The Use of Porcine Acellular Dermal Matrix in Single-stage, Implant-based Immediate Breast Reconstruction: A 2-center Retrospective Outcome Study

BACKGROUND: There have been many reported benefits of the usage of acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) in breast reconstruction. ADM reduces the need for rectus abdominis muscle and serratus anterior coverage by providing an inferolateral coverage of the implant/tissue expander. ADM can provide patients with a 1-staged reconstruction. This study was designed to look at the complication rates of 2 major hospitals in the United Kingdom. METHODS: A large, 2-center retrospective cohort review of patients, who underwent implant-based breast reconstruction using Strattice (LifeCell Corp., Branchburg, N.J.) between March 2009 and November 2017, was performed. One-way analysis of variance was done to compare outcome significance between groups. Independent t test was performed to compare outcomes of 2 cohorts and regression analysis to include confounding factors using SPSS Statistics for Windows (Version 22.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). RESULTS: A total of 450 and 400 breast reconstructions were carried out in University Hospital of South Manchester (UHSM) and Royal Free London Hospital (RFH), respectively. We recorded a total complication of 37.8% in RFH cohort and 28% in UHSM cohort. The seroma rate was 11.25% and 13.33% in the UHSM and RFH cohort, respectively. Other complications reported were major and minor infections, implant loss, skin necrosis, hematomas, and implant exposure. Multiple linear regression analysis reported that confounding factors affected certain outcomes. CONCLUSION: Our 2-center complication rates were comparable to other articles. Results were comparable despite being in 2 different breast units in the United Kingdom

Comparing the Outcome of Different Biologically Derived Acellular Dermal Matrices in Implant-based Immediate Breast Reconstruction: A Meta-analysis of the Literatures

BACKGROUND: Acellular dermal matrices (ADMs) have been used extensively in implant-based breast reconstruction. It was reported that due to the different sources and processing methods, the outcomes of ADMs in implant-based breast reconstructions are expected to differ. We designed this study to statistically analyze and discuss the outcome of 3 commonly used ADMs, Alloderm, Strattice, and Surgimend in implant-based breast reconstruction. METHODS: Comprehensive review of the literatures searched on electronic databases was done to identify studies published between 2006 and 2017 comparing the outcome of ADMs. Pooled random effect estimates for each complication and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. One-way analysis of variance and Bonferroni test were used to compare statistical significance between and within groups, respectively. Multiple linear regression was done to include confounding factors and R statistic program for forest plot. RESULTS: Twenty-one studies met the inclusion with a total of 1,659, 999, and 912 breasts reconstructions in Alloderm, Strattice, and Surgimend, respectively. Seven complications extracted including major and minor infection, seroma, implant loss, hematoma, capsular contracture, and localized erythema. Pooled total complication rates were 23.82% (95% CI, 21.18-26.47%) in Strattice, 17.98% (95% CI, 15.49-20.47%) in Surgimend, 16.21% (95% CI, 14.44-17.99%) in Alloderm. Seroma rate was the highest in Strattice group (8.61%; 95% CI, 6.87-10.35%). There was no statistical significance between and within groups. CONCLUSION: Although Strattice exhibited a higher overall pooled complication rate compared with Alloderm and Surgimend, the incidence of individual complication varies between studies. A cost analysis of different ADMs may aid in choosing the type of ADMs to be used

Piloting a scale-up platform for high-quality human T-cells production

Copyright \ua9 2024 Selvarajan, Teo, Chang, Ng, Cheong, Sivalingam, Khoo, Wong and Loo. Cell and gene therapies are an innovative solution to various severe diseases and unfulfilled needs. Adoptive cell therapy (ACT), a form of cellular immunotherapies, has been favored in recent years due to the approval of chimeric antigen receptor CAR-T products. Market research indicates that the industry’s value is predicted to reach USD 24.4 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.5%. More importantly, ACT is recognized as the hope and future of effective, personalized cancer treatment for healthcare practitioners and patients worldwide. The significant global momentum of this therapeutic approach underscores the urgent need to establish it as a practical and standardized method. It is essential to understand how cell culture conditions affect the expansion and differentiation of T-cells. However, there are ongoing challenges in ensuring the robustness and reproducibility of the manufacturing process. The current study evaluated various adoptive T-cell culture platforms to achieve large-scale production of several billion cells and high-quality cellular output with minimal cell death. It examined factors such as bioreactor parameters, media, supplements and stimulation. This research addresses the fundamental challenges of scalability and reproducibility in manufacturing, which are essential for making adoptive T-cell therapy an accessible and powerful new class of cancer therapeutics

Ellagic acid, a phenolic compound, exerts anti-angiogenesis effects via VEGFR-2 signaling pathway in breast cancer

Anti-angiogenesis targeting VEGFR-2 has been considered as an important strategy for cancer therapy. Ellagic acid is a naturally existing polyphenol widely found in fruits and vegetables. It was reported that ellagic acid interfered with some angiogenesis-dependent pathologies. Yet the mechanisms involved were not fully understood. Thus, we analyzed its anti-angiogenesis effects and mechanisms on human breast cancer utilizing in-vitro and in-vivo methodologies. The in-silico analysis was also carried out to further analyze the structure-based interaction between ellagic acid and VEGFR-2. We found that ellagic acid significantly inhibited a series of VEGF-induced angiogenesis processes including proliferation, migration, and tube formation of endothelial cells. Besides, it directly inhibited VEGFR-2 tyrosine kinase activity and its downstream signaling pathways including MAPK and PI3K/Akt in endothelial cells. Ellagic acid also obviously inhibited neo-vessel formation in chick chorioallantoic membrane and sprouts formation of chicken aorta. Breast cancer xenografts study also revealed that ellagic acid significantly inhibited MDA-MB-231 cancer growth and P-VEGFR2 expression. Molecular docking simulation indicated that ellagic acid could form hydrogen bonds and aromatic interactions within the ATP-binding region of the VEGFR-2 kinase unit. Taken together, ellagic acid could exert anti-angiogenesis effects via VEGFR-2 signaling pathway in breast cancer. © 2012 The Author(s).published_or_final_versio

Effective Rheology of Bubbles Moving in a Capillary Tube

We calculate the average volumetric flux versus pressure drop of bubbles moving in a single capillary tube with varying diameter, finding a square-root relation from mapping the flow equations onto that of a driven overdamped pendulum. The calculation is based on a derivation of the equation of motion of a bubble train from considering the capillary forces and the entropy production associated with the viscous flow. We also calculate the configurational probability of the positions of the bubbles.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

Dengue Virus Targets the Adaptor Protein MITA to Subvert Host Innate Immunity

Dengue is one of the most important arboviral diseases caused by infection of four serotypes of dengue virus (DEN). We found that activation of interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) triggered by viral infection and by foreign DNA and RNA stimulation was blocked by DEN-encoded NS2B3 through a protease-dependent mechanism. The key adaptor protein in type I interferon pathway, human mediator of IRF3 activation (MITA) but not the murine homologue MPYS, was cleaved in cells infected with DEN-1 or DEN-2 and with expression of the enzymatically active protease NS2B3. The cleavage site of MITA was mapped to LRR↓96G and the function of MITA was suppressed by dengue protease. DEN replication was reduced with overexpression of MPYS but not with MITA, while DEN replication was enhanced by MPYS knockdown, indicating an antiviral role of MITA/MPYS against DEN infection. The involvement of MITA in DEN-triggered innate immune response was evidenced by reduction of IRF3 activation and IFN induction in cells with MITA knockdown upon DEN-2 infection. NS2B3 physically interacted with MITA, and the interaction and cleavage of MITA could be further enhanced by poly(dA:dT) stimulation. Thus, we identified MITA as a novel host target of DEN protease and provide the molecular mechanism of how DEN subverts the host innate immunity

Lack of the Delta Subunit of RNA Polymerase Increases Virulence Related Traits of Streptococcus mutans

The delta subunit of the RNA polymerase, RpoE, maintains the transcriptional specificity in Gram-positive bacteria. Lack of RpoE results in massive changes in the transcriptome of the human dental caries pathogen Streptococcus mutans. In this study, we analyzed traits of the ΔrpoE mutant which are important for biofilm formation and interaction with oral microorganisms and human cells and performed a global phenotypic analysis of its physiological functions. The ΔrpoE mutant showed higher self-aggregation compared to the wild type and coaggregated with other oral bacteria and Candida albicans. It formed a biofilm with a different matrix structure and an altered surface attachment. The amount of the cell surface antigens I/II SpaP and the glucosyltransferase GtfB was reduced. The ΔrpoE mutant displayed significantly stronger adhesion to human extracellular matrix components, especially to fibronectin, than the wild type. Its adhesion to human epithelial cells HEp-2 was reduced, probably due to the highly aggregated cell mass. The analysis of 1248 physiological traits using phenotype microarrays showed that the ΔrpoE mutant metabolized a wider spectrum of carbon sources than the wild type and had acquired resistance to antibiotics and inhibitory compounds with various modes of action. The reduced antigenicity, increased aggregation, adherence to fibronection, broader substrate spectrum and increased resistance to antibiotics of the ΔrpoE mutant reveal the physiological potential of S. mutans and show that some of its virulence related traits are increased

Array-CGH and breast cancer

The introduction of comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) in 1992 opened new avenues in genomic investigation; in particular, it advanced analysis of solid tumours, including breast cancer, because it obviated the need to culture cells before their chromosomes could be analyzed. The current generation of CGH analysis uses ordered arrays of genomic DNA sequences and is therefore referred to as array-CGH or matrix-CGH. It was introduced in 1998, and further increased the potential of CGH to provide insight into the fundamental processes of chromosomal instability and cancer. This review provides a critical evaluation of the data published on array-CGH and breast cancer, and discusses some of its expected future value and developments