Cell therapy in diabetes mellitus

Nesta revisão são discutidas várias alternativas de regeneração do conjunto de células produtoras de insulina do pâncreas, usando células-tronco embrionárias do cordão umbilical e adultas, e o trabalho que está sendo realizado em nosso grupo de pesquisas utilizando imunossupressão em altas doses combinada com a infusão de células-tronco hematopoéticas autólogas em diabete do tipo 1 recém-diagnosticado.In this review, we discuss several alternatives for the regeneration of the pool of insulin-producing cells by the pancreas using embryonic, cord blood or adult stem cells and the work being carried out by our research group using high dose immunosuppression with autologous hematopoietic stem cells in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus

Análise do Fluxo de CO2 e Indice de Área Foliar para uma Cultura do Milho

Análise do fluxo de CO2 e índice de área foliar para umacultura do milh

Novel insights into the genomic basis of citrus canker based on the genome sequences of two strains of Xanthomonas fuscans subsp. aurantifolii

Background: Citrus canker is a disease that has severe economic impact on the citrus industry worldwide. There are three types of canker, called A, B, and C. The three types have different phenotypes and affect different citrus species. The causative agent for type A is Xanthomonas citri subsp. citri, whose genome sequence was made available in 2002. Xanthomonas fuscans subsp. aurantifolii strain B causes canker B and Xanthomonas fuscans subsp. aurantifolii strain C causes canker C. Results: We have sequenced the genomes of strains B and C to draft status. We have compared their genomic content to X. citri subsp. citri and to other Xanthomonas genomes, with special emphasis on type III secreted effector repertoires. In addition to pthA, already known to be present in all three citrus canker strains, two additional effector genes, xopE3 and xopAI, are also present in all three strains and are both located on the same putative genomic island. These two effector genes, along with one other effector-like gene in the same region, are thus good candidates for being pathogenicity factors on citrus. Numerous gene content differences also exist between the three cankers strains, which can be correlated with their different virulence and host range. Particular attention was placed on the analysis of genes involved in biofilm formation and quorum sensing, type IV secretion, flagellum synthesis and motility, lipopolysacharide synthesis, and on the gene xacPNP, which codes for a natriuretic protein. Conclusion: We have uncovered numerous commonalities and differences in gene content between the genomes of the pathogenic agents causing citrus canker A, B, and C and other Xanthomonas genomes. Molecular genetics can now be employed to determine the role of these genes in plant-microbe interactions. The gained knowledge will be instrumental for improving citrus canker control.Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento CientIfico e Tecnologico (CNPq)Coordenacao para Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Ensino Superior (CAPES)Fundo de Defesa da Citricultura (FUNDECITRUS

Comparative assessment of mortality risk factors between admission and follow-up models among patients hospitalized with COVID-19

Objectives: This study aimed to compare differences in mortality risk factors between admission andfollow-up incorporated models.Methods: A retrospective cohort study of 524 patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection admitted to atertiary medical center in São Paulo, Brazil from 13 March to 30 April 2020. Data were collected onadmission, and the third, eighth and fourteenth days of hospitalization. The hazard ratio (HR) wascalculated and 28-day in-hospital mortality risk factors were compared between admission and follow-up models using a time-dependent Cox regression model.Results: Of 524 patients, 50.4% needed mechanical ventilation. The 28-day mortality rate was 32.8%.Compared with follow-up, admission models under-estimated the mortality HR for peripheral oxygensaturation 100 bpm (1.19 versus 2.04), respiratory rate >24/min (1.01versus 1.82) and mechanical ventilation (1.92 versus 12.93). Low oxygen saturation, higher oxygensupport and more biomarkers–including lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, and urea remained associated with mortality after adjustment for clinical factorsat follow-up compared with only urea and oxygen support at admission.Conclusions: The inclusion of follow-up measurements changed mortality hazards of clinical signs andbiomarkers. Low oxygen saturation, higher oxygen support, lactate dehydrogenase, C-reactive protein,neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, and urea could help with prognosis of patients during follow-up

A Draft of the Human Septin Interactome

Background: Septins belong to the GTPase superclass of proteins and have been functionally implicated in cytokinesis and the maintenance of cellular morphology. They are found in all eukaryotes, except in plants. In mammals, 14 septins have been described that can be divided into four groups. It has been shown that mammalian septins can engage in homo- and heterooligomeric assemblies, in the form of filaments, which have as a basic unit a hetero-trimeric core. In addition, it has been speculated that the septin filaments may serve as scaffolds for the recruitment of additional proteins. Methodology/Principal Findings: Here, we performed yeast two-hybrid screens with human septins 1-10, which include representatives of all four septin groups. Among the interactors detected, we found predominantly other septins, confirming the tendency of septins to engage in the formation of homo- and heteropolymeric filaments. Conclusions/Significance: If we take as reference the reported arrangement of the septins 2, 6 and 7 within the heterofilament, (7-6-2-2-6-7), we note that the majority of the observed interactions respect the ""group rule"", i.e. members of the same group (e. g. 6, 8, 10 and 11) can replace each other in the specific position along the heterofilament. Septins of the SEPT6 group preferentially interacted with septins of the SEPT2 group (p<0.001), SEPT3 group (p<0.001) and SEPT7 group (p<0.001). SEPT2 type septins preferentially interacted with septins of the SEPT6 group (p<0.001) aside from being the only septin group which interacted with members of its own group. Finally, septins of the SEPT3 group interacted preferentially with septins of the SEPT7 group (p<0.001). Furthermore, we found non-septin interactors which can be functionally attributed to a variety of different cellular activities, including: ubiquitin/sumoylation cycles, microtubular transport and motor activities, cell division and the cell cycle, cell motility, protein phosphorylation/signaling, endocytosis, and apoptosis.Fundao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado Sao Paulo (Fapesp)CAPES: Coordenao de Aperfeioamento de Pessoal de Navel SuperiorConselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (CNPq)Laboratorio Nacional de Biociencias-Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materais (LNBio-CNPEM

Consistent patterns of common species across tropical tree communities

Trees structure the Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystem, tropical forests. The vast number of tree species presents a formidable challenge to understanding these forests, including their response to environmental change, as very little is known about most tropical tree species. A focus on the common species may circumvent this challenge. Here we investigate abundance patterns of common tree species using inventory data on 1,003,805 trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm across 1,568 locations1,2,3,4,5,6 in closed-canopy, structurally intact old-growth tropical forests in Africa, Amazonia and Southeast Asia. We estimate that 2.2%, 2.2% and 2.3% of species comprise 50% of the tropical trees in these regions, respectively. Extrapolating across all closed-canopy tropical forests, we estimate that just 1,053 species comprise half of Earth’s 800 billion tropical trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm. Despite differing biogeographic, climatic and anthropogenic histories7, we find notably consistent patterns of common species and species abundance distributions across the continents. This suggests that fundamental mechanisms of tree community assembly may apply to all tropical forests. Resampling analyses show that the most common species are likely to belong to a manageable list of known species, enabling targeted efforts to understand their ecology. Although they do not detract from the importance of rare species, our results open new opportunities to understand the world’s most diverse forests, including modelling their response to environmental change, by focusing on the common species that constitute the majority of their trees.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe