LettuceDB: an integrated multi-omics database for cultivated lettuce.

Crop genomics has advanced rapidly during the past decade, which generated a great abundance of omics data from multi-omics studies. How to utilize the accumulating data becomes a critical and urgent demand in crop science. As an attempt to integrate multi-omics data, we developed a database, LettuceDB (https://db.cngb.org/lettuce/), aiming to assemble multidimensional data for cultivated and wild lettuce germplasm. The database includes genome, variome, phenome, microbiome and spatial transcriptome. By integrating user-friendly bioinformatics tools, LettuceDB will serve as a one-stop platform for lettuce research and breeding in the future. Database URL: https://db.cngb.org/lettuce/.

Aroma and taste analysis of pickled tea from spontaneous and yeast-enhanced fermentation by mass spectrometry and sensory evaluation.

Anaerobically fermented pickled tea (PT) can be produced by spontaneous fermentation (SF) or yeast-enhanced fermentation (YF). Aroma and taste characteristics of PT during YF and SF were investigated using sensory evaluation, odour activity, aroma character impact values, HS-SPME-GC-MS, UPLC-QQQ-MS/MS, and spectrophotometry, annotating 198 volatile and 115 non-volatile components. The main contributing volatile components were ß-ionone, and 1-octanol, promoted by YF and SF, and yielding floral and fruity aromas respectively. Additionally, compared with SF, YF promoted the formation of citronellol yielding a floral aroma, inhibited the stale aroma of methoxybenzenes, and reduced bitter, astringent, and sour tastes. Furthermore, partial least-squares regression analysis identified the main components related to the 'acides aroma' of PT as linalool oxide, n-decanoic acid, hexanoic acid, 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienoic acid, 3-methyl-1-dodecyn-3-ol, and nerolidol. This application could be used as methodology for the comprehensive analysis of tea aroma and taste and these results can act as guidelines for PT production and quality control.

Risedronate-functionalized manganese-hydroxyapatite amorphous particles: A potent adjuvant for subunit vaccines and cancer immunotherapy.

The cGAS-STING pathway and the Mevalonate Pathway are druggable targets for vaccine adjuvant discovery. Manganese (Mn) and bisphosphonates are known to exert adjuvant effects by targeting these two pathways, respectively. This study found the synergistic potential of the two pathways in enhancing immune response. Risedronate (Ris) significantly amplified the Mn adjuvant early antibody response by 166-fold and fortified its cellular immunity. However, direct combination of Mn2+ and Ris resulted in increased adjuvant toxicity (40% mouse mortality). By the combination of doping property of hydroxyapatite (HA) and its high affinity for Ris, we designed Ris-functionalized Mn-HA micro-nanoparticles as an organic-inorganic hybrid adjuvant, named MnHARis. MnHARis alleviated adjuvant toxicity (100% vs. 60% survival rate) and exhibited good long-term stability. When formulated with the varicella-zoster virus glycoprotein E (gE) antigen, MnHARis triggered a 274.3-fold increase in IgG titers and a 61.3-fold surge in neutralization titers while maintaining a better long-term humoral immunity compared to the aluminum adjuvant. Its efficacy spanned other antigens, including ovalbumin, HPV18 VLP, and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Notably, the cellular immunity elicited by the group of gE + MnHARis was comparable to the renowned Shingrix®. Moreover, intratumoral co-administration with an anti-trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 nanobody revealed synergistic antitumor capabilities. These findings underscore the potential of MnHARis as a potent adjuvant for augmenting vaccine immune responses and improving cancer immunotherapy outcomes.

Bromine Substitution Improves the Photothermal Performance of π-Conjugated Phototheranostic Molecules.

NIR-II fluorescence imaging-guided photothermal therapy (PTT) has been widely investigated due to its great application potential in tumor theranostics. PTT is an effective and non-invasive tumor treatment method that can adapt to tumor hypoxia; nevertheless, simple and effective strategies are still desired to develop new materials with excellent PTT properties to meet clinical requirements. In this work, we developed a bromine-substitution strategy to enhance the PTT of A-D-A'-D-A π-conjugated molecules. The experimental results reveal that bromine substitution can notably enhance the absorptivity (ϵ) and photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of the π-conjugated molecules, resulting in the brominated molecules generating two times more heat (ϵ808 nm ×PCE) than their unsubstituted counterpart. We disclose that the enhanced photothermal properties of bromine-substituted π-conjugated molecules are a combined outcome of the heavy-atom effect, enhanced ICT effect, and more intense bromine-mediate intermolecular π-π stacking. Finally, the NIR-II tumor imaging capability and efficient PTT tumor ablation of the brominated π-conjugated materials demonstrate that bromine substitution is a promising strategy for developing future high-performance NIR-II imaging-guided PTT agents.

Development and comparison of parallel reaction monitoring and data-independent acquisition methods for quantitative analysis of hydrophilic compounds in white tea.

In the present work, parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) and data-independent acquisition (DIA) methods were developed for the accurate quantitation of amino acids, alkaloids nucleosides and nucleotides in tea. The quality peaks were significantly enhanced by optimizing the LC elution procedure, HCD voltage, MS resolution, and scanning event. Both methods were validated with good liner linearity (0.004-200 µg/mL), LODs (0.001-0.309 µg/mL for PRM and 0.001-0.564 µg/mL for DIA). Applied to white tea sample, the contents of these hydrophilic compounds were range from 34,655.39 to 70,586.14 mg/kg, and caffeine (32,529.02 mg/kg) and theanine (5483.46 mg/kg) were determined as the most abundant ones. Based on the quantitation data set, the white tea samples from Puer, Lincang and Xishuangbanna were clearly discriminated using multivariate data analysis. The results of the present works show that PRM and DIA have great potential in quantitative analysis of multiple hydrophilic compounds in food samples.

Spectrum of variants in a large Chinese Gitelman syndrome cohort.

Gitelman syndrome (GS) is caused by SLC12A3 biallelic variants. A previous study showed that large rearrangements (LRGs) of SLC12A3 accounted for the low sensitivity of genetic testing. However, a systematic screening for LRGs in Chinese GS patients is lacking. Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) were performed to sequence the genomic DNA of patients with clinically diagnosed GS. Of 165 index cases, MPS identified 151 cases with two or more affected alleles and 14 cases with one variant allele. LRGs were detected by MLPA in 20 out of 27 cases, including 15 cases with suspected LRGs by MPS. Among these 20 cases with LRGs, the results of MPS and MLPA were identical in only 8 cases. Additional LRGs in 6 cases were detected by MLPA alone. In 6 cases, E4_E6del was identified by MPS, while E4_E5del and Intron6del were identified by MLPA. Among the 102 distinct variants, 30 are novel. LRGs were found in 20 cases (12.1%). LRGs were found in 12.1% of our Chinese GS patients cohort. We show that MPS and MLPA are two complementary techniques with the ability to improve the diagnostic yield of GS.

Preventing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in rats with pulsed 810 nm laser transcranial phototherapy.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition that occurs following exposure to traumatic events. Current treatments, such as psychological debriefing and pharmacotherapy, often have limited efficacy and may result in unwanted side effects, making early intervention is a more desirable strategy. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of a single dose of pulsed (10 Hz) 810 nm laser-phototherapy (P-PT) as an early intervention for preventing PTSD-like comorbidities in rats induced by single inescapable electric foot shock following the single prolonged stress (SPS&S). As indicated by the results of the open filed test, elevated plus maze test, and contextual fear conditioning test, P-PT prevented the development of anxiety and freezing behaviors in rats exposed to the SPS&S. We also compared the effects of P-PT and continuous wave 810 nm laser-phototherapy (CW-PT) in preventing PTSD-like comorbidities in rats. The results revealed that P-PT was effective in preventing both freezing and anxiety behavior in stressed rats. In contrast, CW-PT only had a preventive effect on freezing behavior but not anxiety. Additionally, P-PT significantly reduced the c-fos expression in cingulate cortex area 1(Cg1) and infralimbic cortex (IL) of stressed rats, while CW-PT had no significant effects on c-fos expression. Taken together, our results demonstrate that P-PT is a highly effective strategy for preventing the occurrence of PTSD-like comorbidities in rats.

A randomized controlled trial of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for body dysmorphic disorder: Impact on core symptoms, emotion dysregulation, and executive functioning.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is garnering increasing empirical interest as an intervention for Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), although no studies of mindfulness as a standalone treatment have included a sample composed entirely of patients with BDD or a comparison group. The aim of this study was to investigate the improvement of MBCT intervention on the core symptoms, emotional dysfunction, and executive function of BDD patients, as well as the feasibility and acceptability of MBCT training. METHOD: Patients with BDD were randomized into an 8-week MBCT group (n = 58) or treatment-as-usual (TAU) control group (n = 58) and were assessed at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: Participants who received MBCT showed greater improvement on self-reported and clinician ratings of BDD symptoms, self-reported emotion dysregulation symptoms and executive function compared with TAU participants. Improvement for executive function tasks was partially supported. In addition, feasibility and acceptability of MBCT training were positive. LIMITATIONS: There is no systematic assessment of the severity of key potential outcome variables associated with BDD. CONCLUSION: MBCT may be a useful intervention for patients with BDD, improving patients' BDD symptoms, emotion dysregulation, and executive functioning.

Development of a polyurethane-coated thin film solid phase microextraction device for multi-residue monitoring of pesticides in fruit and tea beverages.

A novel solid-phase microextraction device coated with an efficient and cheap thin film of polyurethane was developed for trace determination of 13 widely used pesticides in fruit and tea beverages. A round-shaped polyurethane film covering the bottom of a glass vial was fabricated as the sorbent to exhibit a superior capacity for preconcentrating target compounds and reducing matrix interferences. After optimization of the key parameters including the film type, extraction time, solution pH, ionic strength, desorption solvent, and conditions, this device allowed an efficient adsorption-desorption cycle for the pesticides accomplished in one vial. Coupled with gas chromatography-electron capture detection, the polyurethane-coated thin film microextraction method was successfully established and applied for the analysis of real fruit and tea drinks, showing low limits of detection (0.001-0.015 µg/L), wide linear ranges (1.0-500.0 µg/L, r2  > 0.9931), good relative recoveries (77.2%-106.3%) and negligible matrix effects (86.1%-107.5%) for the target pesticides. The proposed approach revealed strong potential of extending its application by flexibly modifying the type or size of the coating film. This study provides insights into the enrichment of contaminants from complex samples using inexpensive and reusable microextraction devices that can limit the environmental and health impact of the sample preparation protocol.

The combination of Chinese and Western Medicine in the management of rheumatoid arthritis: A real-world cohort study across China.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of Integrative medicine (IM), compare with Western medicine (WM), in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a cohort study. Methods: This is a cohort study with recruitment of RA patients from 10 hospitals in China. The primary outcome was change in disease activity score 28 (DAS28) during 4 follow-up visits. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models that controlled for variables were used to investigate a time trend and assess group differences in the primary outcome and secondary outcomes after propensity score matching (PSM). Results: A total of 3195 patients with RA received IM (n = 1379, 43.2%) or WM (n = 1816, 56.8%). Following 1:1 propensity score matching, 1,331 eligible patients prescribed IM were compared to 1,331 matched patients prescribed WM. The GEE analysis with PSM showed that the IM was more beneficial to significantly decrease the levels of VAS, PGA and PhGA (VAS: odds ratio (OR), 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63-0.92; p = 0.004; PGA: OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.64-0.92; p = 0.007; and PhGA: OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.64, 0.93; p = 0.004), and reduce DAS28 (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.73-0.98; p = 0.030) in the per-protocol population. Conclusion: This study suggests that compare to WM, IM has advantages in improving RA-related outcomes. However, the statistical significance might not reveal significant clinical difference. Further studies should be focused on specific treatment strategies and/or disease stages.

Underlying mechanisms of mindfulness meditation: Genomics, circuits, and networks.

Understanding neuropsychological mechanisms of mindfulness meditation (MM) has been a hot topic in recent years. This review was conducted with the goal of synthesizing empirical relationships via the genomics, circuits and networks between MM and mental disorders. We describe progress made in assessing the effects of MM on gene expression in immune cells, with particular focus on stress-related inflammatory markers and associated biological pathways. We then focus on key brain circuits associated with mindfulness practices and effects on symptoms of mental disorders, and expand our discussion to identify three key brain networks associated with mindfulness practices including default mode network, central executive network, and salience network. More research efforts need to be devoted into identifying underlying neuropsychological mechanisms of MM on how it alleviates the symptoms of mental disorders.

A Therapeutic Play Program for Children Undergoing Kidney Biopsy With Local Anesthesia: Construction and Feasibility Evaluation.

PURPOSE: To construct a therapeutic play program for children undergoing preparation for kidney biopsy under local anesthesia and explore the feasibility of the program from stakeholders' perspectives. DESIGN: The program was constructed by a multidisciplinary team and the feasibility and acceptability of the program were explored by a descriptive qualitative study. METHODS: Based on Lazarus & Folkman's stress-coping model and Piaget's theory of play, and using on-site participatory field observation, a multidisciplinary team constructed a therapeutic play program for children undergoing kidney biopsy under local anesthesia. The feasibility and acceptability of the program were evaluated by interviewing children, their caregivers, and physicians. FINDINGS: The main tools constructed for the intervention were a 15-page picture book titled Kidney Biopsy Treasure Hunt and a homemade kidney biopsy play package. The therapeutic play intervention for kidney biopsy under local anesthesia was led by nurses and followed the steps of kidney biopsy, using the picture book, and group play simulation. Through informed in-depth interviews with 10 children and their caregivers, we showed that the therapeutic play program materials were accessible, clinically feasible, and necessary for kidney biopsy under local anesthesia in children. The children and their caregivers had high acceptance of the content of the picture book, the format of the play, and high satisfaction with the overall program. CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic play program we constructed for children undergoing kidney biopsy with local anesthesia was simple, feasible, and well accepted in the clinical setting.

A water-dependent reversible photoacidity strategy for cancer treatment.

In the reported mechanisms of reversible photoacidity, protons were dissociated from compounds which contained hydroxyl, indazole or formed hydroxyl via intramolecular hydrogen abstraction under irradiation. Herein, a water-dependent reversible photoacidity (W-RPA) mechanism mediated by a thiadiazoloquinoxaline compound (TQs-Th-PEG5) has been found, in which the proton is not dissociated from TQs-Th-PEG5 itself but from a water locked by TQs-Th-PEG5 under the irradiation of a 660 nm laser. After turning off the laser, the produced acid will disappear quickly. This process is repeatable with no consumption of TQs-Th-PEG5. More importantly, water is indispensable. Furthermore, it is confirmed that there is no other element involved in the process except TQs-Th-PEG5, light and water. Excitingly, W-RPA therapy mediated by TQs-Th-PEG5 nanoparticle exhibits remarkable antitumor effect both in vitro and in vivo, especially in hypoxic tumors with diameter larger than 10 mm owing to its oxygen-independent feature. This study not only discovers a W-RPA mechanism but also provides a novel phototherapy strategy for cancer treatment.

Protective effects of Bacillus licheniformis against Citrobacter freundii infection in Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis.

Citrobacter freundii is an important bacterial pathogen that causes serious diseases in Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis. However, scarce information is available on the use of Bacillus licheniformis to protect E. sinensis from C. freundii infection by improving the immunity, antioxidant ability and intestinal flora. In the present study, a 60-day feeding trial was conducted to examine the potential effects of dietary supplementation with antagonistic B. licheniformis on the non-specific immunity, antioxidant capability, intestinal flora and resistance of E. sinensis to C. freundii infection. The results indicated that dietary supplementation of B. licheniformis could boost non-specific immunity and antioxidant capability of E. sinensis in a significant dose-dependent manner respectively by increasing serum lysozyme, superoxide dismutase, alkaline phosphatase, and catalase activities and hepatopancreatic superoxide dismutase, catalase, acid phosphatase activities. In addition, crabs fed diets with B. licheniformis displayed increased composition and diversity of the intestinal flora, and exhibited significant defense against C. freundii infection with the relative percentage survivals ranging from 61.9% to 100.0% for seven days. To our knowledge, this is the first report of antagonistic B. licheniformis as a supplement in Chinese mitten crab feed to effectively resist C. freundii infection by improving the non-specific immunity, antioxidant status and intestinal flora.

A Bacterially Expressed SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain Fused With Cross-Reacting Material 197 A-Domain Elicits High Level of Neutralizing Antibodies in Mice.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents an unprecedented public health crisis worldwide. Although several vaccines are available, the global supply of vaccines, particularly within developing countries, is inadequate, and this necessitates a need for the development of less expensive, accessible vaccine options. To this end, here, we used the Escherichia coli expression system to produce a recombinant fusion protein comprising the receptor binding domain (RBD) of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2; residues 319-541) and the fragment A domain of Cross-Reacting Material 197 (CRM197); hereafter, CRMA-RBD. We show that this CRMA-RBD fusion protein has excellent physicochemical properties and strong reactivity with COVID-19 convalescent sera and representative neutralizing antibodies (nAbs). Furthermore, compared with the use of a traditional aluminum adjuvant, we find that combining the CRMA-RBD protein with a nitrogen bisphosphonate-modified zinc-aluminum hybrid adjuvant (FH-002C-Ac) leads to stronger humoral immune responses in mice, with 4-log neutralizing antibody titers. Overall, our study highlights the value of this E. coli-expressed fusion protein as an alternative vaccine candidate strategy against COVID-19.

SAGE: Novel Therapy to Reduce Inflammation in a Naturally Occurring-Dog Model of Periodontal Disease.

Objective: To determine the effect of a semi-synthetic-glycosaminoglycan Ether (SAGE) as a universal therapeutic benefit to reduce periodontal inflammation and alveolar bone loss in naturally occurring-beagle-dog model of periodontal disease as a surrogate for human non-risk associated natural periodontitis. Methods: Six adult female dogs with generalized periodontitis were distributed into two groups: control and SAGE treatment (n=3/group). After a 1-hour full-mouth scaling and root planning (SRP) at baseline, control or SAGE treatment (50mg/mL) bioadhesive gel formulation was locally applied for 12 weeks. Various clinical periodontal measurements (probing depth, CAL) were measured at different time periods (baseline, 4, 8 and 12 weeks), and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), blood samples and gingival tissue biopsies (12 week) were analyzed for inflammatory mediators, collagenases and cell-signaling molecules. Standardized radiographs were taken at baseline and 12week period. Results: SAGE treatment significantly reduced gingival inflammation (GCF flow), pocket depth (PD), and clinical attachment loss (CAL) compared to control. SAGE also considerably reduced alveolar bone loss and reduced MMP-9, IL-6, CRP levels in gingival tissue, GCF and plasma. Cell-signaling molecules in the inflammatory cascade system TLR-2, TLR-4, p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and NF-kB responded to SAGE in a pattern consistent with reductions at the active phase of the inflammatory process and collagenolysis. Conclusion: In the beagle dog model of periodontitis, local SAGE administration significantly attenuated clinical measures of periodontitis, pro-inflammatory cytokines, MMPs, and signal transduction molecules. All our studies, using in vitro and in vivo models, support the therapeutic potential of SAGE as an innovative adjunct to SRP in the treatment of chronic periodontal disease.

Effects of dietary supplementation with N-carbamylglutamate on maternal endometrium and fetal development during early pregnancy in Inner Mongolia white cashmere goats.

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) on maternal endometrium and fetal development during early pregnancy of Inner Mongolia white cashmere goats. Forty-eight pregnant Inner Mongolia white cashmere goats (average age 3 years old, average lactation parity 2, and average body weight 43.81 ± 2.66 kg) were randomly allocated to three groups: a basal diet (control group, n = 16), a basal diet plus 0.30-g NCG/d (NCG1 group, n = 16), and a basal diet plus 0.40-g NCG/d (NCG2 group, n = 16). All of the does were housed in individual pens and the NCG treatment was conducted from Days 0 to 90 of pregnancy. At Days 17 and 90 of pregnancy, six representative pregnant does in each group were slaughtered. The current study results demonstrated that maternal NCG administration during early pregnancy effectively increased the arginine family of amino acids and the glucogenic amino acids concentrations and promoted the mRNA expression of osteopontin (OPN), αv and ß3 integrins, and endometrial development of Inner Mongolia white cashmere goats. The supplementation improved the fetal brown adipose tissue (BAT) stores and the mRNA expression of UCP-1 and BMP7, thereby helping to the fetal early development.

Side-Chain-Tuned Molecular Packing Allows Concurrently Boosted Photoacoustic Imaging and NIR-II Fluorescence.

It is generally considered that photoacoustic imaging (PAI) and fluorescence imaging (FLI) cannot be enhanced concurrently, as they are dependent on competitive photophysical processes at the single-molecule level. Herein, we reveal that BDTR9-OC8 and BDTR9-C8, which have identical π-conjugated backbones but are substituted by side chains of different rigidity, show distinct phototheranostic properties in the aggregated state. The NIR-II FLI and PAI brightness of BDTR9-C8 nanoparticles are enhanced by 4.6 and 1.4 times compared with BDTR9-OC8 nanoparticles. Theoretical calculations and GIWAXS analysis revealed that BDTR9-C8 with rigid side chains shows a relative amorphous condensed state, which will benefit the efficient transportation of photo-generated excitons and phonons, subsequently enhancing the FLI and PAI signals. Besides, both nanoparticles exhibit excellent photothermal conversion efficiency due to their strong light-harvesting capability and are considered effective photothermal therapy materials. This work provides an illuminating strategy for material design in the future.

Development and Implementation of Pediatric Nursing-Clinical Decision Support System for Hyperthermia: A Pre- and Post-Test.

Firstly, we form the Pediatric Nursing-Knowledge Base for Hyperthermia, which combines publicly clinical practice guidelines and nursing routines of hyperthermia management. Then, following the nursing process framework, the system is developed by clinical decision support technology. Finally, a pre- and post-test is adopted to examine the effectiveness, usability and feasibility before and after using the system. Its effectiveness is examined by nursing records quality including completeness of nursing assessment, timeliness of nursing diagnosis, individualization of nursing interventions, and timeliness of nursing evaluation. Its usability and feasibility are assessed using the Clinical Nursing Information System Effectiveness Evaluation Scale. There is a significant difference between the two groups in effectiveness, usability and feasibility. Although the system is developed specifically for our hospital workflow and processes, the Pediatric Nursing-Knowledge Base for Hyperthermia and workflow for hyperthermia management in this study can be used as a reference to other hospitals.

Therapeutic potential of a novel semi-synthetic-sulfated-polysaccharide to suppress inflammatory mediators in P. gingivalis LPS stimulated human monocytes/macrophages.

BACKGROUND: Chronic periodontitis is associated with an increased risk for systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. During chronic periodontitis, endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) produced by P. gingivalis provokes monocyte accumulation and differentiation into macrophages and increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteases (MMPs). While normal levels of MMPs are important in cellular function, increased levels of cytokines and MMPs can cause connective tissue destruction. RESULTS: In the current study, we investigated the therapeutic capability of a novel semi-synthetic sulfated polysaccharide (SAGE) on the production of cytokines and MMPs by cultured human mononuclear cells and macrophages stimulated with endotoxin LPS produced by P. gingivalis, a periodontally-relevant cell culture model. Our research demonstrated SAGE inhibited the LPS induced synthesis of inflammatory mediators including TNF-α, IL-1ß, PGE2, and MMP-9 in this periodontal-relevant cell culture model. In addition, TLR-2 and TLR-4 levels were also reduced with the SAGE treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The therapeutic potential of this novel semi-synthetic sulfated polysaccharide compound may help to prevent tissue damage and bone loss in patients with periodontal disease or other inflammatory diseases.