Editorial Material
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Laura DeFrancesco, Kathryn Aschheim
Summary: A group of experts reflects on lessons learned from the initial human transplants of genetically modified pig organs and discusses the future potential of xenotransplantation.
NATURE BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Joana Torres, Ryan C. Ungaro, Jean-Frederic Colombel
Summary: Inflammatory bowel disease has a preclinical phase with altered immune and inflammatory pathways, which offers opportunities for disease prediction and prevention.
Review
Oncology
Amani Arthur, Edward W. Johnston, Jessica M. Winfield, Matthew D. Blackledge, Robin L. Jones, Paul H. Huang, Christina Messiou
Summary: The shift towards a data-driven approach in radiology has been made possible by developments in imaging biomarkers and computational science. This has the potential to revolutionize cancer management by providing virtual biopsies. In the case of soft tissue sarcomas, the application of advanced imaging and computational techniques can improve diagnostic accuracy and personalized treatment planning.
FRONTIERS IN ONCOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kasra Khatami, Mariel Perez-Zabaleta, Isaac Owusu-Agyeman, Zeynep Cetecioglu
Summary: Increased awareness of environmental sustainability and strict environmental regulations have encouraged the search for novel materials to replace conventional petroleum-derived plastics. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are attractive due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility, but challenges remain in production yield and consistency. Bioaugmentation and metabolic engineering are promising approaches to overcome these hurdles in commercial PHA production from waste streams.
Review
Oncology
Chin Sern Yiong, Tzu Ping Lin, Vivian Yujing Lim, Tan Boon Toh, Valerie Shiwen Yang
Summary: Sarcomas, a type of cancer of mesenchymal origin, are not well understood. Recent advancements in cancer immunotherapy have shown that immune checkpoint inhibitors may be more effective than traditional chemotherapy in some sarcomas. However, most sarcoma patients do not respond to this treatment, highlighting the need for predictive biomarkers to identify those who will benefit.
BIOMARKER RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Emine Kahraman, Ricardo Ribeiro, Meriem Lamghari, Estrela Neto
Summary: Osteoarthritis is a painful and disabling musculoskeletal disorder with no effective treatments currently available. Establishing reliable models to understand the molecular mechanisms and discover new therapeutic targets is urgently needed. Different models, including cell culture, scaffolds, and bioprinting tools, have been developed to replicate joint tissue in vitro. Dynamic conditions have been achieved using bioreactors and fluid systems. Organ-on-a-chip platforms have the potential to simulate the biological, chemical, and mechanical features of arthritic joint.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Katharyn A. Duffy, Christopher R. Schwalm, Vickery L. Arcus, George W. Koch, Liyin L. Liang, Louis A. Schipper
Summary: The temperature dependence of global photosynthesis and respiration influences the strength of land carbon sink, with the average temperature of the warmest quarter exceeding the thermal maximum for photosynthesis over the past decade, leading to a potential halving of land sink strength in the future.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Violeta Chitu, Solen Gokhan, E. Richard Stanley
Summary: The role of CSF-1R in macrophage and organismal development has been extensively studied in mice. Mutations in CSF1R have been shown to cause rare diseases in both pediatric and adult populations, with specific genetic, penetrance, and histopathological features identified. The available animal models of Csf1r deficiency provide systems for studying underlying mechanisms involved in these diseases.
Article
Oncology
Mamta Singh, Julieta Afonso, Dolly Sharma, Rajat Gupta, Vivek Kumar, Reshma Rani, Fatima Baltazar, Vinit Kumar
Summary: Due to metabolic reprogramming, cancer cells exhibit high levels of glycolysis, resulting in excessive lactate production and increased extracellular acidity. Proton-linked monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) play a crucial role in maintaining this metabolic phenotype by facilitating the transport of lactate across cell membranes and regulating cancer cell pH. MCT1 and MCT4 isoforms, encoded by the SLC16 gene family, are extensively studied in various cancers and are found to be overexpressed. These isoforms mediate lactate shuttling between cancer cells and also between cancer and stromal cells in the tumor microenvironment, contributing to cancer aggressiveness and therapy resistance. Understanding the functions and regulation of MCTs offers potential for the development of novel inhibitors for clinical application.
SEMINARS IN CANCER BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Mehdi Afshar, Shayan Yazdan-Ashoori, James C. Engert, George Thanassoulis
Summary: Extensive research has revealed the complex pathophysiology underlying calcific aortic valve disease and its progression to aortic stenosis, along with the potential of gene silencing technology and novel therapeutic agents in controlling the disease. Furthermore, potential explanations for the failure of statin trials have been provided, suggesting new avenues for future research in this area.
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Parasitology
Himani Tripathi, Preshita Bhalerao, Sujeet Singh, Hemant Arya, Bader Saud Alotaibi, Summya Rashid, Mohammad Raghibul Hasan, Tarun Kumar Bhatt
Summary: Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium parasite transmitted by mosquitoes, leading to significant health and economic problems in developing countries. Resistance to available drugs has hindered malaria eradication efforts, necessitating the development of new vaccines and drugs. Accurate diagnosis, using methods like microscopy, RDT, PCR, and non-invasive approaches, is crucial. This article provides an overview of malaria biology, the parasite's life cycle, approved drugs, vaccine candidates, and diagnostic methods, highlighting new therapeutic avenues.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Fanny Lehmann, Bramha Dutt Vishwakarma, Jonathan Bamber
Summary: The study attempts to close the global water budget at the catchment scale using precipitation, evapotranspiration, and runoff data. Results show that the reconstructed terrestrial water storage (TWS) changes from the water balance equation are more accurate than the GRACE data. The performance of different datasets varies in different climatic zones, indicating that the optimal combination of datasets depends on climatic conditions and other factors.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Ruvandhi R. Nathavitharana, Alberto L. Garcia-Basteiro, Morten Ruhwald, Frank Cobelens, Grant Theron
Summary: Rapid and accurate sputum-free tests for tuberculosis diagnosis are urgently needed. Mid-to-early-stage technologies like AI-based automated digital chest X-radiography and capillary blood point-of-care assays are promising. Challenges include detecting paucibacillary TB and limitations of current reference standards.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Michelle Lycke, Louisa O'Neill, Kris Gillis, Jean-Yves Wielandts, Jean-Benoit Le Polain De Waroux, Rene Tavernier, Sebastien Knecht, Mattias Duytschaever
Summary: The CLOSE protocol is an RF ablation strategy aimed at creating durable isolation safely to improve outcomes, with a focus on preventing AF recurrence by stable, contiguous, and optimized lesions. Studies have shown positive results in terms of procedural performance, efficacy, and safety of the CLOSE protocol, and it holds promise in light of emerging changes in catheter ablation techniques such as high-power RF ablation and electroporation.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Krzysztof Szymonski, Lukasz Chmura, Ewelina Lipiec, Dariusz Adamek
Summary: Pancreatic cancer is a highly aggressive and lethal form of cancer, ranking seventh globally in cancer deaths with a low 5-year survival rate. Current knowledge about its pathogenesis is rapidly expanding, with new insights into tumor biology and the intricate interactions between cancer cells, tumor stroma, and neural remodeling. However, there is a lack of specific and sensitive diagnostic options for pancreatic cancer. Vibrational spectroscopy shows promise in the development of early diagnosis technology. This review summarizes recent advancements in spectroscopic methodologies, discusses their limitations, and explores potential solutions, emphasizing the importance of multivariate analysis and convolutional neural network methodology in spectroscopic data evaluation. A study design for systematic validation of VS-based methods in pancreatic cancer diagnosis is presented.
WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY
(2023)