Tackling the Root Cause of Surface-Induced Coagulation: Inhibition of FXII Activation to Mitigate Coagulation Propagation and Prevent Clotting

Factor XII (FXII) is a zymogen present in blood that tends to adsorb onto the surfaces of blood-contacting medical devices. Once adsorbed, it becomes activated, initiating a cascade of enzymatic reactions that lead to surface-induced coagulation. This process is characterized by multiple redundancies, making it extremely challenging to prevent clot formation and preserve the properties of the surface. In this study, a novel modulatory coating system based on C1-esterase inhibitor (C1INH) functionalized polymer brushes, which effectively regulates the activation of FXII is proposed. Using surface plasmon resonance it is demonstrated that this coating system effectively repels blood plasma proteins, including FXII, while exhibiting high activity against activated FXII and plasma kallikrein under physiological conditions. This unique property enables the modulation of FXII activation without interfering with the overall hemostasis process. Furthermore, through dynamic Chandler loop studies, it is shown that this coating significantly improves the hemocompatibility of polymeric surfaces commonly used in medical devices. By addressing the root cause of contact activation, the synergistic interplay between the antifouling polymer brushes and the modulatory C1INH is expected to lay the foundation to enhance the hemocompatibility of medical device surfaces.© 2023 The Authors. Macromolecular Bioscience published by Wiley-VCH GmbH

Amp-PCR: Combining a Random Unbiased Phi29-Amplification with a Specific Real-Time PCR, Performed in One Tube to Increase PCR Sensitivity

In clinical situations where a diagnostic real-time PCR assay is not sensitive enough, leading to low or falsely negative results, or where detection earlier in a disease progression would benefit the patient, an unbiased pre-amplification prior to the real-time PCR could be beneficial. In Amp-PCR, an unbiased random Phi29 pre-amplification is combined with a specific real-time PCR reaction. The two reactions are separated physically by a wax-layer (AmpliWax®) and are run in sequel in the same sealed tube. Amp-PCR can increase the specific PCR signal at least 100×106-fold and make it possible to detect positive samples normally under the detection limit of the specific real-time PCR. The risk of contamination is eliminated and Amp-PCR could replace nested-PCR in situations where increased sensitivity is needed e.g. in routine PCR diagnostic analysis. We show Amp-PCR to work on clinical samples containing circular and linear viral dsDNA genomes, but can work well on DNA of any origin, both from non-cellular (virus) and cellular sources (bacteria, archae, eukaryotes)

Global and regional development of the human cerebral cortex:Molecular architecture and occupational aptitudes

We have carried out meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) (n = 23 784) of the first two principal components (PCs) that group together cortical regions with shared variance in their surface area. PC1 (global) captured variations of most regions, whereas PC2 (visual) was specific to the primary and secondary visual cortices. We identified a total of 18 (PC1) and 17 (PC2) independent loci, which were replicated in another 25 746 individuals. The loci of the global PC1 included those associated previously with intracranial volume and/or general cognitive function, such as MAPT and IGF2BP1. The loci of the visual PC2 included DAAM1, a key player in the planar-cell-polarity pathway. We then tested associations with occupational aptitudes and, as predicted, found that the global PC1 was associated with General Learning Ability, and the visual PC2 was associated with the Form Perception aptitude. These results suggest that interindividual variations in global and regional development of the human cerebral cortex (and its molecular architecture) cascade—albeit in a very limited manner—to behaviors as complex as the choice of one’s occupation

Enzymatic amplification of myosin heavy-chain mRNA sequences in vitro

We have developed a procedure that detects the presence of mRNA coding for human beta-myosin heavy chain in small amounts of total, unfractionated RNA isolated from heart or skeletal muscle. The protocol is based on the enzymatic amplification in vitro of a selected 106-bp myosin isotype-specific subregion of this mRNA. The method, which is a modification of the so-called "polymerase chain reaction," requires two synthetic oligonucleotide primers (20-mers), reverse transcriptase, and DNA polymerase I (Klenow fragment). Two principle steps are involved: (i) the selected mRNA subregion is converted into a double-stranded cDNA, and (ii) this cDNA is amplified in 22 synthetic cycles. After gel electrophoresis and blotting the amplification product is identified by hybridization with a third oligonucleotide recognizing the region between the two primer annealing sites, and by restriction mapping. Only mRNA from muscle tissue promoted formation of the amplified 106-bp fragment. We estimate that less than 30,000 beta-myosin heavy-chain mRNA molecules are sufficient to produce a signal. The procedure is fast, specific, and very sensitive. It may be used in muscle gene expression studies with small numbers of cells or even in single muscle fibers

Partial characterization of the human β‐myosin heavy‐chain gene which is expressed in heart and skeletal muscle

A human myosin heavy‐chain gene, cloned in γCharon 4A phage (and as a clone designated γgMHC‐1), was shown to code for a cardiac myosin heavy chain of the β‐type. The 5′ end of the 14200‐base‐pair genomic DNA clone is located in the head region of the myosin chain. The 3′ end was shown to extent to the COOH terminus and includes the 3′‐nontranslated sequence of the corresponding mRNA. The identification of γgMHC‐1 as coding for a cardiac β‐myosin heavy chain was achieved by heteroduplex mapping using genomic cardiac myosin heavy‐chain DNA of rabbit as a probe and, furthermore, by DNA sequence analysis of three selected subregions of the cloned DNA including the 3′‐nontranslated sequence. It was demonstrated by the S1 nuclease protection technique that the β‐myosin heavy‐chain gene is transcribed in human heart muscle. In addition, we have found by the same technique that it is also expressed in human skeletal muscle