2% sodium citrate vacutainer and centrifuged to separate platelet-poor plasma.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Soil-Transmitted Helminthic Infections in the Pediatric Population in India: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) is a major healthcare challenge in the pediatric age group affecting poor and deprived parts of our community. The main species that infect people are roundworm (AL, ), whipworm (TT, ), and hookworms (HW, and ). We aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of STH infections in India in the pediatric age group (< 18 years) and assess the risk factors associated with STH in this age group.

Treatment of Mouse Infants with Amoxicillin, but Not the Human Milk-Derived Antimicrobial HAMLET, Impairs Lung Th17 Responses.

Emerging evidence suggests differential effects of therapeutic antibiotics on infant T cell responses to pathogens. In this study, we explored the impact of the treatment of mouse infants with amoxicillin and the human milk-derived antimicrobial HAMLET (human alpha-lactalbumin made lethal to tumor cells) on T cell responses to . Lung cells and splenocytes were isolated from the infant mice subjected to intranasal administration of amoxicillin, HAMLET, or a combination of HAMLET and amoxicillin, and cultured with to measure T cell responses.

Effects of different amoxicillin treatment durations on microbiome diversity and composition in the gut.

Antibiotics seize an effect on bacterial composition and diversity and have been demonstrated to induce disruptions on gut microbiomes. This may have implications for human health and wellbeing, and an increasing number of studies suggest a link between the gut microbiome and several diseases. Hence, reducing antibiotic treatments may be beneficial for human health status.

Post-graduate training in Laboratory Medicine: Potential to fill a crucial gap in Indian healthcare system.

Quality Laboratory services with a widespread reach is the core of a healthcare system of the country. Diagnostic services at all levels requires technical expertise of different laboratory specialists. However the presence of all specialist together in one setup is always not possible due to limited number of trained manpower.

Medical postgraduate (MD) program in Laboratory Medicine in India: The Past, Present and Future.

A medical postgraduate course in the field of Laboratory Medicine for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree holders has existed for more than two decades in India, initiated and offered by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, which was created under the special Act of Parliament of India 1956. This course has recently been included in the draft of National Medical Commission's Post Graduate Regulation 2021 list of medical courses, and the foundation guidelines have been laid for other medical colleges and teaching hospitals across the country to start this course. This article, written purely in academic interest, describes the past, present and future of this postgraduate training program in India with an aim to answer several doubts regarding this unique and holistic course with a view to providing a direction to those who are willing to become a laboratory physician through this post-graduation.

Suppressive effect of therapeutic antibiotic regimen on antipneumococcal Th1/Th17 responses in neonatal mice.

Background: Antibiotics are commonly used in human neonates, but their impact on neonatal T cell immunity remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the antibiotic piperacillin with the beta-lactamase inhibitor tazobactam on neonatal CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses to Streptococcus pneumoniae.

Methods: Splenic and lung cells were isolated from the neonatal mice receiving piperacillin and tazobactam or saline (sham) and cultured with S.

Vaccination With the Commensal Expressing Pneumococcal Serotype 5 Capsule Elicits IgG/IgA and Th17 Responses Against .

Recent studies have identified a clinical isolate of the commensal that expresses serotype 5 capsule ( serotype 5) and shows serospecificity toward pneumococcal serotype 5. However, it remains unknown whether serotype 5 induces protective immunity against pneumococcal serotype 5. In this study, we evaluated the ability of serotype 5 to generate protective immunity in a mouse model of lung infection with pneumococcal serotype 5.

Functional repair of critically sized femoral defects treated with bioinspired titanium gyroid-sheet scaffolds.

Despite the innate ability for bone to remodel and repair, its regeneration has a limit. In these cases of critically sized bone defects (CSBD), the bone deficit must be repaired using reconstructive techniques that support immediate load bearing and encourage bone bridging across the defect. High-strength porous titanium implants offer a solution for treatment of CSBD in which the scaffold can support physiological loads, provide a matrix to guide ingrowth, and carry graft materials and/or biologics.

Semaphorin 3E Protects against Chlamydial Infection by Modulating Dendritic Cell Functions.

Recent studies have identified semaphorin 3E (Sema3E) as a novel mediator of immune responses. However, its function in immunity to infection has yet to be investigated. Using a mouse model of chlamydial lung infection, we show that Sema3E plays a significant role in the host immune response to the infection.

Magnetoelastic sensors for real-time tracking of cell growth.

Magnetoelastic (ME) sensors, which can be remotely activated via magnetic fields, are an excellent choice for wireless monitoring of biological parameters due to their ability to be scaled into different sizes and have their surface functionalized for chemical or biological sensing. In this study, we present the application of a commercially available ME material (Metglas 2826 MB) to develop a sensor system that can monitor the attachment of anchorage-dependent mammalian cells in two-dimensional in vitro cell cultures. Results obtained with the developed sensors and detection system correlated with microscopic image analysis of cell quantification, which showed a linear relationship between the sensor response and attached fibroblast cells on the sensor surface.

The Dark Side of Antibiotics: Adverse Effects on the Infant Immune Defense Against Infection.

Although antibiotics confer significant health benefits in treating or preventing bacterial infections, an accumulating wealth of evidence illustrates their detrimental effect on host-microbiota homeostasis, posing a serious menace to the global public health. In recent years, it is becoming evident that infants, who are subjected to frequent antibiotic exposures due to their vulnerability to infection, reflect increased susceptibility to a wide spectrum of diseases, including infection, in later life. Antibiotics induce perturbations of the microbiota or dysbiosis, which in turn alters the host immune responses against pathogens.

NK cells modulate T cell responses via interaction with dendritic cells in Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection.

Protective immune response to chlamydial infection is largely dependent on cell-mediated immune responses with IFN-γ production. Recent studies have shown the critical role of NK cells in bridging innate and adaptive immune responses. In this study, we investigated the effect of NK cells on T cell responses during Chlamydophila pneumoniae (Cpn) lung infection.

Mouse IgG2a Antibodies Specific for the Commensal Show Stronger Cross-Reactivity with than IgG1 Antibodies.

Here we show that mouse IgG2a and IgG1 antibodies specific for the commensal cross-react with pathogen serotypes 2 and 4, although the cross-reactivity conferred by IgG2a is stronger than that by IgG1 antibodies. These findings may be important for understanding the -induced IgG isotype responses and have consequences for the development of an effective pneumococcal vaccine.

Commensal Bacteria: An Emerging Player in Defense Against Respiratory Pathogens.

A diverse community of trillions of commensal bacteria inhabits mucosal and epidermal surfaces in humans and plays an important role in defense against pathogens, including respiratory pathogens. Commensal bacteria act on the host's immune system to induce protective responses that prevent colonization and invasion by pathogens. On the other hand, these bacteria can directly inhibit the growth of respiratory pathogens by producing antimicrobial products/signals and competing for nutrients and adhesion sites.