Facilitating remote and virtual access provision by European research infrastructures - requirements, issues, and recommendations.

Research Infrastructures (RIs) are strategic assets facilitating innovation and knowledge advancement across all scientific disciplines. They provide researchers with advanced tools and resources that go beyond individual or institutional capacities and promote collaboration, community-building and the application of scientific standards. Remote and virtual access to RIs enables scientists to use these essential resources without the necessity of being physically present. The COVID-19 pandemic restrictions where a catalyst for the expansion and further development of remote and virtual access models, particularly in fields where physical access had been the predominant model. The eRImote project explores pathways for digital and remote RI access through targeted surveys, stakeholder workshops, expert groups discussions, and the analysis of specific use cases. This paper provides a definition of remote and virtual access and remote training and explores their implementation across various RIs, highlighting the implications for their operational processes and the dynamics of interaction between RIs and their user communities. It presents the identified advantages, obstacles, and best-practices, alongside strategies and recommendations to navigate and mitigate challenges effectively. Key issues and recommendations are summed up separately for remote access, virtual access, and remote training, complemented by general recommendations for facilitating remote and virtual access to RIs. These relate to budgeting and funding, the balancing of RI access models, the need for regulatory frameworks for sample shipments, collaboration among RIs, impact assessment of remote and virtual access on user interactions, operational efficiency and the environment footprint of RIs, and the adaption of data sharing policies. Stakeholders are broadly invited to give their feedback on the paper's findings and conclusions, which will be integrated into improved versions of this paper.

Metformin increases the uptake of glucose into the gut from the circulation in high-fat diet-fed male mice, which is enhanced by a reduction in whole-body Slc2a2 expression.

OBJECTIVES: Metformin is the first line therapy recommended for type 2 diabetes. However, the precise mechanism of action remains unclear and up to a quarter of patients show some degree of intolerance to the drug, with a similar number showing poor response to treatment, limiting its effectiveness. A better understanding of the mechanism of action of metformin may improve its clinical use. SLC2A2 (GLUT2) is a transmembrane facilitated glucose transporter, with important roles in the liver, gut and pancreas. Our group previously identified single nucleotide polymorphisms in the human SLC2A2 gene, which were associated with reduced transporter expression and an improved response to metformin treatment. The aims of this study were to model Slc2a2 deficiency and measure the impact on glucose homoeostasis and metformin response in mice. METHODS: We performed extensive metabolic phenotyping and 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose ([18F]FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) analysis of gut glucose uptake in high-fat diet-fed (HFD) mice with whole-body reduced Slc2a2 (Slc2a2+/-) and intestinal Slc2a2 KO, to assess the impact of metformin treatment. RESULTS: Slc2a2 partial deficiency had no major impact on body weight and insulin sensitivity, however mice with whole-body reduced Slc2a2 expression (Slc2a2+/-) developed an age-related decline in glucose homoeostasis (as measured by glucose tolerance test) compared to wild-type (Slc2a2+/+) littermates. Glucose uptake into the gut from the circulation was enhanced by metformin exposure in Slc2a2+/+ animals fed HFD and this action of the drug was significantly higher in Slc2a2+/- animals. However, there was no effect of specifically knocking-out Slc2a2 in the mouse intestinal epithelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this work identifies a differential metformin response, dependent on expression of the SLC2A2 glucose transporter, and also adds to the growing evidence that metformin efficacy includes modifying glucose transport in the gut. We also describe a novel and important role for this transporter in maintaining efficient glucose homoeostasis during ageing.

Detection of microglial activation in an acute model of neuroinflammation using PET and radiotracers 11C-(R)-PK11195 and 18F-GE-180.

UNLABELLED: It remains unclear how different translocator protein (TSPO) ligands reflect the spatial extent of astrocyte or microglial activation in various neuroinflammatory conditions. Here, we use a reproducible lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced model of acute central nervous system inflammation to compare the binding performance of a new TSPO ligand (18)F-GE-180 with (11)C-(R)-PK11195. Using immunohistochemistry, we also explore the ability of the TSPO ligands to detect activated microglial cells and astrocytes. METHODS: Lewis rats (n = 30) were microinjected with LPS (1 or 10 µg) or saline (1 µL) into the left striatum. The animals were imaged in vivo at 16 h after the injection using PET radiotracers (18)F-GE-180 or (11)C-(R)-PK11195 (n = 3 in each group) and were killed afterward for autoradiography of the brain. Immunohistochemical assessment of OX-42 and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was performed to identify activated microglial cells and reactive astrocytes. RESULTS: In vivo PET imaging revealed an increase in the ipsilateral TSPO binding, compared with binding in the contralateral hemisphere, after the microinjection of 10 µg of LPS. No increase was observed with vehicle. By autoradiography, the TSPO radiotracer binding potential in the injected hemisphere was increased after striatal injection of 1 or 10 µg of LPS. However, the significant increase was observed only when using (18)F-GE-180. The area of CD11b-expressing microglial cells extended beyond that of enhanced GFAP staining and mapped more closely to the extent of (18)F-GE-180 binding than to (11)C-(R)-PK11195 binding. The signal from either PET ligand was significantly increased in regions of increased GFAP immunoreactivity and OX-42 colocalization, meaning that the presence of both activated microglia and astrocytes in a given area leads to increased binding of the TSPO radiotracers. CONCLUSION: (18)F-GE-180 is able to reveal sites of activated microglia in both gray and white matter. However, the signal is increased by the presence of activated astrocytes. Therefore, (18)F-GE-180 is a promising new fluorinated longer-half-life tracer that reveals the presence of activated microglia in a manner that is superior to (11)C-(R)-PK11195 due to the higher binding potential observed for this ligand.