Use of Autoreactive Antibodies in Blood of Patients with Pancreatic Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms (IPMN) for Grade Distinction and Detection of Malignancy.

(1) Background: A reliable non-invasive distinction between low- and high-risk pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) is needed to effectively detect IPMN with malignant potential. This would improve preventative care and reduce the risk of developing pancreatic cancer and overtreatment. The present study aimed at exploring the presence of autoreactive antibodies in the blood of patients with IPMN of various grades of dysplasia. (2) Methods: A single-center cohort was studied composed of 378 serum samples from patients with low-grade IPMN (n = 91), high-grade IPMN (n = 66), IPMN with associated invasive cancer (n = 30), pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) stages T1 (n = 24) and T2 (n = 113), and healthy controls (n = 54). A 249 full-length recombinant human protein microarray was used for profiling the serum samples. (3) Results: 14 proteins were identified as potential biomarkers for grade distinction in IPMN, yielding high specificity but mediocre sensitivity. (4) Conclusions: The identified autoantibodies are potential biomarkers that may assist in the detection of malignancy in IPMN patients.

Attachment of human adenovirus onto household paints.

Attachment of human adenovirus 40 (HAdV40) onto surfaces coated with three compositionally different household paints was evaluated experimentally and interpreted based on measured physicochemical properties of the paints. Polar, dispersive and electrostatic interactions between HAdV40 and the paints were predicted using the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) model. Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D) was used to quantify virus attachment to paints from 1 mM and 150 mM NaCl solutions, with the latter having the ionic strength of a typical respiratory fluid. Acrylic latex water-based, alkyd water-based, and alkyd oil-based paints were all determined to be highly hydrophobic (ΔGsws < - 48 mJ/m2). XDLVO modeling and preliminary QCM-D tests evaluated virus-paint interactions within and outside pH windows of favorable virus-paint electrostatic interactions. Hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions governed virus attachment while van der Waals interactions played a relatively minor role. In higher ionic strength solutions, the extent of virus attachment correlated with the free energy of virus-paint interfacial interaction, [Formula: see text] : more negative energies corresponded to higher values of the areal mass density of attached viruses. Hydrophobicity was the dominant factor in determining virus adhesion from high ionic strength solutions where electrostatic interactions were screened out. The hydrophobicity of paints, while desirable for minimizing moisture intrusion, also facilitates attachment of colloids such as viruses. The results call for new approaches to the materials design of indoor paints with enhanced resistance to virus adhesion. Paints so formulated should help reduce human exposure to viruses.

Virus deposition onto polyelectrolyte-coated surfaces: A study with bacteriophage MS2.

HYPOTHESES: By selecting constituent polyelectrolytes and controlling conditions of their deposition, the resulting polyelectrolyte multilayers can be designed as surface coatings with controlled adhesive properties with respect to viruses. Charge and hydrophilicity of the polyelectrolyte multilayers govern virus adhesion. EXPERIMENTS: Four surfaces of different charges and hydrophobicities were designed using a layer-by-layer assembly of poly(styrene-4-sulfonate) and poly(dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride). Contact angle measurements gave an estimate of MS2 hydrophilicity in terms of free energy of interfacial interaction in water. Experimental results on MS2 adhesion obtained using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring were compared with predictions by the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) theory. FINDINGS: MS2 deposition onto polyelectrolyte multilayers occurred in two phases: an early phase defined by virus-surface interactions and a later phase with virus-virus interactions controlling deposition kinetics. Principal component analysis showed that the deposition rates in the two phases were independent one of another and that each was correlated to the depth of the secondary minimum of the corresponding XDLVO energy profile. Hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions governed the deposition process: short range hydrophilic repulsion prevented deposition into the primary minimum while electrostatic interactions defined the dependence of the deposition kinetics on the ionic strength. Different surfaces showed distinct kinetics of and capacities for MS2 deposition pointing to the potential of polyelectrolyte multilayers as easy-to-apply coatings for regulating virus adsorption, inactivating viruses via the virucidal action of cationic polyelectrolytes and reducing human exposure to viruses.

Identification of drivers from cancer genome diversity in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers with a dismal outcome. The complicated molecular pathogenesis of HCC caused by tumor heterogeneity makes it difficult to identify druggable targets useful for treating HCC patients. One approach that has a potential for the improvement of patient prognosis is the identification of cancer driver genes that play a critical role in the development of HCC. Recent technological advances of high-throughput methods, such as gene expression profiles, DNA copy number alterations and somatic mutations, have expanded our understanding of the comprehensive genetic profiles of HCC. Integrative analysis of these omics profiles enables us to classify the molecular subgroups of HCC patients. As each subgroup classified according to genetic profiles has different clinical features, such as recurrence rate and prognosis, the tumor subclassification tools are useful in clinical practice. Furthermore, a global genetic analysis, including genome-wide RNAi functional screening, makes it possible to identify cancer vulnerable genes. Identification of common cancer driver genes in HCC leads to the development of an effective molecular target therapy.