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In an attempt to understand the possibility of applications of the fullerene-based systems for transporting various polar compounds like hexamethonium through the blood-brain barrier, we studied the influence of a series of derivatives of fullerene C60 in the form of salts with hexamethonium bis-anion, namely the adducts of fullerenols with 6-aminohexanoic acid (IEM-2197), and two bis-adduct malonic acid derivatives of fullerene with addents bound in two hemispheres (IEM-2143) and in equatorial positions (IEM-2144), on model membranes. We showed that IEM-2197 induced the disintegration of the bilayers composed of DOPC at the concentrations more than 2 mg/ml. IEM-2144 and IEM-2143-induced ion-permeable pores at concentrations of 0.3 and 0.02 mg/ml, respectively; herewith, IEM-2143 was characterized by the greater efficiency than IEM-2144. IEM-2197 did not significantly affect the phase behavior of DPPC, while the melting temperature significantly decreased with addition of IEM-2144 and IEM-2143. The increase in the half-width of the main transition peaks by more than 2.0 °C in the presence of IEM-2144 and IEM-2143 was observed, along with the pronounced peak deconvolution. We proposed that the immersion of IEM-2144 and IEM-2143 into the polar region of the DOPC or DPPC bilayers led to an increase in the relative mobility of tails and formation of ion-permeable defects. IEM-2197 demonstrated the more pronounced effects on the melting and ion permeability of PG- and PS-containing bilayers compared to PC-enriched membranes. These results indicated that IEM-2197 preferentially interacts with the negatively charged lipids compared to neutral species.
Definitive chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is increasingly used as a nonsurgical treatment for esophageal cancer. In Japanese studies, salvage endoscopic resection (ER) has emerged as a promising strategy for local failure after definitive CRT. We aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of salvage ER in a Western setting.
Gastroenterologists from Europe and the United States were invited to submit their experience with salvage endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) after definitive CRT. Participating gastroenterologists completed an anonymized database, including patient demographics, clinicopathologic variables, and follow-up on survival and recurrence.
Gastroenterologists from 10 endoscopic units in 6 European countries submitted information on 25 patients. A total of 35 salvage ER procedures were performed, of which 69% were ESD and 31% EMR. Most patients had squamous cell carcinoma (64%) of the middle or lower esophagus (68%) staged as cT2-3 (68%) and cN+ (52%) before definitive CRT. The median time from end of definitive CRT to ER was 22 months (interquartile range, 6-47). The en-bloc resection rate was 92% for ESD and 46% for EMR. this website During a median of 24 months (interquartile range, 12-59) of follow-up after salvage ER, 52% developed a recurrence (11 locoregional, 2 distant). The 5-year recurrence-free survival, overall survival, and disease-specific survival were 36%, 52%, and 79%, respectively. No major intra- or postprocedural adverse events, such as bleeding or perforation, were reported.
In carefully selected esophageal cancer patients, salvage ER is technically feasible after definitive CRT. Further prospective research is recommended to validate the safety and effectivity of salvage ER for the management of local failure.
In carefully selected esophageal cancer patients, salvage ER is technically feasible after definitive CRT. Further prospective research is recommended to validate the safety and effectivity of salvage ER for the management of local failure.
Firmicutes bacteria produce metabolites that maintain the intestinal barrier and mucosal immunity. Firmicutes are reduced in the intestinal microbiota of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC). In a phase 1b trial of patients with UC, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of SER-287, an oral formulation of Firmicutes spores, and the effects of vancomycin preconditioning on expansion (engraftment) of SER-287 species in the colon.
We conducted a double-blind trial of SER-287 in 58 adults with active mild-to-moderate UC (modified Mayo scores 4-10, endoscopic subscores ≥1). Participants received 6 days of preconditioning with oral vancomycin (125 mg, 4 times daily) or placebo followed by 8 weeks of oral SER-287 or placebo. Patients were randomly assigned (2333) to groups that received placebo followed by either placebo or SER-287 once weekly, or vancomycin followed by SER-287 once weekly, or SER-287 once daily. Clinical end points included safety and clinical remission (modified Mayo score ≤2; endoscopic subscomore effective than placebo for induction of remission in patients with active mild to moderate UC. Engraftment of dose species was facilitated by vancomycin preconditioning and daily dosing of SER-287. ClinicalTrials.gov ID NCT02618187.Acetatesuccinate CoA transferase (ASCT) is a mitochondrial enzyme that catalyzes the production of acetate and succinyl-CoA, which is coupled to ATP production with succinyl-CoA synthetase (SCS) in a process called the ASCT/SCS cycle. This cycle has been studied in Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei), a pathogen of African sleeping sickness, and is involved in (i) ATP and (ii) acetate production and proceeds independent of oxygen and an electrochemical gradient. Interestingly, knockout of ASCT in procyclic form (PCF) of T. brucei cause oligomycin A-hypersensitivity phenotype indicating that ASCT/SCS cycle complements the deficiency of ATP synthase activity. In bloodstream form (BSF) of T. brucei, ATP synthase works in reverse to maintain the electrochemical gradient by hydrolyzing ATP. However, no information has been available on the source of ATP, although ASCT/SCS cycle could be a potential candidate. Regarding mitochondrial acetate production, which is essential for fatty acid biosynthesis and growth of T. brucei, ASCT or acetyl-CoA hydrolase (ACH) are known to be its source. Despite the importance of this cycle, direct evidence of its function is lacking, and there are no comprehensive biochemical or structural biology studies reported so far. Here, we show that in vitro-reconstituted ASCT/SCS cycle is highly specific towards acetyl-CoA and has a higher kcat than that of yeast and bacterial ATP synthases. Our results provide the first biochemical basis for (i) rescue of ATP synthase-deficient phenotype by ASCT/SCS cycle in PCF and (ii) a potential source of ATP for the reverse reaction of ATP synthase in BSF.