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Hypoxia is a representative tumor characteristic associated with malignant progression in clinical patients. Engineered in vitro models have led to significant advances in cancer research, allowing for the investigation of cells in physiological environments and the study of disease mechanisms and processes with enhanced relevance. In this study, we propose a U-shape pillar strip for a 3D cell-lumped organoid model (3D-COM) to study the effects of hypoxia on lung cancer in a high-throughput manner. We developed a U-pillar strip that facilitates the aggregation of PDCs mixed with an extracellular matrix to make the 3D-COM in 384-plate array form. The response to three hypoxia-activated prodrugs was higher in the 3D-COM than in the 2D culture model. The protein expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) and HIF-2α, which are markers of hypoxia, was also higher in the 3D-COM than in the 2D culture. The results show that 3D-COM better recapitulated the hypoxic conditions of lung cancer tumors than the 2D culture. Therefore, the U-shape pillar strip for 3D-COM is a good tool to study the effects of hypoxia on lung cancer in a high-throughput manner, which can efficiently develop new drugs targeting hypoxic tumors.
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Ensayos Analíticos de Alto Rendimiento , Neoplasias Pulmonares , Organoides , Humanos , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patología , Neoplasias Pulmonares/metabolismo , Organoides/metabolismo , Organoides/patología , Subunidad alfa del Factor 1 Inducible por Hipoxia/metabolismo , Hipoxia de la Célula , Técnicas de Cultivo Tridimensional de Células , Factores de Transcripción con Motivo Hélice-Asa-Hélice Básico/metabolismoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Pulsta valve is increasingly used for percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) in patients with a large native right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). This study aims to elucidate the outcomes of Pulsta valve implantation within the native RVOT and assess its adaptability to various native main pulmonary artery (PA) anatomies. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study included 182 patients with moderate to severe pulmonary regurgitation in the native RVOT who underwent PPVI with Pulsta valves® between February 2016 and August 2023 at five Korean and Taiwanese tertiary referral centers. RESULTS: Pulsta valve implantation was successful in 179 out of 182 patients (98.4%) with an average age of 26.7 ± 11.0 years. The median follow-up duration was 29 months. Baseline assessments revealed enlarged right ventricle (RV) volume (mean indexed RV end-diastolic volume: 163.1 (interquartile range, IQR: 152.0-180.3 mL/m²), which significantly decreased to 123.6(IQR: 106.6-137.5 mL/m2 after 1 year. The main PA types were classified as pyramidal (3.8%), straight (38.5%), reverse pyramidal (13.2%), convex (26.4%), and concave (18.1%) shapes. Pulsta valve placement was adapted, with distal main PA for pyramidal shapes and proximal or mid-PA for reverse pyramidal shapes. Two patients experienced Pulsta valve embolization to RV, requiring surgical removal, and one patient encountered valve migration to the distal main PA, necessitating surgical fixation. CONCLUSIONS: Customized valve insertion sites are pivotal in self-expandable PPVI considering diverse native RVOT shape. The rather soft and compact structure of the Pulsta valve has characteristics to are adaptable to diverse native RVOT geometries.
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Implantación de Prótesis de Válvulas Cardíacas , Prótesis Valvulares Cardíacas , Insuficiencia de la Válvula Pulmonar , Válvula Pulmonar , Humanos , Adolescente , Adulto Joven , Adulto , Válvula Pulmonar/diagnóstico por imagen , Válvula Pulmonar/cirugía , Implantación de Prótesis de Válvulas Cardíacas/efectos adversos , Ventrículos Cardíacos , Estudios Retrospectivos , Arteria Pulmonar/diagnóstico por imagen , Arteria Pulmonar/cirugía , Resultado del Tratamiento , Insuficiencia de la Válvula Pulmonar/diagnóstico por imagen , Insuficiencia de la Válvula Pulmonar/etiología , Insuficiencia de la Válvula Pulmonar/cirugía , Cateterismo CardíacoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Coronary artery complications (CACs) in patients who undergoing prosthetic pulmonary valve implantation for congenital heart disease can lead to fetal outcomes. However, the incidence of and risk factors for CACs in these patients remain unknown. METHODSâANDâRESULTS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients who underwent cardiac computed tomography or invasive coronary angiography after prosthetic pulmonary valve implantation at Seoul National University Hospital from June 1986 to May 2021. Among 341 patients, 25 (7.3%) were identified with CACs, and 2 of them died. Among the patients with CACs, congenital coronary anomalies and an interarterial course of the coronary artery were identified in 11 (44%) and 18 (72%) patients, respectively. Interarterial and intramural courses of the coronary artery were associated with a 4.4- and 10.6-fold increased risk of CACs, respectively. Among patients with tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary atresia, the aortic root was rotated further clockwise in patients with coronary artery compression compared to those without it (mean [±SD] 128.0±19.9° vs. 113.5±23.7°; P=0.024). The cut-off rotation angle of the aorta for predicting the occurrence of coronary artery compression was 133°. CONCLUSIONS: Perioperative coronary artery evaluation and prevention of CACs are required in patients undergoing prosthetic pulmonary valve implantation, particularly in those with coronary artery anomalies or severe clockwise rotation of the aortic root.
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Válvula Pulmonar , Humanos , Estudios Retrospectivos , Femenino , Masculino , Factores de Riesgo , Adulto , Válvula Pulmonar/cirugía , Válvula Pulmonar/diagnóstico por imagen , Implantación de Prótesis de Válvulas Cardíacas/efectos adversos , Cardiopatías Congénitas/cirugía , Enfermedad de la Arteria Coronaria/etiología , Enfermedad de la Arteria Coronaria/cirugía , Enfermedad de la Arteria Coronaria/diagnóstico por imagen , Angiografía Coronaria , Adolescente , Adulto Joven , Prótesis Valvulares Cardíacas/efectos adversos , Anomalías de los Vasos Coronarios/diagnóstico por imagen , Anomalías de los Vasos Coronarios/complicaciones , Incidencia , Niño , Persona de Mediana Edad , Tetralogía de Fallot/cirugíaRESUMEN
Midaortic syndrome (MAS) presents challenges in diagnosis due to the absence of well-defined diagnostic criteria in pediatric patients. This retrospective study aimed to aid in the diagnosis of MAS by employing computed tomography (CT) to measure the z-score of the aorta as well as to identify and understand its clinical features. CT images, echocardiography findings, and medical records of 17 patients diagnosed with MAS between 1997 and 2023 were reviewed, and z-scores were calculated. Aortic size on follow-up CT, blood pressure, and left ventricular function and hypertrophy at the last follow-up were analyzed, and possible prognostic factors were examined. Except for one patient, all individuals exhibited a z-score below - 2 at the level corresponding to stenosis. Left ventricular dysfunction occurred more frequently in patients aged < 5 years (p = 0.024). Patients with idiopathic MAS showed a better prognosis in terms of blood pressure and follow-up aortic size (p = 0.051 and 0.048, respectively). CT-measured aortic z-scores may be useful for the diagnosis and follow-up of MAS.
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A 65-day-old girl presented to the emergency room with lethargy, requiring emergency venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for refractory cardiogenic shock. Initially, hypoplastic left heart syndrome was suspected. However, cor triatriatum with a pinpoint opening on the membrane was diagnosed based on a detailed echocardiographic examination. After membrane resection, the left heart size was restored. However, follow-up echocardiography performed 4 months later showed occlusion of both upper pulmonary veins and stenosis in both lower pulmonary veins. Hybrid balloon angioplasty was performed in all pulmonary veins, and stents were inserted into the right upper and lower pulmonary veins. Despite repeated balloon angioplasty, all pulmonary vein stenosis progressed over 6 months and the patient expired while waiting for a heart-lung transplant. Even after successful repair of cor triatriatum, short-term close follow-up is required for detecting the development of pulmonary vein stenosis.
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Corazón Triatrial , Síndrome del Corazón Izquierdo Hipoplásico , Venas Pulmonares , Estenosis de Vena Pulmonar , Femenino , Humanos , Corazón Triatrial/complicaciones , Corazón Triatrial/diagnóstico , Corazón Triatrial/cirugía , Ecocardiografía , Síndrome del Corazón Izquierdo Hipoplásico/diagnóstico por imagen , Síndrome del Corazón Izquierdo Hipoplásico/cirugía , Venas Pulmonares/diagnóstico por imagen , Venas Pulmonares/cirugía , Estenosis de Vena Pulmonar/diagnósticoRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: To investigate cardiovascular characteristics and progressions of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and pulmonary stenosis (PS) and determine whether any genotype-phenotype correlations exist in patients with gene-confirmed RASopathy syndrome. STUDY DESIGN: Eighty patients (male, 55%) confirmed as having RASopathy syndrome by genetic testing at a single tertiary center were enrolled. Subjects' medical and echocardiography records were reviewed and the changes in the z scores of left ventricular wall thickness (LVWT) and the degree of PS over time were examined during follow-up of 5.7 ± 3.1 and 7.5 ± 5.2 years, respectively. RESULTS: The most common RASopathy gene identified was PTPN11 (56%), followed by RAF1 (10%). Eighty-five percent of patients had cardiovascular diseases, wherein 42% had HCM, and 38% PS. Mean maximal LVWT z score on the initial echocardiography (mean age 5.0 ± 6.0 years) was 3.4 ± 1.3 (median 2.8, range 2.1-6.6) in the HCM group. Overall, the maximal LVWT increased with time, especially in the HCM group (z = 3.4 ± 1.3 to 3.7 ± 1.6, P = .008) and RAF1-variant group (z = 3.7 ± 1.7 to 4.6 ± 1.8, P = .031). Five patients newly developed HCM during the study period. Genotype-phenotype correlation was significant for HCM (P = .002); 31% of patients with PTPN11 and 88% with RAF1 variants had HCM. PS did not progress in this study cohort. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, progression of ventricular hypertrophy was seen in a significant number of patients with genotype correlation. Thus, long-term follow up of cardiovascular problems in patients with RASopathy is necessary.
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Cardiomiopatía Hipertrófica , Estenosis de la Válvula Pulmonar , Humanos , Masculino , Preescolar , Niño , Cardiomiopatía Hipertrófica/complicaciones , Cardiomiopatía Hipertrófica/genética , Pruebas Genéticas , Genotipo , Genómica , Estenosis de la Válvula Pulmonar/complicaciones , Estenosis de la Válvula Pulmonar/genéticaRESUMEN
Gradations in extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) signaling have been implicated in essentially every developmental checkpoint or differentiation process encountered by lymphocytes. Yet, despite intensive effort, the molecular basis by which differences in ERK activation specify alternative cell fates remains poorly understood. We report here that differential ERK signaling controls lymphoid-fate specification through an alternative mode of action. While ERK phosphorylates most substrates, such as RSK, by targeting them through its D-domain, this well-studied mode of ERK action was dispensable for development of γδ T cells. Instead, development of γδ T cells was dependent upon an alternative mode of action mediated by the DEF-binding pocket (DBP) of ERK. This domain enabled ERK to bind a distinct and select set of proteins required for specification of the γδ fate. These data provide the first in vivo demonstration for the role of DBP-mediated interactions in orchestrating alternate ERK-dependent developmental outcomes.
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Quinasas MAP Reguladas por Señal Extracelular/metabolismo , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfocitos T alfa-beta/metabolismo , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfocitos T gamma-delta/metabolismo , Linfocitos T/inmunología , Animales , Diferenciación Celular/genética , Linaje de la Célula/genética , Células Cultivadas , Activación Enzimática/genética , Quinasas MAP Reguladas por Señal Extracelular/genética , Ratones , Ratones Noqueados , Ratones Mutantes , Ratones Transgénicos , Unión Proteica , Dominios y Motivos de Interacción de Proteínas/genética , Estabilidad Proteica , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfocitos T alfa-beta/genética , Receptores de Antígenos de Linfocitos T gamma-delta/genética , Transducción de Señal/genética , Especificidad por Sustrato/genéticaRESUMEN
A higher correlation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeting drugs has been reported with the use of the cell proliferation receptor-enhanced three-dimensional high-throughput screening model (CPRE 3D-HTS model) compared with two-dimensional (2D) cell-based HTS. A greater expression of differential human EGFR 2 (HER2) protein between HER2-positive and HER2-negative cell lines was observed in breast cancer (BC) cell lines cultured using the CPRE 3D-HTS model compared with 2D-cultured cells. When using 2D-cultured cells, properties such as the expression of the cell proliferation receptor are lost as the cells attach to the bottom of the well plate. In an effort to solve this problem, the CPRE 3D-HTS model expressing high cell proliferation receptors was optimized by the selection of alginate as the extracellular matrix. Results from the use of the CPRE 3D-HTS model showed higher drug resistance with increased expression of drug resistance-related proteins. Of particular interest, a higher correlation of HER2-targeted drugs was observed with the use of the CPRE 3D-HTS model. In order to validate this higher correlation of target drugs observed in the CPRE 3D-HTS model, the results of Western blot analysis and high content imaging analysis were analyzed, which confirmed that 3D-cultured BC cell lines showed a greater difference in the expression of HER2-positive and HER2-negative BC cell lines than 2D-cultured cells. Thus, the use of CPRE 3D-HTS using a 384-pillar plate resulted in increased accuracy when screening HER2-targeted drugs in BC, and it is a very useful platform for analyzing the efficacy of targeted drugs by enhancing the expression of HER2.
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Antineoplásicos , Neoplasias de la Mama , Antineoplásicos/farmacología , Antineoplásicos/uso terapéutico , Neoplasias de la Mama/tratamiento farmacológico , Neoplasias de la Mama/metabolismo , Línea Celular Tumoral , Proliferación Celular , Detección Precoz del Cáncer , Femenino , Ensayos Analíticos de Alto Rendimiento , Humanos , Receptor ErbB-2/metabolismoRESUMEN
The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a major hurdle for treatment of brain diseases. To overcome this, precise and reproducible BBB model is one of the key factors for successful evaluation of BBB-penetrating efficacy of developmental drugs. Thus, in vitro BBB model recapitulating the physiological structure of the BBB is a valuable tool for drug discovery and development for brain diseases. Here, we develop a simplified 3D co-culture-based BBB model using immortalized human brain endothelial cells and immortalized human astrocytes mixed with Matrigel allowing model preparation within 30 min. We directly compare our 3D BBB model to a 2D BBB model comprised solely of immortalized brain endothelial cells, to demonstrate that our 3D BBB model blocks penetration of Dextran molecules with various molecular weights, remain durable and impermeable even in a BBB-degrading condition, and rapidly form tight junctions while the 2D BBB model do not. In conclusion, this establishes our simplified 3D BBB model as a valuable tool for high throughput screening of drug candidates for brain diseases.
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Barrera Hematoencefálica , Encefalopatías , Astrocitos/fisiología , Transporte Biológico , Barrera Hematoencefálica/fisiología , Técnicas de Cocultivo , Células Endoteliales/fisiología , HumanosRESUMEN
Various methods of generating 2D and 3D in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) models have previously been published with the objective of developing therapeutics for brain diseases. In general, published methods including our published method demonstrate that in vivo-like semi-permeable barrier can be generated. To further verify that an in vitro BBB model closely represents BBB, functional validation is required. Here, we functionally validate our in vitro 3D BBB model using rituximab as a representative therapeutic antibody and previously published anti-TfR (transferrin receptor) antibodies as representative BBB-penetrating antibodies. We demonstrate that our BBB model can efficiently block rituximab while allowing receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT) of anti-TfR antibodies. In addition, we showed that RMT efficacy of anti-TfR antibodies with different binding affinity can be displayed using our BBB model. In conclusion, this demonstrates that our BBB model functionally mimics the BBB as well as having BBB-like physical properties, further establishing our BBB model as a screening tool for discovery and development of therapeutics for brain diseases.
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Barrera Hematoencefálica , Encefalopatías , Barrera Hematoencefálica/metabolismo , Encéfalo/metabolismo , Encefalopatías/metabolismo , Técnicas de Cocultivo , Humanos , Receptores de Transferrina/metabolismo , Rituximab , TranscitosisRESUMEN
Crystallographic defects such as vacancies and stacking faults engineer electronic band structure at the atomic level and create zero- and two-dimensional quantum structures in crystals. The combination of these point and planar defects can generate a new type of defect complex system. Here, we investigate silicon carbide nanowires that host point defects near stacking faults. These point-planar defect complexes in the nanowire exhibit outstanding optical properties of high-brightness single photons (>360 kcounts/s), a fast recombination time (<1 ns), and a high Debye-Waller factor (>50%). These distinct optical properties of coupled point-planar defects lead to an unusually strong zero-phonon transition, essential for achieving highly efficient quantum interactions between multiple qubits. Our findings can be extended to other defects in various materials and therefore offer a new perspective for engineering defect qubits.
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The 3D cell migration assay was developed for the evaluation of drugs that inhibit cell migration using high throughput methods. Wound-healing assays have commonly been used for cell migration assays. However, these assays have limitations in mimicking the in vivo microenvironment of the tumor and measuring cell viability for evaluation of cell migration inhibition without cell toxicity. As an attempt to manage these limitations, cells were encapsulated with Matrigel on the surface of the pillar, and an analysis of the morphology of cells attached to the pillar through Matrigel was performed for the measurement of cell migration. The micropillar/microwell chips contained 532 pillars and wells, which measure the migration and viability of cells by analyzing the roundness and size of the cells, respectively. Cells seeded in Matrigel have a spherical form. Over time, cells migrate through the Matrigel and attach to the surface of the pillar. Cells that have migrated and adhered have a diffused shape that is different from the initial spherical shape. Based on our analysis of the roundness of the cells, we were able to distinguish between the diffuse and spherical shapes. Cells in Matrigel on the pillar that were treated with migration-inhibiting drugs did not move to the surface of the pillar and remained in spherical forms. During the conduct of experiments, 70 drugs were tested in single chips and migration-inhibiting drugs without cell toxicity were identified. Conventional migration assays were performed using transwell for verification of the four main migration-inhibiting drugs found on the chip.
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Técnicas de Cultivo de Célula , Ensayos Analíticos de Alto Rendimiento , Técnicas de Cultivo de Célula/métodos , Línea Celular Tumoral , Ensayos de Migración Celular , Movimiento Celular , Supervivencia CelularRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to present the mid-term outcomes of Pulsta valve. BACKGROUND: The Pulsta valve is a Self-expandable knitted nitinol-wire stent mounted with a treated tri-leaflet α-Gal-free porcine pericardial valve for percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) in patients with native right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) lesions. METHODS: A multi-center clinical trial using Pulsta valve® was designed for patients with severe pulmonary regurgitation (PR) in the native RVOT in multiple centers in South Korea and 25 patients were enrolled. Before PPVI, severe PR (mean PR fraction: 45.5 ± 6.9%) and enlarged RV volume (mean indexed RV end-diastolic volume; 169.7 ± 13.0 ml/m2 ) was present. The mean age was 21.6 ± 6.6 years old. RESULTS: All patients were successfully implanted with 26, 28, or 32 mm diameter of Pulsta valve loaded on the 18 or 20 French delivery catheters. At 6 months follow up, indexed RV end-diastolic volume was decreased to 126.9 ± 16.9 ml/m2 . At mean 33.1 ± 14.3 months follow-up, the mean value of mean pressure gradient in Pulsta valve was 6.5 ± 3.0 mmhg without significant PR. There was no serious device-related adverse event. CONCLUSIONS: A multi-center clinical trial was completed successfully with planned Pulsta valve implantation and demonstrated good mid-term effectiveness without device-related serious adverse events.
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Implantación de Prótesis de Válvulas Cardíacas , Prótesis Valvulares Cardíacas , Válvula Pulmonar , Adolescente , Adulto , Animales , Implantación de Prótesis de Válvulas Cardíacas/efectos adversos , Humanos , Diseño de Prótesis , Válvula Pulmonar/diagnóstico por imagen , Válvula Pulmonar/cirugía , Porcinos , Resultado del Tratamiento , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Because of the absence of a specific diagnostic test and pathognomonic clinical features, physicians must rely on the presence of specific clinical criteria and laboratory data that support the diagnosis of KD. To help clinicians distinguish KD, KDSS, septic shock, and TSS earlier, we suggest differential diagnosis and treatment guideline. METHODS: Medical records of immunocompetent patients who were admitted to the pediatric department with a diagnosis of KDSS, septic shock or TSS (SS group) were retrospectively reviewed. In addition, KD patients were selected by seasonal matching to each case of KDSS patient by date of admission (± 2 weeks). RESULTS: There were 13 patients with KDSS, 35 patients with SS group, and 91 patients with KD. In comparison between KDSS and septic shock group, KDSS group had significantly higher rate of coronary aneurysm incidence, and higher left ventricle dysfunction rate. In comparison between KDSS and TSS, patients with KDSS had a significantly higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and significantly lower creatinine. Receiver operation characteristic curve revealed that the optimal ESR cut off value for determining the KDSS was 56.0 (sensitivity 75.0%, specificity of 100.0%) and the optimal creatinine cut off value for determining the TSS was 0.695 (sensitivity 76.9%, specificity 84.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical symptoms, laboratory finding, echocardiography, and culture studies can be used to differentiate KD, KDSS, septic shock and TSS.
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Síndrome Mucocutáneo Linfonodular , Choque Séptico , Choque , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Niño , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Humanos , Síndrome Mucocutáneo Linfonodular/complicaciones , Síndrome Mucocutáneo Linfonodular/diagnóstico , Estudios Retrospectivos , Choque/diagnóstico , Choque/etiología , Choque Séptico/diagnóstico , Choque Séptico/etiologíaRESUMEN
In the present era, infertility is one of the major issues which restricts many couples to have their own children. Infertility is the inability to achieve a clinical pregnancy after regular unprotected sexual intercourse for the period of one year or more. Various factors including defective male or female germ cell development, unhealthy and improper lifestyles, diseases like cancer and associated chemo-or-radiation therapies, congenital disorders, etc., may be responsible for infertility. Therefore, it is highly important to understand the basic concepts of germ cell development including primordial germ cell (PGC) formation, specification, migration, entry to genital ridges and their molecular mechanisms, activated pathways, paracrine and autocrine signaling, along with possible alteration which can hamper germ cell development and can cause adversities like cancer progression and infertility. Knowing all these aspects in a proper way can be very much helpful in improving our understanding about gametogenesis and finding possible ways to cure related disorders. Here in this review, various aspects of gametogenesis especially female gametes and relevant factors causing functional impairment have been thoroughly discussed.
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Células Germinativas/patología , Animales , Carcinogénesis/patología , Epigénesis Genética , Femenino , Humanos , Neoplasias de Células Germinales y Embrionarias/complicaciones , Neoplasias de Células Germinales y Embrionarias/diagnóstico , Neoplasias de Células Germinales y Embrionarias/genética , Neoplasias de Células Germinales y Embrionarias/patología , Oocitos/citologíaRESUMEN
A common method of three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures is embedding single cells in Matrigel. Separated cells in Matrigel migrate or grow to form spheroids but lack cell-to-cell interaction, which causes difficulty or delay in forming mature spheroids. To address this issue, we proposed a 3D aggregated spheroid model (ASM) to create large single spheroids by aggregating cells in Matrigel attached to the surface of 96-pillar plates. Before gelling the Matrigel, we placed the pillar inserts into blank wells where gravity allowed the cells to gather at the curved end. In a drug screening assay, the ASM with Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines showed higher drug resistance compared to both a conventional spheroid model (CSM) and a two-dimensional (2D) cell culture model. With protein expression, cytokine activation, and penetration analysis, the ASM showed higher expression of cancer markers associated with proliferation (p-AKT, p-Erk), tight junction formation (Fibronectin, ZO-1, Occludin), and epithelial cell identity (E-cadherin) in HCC cells. Furthermore, cytokine factors were increased, which were associated with immune cell recruitment/activation (MIF-3α), extracellular matrix regulation (TIMP-2), cancer interaction (IL-8, TGF-ß2), and angiogenesis regulation (VEGF-A). Compared to CSM, the ASM also showed limited drug penetration in doxorubicin, which appears in tissues in vivo. Thus, the proposed ASM better recapitulated the tumor microenvironment and can provide for more instructive data during in vitro drug screening assays of tumor cells and improved prediction of efficacious drugs in HCC patients.
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Carcinoma Hepatocelular/patología , Imagenología Tridimensional , Neoplasias Hepáticas/patología , Modelos Biológicos , Esferoides Celulares/patología , Antineoplásicos/análisis , Antineoplásicos/farmacología , Biomarcadores de Tumor/metabolismo , Agregación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Línea Celular Tumoral , Proliferación Celular/efectos de los fármacos , Citocinas/metabolismo , Resistencia a Antineoplásicos/efectos de los fármacos , Ensayos de Selección de Medicamentos Antitumorales , Células Epiteliales/efectos de los fármacos , Células Epiteliales/metabolismo , Matriz Extracelular/efectos de los fármacos , Matriz Extracelular/metabolismo , Fluorescencia , Ensayos Analíticos de Alto Rendimiento , Humanos , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Esferoides Celulares/efectos de los fármacos , Proteínas de Uniones Estrechas/metabolismoRESUMEN
Abiotrophia defectiva is a rare pathogen of infective endocarditis (IE) but is frequently involved in embolic complication and valvular dysfunction. IE caused by A. defectiva in children is poorly studied. This study reports four cases of A. defectiva IE in children and reviews previously reported five pediatric cases of A. defectiva IE. Most of the patients presented with a subacute course, with prolonged fever or atypical symptoms. Eight patients had embolic complications at presentation. All nine children were treated with combination antimicrobial therapy and six of them received surgical intervention. All patients recovered well without relapse. A. defectiva should be considered in children with infective endocarditis, especially in those with atypical presentations. As complications are frequent and more than half of the patients need surgical treatment, prompt diagnosis along with appropriate treatment is necessary.
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Abiotrophia/fisiología , Antibacterianos/uso terapéutico , Endocarditis Bacteriana/patología , Infecciones por Bacterias Grampositivas/patología , Adolescente , Niño , Preescolar , Quimioterapia Combinada , Endocarditis Bacteriana/complicaciones , Endocarditis Bacteriana/microbiología , Femenino , Infecciones por Bacterias Grampositivas/complicaciones , Infecciones por Bacterias Grampositivas/microbiología , Humanos , Masculino , República de Corea , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: As a result of advances in pediatric care and diagnostic testing, there is a growing population of adults with congenital heart disease (ACHD). The purpose of this study was to better define the epidemiology and changes in the trend of hospitalizations for ACHD in Korean society. METHODS: We reviewed outpatient and inpatient data from 2005 to 2017 to identify patient ≥18 years of age admitted for acute care with a congenital heart disease (CHD) diagnosis in the pediatric cardiology division. We tried to analyze changes of hospitalization trend for ACHD. RESULTS: The ratio of outpatients with ACHD increased 286.5%, from 11.1% (1748/15,682) in 2005 to 31.8% (7795/24,532) in 2017. The number of ACHD hospitalizations increased 360.7%, from 8.9% (37/414) in 2005 to 32.1% (226/705) in 2017. The average patient age increased from 24.3 years in 2005 to 27.4 in 2017. The main diagnosis for admission of ACHD is heart failure, arrhythmia and Fontan-related complications. The annual ICU admission percentage was around 5% and mean length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay was 8.4 ± 14.6 days. Mean personal hospital charges by admission of ACHD increased to around two times from 2005 to 2017. (from $2578.1 to $3697.0). Total annual hospital charges by ACHD markedly increased ten times (from $95,389.7 to $831,834.2). CONCLUSIONS: The number of hospital cares for ACHD dramatically increased more than five times from 2005 to 2017. We need preparations for efficient healthcare for adults with CHD such as a multi-dimensional approach, effective communication, and professional training.
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Servicio de Cardiología en Hospital/tendencias , Cardiopatías Congénitas/epidemiología , Cardiopatías Congénitas/terapia , Hospitalización/tendencias , Pediatría/tendencias , Sobrevivientes , Adolescente , Adulto , Servicio de Cardiología en Hospital/economía , Femenino , Gastos en Salud/tendencias , Cardiopatías Congénitas/diagnóstico , Cardiopatías Congénitas/economía , Precios de Hospital/tendencias , Costos de Hospital/tendencias , Hospitalización/economía , Humanos , Masculino , Pediatría/economía , Estudios Retrospectivos , Seúl/epidemiología , Factores de Tiempo , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Despite improvements in palliative care for critically ill children, the characteristics of end-of-life care for pediatric patients with advanced heart disease are not well-known. We investigated these characteristics among hospitalized children with advanced heart disease in a tertiary referral center in Korea. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 136 patients with advanced heart disease who died in our pediatric department from January 2006 through December 2013. RESULTS: The median age of patients at death was 10.0 months (range 1 day-28.3 years). The median duration of the final hospitalization was 16.5 days (range 1-690 days). Most patients (94.1%) died in the intensive care unit and had received mechanical ventilation (89.7%) and inotropic agents (91.2%) within 24 hours of death. The parents of 74 patients (54.4%) had an end-of-life care discussion with their physician, and the length of stay of these patients in the intensive care unit and in hospital was longer. Of the 90 patients who had been hospitalized for 7 days or more, the parents of 54 patients (60%) had a documented end-of-life care discussion. The time interval from the end-of-life care discussion to death was 3 days or less for 25 patients. CONCLUSION: Children dying of advanced heart disease receive intensive treatment at the end of life. Discussions regarding end-of-life issues are often postponed until immediately prior to death. A pediatric palliative care program must be implemented to improve the quality of death in pediatric patients with heart disease.
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Cardiopatías/patología , Cuidado Terminal , Adolescente , Niño , Preescolar , Femenino , Humanos , Lactante , Unidades de Cuidados Intensivos , Tiempo de Internación , Masculino , Cuidados Paliativos , Padres/psicología , Respiración Artificial , Estudios Retrospectivos , Índice de Severidad de la EnfermedadRESUMEN
Color centers with long-lived spins are established platforms for quantum sensing and quantum information applications. Color centers exist in different charge states, each of them with distinct optical and spin properties. Application to quantum technology requires the capability to access and stabilize charge states for each specific task. Here, we investigate charge state manipulation of individual silicon vacancies in silicon carbide, a system which has recently shown a unique combination of long spin coherence time and ultrastable spin-selective optical transitions. In particular, we demonstrate charge state switching through the bias applied to the color center in an integrated silicon carbide optoelectronic device. We show that the electronic environment defined by the doping profile and the distribution of other defects in the device plays a key role for charge state control. Our experimental results and numerical modeling evidence that control of these complex interactions can, under certain conditions, enhance the photon emission rate. These findings open the way for deterministic control over the charge state of spin-active color centers for quantum technology and provide novel techniques for monitoring doping profiles and voltage sensing in microscopic devices.