5. Antigen-guided Depletion of Anti-HLA Antibody-producing Cells by HLA-Fc Fusion Proteins

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Introduction: Platelet transfusion and transplantation of allogeneic stem cells and solid organs are life-saving therapies. Unwanted alloantibodies to non-self human leukocyte antigens (HLA) on donor cells increase the immunological barrier to these therapies and are important causes of platelet transfusion refractoriness and graft rejection. Although the specificities of anti-HLA antibodies can be determined at the […]

6. ASOs Targeting the miR-29b Binding Site in the GRN mRNA Increase Translation of Progranulin: Potential Therapeutic Strategy for Progranulin-deficient Frontotemporal Dementia

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Introduction: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a devastating neurological disease with no approved treatment or cure. One common cause of FTD is heterozygous loss-of-function GRN mutations, which result in haploinsufficiency of progranulin. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are emerging as a promising therapeutic modality for neurological diseases, but ASO-based strategies for increasing target protein levels are limited. Several […]

7. Lobe Specificity of Iron Binding to Transferrin Differentially Influences the Relationship Between Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6 and Hepcidin Expression in Mice

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Introduction: The mechanisms by which changes in transferrin (TF) saturation regulate hepcidin are unclear. We reported that transgenic mice expressing mutant TF that block iron binding to either N-lobe (N-bl) or C-lobe (C-bl) have differences in erythropoietin sensitivity and hepcidin regulation. To characterize the differential regulation of the gene encoding hepcidin, Hamp1, in these mice […]

8. Evolution of a Functionally Intact but Antigenically Distinct Dengue Virus Fusion Loop

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Introduction: A hallmark of Dengue virus (DENV) pathogenesis is the potential for antibody dependent enhancement (ADE), which is associated with deadly DENV secondary infection, complicates the identification of correlates of protection, and negatively impacts the safety and efficacy of DENV vaccines. ADE is linked to antibodies targeting the pre-Membrane (prM) protein and the fusion loop […]

9. A Tampon-like Xerogel Device for Non-hormonal Contraception

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Introduction: An unplanned pregnancy can be an emotionally devastating experience for a woman. To expand non-hormonal choices for female-controlled contraceptive methods, this research aims to develop a drug-free, tampon-like xerogel device capable of fortifying natural contraceptive mechanisms within the female reproductive tract. Methods: Xerogel devices were fabricated by lyophilization of a hydrogel comprised of Carbopol® […]

10. A Pharmacogenetic Algorithm for Days 6-21 of Warfarin Therapy Predicts the Therapeutic Warfarin Dose

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Introduction: Warfarin remains a commonly prescribed anticoagulant, use of which is complicated by significant inter-patient variability in the therapeutic dose and a narrow therapeutic index. Algorithms to refine the warfarin dose are needed, especially during days 6-21 of warfarin therapy, when iatrogenic hemorrhages are common.    Objective: To develop clinical and genotype-guided dosing algorithms for days […]

11. A Masked, Controlled Trial of Median Nerve Stimulation for Tourette Syndrome

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Introduction: A prior study showed that rhythmic, but not arrhythmic, 12 Hz stimulation of the median nerve (MNS) entrained the sensorimotor cortex EEG signal and found that 10 Hz MNS improved tics in Tourette syndrome (TS). However, no control condition was tested, and stimulation blocks lasted only 1 minute. We set out to replicate the […]

12. Pseudomonas Aeruginosa is Present in Sink Drains of Multiple ICU Wards at a Tertiary Medical Center

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Introduction: Healthcare-associated infections are a rising threat to hospitalized patients. Pseudomonas aeruginosa reservoirs in the hospital environment have been connected to patient infections in intensive care units (ICUs), including the stem cell transplant and oncology (SCTO) ICU in Barnes Jewish Hospital. Sink drains were identified as a consistent source of antimicrobial resistant organism (ARO) growth, […]

13. Attenuated Cognitive Decline in Community-dwelling Older Adults with High Plasma Adropin Concentrations

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Introduction: Adropin is highly expressed in post-mortem human brain samples relative to other tissues and correlates with RNA and protein signatures linked to cognitive decline. Increasing adropin levels in old C57BL/6J mice improves learning and memory. Whether circulating adropin levels correlate with cognitive decline in humans of advanced age is not known. Methods: We investigated […]

14. Decreasing Unnecessary Urinary Catheter Usage in the ICU

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Introduction: Millions of indwelling catheters are placed each year to monitor urine output. Catheter associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) are the most commonly hospital-acquired infections and associated with urinary catheters. Previous efforts to decrease CAUTIs in the intensive care unit (ICUs), which are more likely to use urinary catheters, have had minimal success.  Despite unclear […]