Deep Tissue Tumors and Magnet-Directed Chemotherapy: Modeling Blood Flow through Tumors

The method of magnet directed drug delivery of chemotherapy drugs on magnetic nanoparticles is a new form of cancer treatment designed to increase the efficacy of chemotherapy and decrease side effects. Prior research has shown that by using one magnet, an inoperable tumor just below the skin can be treated. The next step is to combine multiple electromagnets to dynamically focus the ferrofluid to a target location. In future experiments, three different types of phantoms will be developed to test the proposed drug delivery system so that it can ultimately be used to treat human subjects. In this report, various methods of monitoring blood flow and collecting images are explored in order to assist in future design and anticipate any possible problems between the transfer from treatment of the phantoms to the human subjects

Glutamine supplementation and renal health

Gemstone Team JuicedTeam Juiced designed a multi-faceted research project surrounding the potential risk of college students using protein supplements developing kidney disease. Survey research showed that participants taking protein supplements were ingesting double the recommended allowance based on literature values for average American dietary protein intake. Participants predisposed to kidney disease were no less likely to take protein supplements. Kidney cell modeling showed the molecular response to glutamine, an important protein building block. A significant increase in the gene expression of low-density lipoprotein receptor and two sclerotic markers was found in response to glutamine exposure. Gene expression was time- and dose-dependent. Enzymatic degradation and high performance liquid chromatography showed that three popular protein supplements contained more glutamine than stated by the manufacturers

Ad26 vaccine protects against SARS-CoV-2 severe clinical disease in hamsters

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in humans is often a clinically mild illness, but some individuals develop severe pneumonia, respiratory failure and death. Studies of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in hamsters and nonhuman primates have generally reported mild clinical disease, and preclinical SARS-CoV-2 vaccine studies have demonstrated reduction of viral replication in the upper and lower respiratory tracts in nonhuman primates. Here we show that high-dose intranasal SARS-CoV-2 infection in hamsters results in severe clinical disease, including high levels of virus replication in tissues, extensive pneumonia, weight loss and mortality in a subset of animals. A single immunization with an adenovirus serotype 26 vector-based vaccine expressing a stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein elicited binding and neutralizing antibody responses and protected against SARS-CoV-2-induced weight loss, pneumonia and mortality. These data demonstrate vaccine protection against SARS-CoV-2 clinical disease. This model should prove useful for preclinical studies of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, therapeutics and pathogenesis