Construction of Nanotube-Shaped mRNA Vehicles Using Self-Assembling Peptides.

The mRNA delivery vehicle technology is one of the key factors in developing mRNA-based therapeutics and vaccines. The delivery vehicle must protect the mRNA from degradation, accurately deliver it across body barriers into the target tissue or cell, and properly regulate expression of the protein. Even though the stability and performance of mRNA delivery vehicles is highly dependent on their nanostructure, most vehicles were irregular spherical shapes.

Prenatal famine exposure and late-life functional brain network connectivity: A longitudinal study.

The effects of the prenatal environment on resting-state functional connectivity in the brain can be detected up into older adulthood. We previously identified differences in resting-state functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), and central executive network (CEN) at age 68 between men and women in the Dutch famine birth cohort who had been exposed or unexposed to famine in early gestation. Here, we investigated longitudinal changes in resting-state functional connectivity of the DMN, SN and CEN between ages 68 (n = 115) and 74 (n = 80) in the same cohort.

PKA-Mediated Phosphorylation of SFRP4 Promotes Wnt/β-Catenin Activation and Cancer Stemness in Gastric Cancer.

Secreted Frizzled-related protein 4 (SFRP4) has been identified as a patient-level biomarker of the stem-like subtype of gastric cancer (GC), which is associated with poor prognosis and resistance to chemotherapy. Although multiple studies have documented the clinical significance of SFRP4 in GC, its mechanistic role in the stem-like subtype remains incompletely understood. In this study, we elucidate how phosphorylation of SFRP4 by protein kinase A (PKA) converts it into a Wnt signaling agonist.

Clinical Implication of Sequential Circulating Tumor DNA Assessments for the Treatment of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma.

Background/objectives: Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) has emerged as a promising biomarker for non-invasive tumor monitoring in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL).

Methods: In this study, 52 patients with newly diagnosed advanced-stage DLBCL treated with R-CHOP underwent serial ctDNA analysis at baseline, interim (after three cycles), and end of treatment. The prognostic significance of ctDNA dynamics was evaluated, and its predictive value was compared with the PET/CT response.

Clinical characteristics and courses of Korean patients with giant cell arteritis: a multi-center retrospective study.

Objective: Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a large-vessel vasculitis that primarily affects elderly individuals. However, data regarding Korean patients with GCA are scarce owing to its extremely low prevalence in East Asia. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of Korean patients with GCA and their outcomes, focusing on relapse.

Adaptable Self-Assembly of a PEG Dendrimer-Coiled Coil Conjugate.

Self-assembly of designed molecules has enabled the construction of a variety of functional nanostructures. Specifically, adaptable self-assembly has demonstrated several advantageous features for smart materials. Here, we demonstrate that an α-helical coiled coil conjugated with a dendrimer can adapt to spatial restriction due to the strong steric repulsion between dendrimer chains.

Modulating the folding and binding of peptides using a stimuli-responsive molecular tweezer.

This study presents the development of a β-hairpin (tryptophan zipper, Trpzip)-based molecular tweezer (MT) that can control the folding and binding of α-helical peptides. When an α-helix isolated from the p53 protein was conjugated with Trpzip in an optimized macrocyclic structure, the folded β-hairpin stabilized the helix conformation through the side chain-to-side chain stapling strategy, which notably enhanced target (hDM2) affinity of the peptide. On the other hand, the helicity and binding affinity were significantly reduced when the hairpin was unfolded by a redox stimulus.

The potential of blood neurofilament light as a marker of neurodegeneration for Alzheimer's disease.

Over the past several years, there has been a surge in blood biomarker studies examining the value of plasma or serum neurofilament light (NfL) as a biomarker of neurodegeneration for Alzheimer's disease. However, there have been limited efforts to combine existing findings to assess the utility of blood NfL as a biomarker of neurodegeneration for Alzheimer's disease. In addition, we still need better insight into the specific aspects of neurodegeneration that are reflected by the elevated plasma or serum concentration of NfL.

Magnetic control of self-assembly and disassembly in organic materials.

Because organic molecules and materials are generally insensitive or weakly sensitive to magnetic fields, a certain means to enhance their magnetic responsiveness needs to be exploited. Here we show a strategy to amplify the magnetic responsiveness of self-assembled peptide nanostructures by synergistically combining the concepts of perfect α-helix and rod-coil supramolecular building blocks. Firstly, we develop a monomeric, nonpolar, and perfect α-helix (MNP-helix).

Identification of Metabolic Signature Associated with Idiopathic Inflammatory Myopathy Reveals Polyamine Pathway Alteration in Muscle Tissue.

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) is hard to diagnose without a muscle biopsy. We aimed to identify a metabolite panel for IIM detection by metabolomics approach in serum samples and to explore the metabolomic signature in tissue samples from a mouse model. We obtained serum samples from IIM patients, ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, healthy volunteers and muscle tissue samples from IIM murine model.

A Multicenter, Prospective, Randomized, Parallel-Group Trial on the Effects of Temporary Methotrexate Discontinuation for One Week Versus Two Weeks on Seasonal Influenza Vaccination in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: This clinical trial was conducted to investigate whether discontinuing methotrexate (MTX) for 1 week after seasonal influenza vaccination is noninferior to discontinuing for 2 weeks after vaccination in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: In this multicenter, prospective, randomized, parallel-group noninferiority trial, RA patients receiving a stable dose of MTX were randomly assigned at a ratio of 1:1 to discontinue MTX for 1 week or for 2 weeks after they received the quadrivalent 2021-2022 seasonal influenza vaccine containing H1N1, H3N2, B/Yamagata, and B/Victoria strains. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of patients with a satisfactory vaccine response, which was defined as ≥4-fold increase in antibody titers, as determined with the hemagglutination inhibition assay, against ≥2 of the 4 vaccine strains at 4 weeks after vaccination.

Differential Diagnosis of Inflammatory Arthropathy Accompanying Active Tuberculosis Infection.

Objective: The study aimed to ascertain the clinical manifestations of inflammatory arthritis accompanying tuberculosis (TB) for the differential diagnosis.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients with active TB who presented with inflammatory arthropathy at Seoul Medical Center. Among 2,872 patients with active TB infection, 47 had inflammatory arthropathy 14 had crystal-induced arthropathy; 12, TB arthritis; 12, Poncet's disease (PD); 8, Rheumatoid arthritis (RA); and 1, septic arthritis.

Physical Activity Interventions for Colorectal Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background: Physical activity (PA) has been shown to improve total mortality and colorectal-specific mortality risk; however, colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors have lower rates of PA compared with survivors with other types of cancers.

Objective: To examine the effect of PA interventions on CRC survivors.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to identify randomized controlled trials that met the inclusion criteria, which included an intervention designed to increase PA and more than 1 outcome of interest.

White Matter Hyperintensities and Apolipoprotein E Affect the Association Between Mean Arterial Pressure and Objective and Subjective Cognitive Functioning in Older Adults.

Background: White matter hyperintensities (WMH) show a robust relationship with arterial pressure as well as objective and subjective cognitive functioning. In addition, APOE ɛ4 carriership may influence how arterial pressure affects cognitive functioning.

Objective: To determine the role of region-specific WMH burden and APOE ɛ4 carriership on the relationship between mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cognitive function as well as subjective cognitive decline (SCD).

A Case of Overlap Syndrome of Systemic Sclerosis and Cryoglobulinemic Vasculitis With Central Nervous System Involvement.

Mixed cryoglobulinemic vasculitis (CV) is occasionally caused by autoimmune diseases including systemic sclerosis. Multiorgan involvement such as skin, kidney, and peripheral nerve involvement is common in mixed CV. However, central nervous system (CNS) involvement is extremely rare.

Ribosomal protein S3-derived repair domain peptides regulate UV-induced matrix metalloproteinase-1.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a major factor that causes wrinkle formation by affecting the collagen level in the skin. Here, we show that a short peptide (A8) derived from the repair domain of the ribosomal protein S3 (rpS3) reduces UV irradiation-induced increase in matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and prevents collagen degradation by reducing the activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling proteins (extracellular signal-regulated kinase [ERK], p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinases [JNK]) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) in cells. Furthermore, A8 also prevents the increase in the levels of inflammatory modulators such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) or interleukin-6 (IL-6) in UV-irradiated cells.

The effects of the three-dimensional active trunk training exercise on trunk control ability, trunk muscle strength, and balance ability in sub-acute stroke patients: A randomized controlled pilot study.

Background: Trunk control ability has been identified as an important early predictor of functional recovery after stroke.

Objective: Our study aimed to investigate the effects of three-dimensional active trunk training exercise on trunk control ability, trunk muscle strength, and balance ability in sub-acute stroke patients.

Methods: Twenty-four sub-acute stroke patients were randomly assigned to an experimental (n= 12) or control (n= 12) group.

JNK activation induced by ribotoxic stress is initiated from 80S monosomes but not polysomes.

Translation is a costly, but inevitable, cell maintenance process. To reduce unnecessary ATP consumption in cells, a fine-tuning mechanism is needed for both ribosome biogenesis and translation. Previous studies have suggested that the ribosome functions as a hub for many cellular signals such as ribotoxic stress response, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) signaling.

Anti-cariogenic Characteristics of Rubusoside.

Unlabelled: plays an important role in the development of dental caries in humans by synthesizing adhesive insoluble glucans from sucrose by mutansucrase activity. To explore the anti-cariogenic characteristics of rubusoside (Ru), a natural sweetener component in (Rosaceae), we investigated the inhibitory effect of Ru against the activity of mutansucrase and the growth of Ru (50 mM) showed 97% inhibitory activity against 0.1 U/mL mutansucrase of with 500 mM sucrose.

The overexpression of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) genes that encode the branched-chain amino acid transferase modulate flowering time in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The overexpression of CsBCATs promotes flowering in Arabidopsis by regulating the expression of flowering time genes. The branched-chain amino acid transferases (BCATs) play an important role in the metabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), such as isoleucine, leucine, and valine. They function in both the synthesis and the degradation of this class of amino acids.

[Effectiveness of Telemonitoring Intervention in Children and Adolescents with Asthma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis].

Purpose: This review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of telemonitoring (TM) in the management of children and adolescents with asthma.

Methods: We searched Ovid-MEDLINE, Ovid-EMBASE, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and 5 domestic databases to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published through December 2017. Two reviewers independently selected relevant studies, assessed methodological quality and extracted data.

Ssb2 is a novel factor in regulating synthesis and degradation of Gcn4 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Yeast cells respond to environmental stress by inducing the master regulator Gcn4 to control genes involved in biosynthesis of amino acids and purine pathways. Gcn4 is a member of the basic leucine Zipper family and binds directly as a homodimer to a conserved regulatory region of target genes. Ssb2 was discovered to rescue the mutant Gcn4 which has a point mutation that decreases DNA-binding affinity.