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van der Ven AM, Gyamfi H, Suttisansanee U, Ahmad MS, Su Z, Taylor RM, Poole A, Chiorean S, Daub E, Urquhart T, Honek JF. Molecular Engineering of E. coli Bacterioferritin: A Versatile Nanodimensional Protein Cage. Molecules 2023; 28:4663. [PMID: 37375226 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28124663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently, intense interest is focused on the discovery and application of new multisubunit cage proteins and spherical virus capsids to the fields of bionanotechnology, drug delivery, and diagnostic imaging as their internal cavities can serve as hosts for fluorophores or bioactive molecular cargo. Bacterioferritin is unusual in the ferritin protein superfamily of iron-storage cage proteins in that it contains twelve heme cofactors and is homomeric. The goal of the present study is to expand the capabilities of ferritins by developing new approaches to molecular cargo encapsulation employing bacterioferritin. Two strategies were explored to control the encapsulation of a diverse range of molecular guests compared to random entrapment, a predominant strategy employed in this area. The first was the inclusion of histidine-tag peptide fusion sequences within the internal cavity of bacterioferritin. This approach allowed for the successful and controlled encapsulation of a fluorescent dye, a protein (fluorescently labeled streptavidin), or a 5 nm gold nanoparticle. The second strategy, termed the heme-dependent cassette strategy, involved the substitution of the native heme with heme analogs attached to (i) fluorescent dyes or (ii) nickel-nitrilotriacetate (NTA) groups (which allowed for controllable encapsulation of a histidine-tagged green fluorescent protein). An in silico docking approach identified several small molecules able to replace the heme and capable of controlling the quaternary structure of the protein. A transglutaminase-based chemoenzymatic approach to surface modification of this cage protein was also accomplished, allowing for future nanoparticle targeting. This research presents novel strategies to control a diverse set of molecular encapsulations and adds a further level of sophistication to internal protein cavity engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton M van der Ven
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Hawa Gyamfi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | | | - Muhammad S Ahmad
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Zhengding Su
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Robert M Taylor
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Amanda Poole
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Sorina Chiorean
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Elisabeth Daub
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Taylor Urquhart
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - John F Honek
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
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Taylor RM, Baca JT. Feasibility of Interstitial Fluid Ketone Monitoring with Microneedles. Metabolites 2022; 12:metabo12050424. [PMID: 35629928 PMCID: PMC9146213 DOI: 10.3390/metabo12050424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is one of the most dangerous and costly complications of diabetes, accounting for approximately 50% of deaths in diabetic individuals under 24 years. This results in over 130,000 hospital admissions yearly and costs the USA over USD 2.4 billion annually. Earlier diagnosis, treatment, and management of DKA are of critical importance to achieving better patient outcomes and preventing prolonged hospital admissions. Diabetic patients undergoing stress from illness or injury may not recognize early ketosis and often present advanced ketoacidosis, requiring intensive care admission. We have recently developed a microneedle-based technology to extract dermal interstitial fluid (ISF) from both animals and humans, which could enable wearable sensors to rapidly detect ketosis. Metabolite concentrations in ISF may differ in urine and blood and could likely represent local metabolic conditions in the surrounding tissue. Development of a wearable ketone detector will require an understanding of ketone concentrations and kinetics in ISF. Here, we report data that is first of its kind, with regard to the ketone concentrations present in the dermal ISF of rats, their correlation to blood, and the possible impact on the development of a wearable ISF "early warning system" to prevent morbidity from DKA. We extracted ISF, using minimally invasive microneedle arrays, from control Sprague Dawley rats and 17 h fasted rats. ISF and blood ketone levels were measured using a common glucose/ketone meter and strips. Local tissue concentrations of glucose were similar to those of blood, with an average blood to ISF glucose ratio of 0.99 ± 0.15 mg/dL. ISF ketones (0.4 ± 0.3 mM) were significantly higher (p = 4.2 × 10-9), compared with blood ketones (0.0 ± 0.0 mM). Although the fasted animals had slightly higher ISF ketones (1.3 ± 1.1 mM) compared with blood ketones (1.0 ± 1.0 mM), the difference was not significant (p = 0.3). This suggests ISF could possibly be useful as a surrogate for blood when determining ketone levels within a clinical setting.
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Baca JT, Parchim NF, Kotulski J, Femling J, Taylor RM, Bussmann S, Candelaria L, Norii T, Moyer M, Laliberte R, Patel S, Odeesho S, Nowak R. Feasibility and Initial Safety Evaluation of Inhaled 13C-Urea in Ambulatory Patients with Pneumonia. J Aerosol Med Pulm Drug Deliv 2022; 35:57-59. [PMID: 34748404 PMCID: PMC8867095 DOI: 10.1089/jamp.2021.0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Justin T Baca
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Nicholas F Parchim
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jillian Kotulski
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Jon Femling
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Robert M Taylor
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Silas Bussmann
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Lionel Candelaria
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Tatsuya Norii
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Michele Moyer
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Rena Laliberte
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Shivan Patel
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Samantha Odeesho
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Richard Nowak
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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Taylor RM, Karlowsky JA, Baxter MR, Adam HJ, Walkty A, Lagacé-Wiens P, Zhanel GG. In vitro susceptibility of common bacterial pathogens causing respiratory tract infections in Canada to lefamulin, a new pleuromutilin. J Assoc Med Microbiol Infect Dis Can 2021; 6:149-162. [PMID: 36341032 PMCID: PMC9608697 DOI: 10.3138/jammi-2020-0043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a significant global health concern. Pathogens causing CAP demonstrate increasing resistance to commonly prescribed empiric treatments. Resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae, the most prevalent bacterial cause of CAP, has been increasing worldwide, highlighting the need for improved antibacterial agents. Lefamulin, a novel pleuromutilin, is a recently approved therapeutic agent highly active against many lower respiratory tract pathogens. However, to date minimal data are available to describe the in vitro activity of lefamulin against bacterial isolates associated with CAP. METHODS Common bacterial causes of CAP obtained from both lower respiratory and blood specimen isolates cultured by hospital laboratories across Canada were submitted to the annual CANWARD study's coordinating laboratory in Winnipeg, Canada, from January 2015 to October 2018. A total of 876 bacterial isolates were tested against lefamulin and comparator agents using the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) reference broth microdilution method, and minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were interpreted using accepted breakpoints. RESULTS All S. pneumoniae isolates tested from both respiratory (n = 315) and blood specimens (n = 167) were susceptible to lefamulin (MIC ≤0.5 μg/mL), including isolates resistant to penicillins, clarithromycin, doxycycline, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Lefamulin also inhibited 99.0% of Haemophilus influenzae isolates (regardless of β-lactamase production) (99 specimens; MIC ≤2 μg/mL) and 95.7% of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) (MIC ≤0.25 μg/mL; 70 specimens) at their susceptible breakpoints. Conclusions: Lefamulin demonstrated potent in vitro activity against all respiratory isolates tested and may represent a significant advancement in empiric treatment options for CAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Taylor
- Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - James A Karlowsky
- Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Shared Health Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Melanie R Baxter
- Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Heather J Adam
- Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Shared Health Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Andrew Walkty
- Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Shared Health Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Philippe Lagacé-Wiens
- Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Shared Health Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - George G Zhanel
- Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Slade AL, Retzer A, Ahmed K, Kyte D, Keeley T, Armes J, Brown JM, Calman L, Gavin A, Glaser AW, Greenfield DM, Lanceley A, Taylor RM, Velikova G, Turner G, Calvert MJ. Systematic review of the use of translated patient-reported outcome measures in cancer trials. Trials 2021; 22:306. [PMID: 33902699 PMCID: PMC8074490 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-021-05255-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are used in clinical trials to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of interventions. Inclusion of participants from different ethnic backgrounds is essential for generalisability of cancer trial results. PRO data collection should include appropriately translated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to minimise missing data and sample attrition. METHODS Protocols and/or publications from cancer clinical trials using a PRO endpoint and registered on the National Institute for Health Research Portfolio were systematically reviewed for information on recruitment, inclusion of ethnicity data, and use of appropriately translated PROMs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key stakeholders to explore barriers and facilitators for optimal PRO trial design, diverse recruitment and reporting, and use of appropriately translated PROMs. RESULTS Eighty-four trials met the inclusion criteria, only 14 (17%) (n = 4754) reported ethnic group data, and ethnic group recruitment was low, 611 (13%). Although 8 (57%) studies were multi-centred and multi-national, none reported using translated PROMs, although available for 7 (88%) of the studies. Interviews with 44 international stakeholders identified a number of perceived barriers to ethnically diverse recruitment including diverse participant engagement, relevance of ethnicity to research question, prominence of PROs, and need to minimise investigator burden. Stakeholders had differing opinions on the use of translated PROMs, the impact of trial designs, and recruitment strategies on diverse recruitment. Facilitators of inclusive research were described and examples of good practice identified. CONCLUSIONS Greater transparency is required when PROs are used as primary or secondary outcomes in clinical trials. Protocols and publications should demonstrate that recruitment was accessible to diverse populations and facilitated by trial design, recruitment strategies, and appropriate PROM usage. The use of translated PROMs should be made explicit when used in cancer clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- A L Slade
- Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK. .,National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. .,National Institute for Health Research Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, UK.
| | - A Retzer
- Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - K Ahmed
- Birmingham Clinical Trials Unit, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - D Kyte
- Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.,National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Psychosocial Oncology and Survivorship Clinical Studies Group subgroup: Understanding and measuring the consequences of cancer and its treatment, London, UK
| | - T Keeley
- Patient Centred Outcomes, GlaxoSmithKline, Brentford, UK
| | - J Armes
- National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Psychosocial Oncology and Survivorship Clinical Studies Group subgroup: Understanding and measuring the consequences of cancer and its treatment, London, UK.,School of Health Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.,NIHR Applied Research Collaboration Kent Surrey & Sussex University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - J M Brown
- Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - L Calman
- National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Psychosocial Oncology and Survivorship Clinical Studies Group subgroup: Understanding and measuring the consequences of cancer and its treatment, London, UK.,Macmillan Survivorship Research Group, Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus, Southampton, UK
| | - A Gavin
- National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Psychosocial Oncology and Survivorship Clinical Studies Group subgroup: Understanding and measuring the consequences of cancer and its treatment, London, UK.,Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, Centre for Public Health, Queens University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland
| | - A W Glaser
- National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Psychosocial Oncology and Survivorship Clinical Studies Group subgroup: Understanding and measuring the consequences of cancer and its treatment, London, UK.,Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St James's, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - D M Greenfield
- National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Psychosocial Oncology and Survivorship Clinical Studies Group subgroup: Understanding and measuring the consequences of cancer and its treatment, London, UK.,Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK
| | - A Lanceley
- National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Psychosocial Oncology and Survivorship Clinical Studies Group subgroup: Understanding and measuring the consequences of cancer and its treatment, London, UK.,Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - R M Taylor
- National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Psychosocial Oncology and Survivorship Clinical Studies Group subgroup: Understanding and measuring the consequences of cancer and its treatment, London, UK.,Cancer Clinical Trials Unit, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - G Velikova
- Leeds Institute of Medical Research at St James's, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - G Turner
- Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - M J Calvert
- Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.,National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,National Institute for Health Research Surgical Reconstruction and Microbiology Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, UK.,National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, UK.,Birmingham Health Partners Centre for Regulatory Science and Innovation, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, West Midlands, UK
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Isaac B, Taylor RM, Reifsnider K. Anisotropic Characterizations of Electrospun PAN Nanofiber Mats Using Design of Experiments. Nanomaterials (Basel) 2020; 10:nano10112273. [PMID: 33212848 PMCID: PMC7698451 DOI: 10.3390/nano10112273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This paper deals with the dielectric and mechanical characterizations of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-aligned electrospun nanofiber mats. A two factor three level full factorial experiment is conducted to understand the effect of various parameters on dielectric and mechanical responses. These responses are recorded against randomly oriented and aligned nanofiber mats. Improved properties of electrospun mats have applications in the field of energy storage and nanocomposite reinforcement. Dielectric and mechanical characterizations of PAN mats are vital, as the aligned electrospun mats were found to be useful in advanced energy and mechanical reinforcement applications. Therefore, it is paramount to understand the effects of system parameters to these properties. The design of experiment (DoE) includes two factors and three level full factorial experiments with concentrations of PAN solutions at 8 wt.%, 9 wt.%, and 10 wt.%, and speed of the rotating mandrel (collector) at 3 volt (V), 4 V, and 5 V inputs. The electric field intensity used in the experiment is 1 kV/cm. DoE is conducted to understand the nonlinear interactions of parameters to these responses. The dielectric and mechanical characterizations of 8 wt.%, 9 wt.%, and 10 wt.% with different speeds for the original and improved systems are discussed. It was observed that at 9 wt.% and at all mandrel speeds, the dielectric and tensile properties are optimum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blesson Isaac
- Chemical and Radiation Measurement Department, Energy Environment Science and Technology, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID 83415, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-713-553-4037
| | - Robert M. Taylor
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA; (R.M.T.); (K.R.)
| | - Kenneth Reifsnider
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA; (R.M.T.); (K.R.)
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Taylor RM, Maharjan D, Moreu F, Baca JT. Parametric study of 3D printed microneedle (MN) holders for interstitial fluid (ISF) extraction. Microsyst Technol 2020; 26:2067-2073. [PMID: 32476729 PMCID: PMC7238769 DOI: 10.1007/s00542-020-04758-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The need for novel, minimally invasive diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic biomedical devices has garnered increased interest in recent years. Microneedle (MN) technology has stood out as a promising new method for drug delivery, as well as extraction of interstitial fluid (ISF). ISF comprises a large portion of the extracellular fluid in living organisms yet remains inadequately characterized for clinical applications. Current MN research has focused on the fabrication of needles with different materials like silicone, carbon, and metals. However, little effort has been put forth into improving MN holders and patches that can be used with low cost MNs, which could effectively change how MNs are attached to the human body. Here, we describe different 3D-printed MN holders, printed using an MJP Pro 2500 3D printer, and compare the ISF extraction efficiencies in CD Hairless rats. We varied design parameters that may affect the skin-holder interface, such as throat thickness, tip curvature, and throat diameter. MN arrays, with insertion depths of 1500 μm, had extraction efficiencies of 0.44 ± 0.35, 0.85 ± 0.64, 0.32 ± 0.21, or 0.44 ± 0.46 µl/min when designed with flat, concave, convex, or bevel profile geometries, respectively. Our results suggest ISF extraction is influenced by MN holder design parameters and that a concave tip design is optimal for extracting ISF from animals. The future direction of this research aims to enable a paradigm in MN design that maximizes its efficiency and engineering performance in terms of volume, pressure, and wearability, thereby automatizing usage and reducing patient intervention to ultimately benefit remote telemedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Taylor
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico, MSC11 6025, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
| | - Dilendra Maharjan
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Courtesy Appointment, The University of New Mexico, Centennial Engineering Center 3056, MSC01 1070, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
| | - Fernando Moreu
- Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Courtesy Appointment, The University of New Mexico, Centennial Engineering Center 3056, MSC01 1070, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Courtesy Appointment, The University of New Mexico, Centennial Engineering Center 3056, MSC01 1070, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of New Mexico, Centennial Engineering Center 3056, MSC01 1070, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
| | - Justin T. Baca
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico, MSC11 6025, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
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Taylor RM. Ethical Considerations for End-of-Life Care for Patients Dependent on Oxygen. J Palliat Med 2019; 22:356. [DOI: 10.1089/jpm.2018.0661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Taylor
- Care Dimensions Hospice and Palliative Care, Danvers, Massachusetts
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Miller PR, Taylor RM, Tran BQ, Boyd G, Glaros T, Chavez VH, Krishnakumar R, Sinha A, Poorey K, Williams KP, Branda SS, Baca JT, Polsky R. Extraction and biomolecular analysis of dermal interstitial fluid collected with hollow microneedles. Commun Biol 2018; 1:173. [PMID: 30374463 PMCID: PMC6197253 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0170-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dermal interstitial fluid (ISF) is an underutilized information-rich biofluid potentially useful in health status monitoring applications whose contents remain challenging to characterize. Here, we present a facile microneedle approach for dermal ISF extraction with minimal pain and no blistering for human subjects and rats. Extracted ISF volumes were sufficient for determining transcriptome, and proteome signatures. We noted similar profiles in ISF, serum, and plasma samples, suggesting that ISF can be a proxy for direct blood sampling. Dynamic changes in RNA-seq were recorded in ISF from induced hypoxia conditions. Finally, we report the first isolation and characterization, to our knowledge, of exosomes from dermal ISF. The ISF exosome concentration is 12-13 times more enriched when compared to plasma and serum and represents a previously unexplored biofluid for exosome isolation. This minimally invasive extraction approach can enable mechanistic studies of ISF and demonstrates the potential of ISF for real-time health monitoring applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip R Miller
- Nano and Micro Sensors, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87185, USA
| | - Robert M Taylor
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Bao Quoc Tran
- Excet Inc., 6225 Brandon Ave, Suite 360, Springfield, VA, 22150, USA
| | - Gabrielle Boyd
- Excet Inc., 6225 Brandon Ave, Suite 360, Springfield, VA, 22150, USA
| | - Trevor Glaros
- Research and Technology Directorate, US Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Edgewood, MD, 21010, USA
| | - Victor H Chavez
- Nano and Micro Sensors, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87185, USA
| | - Raga Krishnakumar
- Systems Biology, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, 94551, USA
| | - Anupama Sinha
- Systems Biology, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, 94551, USA
| | - Kunal Poorey
- Systems Biology, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, 94551, USA
| | - Kelly P Williams
- Systems Biology, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, 94551, USA
| | - Steven S Branda
- Biomass Science and Conversion Technology, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, 94551, USA
| | - Justin T Baca
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
| | - Ronen Polsky
- Nano and Micro Sensors, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87185, USA.
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10
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Taylor RM, Wu J. Moral Dilemmas for Physicians Treating Terminal Patients. JAMA 2018; 320:95. [PMID: 29971391 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2018.6586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Taylor
- Care Dimensions Hospice and Palliative Care, Waltham, Massachusetts
| | - Johnson Wu
- Care Dimensions Hospice and Palliative Care, Waltham, Massachusetts
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Taylor RM, Miller PR, Ebrahimi P, Polsky R, Baca JT. Minimally-invasive, microneedle-array extraction of interstitial fluid for comprehensive biomedical applications: transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, exosome research, and biomarker identification. Lab Anim 2018; 52:526-530. [PMID: 29471723 DOI: 10.1177/0023677218758801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Interstitial fluid (ISF) has recently garnered interest as a biological fluid that could be used as an alternate to blood for biomedical applications, diagnosis, and therapy. ISF extraction techniques are promising because they are less invasive and less painful than venipuncture. ISF is an alternative, incompletely characterized source of physiological data. Here, we describe a novel method of ISF extraction in rats, using microneedle arrays, which provides volumes of ISF that are sufficient for downstream analysis techniques such as proteomics, genomics, and extracellular vesicle purification and analysis. This method is potentially less invasive than previously reported techniques. The limited invasiveness and larger volumes of extracted ISF afforded by this microneedle-assisted ISF extraction method provide a technique that is less stressful and more humane to laboratory animals, while also allowing for a reduction in the numbers of animals needed to acquire sufficient volumes of ISF for biomedical analysis and application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Taylor
- 1 Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Philip R Miller
- 2 Nano and Micro Sensors, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Parwana Ebrahimi
- 1 Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Ronen Polsky
- 2 Nano and Micro Sensors, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Justin T Baca
- 1 Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Tran BQ, Miller PR, Taylor RM, Boyd G, Mach PM, Rosenzweig CN, Baca JT, Polsky R, Glaros T. Proteomic Characterization of Dermal Interstitial Fluid Extracted Using a Novel Microneedle-Assisted Technique. J Proteome Res 2017; 17:479-485. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.7b00642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bao Quoc Tran
- Excet, Inc., 6225 Brandon Avenue, Suite 360, Springfield, Virginia 22150, United States
| | - Philip R. Miller
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Robert M. Taylor
- Department
of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Gabrielle Boyd
- Excet, Inc., 6225 Brandon Avenue, Suite 360, Springfield, Virginia 22150, United States
| | - Phillip M. Mach
- Excet, Inc., 6225 Brandon Avenue, Suite 360, Springfield, Virginia 22150, United States
| | - C. Nicole Rosenzweig
- Research
and Technology Directorate, US Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010, United States
| | - Justin T. Baca
- Department
of Emergency Medicine, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, United States
| | - Ronen Polsky
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185, United States
| | - Trevor Glaros
- Research
and Technology Directorate, US Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010, United States
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13
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Abstract
The lipopeptide antibiotic daptomycin is active against Gram-positive pathogens. It permeabilizes bacterial cell membranes, which involves the formation of membrane-associated oligomers. We here studied a dimer of daptomycin whose two subunits were linked through a bivalent aliphatic acyl chain. Unexpectedly, the dimer had very low activity on vegetative Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis cells. However, activity resembled that of monomeric daptomycin on liposomes and on B. subtilis L-forms. These findings underscore the importance of the bacterial cell wall in daptomycin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Taylor
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Bradley Scott
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Scott Taylor
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Michael Palmer
- Department of Chemistry, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
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14
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Yau PPY, Dhand NK, Thomson PC, Taylor RM. Retrospective study on the occurrence of canine lymphoma and associated breed risks in a population of dogs in NSW (2001-2009). Aust Vet J 2017; 95:149-155. [DOI: 10.1111/avj.12576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2015] [Revised: 05/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- PPY Yau
- Faculty of Veterinary Science; University of Sydney; New South Wales Australia
| | - NK Dhand
- Faculty of Veterinary Science; University of Sydney; New South Wales Australia
| | - PC Thomson
- Faculty of Veterinary Science; University of Sydney; New South Wales Australia
| | - RM Taylor
- Faculty of Veterinary Science; University of Sydney; New South Wales Australia
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15
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Levy M, Smith T, Alvarez-Perez A, Back A, Baker JN, Beck AC, Block S, Dalal S, Dans M, Fitch TR, Kapo J, Kutner JS, Kvale E, Misra S, Mitchell W, Portman DG, Sauer TM, Spiegel D, Sutton L, Szmuilowicz E, Taylor RM, Temel J, Tickoo R, Urba SG, Weinstein E, Zachariah F, Bergman MA, Scavone JL. Palliative Care Version 1.2016. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2016; 14:82-113. [PMID: 26733557 DOI: 10.6004/jnccn.2016.0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The NCCN Guidelines for Palliative Care provide interdisciplinary recommendations on palliative care for patients with cancer. The NCCN Guidelines are intended to provide guidance to the primary oncology team on the integration of palliative care into oncology. The NCCN Palliative Care Panel's recommendations seek to ensure that each patient experiences the best quality of life possible throughout the illness trajectory. Accordingly, the NCCN Guidelines outline best practices for screening, assessment, palliative care interventions, reassessment, and after-death care.
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16
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Pomo JM, Taylor RM, Gullapalli RR. Influence of TP53 and CDH1 genes in hepatocellular cancer spheroid formation and culture: a model system to understand cancer cell growth mechanics. Cancer Cell Int 2016; 16:44. [PMID: 27303212 PMCID: PMC4907104 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-016-0318-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Spheroid based culture methods are gaining prominence to elucidate the role of the microenvironment in liver carcinogenesis. Additionally, the phenomenon of epithelial-mesenchymal transition also plays an important role in determining the metastatic potential of liver cancer. Tumor spheroids are thus important models to understand the basic biology of liver cancer. Methods We cultured, characterized and examined the formation of compact 3-D micro-tumor spheroids in five hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines, each with differing TP53 mutational status (wt vs mutant vs null). Spheroid viability and death was systematically measured over a course of a 10 day growth period using various assays. We also examined the TP53 and E-cadherin (CDH1) mRNA and protein expression status in each cell line of the 2-D and 3-D cell models. Results A novel finding of our study was the identification of variable 3-D spheroid morphology in individual cell lines, ranging from large and compact, to small and unstable spheroid morphologies. The observed morphological differences between the spheroids were robust and consistent over the duration of spheroid culture growth of 10 days in a repeatable manner. Highly variable CDH1 expression was identified depending on the TP53 mutational status of the individual HCC cell line, which may explain the variable spheroid morphology. We observed consistent patterns of TP53 and CDH1 expression in both 2-D and 3-D culture models. Conclusions In conclusion, we show that 3-D spheroids are a useful model to determine the morphological growth characteristics of cell lines which are not immediately apparent in routine 2-D culture methods. 3-D culture methods may provide a better alternative to study the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) which is important in the process of liver cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Pomo
- Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico, Room 308, MSC06-4840, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
| | - Robert M Taylor
- Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico, Room 308, MSC06-4840, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
| | - Rama R Gullapalli
- Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico, Room 308, MSC06-4840, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA ; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of New Mexico, Room 333A, MSC08-4640, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
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17
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Fletcher JL, Taylor RM. Associations between neurologic dysfunction and lesions in canine fucosidosis. Genes Brain Behav 2016; 15:420-8. [PMID: 26711085 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2015] [Revised: 11/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Canine fucosidosis in English Springer spaniels is the only animal model of the neurovisceral lysosomal storage disease fucosidosis available for preclinical therapeutic trials. For this reason, it is crucial to identify critical time points in disease progression, and if there are particular lesions associated with specific aspects of neurologic dysfunction. Historical records of 53 canine fucosidosis cases from 1979 to 2009 containing a neurologic dysfunction score assessing motor, behavioral and sensory dysfunction were interrogated by statistical analysis. Motor and behavioral dysfunction scores assessing gait deficits and apprehensive behavior first significantly increased at 12-17 months, and increased at each 6-month interval thereafter. Sensory dysfunction scores, assessing hearing loss, balance and vision deterioration, did not significantly increase until 18-23 months, and coincided with a rapid decline in neurologic function. Regression analysis incorporating published neuropathology data, measured by image analysis, identified neuroinflammation and apoptotic cell death as significant informative predictors of increasing neurologic dysfunction. These findings indicate that the level of neuropathology required to induce consistent and conspicuous clinical signs in canine fucosidosis is reached by approximately 12 months of age in the absence of other disease processes. Significant association between neuroinflammation and apoptotic cell death also suggests that specifically targeting these lesions combined with enzyme replacement in future studies may reduce disease burden in fucosidosis. Overall, examining this historical clinical data to identify associations between the extent of neuropathology and degree of clinical dysfunction provides a useful reference tool for monitoring disease and evaluating therapeutic trials conducted in canine fucosidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Fletcher
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - R M Taylor
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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18
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Judith RM, Fisher JK, Spero RC, Fiser BL, Turner A, Oberhardt B, Taylor RM, Falvo MR, Superfine R. Micro-elastometry on whole blood clots using actuated surface-attached posts (ASAPs). Lab Chip 2015; 15:1385-93. [PMID: 25592158 PMCID: PMC4545258 DOI: 10.1039/c4lc01478b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
We present a novel technology for microfluidic elastometry and demonstrate its ability to measure stiffness of blood clots as they form. A disposable micro-capillary strip draws small volumes (20 μL) of whole blood into a chamber containing a surface-mounted micropost array. The posts are magnetically actuated, thereby applying a shear stress to the blood clot. The posts' response to magnetic field changes as the blood clot forms; this response is measured by optical transmission. We show that a quasi-static model correctly predicts the torque applied to the microposts. We experimentally validate the ability of the system to measure clot stiffness by correlating our system with a commercial thromboelastograph. We conclude that actuated surface-attached post (ASAP) technology addresses a clinical need for point-of-care and small-volume elastic haemostatic assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Judith
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Physics & Astronomy, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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19
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Levy MH, Smith T, Alvarez-Perez A, Back A, Baker JN, Block S, Codada SN, Dalal S, Dans M, Kutner JS, Kvale E, Misra S, Mitchell W, Sauer TM, Spiegel D, Sutton L, Taylor RM, Temel J, Tickoo R, Urba SG, Van Zyl C, Weinstein SM, Bergman MA, Scavone JL. Palliative Care, Version 1.2014. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2014; 12:1379-88. [DOI: 10.6004/jnccn.2014.0136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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20
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Taylor RM, Monson TC, Gullapalli RR. Influence of carbon chain length on the synthesis and yield of fatty amine-coated iron-platinum nanoparticles. Nanoscale Res Lett 2014; 9:306. [PMID: 25006334 PMCID: PMC4078006 DOI: 10.1186/1556-276x-9-306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2014] [Accepted: 05/30/2014] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Iron oxide nanoparticles are among the most widely used and characterized magnetic nanoparticles. However, metal alloys such as superparamagnetic iron-platinum particles (SIPPs), which have better magnetic properties, are receiving increased attention. Scalable techniques to routinely synthesize SIPPs in bulk need further study. Here, we focus on the role played by the fatty amine ligand in the formation of the bimetallic FePt nanocrystal. More specifically, we compare the effect of varying lengths of fatty amine ligands on the shape, structure, uniformity, composition, and magnetic properties of the SIPPs. We synthesized SIPPs by employing a 'green' thermal decomposition reaction using fatty amine ligands containing 12 to 18 carbons in length. Greater fatty amine chain length increased the polydispersity, particle concentration, iron concentration, and the stability of the SIPPs. Additionally, longer reflux times increased the diameter of the particles, but decreased the iron concentration, suggesting that shorter reaction times are preferable. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of the SIPPs indicates that the ligands are successfully bound to the FePt cores through the amine group. Superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry measurements suggest that all of the SIPPs were superparamagnetic at room temperature and that SIPPs synthesized using tetradecylamine had the highest saturation magnetization. Our findings indicate that the octadecylamine ligand, which is currently used for the routine synthesis of SIPPs, may not be optimal. Overall, we found that using tetradecylamine and a 30-min reflux reaction resulted in optimal particles with the highest degree of monodispersity, iron content, stability, and saturation magnetization. PACS 81.07.-b; 75.75.Fk; 61.46.Df.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Taylor
- Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico, Room 308, MSC06-4840, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Todd C Monson
- Nanoscale Sciences Department, Sandia National Laboratories, P.O. Box 5800, MS-1415, Albuquerque, NM 87185, USA
| | - Rama R Gullapalli
- Department of Pathology, University of New Mexico, Room 308, MSC06-4840, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
- Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering, University of New Mexico, Room 333A, MSC08-4640, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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21
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Wells-Di Gregorio S, Porensky EK, Minotti M, Brown S, Snapp J, Taylor RM, Adolph MD, Everett S, Lowther K, Callahan K, Streva D, Heinke V, Leno D, Flower C, McVey A, Andersen BL. The James Supportive Care Screening: integrating science and practice to meet the NCCN guidelines for distress management at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Psychooncology 2013; 22:2001-8. [PMID: 23436568 PMCID: PMC4116742 DOI: 10.1002/pon.3256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2012] [Revised: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 01/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Selecting a measure for oncology distress screening can be challenging. The measure must be brief, but comprehensive, capturing patients' most distressing concerns. The measure must provide meaningful coverage of multiple domains, assess symptom and problem-related distress, and ideally be suited for both clinical and research purposes. METHODS From March 2006 to August 2012, the James Supportive Care Screening (SCS) was developed and validated in three phases including content validation, factor analysis, and measure validation. Exploratory factor analyses were completed with 596 oncology patients followed by a confirmatory factor analysis with 477 patients. RESULTS Six factors were identified and confirmed including (i) emotional concerns; (ii) physical symptoms; (iii) social/practical problems; (iv) spiritual problems; (v) cognitive concerns; and (vi) healthcare decision making/communication issues. Subscale evaluation reveals good to excellent internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent, divergent, and predictive validity. Specificity of individual items was 0.90 and 0.87, respectively, for identifying patients with DSM-IV-TR diagnoses of major depression and generalized anxiety disorder. CONCLUSIONS Results support use of the James SCS to quickly detect the most frequent and distressing symptoms and concerns of cancer patients. The James SCS is an efficient, reliable, and valid clinical and research outcomes measure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharla Wells-Di Gregorio
- Psychiatry, Psychosocial Oncology, Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH, USA.
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22
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Levy MH, Adolph MD, Back A, Block S, Codada SN, Dalal S, Deshields TL, Dexter E, Dy SM, Knight SJ, Misra S, Ritchie CS, Sauer TM, Smith T, Spiegel D, Sutton L, Taylor RM, Temel J, Thomas J, Tickoo R, Urba SG, Von Roenn JH, Weems JL, Weinstein SM, Freedman-Cass DA, Bergman MA. Palliative care. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 2013; 10:1284-309. [PMID: 23054879 DOI: 10.6004/jnccn.2012.0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
These guidelines were developed and updated by an interdisciplinary group of experts based on clinical experience and available scientific evidence. The goal of these guidelines is to help patients with cancer experience the best quality of life possible throughout the illness trajectory by providing guidance for the primary oncology team for symptom screening, assessment, palliative care interventions, reassessment, and afterdeath care. Palliative care should be initiated by the primary oncology team and augmented by collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of palliative care experts.
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Abstract
Clinical ethics is the application of ethical theories, principles, rules, and guidelines to clinical situations in medicine. Therefore, clinical ethics is analogous to clinical medicine in that general principles and concepts must be applied intelligently and thoughtfully to unique clinical circumstances. The three major ethical theories are consequentialism, whereby the consequences of an action determine whether it is ethical; deontology, whereby to be ethical is to do one's duty, and virtue ethics, whereby ethics is a matter of cultivating appropriate virtues. In the real world of medicine, most people find that all three perspectives offer useful insights and are complementary rather than contradictory. The most common approach to clinical ethical analysis is principlism. According to principlism, the medical practitioner must attempt to uphold four important principles: respect for patient autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice. When these principles conflict, resolving them depends on the details of the case. Alternative approaches to medical ethics, including the primacy of beneficence, care-based ethics, feminist ethics, and narrative ethics, help to define the limitations of principlism and provide a broader perspective on medical ethics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Taylor
- Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Palliative Care, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
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24
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Taylor RM, Sillerud LO. Paclitaxel-loaded iron platinum stealth immunomicelles are potent MRI imaging agents that prevent prostate cancer growth in a PSMA-dependent manner. Int J Nanomedicine 2012; 7:4341-52. [PMID: 22915856 PMCID: PMC3419513 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s34381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and methods: Problems with the clinical management of prostate cancer include the lack of both specific detection and efficient therapeutic intervention. We report the encapsulation of superparamagnetic iron platinum nanoparticles (SIPPs) and paclitaxel in a mixture of polyethyleneglycolated, fluorescent, and biotin-functionalized phospholipids to create multifunctional SIPP-PTX micelles (SPMs) that were conjugated to an antibody against prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) for the specific targeting, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and treatment of human prostate cancer xenografts in mice. Results: SPMs were 45.4 ± 24.9 nm in diameter and composed of 160.7 ± 22.9 μg/mL iron, 247.0 ± 33.4 μg/mL platinum, and 702.6 ± 206.0 μg/mL paclitaxel. Drug release measurements showed that, at 37°C, half of the paclitaxel was released in 30.2 hours in serum and two times faster in saline. Binding assays suggested that PSMA-targeted SPMs specifically bound to C4-2 human prostate cancer cells in vitro and released paclitaxel into the cells. In vitro, paclitaxel was 2.2 and 1.6 times more cytotoxic than SPMs to C4-2 cells at 24 and 48 hours of incubation, respectively. After 72 hours of incubation, paclitaxel and SPMs were equally cytotoxic. SPMs had MRI transverse relaxivities of 389 ± 15.5 Hz/mM iron, and SIPP micelles with and without drug caused MRI contrast enhancement in vivo. Conclusion: Only PSMA-targeted SPMs and paclitaxel significantly prevented growth of C4-2 prostate cancer xenografts in nude mice. Furthermore, mice injected with PSMA-targeted SPMs showed significantly more paclitaxel and platinum in tumors, compared with nontargeted SPM-injected and paclitaxel-injected mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Taylor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
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25
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Taylor RM, Severns V, Brown DC, Bisoffi M, Sillerud LO. Prostate cancer targeting motifs: expression of αν β3, neurotensin receptor 1, prostate specific membrane antigen, and prostate stem cell antigen in human prostate cancer cell lines and xenografts. Prostate 2012; 72:523-32. [PMID: 21748756 PMCID: PMC4366051 DOI: 10.1002/pros.21454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2011] [Accepted: 06/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Membrane receptors are frequent targets of cancer therapeutic and imaging agents. However, promising in vitro results often do not translate to in vivo clinical applications. To better understand this obstacle, we measured the expression differences in receptor signatures among several human prostate cancer cell lines and xenografts as a function of tumorigenicity. METHODS Messenger RNA and protein expression levels for integrin α(ν) β(3), neurotensin receptor 1 (NTSR1), prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), and prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) were measured in LNCaP, C4-2, and PC-3 human prostate cancer cell lines and in murine xenografts using quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Stable expression patterns were observed for integrin α(ν) and PSMA in all cells and corresponding xenografts. Integrin β(3) mRNA expression was greatly reduced in C4-2 xenografts and greatly elevated in PC-3 xenografts compared with the corresponding cultured cells. NTSR1 mRNA expression was greatly elevated in LNCaP and PC-3 xenografts. PSCA mRNA expression was elevated in C4-2 xenografts when compared with C4-2 cells cultured in vitro. Furthermore, at the protein level, PSCA was re-expressed in all xenografts compared with cells in culture. CONCLUSIONS The regulation of mRNA and protein expression of the cell-surface target proteins α(ν) β(3), NTSR1, PSMA, and PSCA, in prostate cancer cells with different tumorigenic potential, was influenced by factors of the microenvironment, differing between cell cultures and murine xenotransplants. Integrin α(ν) β(3), NTRS1 and PSCA mRNA expression increased with tumorigenic potential, but mRNA expression levels for these proteins do not translate directly to equivalent expression levels of membrane bound protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Taylor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
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26
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Taylor RM, Huber DL, Monson TC, Esch V, Sillerud LO. Structural and magnetic characterization of superparamagnetic iron platinum nanoparticle contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. J Vac Sci Technol B Nanotechnol Microelectron 2012; 30:02C101. [PMID: 25317380 PMCID: PMC3412162 DOI: 10.1116/1.3692250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2011] [Accepted: 02/16/2012] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The authors report the synthesis, from simple salts, and the physical characterization of superparamagnetic iron platinum nanoparticles (SIPPs) suitable for use as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging. The properties of these particles were determined by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance relaxivity at 4.7 T. TEM showed that the diameters of the particles ranged from 9.3 to 10 nm, depending on the mole ratio of iron to platinum precursors, and on the concentration of octadecylamine (ODA) used in their preparation. The iron to platinum stoichiometry determined by ICP-OES varied from 1.4:1 to 3.7:1 and was similarly dependent on the initial mole ratios of iron and platinum salts, as well as on the concentration of ODA in the reaction. SQUID magnetometry showed that the SIPPs were superparamagnetic and had magnetic moments that increased with increasing iron content from 62 to 72 A·m2/kg Fe. The measured relaxivities of the SIPPs at 4.7 T were higher than commercially available superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, suggesting that these particles may be superior contrast agents in T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Taylor
- University of New Mexico, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MSC08 4670, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131 and New Mexico Cancer Nanoscience and Microsystems Training Center , Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106
| | - Dale L Huber
- Sandia National Laboratories, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies , P.O. Box 5800 MS 1304, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87111-1304
| | - Todd C Monson
- Sandia National Laboratories , Nanomaterials Sciences Department, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185-1415
| | - Victor Esch
- nanoMR, Inc. , 2305 Renard Place SE, Suite 110, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106
| | - Laurel O Sillerud
- University of New Mexico, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MSC08 4670, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131 and UNM Cancer Center , 1201 Camino de Salud NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106
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27
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Taylor RM, Huber DL, Monson TC, Ali AMS, Bisoffi M, Sillerud LO. Multifunctional iron platinum stealth immunomicelles: targeted detection of human prostate cancer cells using both fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging. J Nanopart Res 2011; 13:4717-4729. [PMID: 22121333 PMCID: PMC3223933 DOI: 10.1007/s11051-011-0439-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are the most common type of contrast agents used in contrast agent-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Still, there is a great deal of room for improvement, and nanoparticles with increased MRI relaxivities are needed to increase the contrast enhancement in MRI applied to various medical conditions including cancer. We report the synthesis of superparamagnetic iron platinum nanoparticles (SIPPs) and subsequent encapsulation using PEGylated phospholipids to create stealth immunomicelles (DSPE-SIPPs) that can be specifically targeted to human prostate cancer cell lines and detected using both MRI and fluorescence imaging. SIPP cores and DSPE-SIPPs were 8.5 ± 1.6 nm and 42.9 ± 8.2 nm in diameter, respectively, and the SIPPs had a magnetic moment of 120 A m(2)/kg iron. J591, a monoclonal antibody against prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA), was conjugated to the DSPE-SIPPs (J591-DSPE-SIPPs), and specific targeting of J591-DSPE-SIPPs to PSMA-expressing human prostate cancer cell lines was demonstrated using fluorescence confocal microscopy. The transverse relaxivity of the DSPE-SIPPs, measured at 4.7 Tesla, was 300.6 ± 8.5 s(-1) mM(-1), which is 13-fold better than commercially available SPIONs (23.8 ± 6.9 s(-1) mM(-1)) and ~3-fold better than reported relaxivities for Feridex(®) and Resovist(®). Our data suggest that J591-DSPE-SIPPs specifically target human prostate cancer cells in vitro, are superior contrast agents in T(2)-weighted MRI, and can be detected using fluorescence imaging. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the synthesis of multifunctional SIPP micelles and using SIPPs for the specific detection of prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Taylor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Dale L. Huber
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87111, USA
| | - Todd C. Monson
- Nanomaterials Sciences Department, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87111, USA
| | - Abdul-Mehdi S. Ali
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Marco Bisoffi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Laurel O. Sillerud
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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Abstract
An autosomal recessive form of cerebellar abiotrophy occurs in Australian Kelpie dogs. Clinical signs range from mild ataxia with intention tremor to severe ataxia with seizures. A whole-genome mapping analysis was performed using Affymetrix Canine SNP array v2 on 11 affected and 19 control dogs, but there was no significant association with disease. A homozygosity analysis identified a three megabase region likely to contain the disease mutation. The region spans 29.8-33 Mb on chromosome 3, for which all affected dogs were homozygous for a common haplotype. Microsatellite markers were developed in the candidate region for linkage analysis that resulted in a logarithm of odds score suggestive of linkage. The candidate region contains 29 genes, none of which are known to cause ataxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Shearman
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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Taylor RM. EXPERIMENTAL INFECTION WITH INFLUENZA A VIRUS IN MICE : THE INCREASE IN INTRAPULMONARY VIRUS AFTER INOCULATION AND THE INFLUENCE OF VARIOUS FACTORS THEREON. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 73:43-55. [PMID: 19871064 PMCID: PMC2135116 DOI: 10.1084/jem.73.1.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Following intranasal inoculation of influenza A virus (strain PR8) there is a rapid increase of the virus in the lungs which with large doses reaches a maximum within 24 hours. With smaller doses, although the proportional increase is greater, the maximum concentration is not reached until 48 hours following inoculation. If a lethal dose is administered, the ultimate concentration of the virus in the lungs is the same, irrespective of the size of the dose. If a sublethal dose is given, the titer of the virus in the lungs does not achieve the titer reached in mice receiving a lethal dose. Within 48 hours following inoculation of a sublethal dose the lungs of a mouse may contain at least 76,000 M.L.D., yet the mouse survives. The intranasal instillation of sterile fluid (distilled water, varying concentrations of NaCl, broth, or 10 per cent normal serum) into a mouse sublethally infected produces a sharp rise in the virus content of the lung usually followed by death within 3 to 8 days. If, however, the instillate consists of 10 per cent immune serum, there is no rise in the virus titer, and no apparent harm results from the instillation. The implications of these phenomena are discussed and an hypothesis presented to explain their occurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Taylor
- Laboratories of the International Health Division of The Rockefeller Foundation, New York
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30
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Taylor RM, Gustin JL, Wells-DiGregorio SM. Improving do-not-resuscitate discussions: a framework for physicians. J Support Oncol 2010; 8:42-44. [PMID: 20235423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert M Taylor
- Center for Palliative Care, The Ohio State University, 453 West 10th Avenue, Atwell Hall, Room 246, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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31
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Stone CM, Taylor RM, Roitberg BD, Foster WA. Sugar deprivation reduces insemination of Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae), despite daily recruitment of adults, and predicts decline in model populations. J Med Entomol 2009; 46:1327-37. [PMID: 19960677 PMCID: PMC2824499 DOI: 10.1603/033.046.0611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Our research tests the hypothesis that the inability to sugar-feed reduces the insemination rate in mosquito populations. To test this, we measured the effects of sugar availability on cumulative insemination performance of male Anopheles gambiae Giles s.s. (Diptera: Culicidae) during 10-d periods of continual emergence of equal numbers of both sexes, and we evaluated the implications at the population level with a matrix population model. On each day of each of four replicates, 20 newly emerged mosquitoes of each sex were recruited into the populations within two mesocosms, large walk-in enclosures with simulated natural conditions. Each mesocosm contained a cage to replicate the experiment on a small scale. Scented sucrose was absent or present (control). A human host was available nightly as a bloodmeal source in both mesocosms. Sugar availability and enclosure size significantly influenced female insemination. In the mesocosms, with sugar 49.7% of the females were inseminated, compared with 10.9% of the females without sugar. In the small cages, the insemination rates were 76.0 and 23.5%, respectively. In the mesocosms, cumulative survival of females after 10 d was 51.6% with sugar and 25.6% without sugar. In the cages, female survival was 95 and 73%, respectively. Sensitivity analysis of the population projection matrix shows that both reduced male survival and reduced mating capability due to a lack of sugar contributed to lower insemination rates in females, and in the absence of sugar the insemination rate was lowered to an extent that led to population decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Stone
- Department of Entomology, The Ohio State University, 318 West 12th Ave., Aronoff Laboratory, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Taylor RM, Pfannenstiel RS. How dietary plant nectar affects the survival, growth, and fecundity of a cursorial spider Cheiracanthium inclusum (Araneae: Miturgidae). Environ Entomol 2009; 38:1379-86. [PMID: 19825292 DOI: 10.1603/022.038.0505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
We measured the effects of plant nectar consumption on Cheiracanthium inclusum (Hentz) (Miturgidae), an agriculturally important spider. Newly emerged spiderlings were reared on the eggs of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) at four prey densities, 1, 5, 25, or 125 eggs, three times a week, with or without nectar. Nectar came from the extrafloral nectaries of Indian almond, Terminalia cattapa L. (Combretaceae). The addition of nectar to prey (1) allowed spiderlings on the 1-egg diet to survive longer and molt many more times; (2) allowed virtually all of the spiderlings on the 5-egg diet to become small adults and 50% to mate and reproduce versus those without nectar, none of which matured to adulthood; and (3) increased fecundity of females on 5-egg and 25-egg diets to the level of females fed five times the amount of prey. These results show that spiders that feed on nectar increase their fitness with increased survival, growth, and fecundity, particularly when density of prey is inadequate or marginal.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Taylor
- Center for Life Sciences Education, 255A Jennings Hall, 1735 Neil Ave., Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Taylor RM, Franck LS, Gibson F, Donaldson N, Dhawan A. Study of the factors affecting health-related quality of life in adolescents after liver transplantation. Am J Transplant 2009; 9:1179-88. [PMID: 19422342 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2009.02604.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to identify factors affecting health-related quality of life (HRQL) in adolescents after liver transplantation. HRQL was measured using the CHQ-CF87 in 55 adolescents, aged 12-18 years. Factors associated with HRQL included allograft morbidity, psychological and family-related variables measured through standardized questionnaires. The domains of the CHQ-CF87 were reduced using factor analysis to give physical, psychological and social domains. Impacting factors were identified through stepwise, multiple regression analysis. Adolescents had significantly lower HRQL in every domain except for role/social-behavior and family cohesion compared to the general population. Adolescents experienced median 18 (range 4-31) symptoms related to immunosuppression, 40(75%) had one or more chronic illnesses related to immunosuppression and 12(22%) had a history of emotional difficulties. Self-esteem and emotional health were similar to the general population but behavior and aspects of family function were lower. Following regression analysis, the factors associated with HRQL were: age at transplant, secondary chronic illness, symptom distress, headaches, history of emotional difficulties, self-esteem and family conflict. These explained 57% of the variance in physical function, 61% of psychological function and 39% of social function. HRQL is significantly reduced in adolescents after transplantation, which could be related to immunosuppression and psychosocial factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Taylor
- Paediatric Liver Centre, King's College London School of Medicine at King's College Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
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34
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Abstract
Spiders are assumed to be strictly carnivorous in assessments of their nutritional and energetic requirements, their habitat preferences, and their potential as biological control agents. However, members of Salticidae (jumping spiders), Thomisidae (crab spiders), and the fast-moving Miturgidae, Anyphaenidae, and Corinnidae, all non-webbuilding wandering spiders, have been observed at floral and extrafloral nectaries of plants, presumably feeding on nectar. To test spiders in the field for nectar feeding, we used a cold anthrone test to detect the presence of ingested fructose, a plant-derived sugar, in wandering spiders occupying cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.), which have floral and extrafloral nectaries. Field collections focused on three ecologically similar, highly active nocturnal spiders: Cheiracanthium inclusum (Hentz) (Miturgidae), Hibana futilis (Banks), and H. arunda (Platnick) (Anyphaenidae). During 2002 and 2003, 27 and 21%, respectively, of all field-collected adults and subadults tested positive for fructose, indicating consumption of extrafloral nectar. In both years, significantly more females were positive than males (38 versus 11% in 2002; 26 versus 12% in 2003). Immatures tested positive at a lower rate than adults (3 and 13%, respectively). Smaller numbers of spiders in the Lycosidae, Oxyopidae, and Thomisidae were also tested. Among the thomisids, 38% in 2002 and 41% in 2003 tested positive for fructose. None of the lycosids (wolf spiders) tested positive; two of nine oxyopids (lynx spiders) did test positive. Oxyopidae is new to the list of nectarivorous spiders. These results suggest that nectarivory is common for foliage wandering spiders and may contribute to fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Taylor
- Center for Life Sciences Education, 260 Jennings Hall, 1735 Neil Ave., Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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35
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Abstract
Spiders are assumed to be strictly carnivorous in assessments of their nutritional and energetic requirements, their habitat preferences, and their potential as biological control agents. However, members of Salticidae (jumping spiders), Thomisidae (crab spiders), and the fast-moving Miturgidae, Anyphaenidae, and Corinnidae, all non-webbuilding wandering spiders, have been observed at floral and extrafloral nectaries of plants, presumably feeding on nectar. To test spiders in the field for nectar feeding, we used a cold anthrone test to detect the presence of ingested fructose, a plant-derived sugar, in wandering spiders occupying cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.), which have floral and extrafloral nectaries. Field collections focused on three ecologically similar, highly active nocturnal spiders: Cheiracanthium inclusum (Hentz) (Miturgidae), Hibana futilis (Banks), and H. arunda (Platnick) (Anyphaenidae). During 2002 and 2003, 27 and 21%, respectively, of all field-collected adults and subadults tested positive for fructose, indicating consumption of extrafloral nectar. In both years, significantly more females were positive than males (38 versus 11% in 2002; 26 versus 12% in 2003). Immatures tested positive at a lower rate than adults (3 and 13%, respectively). Smaller numbers of spiders in the Lycosidae, Oxyopidae, and Thomisidae were also tested. Among the thomisids, 38% in 2002 and 41% in 2003 tested positive for fructose. None of the lycosids (wolf spiders) tested positive; two of nine oxyopids (lynx spiders) did test positive. Oxyopidae is new to the list of nectarivorous spiders. These results suggest that nectarivory is common for foliage wandering spiders and may contribute to fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Taylor
- Center for Life Sciences Education, 260 Jennings Hall, 1735 Neil Ave., Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Brier S, Maria G, Carginale V, Capasso A, Wu Y, Taylor RM, Borotto NB, Capasso C, Engen JR. Purification and characterization of pepsins A1 and A2 from the Antarctic rock cod Trematomus bernacchii. FEBS J 2007; 274:6152-66. [PMID: 17976195 DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2007.06136.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Antarctic notothenioid Trematomus bernacchii (rock cod) lives at a constant mean temperature of -1.9 degrees C. Gastric digestion under these conditions relies on the proteolytic activity of aspartic proteases such as pepsin. To understand the molecular mechanisms of Antarctic fish pepsins, T. bernacchii pepsins A1 and A2 were cloned, overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified and characterized with a number of biochemical and biophysical methods. The properties of these two Antarctic isoenzymes were compared to those of porcine pepsin and found to be unique in a number of ways. Fish pepsins were found to be more temperature sensitive, generally less active at lower pH and more sensitive to inhibition by pepstatin than their mesophilic counterparts. The specificity of Antarctic fish pepsins was similar but not identical to that of pig pepsin, probably owing to changes in the sequence of fish enzymes near the active site. Gene duplication of Antarctic rock cod pepsins is the likely mechanism for adaptation to the harsh temperature environment in which these enzymes must function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Brier
- Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology and The Barnett Institute for Chemical & Biological Analysis, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA
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Croitoru-Lamoury J, Williams KR, Lamoury FMJ, Veas LA, Ajami B, Taylor RM, Brew BJ. Neural transplantation of human MSC and NT2 cells in the twitcher mouse model. Cytotherapy 2006; 8:445-58. [PMID: 17050249 DOI: 10.1080/14653240600879152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that the NT2 embryonal carcinoma cell line and multipotential stem cells found in BM, mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC), have the ability to differentiate into a wide variety of cell types. This study was designed to explore the efficacy of these two human stem cell types as a graft source for the treatment of demyelinating disorders such as Krabbe's disease and multiple sclerosis (MS). METHODS We examined the engraftment and in vivo differentiation of adult MSC and NT2 cells after transplantation into two demyelinating environments, the neonatal and postnatal twitcher mouse brain. RESULTS Both types of xenografts led to anatomical integration, without tumor formation, and remained viable in the normal and twitcher mouse brain, showing differentiation into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. DISCUSSION This study represents a platform for further stem cell transplantation studies in the twitcher model and potentially has important therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Croitoru-Lamoury
- Department of Neurology, Centre for Immunology, St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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Fisher JK, Cribb J, Desai KV, Vicci L, Wilde B, Keller K, Taylor RM, Haase J, Bloom K, O'Brien ET, Superfine R. Thin-foil magnetic force system for high-numerical-aperture microscopy. Rev Sci Instrum 2006; 77:nihms8302. [PMID: 16858495 PMCID: PMC1513178 DOI: 10.1063/1.2166509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Forces play a key role in a wide range of biological phenomena from single-protein conformational dynamics to transcription and cell division, to name a few. The majority of existing microbiological force application methods can be divided into two categories: those that can apply relatively high forces through the use of a physical connection to a probe and those that apply smaller forces with a detached probe. Existing magnetic manipulators utilizing high fields and high field gradients have been able to reduce this gap in maximum applicable force, but the size of such devices has limited their use in applications where high force and high-numerical-aperture (NA) microscopy must be combined. We have developed a magnetic manipulation system that is capable of applying forces in excess of 700 pN on a 1 mum paramagnetic particle and 13 nN on a 4.5 mum paramagnetic particle, forces over the full 4pi sr, and a bandwidth in excess of 3 kHz while remaining compatible with a commercially available high-NA microscope objective. Our system design separates the pole tips from the flux coils so that the magnetic-field geometry at the sample is determined by removable thin-foil pole plates, allowing easy change from experiment to experiment. In addition, we have combined the magnetic manipulator with a feedback-enhanced, high-resolution (2.4 nm), high-bandwidth (10 kHz), long-range (100 mum xyz range) laser tracking system. We demonstrate the usefulness of this system in a study of the role of forces in higher-order chromosome structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- J K Fisher
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7575
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Taylor RM. ETHICAL ASPECTS OF PALLIATIVE CARE IN NEUROLOGY. Continuum (Minneap Minn) 2005. [DOI: 10.1212/01.con.0000293666.61650.86] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Williams MA, Mackin GA, Beresford HR, Gordon J, Jacobson PL, McQuillen MP, Reimschisel TE, Taylor RM, Bernat JL, Rizzo M, Snyder RD, Sagsveen MG, Amery M, Brannon WL. American Academy of Neurology qualifications and guidelines for the physician expert witness. Neurology 2005; 66:13-4. [PMID: 16401838 DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000190568.69950.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- M A Williams
- Department of Neurology, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Guthold M, Liu W, Stephens B, Lord ST, Hantgan RR, Erie DA, Taylor RM, Superfine R. Visualization and mechanical manipulations of individual fibrin fibers suggest that fiber cross section has fractal dimension 1.3. Biophys J 2004; 87:4226-36. [PMID: 15465869 PMCID: PMC1304931 DOI: 10.1529/biophysj.104.042333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2004] [Accepted: 09/27/2004] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We report protocols and techniques to image and mechanically manipulate individual fibrin fibers, which are key structural components of blood clots. Using atomic force microscopy-based lateral force manipulations we determined the rupture force, FR, f fibrin fibers as a function of their diameter, D, in ambient conditions. As expected, the rupture force increases with increasing diameter; however, somewhat unexpectedly, it increases as FR approximately D1.30+/-0.06. Moreover, using a combined atomic force microscopy-fluorescence microscopy instrument, we determined the light intensity, I, of single fibers, that were formed with fluorescently labeled fibrinogen, as a function of their diameter, D. Similar to the force data, we found that the light intensity, and thus the number of molecules per cross section, increases as I approximately D1.25+/-0.11. Based on these findings we propose that fibrin fibers are fractals for which the number of molecules per cross section increases as about D1.3. This implies that the molecule density varies as rhoD approximately D -0.7, i.e., thinner fibers are denser than thicker fibers. Such a model would be consistent with the observation that fibrin fibers consist of 70-80% water and only 20-30% protein, which also suggests that fibrin fibers are very porous.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Guthold
- Department of Physics, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27109, USA.
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Liu E, Moriyama H, Paronen J, Abiru N, Miao D, Yu L, Taylor RM, Eisenbarth GS. Nondepleting anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody prevents diabetes and blocks induction of insulin autoantibodies following insulin peptide B:9-23 immunization in the NOD mouse. J Autoimmun 2003; 21:213-9. [PMID: 14599846 DOI: 10.1016/s0896-8411(03)00116-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Insulin peptide B:9-23 is a major autoantigen in type 1 diabetes that induces insulin autoantibodies and prevents diabetes in the NOD. However, immunization with peptide without adjuvant may be insufficient to reverse disease or induce long-term tolerance. Furthermore, recent experience has demonstrated the potential dangers of disease exacerbation or anaphylaxis with peptide immunotherapy. METHODS Combination therapy of B:9-23 with a nondepleting anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (YTS 177.9) was studied in female NOD mice from 4 through 6 weeks of age. Injections of either B:9-23 in saline, YTS 177.9 antibody, or both peptide and antibody were given to mice. RESULTS By 52 weeks follow-up, 40% of B:9-23-treated, 100% of YTS177.9-treated, and 70% of B:9-23 and YTS177.9 combination-treated mice remained diabetes-free. IAA, both spontaneous and induced by B:9-23, was almost completely suppressed in mice receiving YTS 177.9. In addition to suppression of IAA expression, anti-B:9-23 peptide antibodies are also suppressed in mice receiving B:9-23 with YTS 177.9, compared to B:9-23 alone. CONCLUSION A brief course of the nondepleting anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (YTS 177.9) in NOD mice confers long-term protection from diabetes and insulitis and profoundly blocks spontaneous and B:9-23 peptide-induced insulin autoantibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Liu
- Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 East 9th Avenue, B140, Denver, CO 80262, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Enteral nutrition is the feeding method of choice during critical illness, but in some cases as few as 25% are fed appropriately. The aim was to retrospectively review the administration of nutrition to critically ill children. METHODS The notes of 95 children over the age of 1 year who were in PICU>or=3 days were reviewed and information related to the delivery of nutrition was obtained. RESULTS Fifty-nine per cent were fed within 24h of admission. Enteral nutrition was administered 54% of the time, 10% required parenteral nutrition and 9.5% received no nutritional support. Children only received a median 58.8 (range 0-277)% of their energy requirements, which could not be optimised until the 10th intensive care day. Energy intake was greater when supplemented with parenteral nutrition. Parenteral nutrition administration was interrupted 3 times while enteral nutrition was stopped 264 times, mainly to allow other clinical procedures to take place. For 75% of the study time, children had abnormal bowel patterns. Seventy-nine per cent were constipated for 3-21 days and 43% had diarrhoea of unknown aetiology. CONCLUSION This was a retrospective study to describe the efficiency of nutritional support in critically ill children. We have shown that it is possible to administer enteral nutrition safely. However, the difference between desirable intake and actual intake achieved suggests that a more pro-active approach should be adopted.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Taylor
- Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, UK
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Aw MM, Taylor RM, Verma A, Parke A, Baker AJ, Hadzic D, Muiesan P, Rela M, Heaton ND, Mieli-Vergani G, Dhawan A. Basiliximab (Simulect) for the treatment of steroid-resistant rejection in pediatric liver transpland recipients: a preliminary experience. Transplantation 2003; 75:796-9. [PMID: 12660504 DOI: 10.1097/01.tp.0000054682.53834.ea] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of interleukin-2 receptor antibodies as rescue therapy in steroid-resistant rejection (SRR) has not been studied. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of an interleukin-2 receptor antibody, basiliximab (Simulect, Novartis, East Hanover, NJ), in treating SRR in pediatric liver transplant recipients. METHODS This was a prospective study of seven pediatric liver transplant recipients with biopsy-proven SRR who would have otherwise received OKT3 or antithymocyte globulin. The primary immunosuppression consisted of cyclosporine (Neoral, Novartis), azathioprine, and prednisolone in four patients and tacrolimus and prednisolone in three patients who had undergone retransplantation for chronic rejection (n=2) and hyperacute rejection (n=1). Four patients had received two cycles of high-dose steroids, and three patients had received a single cycle; all had been converted to tacrolimus, followed by the addition of mycophenolate mofetil. RESULTS The median time from transplant to SRR was 30 days (range, 8 days-23 months). Five children received two doses of basiliximab (10 mg, 3-7 days apart), and two children received a single dose. Aspartate aminotransferase levels normalized in three children 12, 21, and 30 days after basiliximab treatment. Aspartate aminotransferase levels decreased without normalizing in two children, but there was no further evidence of cellular rejection on repeat biopsies. All five children are rejection-free with a median follow-up of 22 months (range, 5-32 months). Biochemical abnormalities persisted in the remaining two children, and both developed chronic rejection. There were no immediate side effects associated with basiliximab. Two patients were treated empirically for possible cytomegalovirus infection 21 and 57 days after basiliximab treatment, with no evidence of cytomegalovirus disease. CONCLUSION Five of seven pediatric liver transplant recipients with SRR experienced successful outcomes with basiliximab treatment without major side effects, indicating that it is a safe alternative to OKT3 and other antilymphocyte antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Aw
- Department of Pediatrics, National University of Singapore, Children's Medical Institute, National University Hospital, Singapore
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Taylor RM. Is terminal sedation really euthanasia? Med Ethics (Burlingt Mass) 2003; 10:3, 8. [PMID: 16175722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
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Liu E, Moriyama H, Abiru N, Miao D, Yu L, Taylor RM, Finkelman FD, Eisenbarth GS. Anti-peptide autoantibodies and fatal anaphylaxis in NOD mice in response to insulin self-peptides B:9-23 and B:13-23. J Clin Invest 2002. [DOI: 10.1172/jci0215488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Taylor RM, Foubert TR, Burritt JB, Snodgrass MA, Jesaitis AJ. Single-step isolation of N-linked glycans from deglycosylation reaction mixtures. Biotechniques 2002; 33:754, 756, 758. [PMID: 12398181 DOI: 10.2144/02334bm07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R M Taylor
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology, Bozeman 59717, USA.
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Liu E, Moriyama H, Abiru N, Miao D, Yu L, Taylor RM, Finkelman FD, Eisenbarth GS. Anti-peptide autoantibodies and fatal anaphylaxis in NOD mice in response to insulin self-peptides B:9-23 and B:13-23. J Clin Invest 2002; 110:1021-7. [PMID: 12370280 PMCID: PMC151146 DOI: 10.1172/jci15488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is evidence that amino acids 9-23 of the insulin B chain are a major target of anti-islet autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes. Administration of this peptide to NOD mice prevents diabetes, and phase I trials of an altered peptide ligand of B:9-23 are underway in humans. We were interested in long-term subcutaneous therapeutic administration of B:9-23 without adjuvant. To our initial surprise, the peptide consistently induced fatal anaphylaxis in NOD mice after 6 weeks of administration. Anaphylaxis could be blocked by a combination of antihistamine and platelet-activating factor antagonist (but neither alone) or by a combination of anti-IgG receptor and anti-IgE antibodies. High titers of anti-B:9-23 antibodies were induced within 3-4 weeks of immunization with the peptide. Peptide B:13-23 also induced anaphylaxis and was more potent than peptide B:9-23. Antibodies induced by peptide B:9-23 and peptide B:13-23 did not cross-react with each other. Thus, the insulin peptides B:9-23 and B:13-23, even when administered subcutaneously in the absence of adjuvant, can induce a dramatic humoral response leading to fatal anaphylaxis in NOD mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin Liu
- Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, USA
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Taylor RM, Gill MA, Santa-Emma PH. Authors' Response. J Palliat Med 2002. [DOI: 10.1089/109662102760269940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Robert M. Taylor
- Mount Carmel Health System, 793 West State Street, Columbus, OH 43222
| | - Mary Ann Gill
- Mount Carmel Health System, 793 West State Street, Columbus, OH 43222
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Taylor RM, Cheeseman P, Rela M, Heaton N, Mieli-Vergani G, Dhawan A. Use of calcineurin inhibitors in pediatric liver transplantation: a single-center experience. Transplant Proc 2002; 34:1974-5. [PMID: 12176652 DOI: 10.1016/s0041-1345(02)03146-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R M Taylor
- Paediatric Liver Service, King's College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, UK
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