Theranostics
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Poor wound healing affects millions of people worldwide each year and needs better therapeutic strategies. Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 is a naturally occurring photoautotrophic cyanobacterium that can be easily obtained and large-scale expanded. Here, we investigated the therapeutic efficacy of this cyanobacterium in a mouse model of acute burn injury and whether the secretion of extracellular vesicles (EVs), important mediators of cell paracrine activity, is a key mechanism of the cyanobacterium-induced regulation of wound healing. ⋯ The expression of interleukin 6 (IL-6), which has an essential role in angiogenesis during skin wound repair, was induced in wound tissues and wound healing-related cells by S. elongatus-EVs and Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. Conclusion: Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 has the potential as a promising strategy for therapeutic angiogenesis and wound healing primarily by the delivery of functional EVs, not by its photosynthetic activity. The promotion of IL-6 expression may be a mechanism of the cyanobacterium and its EVs-induced pro-angiogenic and -wound healing effects.
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International Stem Cell Corporation human parthenogenetic neural stem cells (ISC-hpNSC) have potential therapeutic value for patients suffering from traumatic brain injury (TBI). Here, we demonstrate the behavioral and histological effects of transplanting ISC-hpNSC intracerebrally in an animal model of TBI. Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats underwent a moderate controlled cortical impact TBI surgery. ⋯ Results: We observed that TBI groups given high and moderate doses of ISC-hpNSC had an improved swing bias on an elevated body swing test for motor function, increased scores on forelimb akinesia and paw grasp neurological tests, and committed significantly fewer errors on a radial arm water maze test for cognition. Furthermore, histological analyses indicated that high and moderate doses of stem cells increased the expression of phenotypic markers related to the neural lineage and myelination and decreased reactive gliosis and inflammation in the brain, increased neuronal survival in the peri-impact area of the cortex, and decreased inflammation in the spleen at 90 days post-TBI. Conclusion: These results provide evidence that high and moderate doses of ISC-hpNSC ameliorate TBI-associated histological alterations and motor, neurological, and cognitive deficits.
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With the recent developments in deep learning technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) has gradually been transformed from cutting-edge technology into practical applications. AI plays an important role in disease diagnosis and treatment, health management, drug research and development, and precision medicine. Interdisciplinary collaborations will be crucial to develop new AI algorithms for medical applications. In this paper, we review the basic workflow for building an AI model, identify publicly available databases of ocular fundus images, and summarize over 60 papers contributing to the field of AI development.
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Medical imaging can assess the tumor and its environment in their entirety, which makes it suitable for monitoring the temporal and spatial characteristics of the tumor. Progress in computational methods, especially in artificial intelligence for medical image process and analysis, has converted these images into quantitative and minable data associated with clinical events in oncology management. This concept was first described as radiomics in 2012. ⋯ Here, we review the recent methodological developments in radiomics, including data acquisition, tumor segmentation, feature extraction, and modelling, as well as the rapidly developing deep learning technology. Moreover, we outline the main applications of radiomics in diagnosis, treatment planning and evaluations in the field of oncology with the aim of developing quantitative and personalized medicine. Finally, we discuss the challenges in the field of radiomics and the scope and clinical applicability of these methods.
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Malignant transformation of gastric cells is accompanied by the deregulated expression of glycosyltransferases leading to the biosynthesis of tumor-associated glycans such as the sialyl-Lewis X antigen (SLex). SLex presence on cell surface glycoconjugates increases the invasive capacity of gastric cancer cells and is associated with tumor metastasis. ST3Gal IV enzyme is involved in the synthesis of SLex antigen and overexpressed in gastric carcinomas. ⋯ This expression was associated with clinicopathological features of the tumors, including infiltrative pattern of tumor growth, presence of venous invasion and patient's poor survival. CEA immunoprecipitation from gastric carcinoma tissues also confirmed the presence of SLex. Conclusion: CEA is the major glycoprotein carrying SLex in gastric carcinoma and the conjoint detection of CEA-SLex is associated with aggressive tumor features highlighting its PLA detection as a biomarker of gastric cancer patient prognosis for theranostic applications.