Mouse lemur cell atlas informs primate genes, physiology and disease.

Mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.) are an emerging primate model organism, but their genetics, cellular and molecular biology remain largely unexplored. In an accompanying paper, we performed large-scale single-cell RNA sequencing of 27 organs from mouse lemurs.

Direct high-throughput deconvolution of non-canonical bases via nanopore sequencing and bootstrapped learning.

The discovery of non-canonical bases (NCBs) and development of synthetic xeno-nucleic acids (XNAs) has spawned interest in many applications in viral genomics, synthetic biology and DNA storage. However, inability to do high-throughput sequencing of NCBs has been a significant limitation. We demonstrate that XNAs with NCBs can be robustly sequenced on a MinION system ( > 2.

Maternal plasma cell-free RNA as a predictive test for fetal lung maturation.

Background: A lack of tests to assess fetal development impacts decision making around antenatal steroid use in women at risk of preterm birth. We analyzed the expression of 21 cfRNA targets related to human fetal lung maturation. Discovery studies were performed using maternal and fetal sheep plasma, with results compared to fetal lung mRNA expression.

Predictive Screening for Inflammatory Disorders of Pregnancy Using Targeted Maternal Cell-Free RNA Assays: Proof-of-Principle Data from Large Animal and Human Cohorts.

The management and prevention of key inflammatory-associated pregnancy complications such as chorioamnionitis and pre-eclampsia is hampered by a lack of early gestation risk screening tools. In a proof-of-principle study we used targeted cell-free RNA analyses of maternal plasma samples from large animal (sheep) and human pregnancy cohorts to develop a minimally invasive screening test for inflammatory markers. This study utilised a preterm sheep model of sterile and bacterial chorioamnionitis.

Facile Automated Radiosynthesis of an Arginine Selective Bioconjugation Reagent 4‑[F]Fluorophenylglyoxal for Developing Protein-Based PET Molecular Probes.

4-[F]-Fluorophenylglyoxal ([F]-FPG) is a novel arginine selective bioconjugation reagent for native protein F-labeling. Here, we report the automated radiosynthesis of [F]-FPG on a Scintomics GRP module. The radiochemical preparation was performed in a one-pot, two-step process using a DMSO-resistant cassette system.

Fatty Acylcarnitine Metabolism in Brown/Beige and White Fats by C HRMAS NMR Spectroscopy With Metabolic Interventions.

White adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT) have distinct structural and physiological characteristics and serve opposing functions in the body. WAT primarily stores energy, whereas BAT is metabolically active and positively influences metabolic health, contributing to energy expenditure, reduced fat accumulation and enhanced mitochondrial metabolism. Recently, both classical BAT and beige fat (or inducible/recruitable BAT) that arises from the browning of WAT have attracted clinical interest as potential targets for improving mitochondrial metabolism and managing obesity-related metabolic disorders.

Cost-effective production of meaty aroma from porcine cells for hybrid cultivated meat.

Cultivated meats are typically hybrids of animal cells and plant proteins, but their high production costs limit their scalability. This study explores a cost-effective alternative by hypothesizing that controlling the Maillard and lipid thermal degradation reactions in pure cells can create a meaty aroma that could be extracted from minimal cell quantities. Using spontaneously immortalized porcine myoblasts and fibroblasts adapted to suspension culture with a 1 % serum concentration, we developed a method to isolate flavor precursors via freeze-thawing.

A risk-based approach can guide safe cell line development and cell banking for scaled-up cultivated meat production.

For commercial viability, cultivated meats require scientifically informed approaches to identify and manage hazards and risks. Here we discuss food safety in the rapidly developing field of cultivated meat as it shifts from lab-based to commercial scales. We focus on what science-informed risk mitigation processes can be implemented from neighbouring fields.

Non-destructive viability assessment of cancer cell spheroids using dynamic optical coherence tomography with trypan blue validation.

3D cell cultures are widely used in biomedical research for the recapitulation of microenvironments. Viability assessment and monitoring of these intricate conformations remain an open problem as standard cell viability protocols based on colorimetry or microscopy are not directly applicable to intact 3D samples. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been explored extensively for subsurface structural and quasi-functional analysis of 3D cell cultures and tissue.

Novel [F]FPG-interleukin-2 conjugate for monitoring immune checkpoint therapy with positron emission tomography.

F-interleukin-2 based PET imaging of activated T cells serves as a potential tool for non-invasive response prediction, treatment evaluation, and patient stratification in cancer immune checkpoint therapy. Herein, we report the radiolabelling of interleukin-2 (IL-2) with a novel arginine selective bioconjugation reagent, 4-[F]fluorophenylglyoxal ([F]FPG). Good non-decay corrected bioconjugation efficiencies of 29 ± 4 % (n = 5) were obtained for the [F]FPG-IL-2.

High-efficiency magnetophoretic labelling of adoptively-transferred T cells for longitudinal Magnetic Particle Imaging.

While adoptive cell therapies (ACT) have been successful as therapies for blood cancers, they have limited efficacy in treating solid tumours, where the tumour microenvironment excludes and suppresses adoptively transferred tumour-specific immune cells. A major obstacle to improving cell therapies for solid tumours is a lack of accessible and quantitative imaging modalities capable of tracking the migration and immune functional activity of ACT products for an extended duration . A high-efficiency magnetophoretic method was developed for facile magnetic labelling of hard-to-label immune cells, which were then injected into tumour-bearing mice and imaged over two weeks with a compact benchtop Magnetic Particle Imager (MPI) design.

Electrostatic microfiltration (EM) enriches and recovers viable microorganisms at low-abundance in large-volume samples and enhances downstream detection.

Rapid and sensitive detection of pathogens in various samples is crucial for disease diagnosis, environmental surveillance, as well as food and water safety monitoring. However, the low abundance of pathogens (<10 CFU) in large volume (1 mL-1 L) samples containing vast backgrounds critically limits the sensitivity of even the most advanced techniques, such as digital PCR. Therefore, there is a critical need for sample preparation that can enrich low-abundance pathogens from complex and large-volume samples.

Rapid Endoscopic Diagnosis of Benign Ulcerative Colorectal Diseases With an Artificial Intelligence Contextual Framework.

Background & Aims: Benign ulcerative colorectal diseases (UCDs) such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, ischemic colitis, and intestinal tuberculosis share similar phenotypes with different etiologies and treatment strategies. To accurately diagnose closely related diseases like UCDs, we hypothesize that contextual learning is critical in enhancing the ability of the artificial intelligence models to differentiate the subtle differences in lesions amidst the vastly divergent spatial contexts.

Methods: White-light colonoscopy datasets of patients with confirmed UCDs and healthy controls were retrospectively collected.

Topological defects in self-assembled patterns of mesenchymal stromal cells in vitro are predictive attributes of condensation and chondrogenesis.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are promising therapeutic agents for cartilage regeneration, including the potential of cells to promote chondrogenesis in vivo. However, process development and regulatory approval of MSCs as cell therapy products benefit from facile in vitro approaches that can predict potency for a given production run. Current standard in vitro approaches include a 21 day 3D differentiation assay followed by quantification of cartilage matrix proteins.

Self-Promoted Hydroxyl Radical Releasing Magnetic Zn@Fe Particles.

Semiconductor photocatalysts, such as TiO and ZnO, have garnered significant attention for their ability to generate hydroxyl radicals, offering various practical applications. However, the reliance on UV light to facilitate electron-hole separation for hydroxyl radical production poses limitations. In this study, a novel approach is presented utilizing Zn@Fe core/shell particles capable of generating hydroxyl radicals without external energy input.

Crosstalk between CD64MHCII macrophages and CD4 T cells drives joint pathology during chikungunya.

Communications between immune cells are essential to ensure appropriate coordination of their activities. Here, we observed the infiltration of activated macrophages into the joint-footpads of chikungunya virus (CHIKV)-infected animals. Large numbers of CD64MHCII and CD64MHCII macrophages were present in the joint-footpad, preceded by the recruitment of their CD11bLy6C inflammatory monocyte precursors.

Potentiating Gilteritinib Efficacy Using Nanocomplexation with a Hyaluronic Acid-Epigallocatechin Gallate Conjugate.

Acute myeloid leukemia carrying FMS-like tyrosine kinase receptor-3 (FLT3) mutations is a fatal blood cancer with a poor prognosis. Although the FLT3 inhibitor gilteritinib has recently been approved, it still suffers from limited efficacy and relatively high nonresponse rates. In this study, we report the potentiation of gilteritinib efficacy using nanocomplexation with a hyaluronic acid-epigallocatechin gallate conjugate.

Redox Active Zn@MOFs as Spontaneous Reactive Oxygen Species Releasing Antimicrobials.

The rapid development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) among infectious pathogens has become a major threat and challenge in healthcare systems globally. A strategy distinct from minimizing the overuse of antimicrobials involves the development of novel antimicrobials with a mode of action that prevents the development of AMR microbial strains. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are formed as a natural byproduct of the cellular aerobic metabolism.

Systematic Mutation and Unnatural Base Pair Incorporation Improves Riboswitch-Based Biosensor Response Time.

Engineered RNAs have applications in diverse fields from biomedical to environmental. In many cases, the folding of the RNA is critical to its function. Here we describe a strategy to improve the response time of a riboswitch-based fluorescent biosensor.

Injectable Hydrogels Prepared Using Novel Synthetic Short Peptides with Defined Structure and Gelatin as Scaffolds to Support Cell and Tissue Growth.

Animal-derived basement-membrane matrices such as Geltrex are used to grow cells and tissues. Particularly, these are commonly applied to support tumor growth in animals for cancer research. However, a material derived from an animal source has an undefined composition, and may thus have unavoidable batch-to-batch variation in properties.

pH-Responsive Polymeric Micelle Dynamic Complexes for Selective Killing of .

, the world's most common chronic infection-causing pathogen, is responsible for causing gastric ulcers, the fourth-leading cause of cancer-related death globally in 2020. In recent years, the effectiveness of the current treatment regimen (two antibiotics and one proton pump inhibitor) has often been plagued with problems such as resistance and the undesired elimination of commensal bacteria. Herein, we report the synthesis of block and random copolycarbonates, functionalized with cationic guanidinium and anionic acetate functional groups, aimed at selectively killing in the acidic environment of the stomach, while remaining nontoxic to the commensal bacteria in the gut.