The roles of exosomal immune checkpoint proteins in tumors
AbstractTargeting immune checkpoints has achieved great therapeutic effects in the treatment of early-stage tumors. However, most patients develop adaptive resistance to this therapy. The latest evidence demonstrates that tumor-derived exosomes may play a key role in systemic immune suppression and tumor progression. In this article, we highlight the role of exosomal immune checkpoint proteins in tumor immunity, with an emphasis on programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4), as well as emerging evidence on roles of T cell immunoglobulin-3 (TIM-3), arginase 1 (ARG1), and estro...
Source: Military Medical Research - November 8, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Common mtDNA variations at C5178a and A249d/T6392C/G10310A decrease the risk of severe COVID-19 in a Han Chinese population from Central China
ConclusionsThis is the first study to explore the association of mtDNA variants with individual ’s risk of developing severe COVID-19. Based on the case–control study, we concluded that the common mtDNA variants at C5178a and A249d/T6392C/G10310A might contribute to an individual’s resistance to developing severe COVID-19, whereas A4833G, A4715G, T3394C and G5417A/C16257a/C16261T might i ncrease an individual’s risk of developing severe COVID-19. (Source: Military Medical Research)
Source: Military Medical Research - November 1, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Targeting PPAR α in low ambient temperature exposure-induced cardiac dysfunction and remodeling
AbstractThe present study demonstrates that the down-regulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor- α (PPARα) results in chronic low ambient temperature (LT) exposure-induced cardiac dysfunction and remodeling, emphasizing the therapeutic potential of PPARα activation strategies (e.g. fenofibrate treatment) in LT-associated cardiac injury. (Source: Military Medical Research)
Source: Military Medical Research - October 19, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Dementia in military and veteran populations: a review of risk factors —traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, deployment, and sleep
AbstractThe military population face a unique set of risk factors that may increase the risk of being diagnosed with dementia. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have a higher prevalence in this group in comparison to the civilian population. By delving into the individual relationships between TBI and dementia, and PTSD and dementia, we are able to better explore dementia in the military and veteran populations. While there are some inconsistencies in results, the TBI-dementia association has become more widely accepted. Moderate-to-severe TBI has been found to increase the risk of bein...
Source: Military Medical Research - October 13, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Secondary analysis of malaria rapid diagnostic tests from rounds 5 –8 of WHO product testing with a focus on false-negative results
AbstractDespite the widespread use of malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) in clinical practice, there are a lot of challenges. We conducted a secondary analysis of 129 malaria RDT data from rounds 5 –8 of the World Health Organization (WHO) product testing summary and discuss the causes of false-negative (FN) results with a focus on low parasite density, improper RDT storage, operation and interpretation, andplasmodium falciparum with apfhrp2/3 gene deletion. The results demonstrated that the malaria RDTs currently commercially available might cause FN results in practice. (Source: Military Medical Research)
Source: Military Medical Research - October 7, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Oral microbiota in the oral-genitourinary axis: identifying periodontitis as a potential risk of genitourinary cancers
AbstractPeriodontitis has been proposed as a novel risk factor of genitourinary cancers: although periodontitis and genitourinary cancers are two totally distinct types of disorders, epidemiological and clinical studies, have established associations between them. Dysbiosis of oral microbiota has already been established as a major factor contributing to periodontitis. Recent emerging epidemiological evidence and the detection of oral microbiota in genitourinary organs indicate the presence of an oral-genitourinary axis and oral microbiota may be involved in the pathogenesis of genitourinary cancers. Therefore, oral microb...
Source: Military Medical Research - September 29, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
A cross-sectional study of olfactory and taste disorders among COVID-19 patients in China
AbstractTo determine the prevalence and clinical features of olfactory and taste disorders among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients in China. A cross-sectional study was performed in Wuhan from April 3, 2020 to April 15, 2020. A total of 187 patients with confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) completed face-to-face interviews or telephone follow-ups. We found that the prevalence of olfactory and taste disorders was significantly lower in the Chinese cohort than in foreign COVID-19 cohorts. Females were more prone to olfactory and taste disorders. In some patients, olfactory and ta...
Source: Military Medical Research - September 13, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Gastrointestinal problems, mechanisms and possible therapeutic directions in Gulf war illness: a mini review
AbstractBy its nature, Gulf war illness (GWI) is multisymptomatic and affects several organ systems in the body. Along with other symptoms, veterans who suffer from GWI commonly report chronic gastrointestinal issues such as constipation, pain, indigestion, etc. However, until recently, most attention has been focused on neurological disturbances such as cognitive impairments, chronic fatigue, and chronic pain among affected veterans. With such high prevalence of gastrointestinal problems among Gulf war (GW) veterans, it is surprising that there is little research to investigate the mechanisms behind these issues. This rev...
Source: Military Medical Research - September 9, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Antimicrobial peptides: mechanism of action, activity and clinical potential
AbstractThe management of bacterial infections is becoming a major clinical challenge due to the rapid evolution of antibiotic resistant bacteria. As an excellent candidate to overcome antibiotic resistance, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) that are produced from the synthetic and natural sources demonstrate a broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity with the high specificity and low toxicity. These peptides possess distinctive structures and functions by employing sophisticated mechanisms of action. This comprehensive review provides a broad overview of AMPs from the origin, structural characteristics, mechanisms of action, bio...
Source: Military Medical Research - September 9, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Differential roles of RIG-I like receptors in SARS-CoV-2 infection
AbstractRetinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I) and melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) sense viral RNA and activate antiviral immune responses. Herein we investigate their functions in human epithelial cells, the primary and initial target of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A deficiency in MDA5, RIG-I or mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein (MAVS) enhanced viral replication. The expression of the type I/III interferon (IFN) during infection was impaired inMDA5−/− andMAVS−/−, but not inRIG-I−/−, when compared to wild type (WT) cells. The mRNA level of full-leng...
Source: Military Medical Research - September 7, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Understanding neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and their implications in clinical practice
AbstractSARS-CoV-2 is a newly identified member of the coronavirus family that has caused the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This rapidly evolving and unrelenting SARS-CoV-2 has disrupted the lives and livelihoods of millions worldwide. As of 23 August 2021, a total of 211,373,303 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed globally with a death toll of 4,424,341. A strong understanding of the infection pathway of SARS-CoV-2, and how our immune system responds to the virus is highly pertinent for guiding the development and improvement of effective treatments. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of n...
Source: Military Medical Research - August 31, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Lower blood malondialdehyde is associated with past pesticide exposure: findings in Gulf War illness and healthy controls
ConclusionPast pesticide exposures predicted lower MDA in both veterans with GWI and in healthy controls. (Source: Military Medical Research)
Source: Military Medical Research - August 17, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Advances in single-cell sequencing: insights from organ transplantation
AbstractSingle-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a comprehensive technical tool to analyze intracellular and intercellular interaction data by whole transcriptional profile analysis. Here, we describe the application in biomedical research, focusing on the immune system during organ transplantation and rejection. Unlike conventional transcriptome analysis, this method provides a full map of multiple cell populations in one specific tissue and presents a dynamic and transient unbiased method to explore the progression of allograft dysfunction, starting from the stress response to final graft failure. This promising sequenc...
Source: Military Medical Research - August 13, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Data mining in clinical big data: the frequently used databases, steps, and methodological models
This article introduced the main medical public database and described the steps, tasks, and models of data mining in simple language. Additionally, we described data-mining methods along with their practical applications. The goal of this work was to aid clinical researchers in gaining a clear and intuitive understanding of the application of data-mining technology on clinical big-data in order to promote the production of research results that are beneficial to doctors and patients. (Source: Military Medical Research)
Source: Military Medical Research - August 11, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
Chronotype and self-reported sleep, alertness, and mental health in U.S. sailors
The objective of this study was to examine associations between validated measures of chronotype and sleep quality, daytime functioning, alertness, and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumat ic stress disorder (PTSD) in US service members (n = 298). Although predominantly young males (who skew toward eveningness in civilian populations), these Sailors skewed toward morningness (35.6% morning, 51.3% intermediate). Eveningness was associated with symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (P < 0.01), less time in bed (P < 0.05), more sleep disruption (P < 0.01), an...
Source: Military Medical Research - August 10, 2021 Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research
