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de Bruin T, De Laender F, Jadoul J, Schtickzelle N. Intraspecific demographic and trait responses to environmental change drivers are linked in two species of ciliate. BMC Ecol Evol 2024; 24:47. [PMID: 38632521 PMCID: PMC11022343 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-024-02241-2] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the past decade, theory and observations have suggested intraspecific variation, trait-based differences within species, as a buffer against biodiversity loss from multiple environmental changes. This buffering effect can only occur when different populations of the same species respond differently to environmental change. More specifically, variation of demographic responses fosters buffering of demography, while variation of trait responses fosters buffering of functioning. Understanding how both responses are related is important for predicting biodiversity loss and its consequences. In this study, we aimed to empirically assess whether population-level trait responses to multiple environmental change drivers are related to the demographic response to these drivers. To this end, we measured demographic and trait responses in microcosm experiments with two species of ciliated protists. For three clonal strains of each species, we measured responses to two environmental change drivers (climate change and pollution) and their combination. We also examined if relationships between demographic and trait responses existed across treatments and strains. RESULTS We found different demographic responses across strains of the same species but hardly any interactive effects between the two environmental change drivers. Also, trait responses (summarized in a survival strategy index) varied among strains within a species, again with no driver interactions. Demographic and trait responses were related across all strains of both species tested in this study: Increasing intrinsic growth and self-limitation were associated with a shift in survival strategy from sit-and-wait towards flee. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the existence of a link between a population's demographic and trait responses to environmental change drivers in two species of ciliate. Future work could dive deeper into the specifics of phenotypical trait values, and changes therein, related to specific life strategies in different species of ciliate and other zooplankton grazers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa de Bruin
- Earth and Life Institute (ELI), Biodiversity Research Center (BDIV), Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain‑La‑Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Frederik De Laender
- Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology (URBE), Institute of Life-Earth-Environment (ILEE), Namur Institute for Complex Systems (NAXYS), Université de Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Julie Jadoul
- Earth and Life Institute (ELI), Biodiversity Research Center (BDIV), Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain‑La‑Neuve, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Schtickzelle
- Earth and Life Institute (ELI), Biodiversity Research Center (BDIV), Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain‑La‑Neuve, Belgium
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2
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Ray A, Minh Tran TT, Santos Natividade RD, Moreira RA, Simpson JD, Mohammed D, Koehler M, L Petitjean SJ, Zhang Q, Bureau F, Gillet L, Poma AB, Alsteens D. Single-Molecule Investigation of the Binding Interface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 Variants with ACE2. ACS Nanosci Au 2024; 4:136-145. [PMID: 38644967 PMCID: PMC11027127 DOI: 10.1021/acsnanoscienceau.3c00060] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic spurred numerous research endeavors to comprehend the virus and mitigate its global severity. Understanding the binding interface between the virus and human receptors is pivotal to these efforts and paramount to curbing infection and transmission. Here we employ atomic force microscopy and steered molecular dynamics simulation to explore SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) variants and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), examining the impact of mutations at key residues upon binding affinity. Our results show that the Omicron and Delta variants possess strengthened binding affinity in comparison to the Mu variant. Further, using sera from individuals either vaccinated or with acquired immunity following Delta strain infection, we assess the impact of immunity upon variant RBD/ACE2 complex formation. Single-molecule force spectroscopy analysis suggests that vaccination before infection may provide stronger protection across variants. These results underscore the need to monitor antigenic changes in order to continue developing innovative and effective SARS-CoV-2 abrogation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Ray
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Thu Thi Minh Tran
- Faculty
of Materials Science and Technology, University
of Science—VNU HCM, 227 Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, 700000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Vietnam
National University, 700000 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Rita dos Santos Natividade
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Rodrigo A. Moreira
- Basque
Center for Applied Mathematics, Mazarredo 14, 48009 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Joshua D. Simpson
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Danahe Mohammed
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Melanie Koehler
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Simon J. L Petitjean
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Qingrong Zhang
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Fabrice Bureau
- Laboratory
of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, GIGA Institute, Liège University, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Laurent Gillet
- Immunology-Vaccinology
Lab of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Liège University, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Adolfo B. Poma
- Institute
of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5B, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - David Alsteens
- Louvain
Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- WELBIO
department, WEL Research Institute, 1300 Wavre, Belgium
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3
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Chen Y, Monbaliu JCM. Preparation of Dinitrogen Trioxide for Organic Synthesis: A Phase Equilibrium Approach. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202303516. [PMID: 38230919 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202303516] [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: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
Dinitrogen trioxide (N2O3) is a potent nitrosating agent featured with high reactivity and appealing atom economy. Because of its instability and the entanglement of chemical and phase equilibria, N2O3 has rarely been utilized in organic synthesis as a stock reagent with well-defined composition. In this review, the preparations of pure N2O3 and its concentrated solution (>0.1 M) are discussed from the aspect of phase equilibrium. Understanding the physical and chemical characteristics of N2O3, along with how reaction parameters (temperature, pressure, molar ratio) interact, plays a crucial role in managing the concentration of N2O3 in the liquid phase. This control holds practical significance in achieving quantitative reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuesu Chen
- Center for Integrated Technology and Organic Synthesis (CiTOS), MolSys Research Unit, University of Liège, B6a, Room 3/19, Allée du Six Août 13, 4000, Liège (Sart Tilman), Belgium
| | - Jean-Christophe M Monbaliu
- Center for Integrated Technology and Organic Synthesis (CiTOS), MolSys Research Unit, University of Liège, B6a, Room 3/19, Allée du Six Août 13, 4000, Liège (Sart Tilman), Belgium
- WEL Research Institute, Avenue Pasteur 6, 1300, Wavre, Belgium
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4
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Domingues I, Yagoubi H, Zhang W, Marotti V, Kambale EK, Vints K, Sliwinska MA, Leclercq IA, Beloqui A. Effects of semaglutide-loaded lipid nanocapsules on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024:10.1007/s13346-024-01576-z. [PMID: 38615156 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-024-01576-z] [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] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a highly prevalent chronic liver disease that can progress to end-stage conditions with life-threatening complications, but no pharmacologic therapy has been approved. Drug delivery systems such as lipid nanocapsules (LNC) are very versatile platforms that are easy to produce and can induce the secretion of the native glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) when orally administered. GLP-1 analogs are currently being studied in clinical trials in the context of MASLD. Our nanosystem provides with increased levels of the native GLP-1 and increased plasmatic absorption of the encapsulated GLP-1 analog (semaglutide). Our goal was to use our strategy to demonstrate a better outcome and a greater impact on the metabolic syndrome associated with MASLD and on liver disease progression with our strategy compared with the oral marketed version of semaglutide, Rybelsus®. Therefore, we studied the effect of our nanocarriers on a dietary mouse model of MASLD, the Western diet model, during a daily chronic treatment of 4 weeks. Overall, the results showed a positive impact of semaglutide-loaded lipid nanocapsules towards the normalization of glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance. In the liver, there were no significant changes in lipid accumulation, but an improvement in markers related to inflammation was observed. Overall, our strategy had a positive trend on the metabolic syndrome and at reducing inflammation, mitigating the progression of the disease. Oral administration of the nanosystem was more efficient at preventing the progression of the disease to more severe states when compared to the administration of Rybelsus®, as a suspension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês Domingues
- UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials Group, Avenue Emmanuel Mounier 73, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Hafsa Yagoubi
- UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials Group, Avenue Emmanuel Mounier 73, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Wunan Zhang
- UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials Group, Avenue Emmanuel Mounier 73, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Valentina Marotti
- UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials Group, Avenue Emmanuel Mounier 73, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Espoir K Kambale
- UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials Group, Avenue Emmanuel Mounier 73, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Katlijn Vints
- EM-platform, VIB Bio Imaging Core, KU Leuven, Campus Gasthuisberg, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Isabelle A Leclercq
- UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research, Laboratory of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Avenue Emmanuel Mounier 53, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Ana Beloqui
- UCLouvain, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials Group, Avenue Emmanuel Mounier 73, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
- WEL Research Institute, WELBIO Department, Avenue Pasteur, 6, 1300, Wavre, Belgium.
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Della Porta D, Scheirman E, Legrain V. Top-down attention does not modulate mechanical hypersensitivity consecutive to central sensitization: insights from an experimental analysis. Pain 2024:00006396-990000000-00568. [PMID: 38595183 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT According to the neurocognitive model of attention to pain, when the attentional resources invested in a task unrelated to pain are high, limited cognitive resources can be directed toward the pain. This is supported by experimental studies showing that diverting people's attention away from acute pain leads to experiencing less pain. Theoretical work has suggested that this phenomenon may present a top-down modulatory mechanism for persistent pain as well. However, conclusive empirical evidence is lacking. To fill this gap, we used a preregistered, double-blind, between-subject study design to investigate whether performing a tailored, demanding, and engaging working memory task unrelated to pain (difficult) vs a task that requires less mental effort to be performed (easy), could lead to lower development of secondary hypersensitivity-a hallmark of central sensitization. Eighty-five healthy volunteers, randomly assigned to one of the 2 conditions, performed a visual task with a different cognitive load (difficult vs easy), while secondary hypersensitivity was induced on their nondominant forearm using high-frequency stimulation. To assess the development of secondary hypersensitivity, sensitivity to mechanical stimuli was measured 3 times: T0, for baseline and 20 (T1) and 40 (T2) minutes after the procedure. We did not observe any significant difference in the development of secondary hypersensitivity between the 2 groups, neither in terms of the intensity of mechanical sensitivity nor its spatial extent. Our results suggest that a top-down modulation through attention might not be sufficient to affect pain sensitization and the development of secondary hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia Della Porta
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Eléonore Scheirman
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Valéry Legrain
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Louvain Bionics, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Paternot S, Raspé E, Meiller C, Tarabichi M, Assié J, Libert F, Remmelink M, Bisteau X, Pauwels P, Blum Y, Le Stang N, Tabone‐Eglinger S, Galateau‐Sallé F, Blanquart C, Van Meerbeeck JP, Berghmans T, Jean D, Roger PP. Preclinical evaluation of CDK4 phosphorylation predicts high sensitivity of pleural mesotheliomas to CDK4/6 inhibition. Mol Oncol 2024; 18:866-894. [PMID: 36453028 PMCID: PMC10994244 DOI: 10.1002/1878-0261.13351] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer with limited therapeutic options. We evaluated the impact of CDK4/6 inhibition by palbociclib in 28 MPM cell lines including 19 patient-derived ones, using various approaches including RNA-sequencing. Palbociclib strongly and durably inhibited the proliferation of 23 cell lines, indicating a unique sensitivity of MPM to CDK4/6 inhibition. When observed, insensitivity to palbociclib was mostly explained by the lack of active T172-phosphorylated CDK4. This was associated with high p16INK4A (CDKN2A) levels that accompany RB1 defects or inactivation, or (unexpectedly) CCNE1 overexpression in the presence of wild-type RB1. Prolonged palbociclib treatment irreversibly inhibited proliferation despite re-induction of cell cycle genes upon drug washout. A senescence-associated secretory phenotype including various potentially immunogenic components was irreversibly induced. Phosphorylated CDK4 was detected in 80% of 47 MPMs indicating their sensitivity to CDK4/6 inhibitors. Its absence in some highly proliferative MPMs was linked to very high p16 (CDKN2A) expression, which was also observed in public datasets in tumours from short-survival patients. Our study supports the evaluation of CDK4/6 inhibitors for MPM treatment, in monotherapy or combination therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Paternot
- Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM)Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
- ULB‐Cancer Research Center (U‐CRC)Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
| | - Eric Raspé
- Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM)Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
- ULB‐Cancer Research Center (U‐CRC)Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
| | - Clément Meiller
- Université de ParisCentre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Inserm, Sorbonne Université, Functional Genomics of Solid TumorsFrance
| | - Maxime Tarabichi
- Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM)Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
- ULB‐Cancer Research Center (U‐CRC)Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
| | - Jean‐Baptiste Assié
- Université de ParisCentre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Inserm, Sorbonne Université, Functional Genomics of Solid TumorsFrance
- CEpiA (Clinical Epidemiology and Ageing), EA 7376‐IMRBUniversity Paris‐Est CréteilFrance
- GRC OncoThoParisEst, Service de Pneumologie, CHI Créteil, UPECCréteilFrance
| | - Frederick Libert
- Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM)Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
- ULB‐Cancer Research Center (U‐CRC)Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
- BRIGHTCore, ULBBrusselsBelgium
| | - Myriam Remmelink
- Department of Pathology, Erasme HospitalUniversité Libre de BruxellesBelgium
| | - Xavier Bisteau
- Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM)Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
- ULB‐Cancer Research Center (U‐CRC)Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
| | - Patrick Pauwels
- Center for Oncological Research (CORE)Integrated Personalized and Precision Oncology Network (IPPON)WilrijkBelgium
- Department of PathologyAntwerp University HospitalEdegemBelgium
| | - Yuna Blum
- Programme Cartes d'Identité des Tumeurs (CIT), Ligue Nationale Contre Le CancerParisFrance
- Present address:
IGDR UMR 6290, CNRS, Université de Rennes 1France
| | - Nolwenn Le Stang
- MESOBANK, Department of Biopathology, Centre Léon BérardLyonFrance
| | | | - Françoise Galateau‐Sallé
- MESOBANK, Department of Biopathology, Centre Léon BérardLyonFrance
- Cancer Research Center INSERM U1052‐CNRS 5286RLyonFrance
| | | | | | - Thierry Berghmans
- Clinic of Thoracic OncologyInstitut Jules Bordet, Université Libre de BruxellesBrusselsBelgium
| | - Didier Jean
- Université de ParisCentre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Inserm, Sorbonne Université, Functional Genomics of Solid TumorsFrance
| | - Pierre P. Roger
- Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM)Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
- ULB‐Cancer Research Center (U‐CRC)Université Libre de BruxellesBelgium
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Yague-Sanz C. Shaping the chromatin landscape at rRNA and tRNA genes, an emerging new role for RNA polymerase II transcription? Yeast 2024; 41:135-147. [PMID: 38126234 DOI: 10.1002/yea.3921] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Eukaryotic genes must be condensed into chromatin while remaining accessible to the transcriptional machinery to support gene expression. Among the three eukaryotic RNA polymerases (RNAP), RNAPII is unique, partly because of the C-terminal domain (CTD) of its largest subunit, Rpb1. Rpb1 CTD can be extensively modified during the transcription cycle, allowing for the co-transcriptional recruitment of specific interacting proteins. These include chromatin remodeling factors that control the opening or closing of chromatin. How the CTD-less RNAPI and RNAPIII deal with chromatin at rRNA and tRNA genes is less understood. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of how the chromatin at tRNA genes and rRNA genes can be remodeled in response to environmental cues in yeast, with a particular focus on the role of local RNAPII transcription in recruiting chromatin remodelers at these loci. In fission yeast, RNAPII transcription at tRNA genes is important to re-establish a chromatin environment permissive to tRNA transcription, which supports growth from stationary phase. In contrast, local RNAPII transcription at rRNA genes correlates with the closing of the chromatin in starvation in budding and fission yeast, suggesting a role in establishing silent chromatin. These opposite roles might support a general model where RNAPII transcription recruits chromatin remodelers to tRNA and rRNA genes to promote the closing and reopening of chromatin in response to the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Yague-Sanz
- Damien Hermand's Laboratory, URPhyM-GEMO, The University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
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8
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Neyman V, Quicray M, Francis F, Michaux C. Toxicological, biochemical, and in silico investigations of three trehalase inhibitors for new ways to control aphids. Arch Insect Biochem Physiol 2024; 115:e22112. [PMID: 38605672 DOI: 10.1002/arch.22112] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Insect trehalases have been identified as promising new targets for pest control. These key enzymes are involved in trehalose hydrolysis and plays an important role in insect growth and development. In this contribution, plant and microbial compounds, namely validamycin A, amygdalin, and phloridzin, were evaluated for their effect, through trehalase inhibition, on Acyrthosiphon pisum aphid. The latter is part of the Aphididae family, main pests as phytovirus vectors and being very harmful for crops. Validamycin A was confirmed as an excellent trehalase inhibitor with an half maximal inhibitory concentration and inhibitor constant of 2.2 × 10-7 and 5 × 10-8 M, respectively, with a mortality rate of ~80% on a A. pisum population. Unlike validamycin A, the insect lethal efficacy of amygdalin and phloridzin did not correspond to their trehalase inhibition, probably due to their hydrolysis by insect β-glucosidases. Our docking studies showed that none of the three compounds can bind to the trehalase active site, unlike their hydrolyzed counterparts, that is, validoxylamine A, phloretin, and prunasin. Validoxylamine A would be by far the best trehalase binder, followed by phloretin and prunasin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virgile Neyman
- Laboratoire de Chimie Physique des Biomolécules, UCPTS, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, TERRA, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
- Namur Institute of Structures Matter (NISM), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, TERRA, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Maude Quicray
- Institute of Life Earth and Environment (ILEE), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Francis
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, TERRA, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Catherine Michaux
- Laboratoire de Chimie Physique des Biomolécules, UCPTS, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
- Namur Institute of Structures Matter (NISM), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
- Namur Research, Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
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9
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de Villenfagne L, Sablon A, Demoulin JB. PDGFRA K385 mutants in myxoid glioneuronal tumors promote receptor dimerization and oncogenic signaling. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7204. [PMID: 38532028 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57859-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Myxoid glioneuronal tumors (MGNT) are low-grade glioneuronal neoplasms composed of oligodendrocyte-like cells in a mucin-rich stroma. These tumors feature a unique dinucleotide change at codon 385 in the platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (encoded by the PDGFRA gene), resulting in the substitution of lysine 385 into leucine or isoleucine. The functional consequences of these mutations remain largely unexplored. Here, we demonstrated their oncogenic potential in fibroblast and Ba/F3 transformation assays. We showed that the K385I and K385L mutants activate STAT and AKT signaling in the absence of ligand. Co-immunoprecipitations and BRET experiments suggested that the mutations stabilized the active dimeric conformation of the receptor, pointing to a new mechanism of oncogenic PDGF receptor activation. Furthermore, we evaluated the sensitivity of these mutants to three FDA-approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors: imatinib, dasatinib, and avapritinib, which effectively suppressed the constitutive activity of the mutant receptors. Finally, K385 substitution into another hydrophobic amino acid also activated the receptor. Interestingly, K385M was reported in a few cases of brain tumors but not in MGNT. Our results provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanism underlying the activation of PDGFRα by the K385I/L mutations, highlighting their potential as actionable targets in the treatment of myxoid glioneuronal tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence de Villenfagne
- De Duve Institute, University of Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 75, Box B1.74.05, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ariane Sablon
- De Duve Institute, University of Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 75, Box B1.74.05, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jean-Baptiste Demoulin
- De Duve Institute, University of Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate 75, Box B1.74.05, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
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10
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Suau Sans M, Manneh M, Ceesay I, Bittaye A, de Crombrugghe G, Keeley AJ, de Silva TI, Palmer J, Armitage EP, Marks M. Health-seeking behaviour and beliefs around sore throat in The Gambia: A qualitative study. PLOS Glob Public Health 2024; 4:e0002257. [PMID: 38527043 PMCID: PMC10962789 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0002257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Group A Streptococcus (Strep A) bacteria causes a broad spectrum of diseases. The most common manifestations of Strep A infection are sore throat and pus-producing skin infections such as impetigo. Complications of Strep A infection can lead to inflammation in the bones, muscles, joints, and internal organs causing acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). In The Gambia, the RHD burden is thought to be very high. However, epidemiological data is minimal, and Strep A control programmes do not exist. This study aimed to explore common beliefs and practices related to sore throats among primary caregivers of children, and healthcare providers in a community with a high Strep A disease burden. Four informal conversations with providers and fifteen semi-structured interviews with caregivers were conducted in the peri-urban area of Sukuta, The Gambia. Sampling was purposive and gradual, beginning from households identified to have recently experienced sore throat through a parallel cohort study. Themes explored in qualitative analysis included: sore throat causal attributions and diagnoses, care practises, health-seeking behaviour, and perceived barriers to using the biomedical sector. We found that sore throats were typically perceived to affect one child in a family, disproportionately or exclusively. Sore throats were rarely perceived as life-threatening, and awareness of links between sore throat and ARF or RHD was not reported among caregivers or providers in this study population. Most cases of sore throat were initially managed at home using traditional medicine which delayed resort to antibiotics, though in two instances of severe pain with the presence of exudate, fear that the child's life was at risk prompted care-seeking through the formal health system. Our findings can inform the development of tailored strategies to increase community knowledge of the potential long-term consequences of sore throats and appropriate care-seeking, alongside improvements in the health system, to prevent Strep A sequelae effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Suau Sans
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Muhammed Manneh
- The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Isatou Ceesay
- The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Amat Bittaye
- The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Gabrielle de Crombrugghe
- Molecular Bacteriology Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Alexander J. Keeley
- The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Thushan I. de Silva
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer Palmer
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Edwin P. Armitage
- The Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Michael Marks
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Wehbi M, Mignion L, Joudiou N, Harkemanne E, Gallez B. Highly Sensitive Detection of Melanin in Melanomas Using Multi-harmonic Low Frequency EPR. Mol Imaging Biol 2024:10.1007/s11307-024-01911-3. [PMID: 38519805 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-024-01911-3] [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: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 03/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Low frequency EPR can noninvasively detect endogenous free radical melanin in melanocytic skin lesions and could potentially discriminate between benign atypical nevi and malignant melanoma lesions. We recently succeeded in demonstrating the ability of clinical EPR to noninvasively detect the endogenous melanin free radical in skin lesions of patients. However, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was extremely low warranting further research to boost the sensitivity of detection. In the present study, we assessed the performance of a clinical EPR system with the capability to perform multi-harmonic (MH) analysis for the detection of melanin. PROCEDURES The sensitivity of MH-EPR was compared with a classical continuous wave (CW)-EPR (1st harmonic) detection in vitro in melanin phantoms, in vivo in melanoma models with cells implanted in the skin, in lymph nodes and having colonized the lungs, and finally on phantoms placed at the surface of human skin. RESULTS In vitro, we observed an increase in SNR by a factor of 10 in flat melanin phantoms when using MH analysis compared to CW combined with an increase in modulation amplitude. In B16 melanomas having grown in the skin of hairless mice, we observed a boost in sensitivity in vivo similar to that observed in vitro with the capability to detect melanoma cells at an earlier stage of development. MH-EPR was also able to detect non-invasively the melanin signal coming from melanoma cells present in lymph nodes as well as in lungs. We also observed a boost of sensitivity using phantoms of melanin placed at the surface of human skin. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our results are paving the way for new clinical trials that will use MH clinical EPR for the characterization of pigmented skin lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Wehbi
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Research Group, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lionel Mignion
- Nuclear and Electron Spin Technologies (NEST) Platform, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Joudiou
- Nuclear and Electron Spin Technologies (NEST) Platform, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Evelyne Harkemanne
- Dermatology Department, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bernard Gallez
- Louvain Drug Research Institute, Biomedical Magnetic Resonance Research Group, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Brussels, Belgium.
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12
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Wollast R, Schmitz M, Bigot A, Brisbois M, Luminet O. Predicting health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299868. [PMID: 38489308 PMCID: PMC10942062 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
We investigated the social, emotional, and cognitive predictors of adherence to four health behaviors (handwashing, mask wearing, social contact limitations, and physical distancing) during one critical phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected data (N = 5803, mean age = 53; 57% women) in Belgium at five time points between April and July 2021, a time during which infections evolved from high (third wave of the pandemic) to low numbers of COVID-19 cases. The results show that the social, emotional, and cognitive predictors achieved high levels of explained variance (R2 > .60). In particular, the central components of behavioral change (attitudes, intentions, control, habits, norms, and risk) were the strongest and most consistent predictors of health behaviors over time. Likewise, autonomous motivation and empathetic emotions (e.g., attentive, compassionate) had a positive impact on health behavior adherence, whereas it was the opposite for lively emotions (e.g., active, enthusiastic). These results offer policymakers actionable insights into the most potent and stable factors associated with health behaviors, equipping them with effective strategies to curtail the spread of future infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Wollast
- Research Institute for Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Mathias Schmitz
- Research Institute for Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Alix Bigot
- Research Institute for Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Marie Brisbois
- Faculty of Psychological Sciences and Education, Université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Olivier Luminet
- Research Institute for Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Fund for Scientific Research (FRS-FNRS), Brussels, Belgium
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13
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Coubris C, Duchatelet L, Dupont S, Mallefet J. A brittle star is born: Ontogeny of luminous capabilities in Amphiura filiformis. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298185. [PMID: 38466680 PMCID: PMC10927081 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence is the production of visible light by living organisms thanks to a chemical reaction, implying the oxidation of a substrate called luciferin catalyzed by an enzyme, the luciferase. The luminous brittle star Amphiura filiformis depends on coelenterazine (i.e., the most widespread luciferin in marine ecosystems) and a luciferase homologous to the cnidarian Renilla luciferase to produce blue flashes in the arm's spine. Only a few studies have focused on the ontogenic apparitions of bioluminescence in marine organisms. Like most ophiuroids, A. filiformis displays planktonic ophiopluteus larvae for which the ability to produce light was not investigated. This study aims to document the apparition of the luminous capabilities of this species during its ontogenic development, from the egg to settlement. Through biochemical assays, pharmacological stimulation, and Renilla-like luciferase immunohistological detection across different developing stages, we pointed out the emergence of the luminous capabilities after the ophiopluteus larval metamorphosis into a juvenile. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the larval pelagic stage of A. filiformis is not bioluminescent compared to juveniles and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constance Coubris
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Laurent Duchatelet
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Sam Dupont
- Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden
- IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories, Radioecology Laboratory, Monaco City, Monaco
| | - Jérôme Mallefet
- Marine Biology Laboratory, Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
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14
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Rossini L, Contarini M, Speranza S, Mermer S, Walton V, Francis F, Garone E. Life tables in entomology: A discussion on tables' parameters and the importance of raw data. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299598. [PMID: 38451951 PMCID: PMC10919640 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Life tables are one of the most common tools to describe the biology of insect species and their response to environmental conditions. Although the benefits of life tables are beyond question, we raise some doubts about the completeness of the information reported in life tables. To substantiate these doubts, we consider a case study (Corcyra cephalonica) for which the raw dataset is available. The data suggest that the Gaussian approximation of the development times which is implied by the average and standard error usually reported in life tables does not describe reliably the actual distribution of the data which can be misleading and hide interesting biological aspects. Furthermore, it can be risky when life table data are used to build models to predict the demographic changes of the population. The present study highlights this aspect by comparing the impulse response generated by the raw data and by its Gaussian approximation based on the mean and the standard error. The conclusions of this paper highlight: i) the importance of adding more information to life tables and, ii) the role of raw data to ensure the completeness of this kind of studies. Given the importance of raw data, we also point out the need for further developments of a standard in the community for sharing and analysing data of life tables experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Rossini
- Service d’Automatique et d’Analyse des Systèmes, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mario Contarini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Stefano Speranza
- Dipartimento di Scienze Agrarie e Forestali, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE, CONICET-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Serhan Mermer
- Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
- Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Vaughn Walton
- Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Frédéric Francis
- Functional and Evolutionary Entomology, Gembloux Agro-Bio-Tech, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Emanuele Garone
- Service d’Automatique et d’Analyse des Systèmes, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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15
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Muzyka C, Renson S, Grignard B, Detrembleur C, Monbaliu JCM. Intensified Continuous Flow Process for the Scalable Production of Bio-Based Glycerol Carbonate. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202319060. [PMID: 38197641 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202319060] [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: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
A subtle combination of fundamental and applied organic chemistry toward process intensification is demonstrated for the large-scale production of bio-based glycerol carbonate under flow conditions. The direct carbonation of bio-based glycidol with CO2 is successfully carried out under intensified flow conditions, with Barton's base as a potent homogeneous organocatalyst. Process metrics for the CO2 coupling step (for the upstream production, output: 3.6 kg day-1 , Space Time Yield (STY): 2.7 kg h-1 L-1 , Environmental factor (E-factor): 4.7) outclass previous reports. High conversion and selectivity are achieved in less than 30 s of residence time at pilot scale with a stoichiometric amount of CO2 . Supporting DFT computations reveal the unique features of the mechanism in presence of Brønsted bases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Muzyka
- Center for Integrated Technology and Organic Synthesis (CiTOS), MolSys Research Unit, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, 4000, Liège (Sart Tilman), Belgium
| | - Sébastien Renson
- Center for Integrated Technology and Organic Synthesis (CiTOS), MolSys Research Unit, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, 4000, Liège (Sart Tilman), Belgium
| | - Bruno Grignard
- Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM), CESAM Research Unit, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, 4000, Liège (Sart Tilman), Belgium
- Federation of Researchers in Innovative Technologies for CO2 Transformation (FRITCO2T technology platform), University of Liege, Allée de la Chimie, B6a, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Christophe Detrembleur
- Center for Education and Research on Macromolecules (CERM), CESAM Research Unit, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, 4000, Liège (Sart Tilman), Belgium
| | - Jean-Christophe M Monbaliu
- Center for Integrated Technology and Organic Synthesis (CiTOS), MolSys Research Unit, University of Liège, Allée du Six Août 13, 4000, Liège (Sart Tilman), Belgium
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16
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Feys O, De Tiège X. From cryogenic to on-scalp magnetoencephalography for the evaluation of paediatric epilepsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 2024; 66:298-306. [PMID: 37421175 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a neurophysiological technique based on the detection of brain magnetic fields. Whole-head MEG systems typically house a few hundred sensors requiring cryogenic cooling in a rigid one-size-fits-all (commonly adult-sized) helmet to keep a thermal insulation space. This leads to an increased brain-to-sensor distance in children, because of their smaller head circumference, and decreased signal-to-noise ratio. MEG allows detection and localization of interictal and ictal epileptiform discharges, and pathological high frequency oscillations, as a part of the presurgical assessment of children with refractory focal epilepsy, where electroencephalography is not contributive. MEG can also map the eloquent cortex before surgical resection. MEG also provides insights into the physiopathology of both generalized and focal epilepsy. On-scalp recordings based on cryogenic-free sensors have demonstrated their use in the field of childhood focal epilepsy and should become a reference technique for diagnosing epilepsy in the paediatric population. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Magnetoencephalography (MEG) contributes to the diagnosis and understanding of paediatric epilepsy. On-scalp MEG recordings demonstrate some advantages over cryogenic MEG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Odile Feys
- Department of Neurology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles, Hôpital Erasme, Bruxelles, Belgium
- Laboratoire de Neuroanatomie et Neuroimagerie Translationnelles, Université libre de Bruxelles, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Xavier De Tiège
- Laboratoire de Neuroanatomie et Neuroimagerie Translationnelles, Université libre de Bruxelles, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Bruxelles, Belgium
- Department of Translational Neuroimaging, Université libre de Bruxelles, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles, Hôpital Erasme, Bruxelles, Belgium
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17
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Otero Sanchez L, Chen Y, Lassailly G, Qi X. Exploring the links between types 2 diabetes and liver-related complications: A comprehensive review. United European Gastroenterol J 2024; 12:240-251. [PMID: 38103189 PMCID: PMC10954434 DOI: 10.1002/ueg2.12508] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes has been steadily increasing, presenting a significant global public health challenge. These epidemiological trends can be attributed to significant lifestyle changes in modern societies, characterized by sedentary behavior and the consumption of hypercaloric, highly processed foods, along with the aging of the human population. As a result, it has become crucial for both public healthcare systems and healthcare providers to prioritize the management of diabetes and identify its systemic consequences. Emerging research has shed light on the links and risks between diabetes and liver events. This comprehensive review aims to explore the complex interplay between type 2 diabetes mellitus and liver-related outcomes, especially hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis, offering insights into effective methods for detecting liver risk in individuals with diabetes. Additionally, the review will assess the various treatments that could hold the potential for positive outcomes in managing both diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease and liver fibrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Otero Sanchez
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatopancreatology and Digestive Oncology, CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratory of Experimental Gastroenterology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yuping Chen
- Center of Portal Hypertension, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guillaume Lassailly
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatopancreatology and Digestive Oncology, CUB Hôpital Erasme, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Service des maladies de l'appareil digestif, hôpital Huriez, CHU de Lille, Université de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Xiaolong Qi
- Center of Portal Hypertension, Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Medical School, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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18
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Feys O, Ferez M, Corvilain P, Schuind S, Rikir E, Legros B, Gaspard N, Holmes N, Brookes M, Wens V, De Tiège X. On-Scalp Magnetoencephalography Based On Optically Pumped Magnetometers Can Detect Mesial Temporal Lobe Epileptiform Discharges. Ann Neurol 2024; 95:620-622. [PMID: 38050959 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26844] [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] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Odile Feys
- Department of Neurology, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Laboratoire de Neuroimagerie et Neuroanatomie translationnelles (LN2T), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maxime Ferez
- Laboratoire de Neuroimagerie et Neuroanatomie translationnelles (LN2T), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pierre Corvilain
- Laboratoire de Neuroimagerie et Neuroanatomie translationnelles (LN2T), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sophie Schuind
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Estelle Rikir
- Department of Neurology, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Benjamin Legros
- Department of Neurology, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Gaspard
- Department of Neurology, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Neurology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Niall Holmes
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Center, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Matthew Brookes
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Center, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Vincent Wens
- Laboratoire de Neuroimagerie et Neuroanatomie translationnelles (LN2T), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Translational Neuroimaging, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Xavier De Tiège
- Laboratoire de Neuroimagerie et Neuroanatomie translationnelles (LN2T), Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Translational Neuroimaging, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles (HUB), Hôpital Erasme, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Brussels, Belgium
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19
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Baron F, Efficace F, Cannella L, Stevens-Kroef M, Amadori S, de Witte T, Lübbert M, Venditti A, Suciu S. Similar efficacy outcomes with peripheral blood stem cell versus bone marrow for autologous stem cell transplantation in acute myeloid leukemia: Long-term follow-up of the EORTC-GIMEMA randomized AML-10 trial. Am J Hematol 2024; 99:486-489. [PMID: 38174977 DOI: 10.1002/ajh.27196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
We report here the long-term follow-up of the only prospective randomized trial of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) with peripheral blood stem cells (APBSCT) versus auto-HSCT with bone marrow (ABMT) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients in first remission (CR). We observed that among patients alive and still in CR 5 years after planned auto-HSCT, approximately 10% of the patients died in the following 10 years. This stresses the need for long-term close surveillance of AML patients after auto-HSCT. Further, long-term follow-up of the trial confirms that APBSCT was comparable to ABMT in term of disease-free-survival and overall survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Baron
- Groupe Interdisciplinaire de Génoprotéomique Appliquée (GIGA), Laboratory of Hematology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Fabio Efficace
- Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche Dell'Adulto GIMEMA, Rome, Italy
| | - Laura Cannella
- Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche Dell'Adulto GIMEMA, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Sergio Amadori
- Gruppo Italiano Malattie Ematologiche Dell'Adulto GIMEMA, Rome, Italy
| | - Theo de Witte
- Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Lübbert
- Department of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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20
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Nachit M, Dioguardi Burgio M, Abyzov A, Garteiser P, Paradis V, Vilgrain V, Leclercq I, Van Beers BE. Hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with heterogeneous pattern of fat infiltration in skeletal muscles. Eur Radiol 2024; 34:1461-1470. [PMID: 37658893 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-023-10131-2] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the association between fat infiltration in skeletal muscles (myosteatosis) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS In a cross-sectional cohort of 72 histologically proven NAFLD patients (n = 38 with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; NASH), among which 20 had HCC diagnosed on biopsy, we used proton density fat fraction (PDFF) at MRI to evaluate myosteatosis in skeletal muscles (mean fat fraction and first order radiomic-based pattern) at the third lumbar level, namely in erector spinae (ES), quadratus lumborum (QL), psoas, oblique, and rectus muscles. RESULTS PDFFES was 70% higher in patients with HCC when compared to those without HCC (9.6 ± 5.5% versus 5.7 ± 3.0%, respectively, p < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression, PDFFES was a significant predictor of the presence of HCC (AUC = 0.72, 95% CI 0.57-0.86, p = 0.002) independently from age, sex, visceral fat area, and liver fibrosis stage (all p < 0.05). The relationship between PDFFES and HCC was exacerbated in patients with NASH (AUC = 0.79, 95% CI 0.63-0.86, p = 0.006). In patients with NASH, radiomics features of heterogeneity such as energy and entropy in any of the paraspinal muscles (i.e., ES, QL, or psoas) were independent predictors of HCC. EnergyES identified patients with HCC (n = 13) in the NASH population with AUC = 0.92 (95% CI 0.82-1.00, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION In patients with NAFLD, and more specifically in those with NASH, the degree and heterogeneity of myosteatosis is independently associated with HCC irrespective of liver fibrosis stage. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT Our data suggest that myosteatosis could be used as a biomarker of HCC in the ever-expanding NAFLD population and pave the way for further investigation in longitudinal studies. KEY POINTS • HCC in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and more specifically in those with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, is independently associated with severe fatty infiltration (myosteatosis) of paravertebral skeletal muscles. • Association between myosteatosis and HCC is independent from liver fibrosis stage. • Histogram-based radiomics features of myosteatosis predicts the risk of HCC in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Nachit
- Laboratory of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium.
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Louvain, Belgium.
| | - Marco Dioguardi Burgio
- Laboratory of Imaging Biomarkers, Center of Research On Inflammation, Université Paris Cité, Inserm, Paris, France
- Department of Radiology, Beaujon University Hospital Paris Nord, AP-HP, Clichy, France
| | - Anton Abyzov
- Laboratory of Imaging Biomarkers, Center of Research On Inflammation, Université Paris Cité, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Garteiser
- Laboratory of Imaging Biomarkers, Center of Research On Inflammation, Université Paris Cité, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Valérie Paradis
- Team "From Inflammation to Cancer in Digestive Disease", Center of Research on Inflammation, Université Paris Cité, Inserm, Paris, France
- Department of Pathology, Beaujon University Hospital Paris Nord, AP-HP, Clichy, France
| | - Valérie Vilgrain
- Laboratory of Imaging Biomarkers, Center of Research On Inflammation, Université Paris Cité, Inserm, Paris, France
- Department of Radiology, Beaujon University Hospital Paris Nord, AP-HP, Clichy, France
| | - Isabelle Leclercq
- Laboratory of Hepato-Gastroenterology, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, UCLouvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Bernard E Van Beers
- Laboratory of Imaging Biomarkers, Center of Research On Inflammation, Université Paris Cité, Inserm, Paris, France
- Department of Radiology, Beaujon University Hospital Paris Nord, AP-HP, Clichy, France
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Masson N, Dormal V, Stephany M, Schiltz C. Eye movements reveal that young school children shift attention when solving additions and subtractions. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13452. [PMID: 37800410 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13452] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Adults shift their attention to the right or to the left along a spatial continuum when solving additions and subtractions, respectively. Studies suggest that these shifts not only support the exact computation of the results but also anticipatively narrow down the range of plausible answers when processing the operands. However, little is known on when and how these attentional shifts arise in childhood during the acquisition of arithmetic. Here, an eye-tracker with high spatio-temporal resolution was used to measure spontaneous eye movements, used as a proxy for attentional shifts, while children of 2nd (8 y-o; N = 50) and 4th (10 y-o; N = 48) Grade solved simple additions (e.g., 4+3) and subtractions (e.g., 3-2). Gaze patterns revealed horizontal and vertical attentional shifts in both groups. Critically, horizontal eye movements were observed in 4th Graders as soon as the first operand and the operator were presented and thus before the beginning of the exact computation. In 2nd Graders, attentional shifts were only observed after the presentation of the second operand just before the response was made. This demonstrates that spatial attention is recruited when children solve arithmetic problems, even in the early stages of learning mathematics. The time course of these attentional shifts suggests that with practice in arithmetic children start to use spatial attention to anticipatively guide the search for the answer and facilitate the implementation of solving procedures. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Additions and subtractions are associated to right and left attentional shifts in adults, but it is unknown when these mechanisms arise in childhood. Children of 8-10 years old solved single-digit additions and subtractions while looking at a blank screen. Eye movements showed that children of 8 years old already show spatial biases possibly to represent the response when knowing both operands. Children of 10 years old shift attention before knowing the second operand to anticipatively guide the search for plausible answers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Masson
- Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE), Department, of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS), Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment (COSA), University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Valérie Dormal
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Martine Stephany
- Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE), Department, of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS), Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment (COSA), University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Christine Schiltz
- Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE), Department, of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS), Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment (COSA), University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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22
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Veloso A, Bleuart A, Conrard L, Orban T, Bruyr J, Cabochette P, Germano RFV, Schevenels G, Bernard A, Zindy E, Demeyer S, Vanhollebeke B, Dequiedt F, Martin M. The cytoskeleton adaptor protein Sorbs1 controls the development of lymphatic and venous vessels in zebrafish. BMC Biol 2024; 22:51. [PMID: 38414014 PMCID: PMC10900589 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01850-z] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lymphangiogenesis, the formation of lymphatic vessels, is tightly linked to the development of the venous vasculature, both at the cellular and molecular levels. Here, we identify a novel role for Sorbs1, the founding member of the SoHo family of cytoskeleton adaptor proteins, in vascular and lymphatic development in the zebrafish. RESULTS We show that Sorbs1 is required for secondary sprouting and emergence of several vascular structures specifically derived from the axial vein. Most notably, formation of the precursor parachordal lymphatic structures is affected in sorbs1 mutant embryos, severely impacting the establishment of the trunk lymphatic vessel network. Interestingly, we show that Sorbs1 interacts with the BMP pathway and could function outside of Vegfc signaling. Mechanistically, Sorbs1 controls FAK/Src signaling and subsequently impacts on the cytoskeleton processes regulated by Rac1 and RhoA GTPases. Inactivation of Sorbs1 altered cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) contacts rearrangement and cytoskeleton dynamics, leading to specific defects in endothelial cell migratory and adhesive properties. CONCLUSIONS Overall, using in vitro and in vivo assays, we identify Sorbs1 as an important regulator of venous and lymphatic angiogenesis independently of the Vegfc signaling axis. These results provide a better understanding of the complexity found within context-specific vascular and lymphatic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Veloso
- Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA-R), University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium
- Laboratory of Gene Expression and Cancer, GIGA-Molecular Biology of Diseases, University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium
- Laboratory for the Molecular Biology of Leukemia, Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anouk Bleuart
- Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA-R), University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium
- Laboratory of Gene Expression and Cancer, GIGA-Molecular Biology of Diseases, University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium
| | - Louise Conrard
- Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Tanguy Orban
- Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA-R), University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium
- Laboratory of Gene Expression and Cancer, GIGA-Molecular Biology of Diseases, University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium
| | - Jonathan Bruyr
- Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA-R), University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium
- Laboratory of Gene Expression and Cancer, GIGA-Molecular Biology of Diseases, University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium
| | - Pauline Cabochette
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041, Gosselies, Belgium
- Present Address: Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, B-6041, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Raoul F V Germano
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Giel Schevenels
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Alice Bernard
- Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA-R), University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium
- Laboratory for Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering, GIGA-R, University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium
| | - Egor Zindy
- Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Sofie Demeyer
- Laboratory for the Molecular Biology of Leukemia, Center for Human Genetics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Benoit Vanhollebeke
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041, Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Franck Dequiedt
- Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA-R), University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium
- Laboratory of Gene Expression and Cancer, GIGA-Molecular Biology of Diseases, University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium
| | - Maud Martin
- Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA-R), University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium.
- Laboratory of Gene Expression and Cancer, GIGA-Molecular Biology of Diseases, University of Liège (ULiège), Liège, Belgium.
- Center for Microscopy and Molecular Imaging, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041, Gosselies, Belgium.
- Department of Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041, Gosselies, Belgium.
- WEL Research Institute (WELBIO Department), Avenue Pasteur, 6, 1300, Wavre, Belgium.
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23
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Manmode S, Hussain N, Marin OJG, Kato A, Veytia-Bucheli JI, Vincent SP, Gauthier C. Thioarylation of 6-Amino-2,3,6-trideoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic Acid (IminoKdo): Access to 3,6-Disubstituted Picolinates and Mechanistic Insights. Chemistry 2024; 30:e202303904. [PMID: 38116880 DOI: 10.1002/chem.202303904] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
In this work, we present a metal-free coupling protocol for the regio- and stereoselective C3-thioarylation of 6-amino-2,3,6-trideoxy-d-manno-oct-2-ulosonic acid (iminoKdo). The developed procedure enables the coupling of electron-rich, electron-deficient, and hindered arylthiols, providing a series of C3-modified iminoKdo derivatives in moderate to good yields. Elucidation of active species through controlled experimental studies and time-lapse 31 P NMR analysis provides insights into the reaction mechanism. We demonstrate that, following a tandem Staudinger/aza-Wittig reaction of an azido-containing keto ester, an inseparable equimolar mixture of imine/enamine is formed. The enamine then undergoes a Stork-like nucleophilic attack with the in situ-formed disulfide reagent, resulting in the formation of the coupling products. Additionally, we describe a rarely reported acid-promoted aromatization of the C3-thioarylated iminoKdo skeleton into 3,6-disubstituted picolinates, which are reminiscent of dichotomines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sujit Manmode
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) INRS-UQAC, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Chicoutimi & Laval, Québec, G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Nazar Hussain
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) INRS-UQAC, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Chicoutimi & Laval, Québec, G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Oscar Javier Gamboa Marin
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) INRS-UQAC, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Chicoutimi & Laval, Québec, G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Atsushi Kato
- Department of Hospital Pharmacy, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - José Ignacio Veytia-Bucheli
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Bio-Organic Chemistry-Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur (UNamur), Namur, 5000, Belgium
| | - Stéphane P Vincent
- Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Bio-Organic Chemistry-Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur (UNamur), Namur, 5000, Belgium
| | - Charles Gauthier
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) INRS-UQAC, Centre Armand-Frappier Santé Biotechnologie, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS), Chicoutimi & Laval, Québec, G7H 2B1, Canada
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24
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Fall F, Mamede L, Vast M, De Tullio P, Hayette MP, Michels PAM, Frédérich M, Govaerts B, Quetin-Leclercq J. First comprehensive untargeted metabolomics study of suramin-treated Trypanosoma brucei: an integrated data analysis workflow from multifactor data modelling to functional analysis. Metabolomics 2024; 20:25. [PMID: 38393408 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-024-02094-2] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Human African trypanosomiasis, commonly known as sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic disease prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and transmitted by the tsetse fly. Suramin, a medication with a long history of clinical use, has demonstrated varied modes of action against Trypanosoma brucei. This study employs a comprehensive workflow to investigate the metabolic effects of suramin on T. brucei, utilizing a multimodal metabolomics approach. OBJECTIVES The primary aim of this study is to comprehensively analyze the metabolic impact of suramin on T. brucei using a combined liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) approach. Statistical analyses, encompassing multivariate analysis and pathway enrichment analysis, are applied to elucidate significant variations and metabolic changes resulting from suramin treatment. METHODS A detailed methodology involving the integration of high-resolution data from LC-MS and NMR techniques is presented. The study conducts a thorough analysis of metabolite profiles in both suramin-treated and control T. brucei brucei samples. Statistical techniques, including ANOVA-simultaneous component analysis (ASCA), principal component analysis (PCA), ANOVA 2 analysis, and bootstrap tests, are employed to discern the effects of suramin treatment on the metabolomics outcomes. RESULTS Our investigation reveals substantial differences in metabolic profiles between the control and suramin-treated groups. ASCA and PCA analysis confirm distinct separation between these groups in both MS-negative and NMR analyses. Furthermore, ANOVA 2 analysis and bootstrap tests confirmed the significance of treatment, time, and interaction effects on the metabolomics outcomes. Functional analysis of the data from LC-MS highlighted the impact of treatment on amino-acid, and amino-sugar and nucleotide-sugar metabolism, while time effects were observed on carbon intermediary metabolism (notably glycolysis and di- and tricarboxylic acids of the succinate production pathway and tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle). CONCLUSION Through the integration of LC-MS and NMR techniques coupled with advanced statistical analyses, this study identifies distinctive metabolic signatures and pathways associated with suramin treatment in T. brucei. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the pharmacological impact of suramin and have the potential to inform the development of more efficacious therapeutic strategies against African trypanosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanta Fall
- Pharmacognosy Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain, Avenue E. Mounier, B1 72.03, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Lucia Mamede
- Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Center of Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Madeline Vast
- Institute of Statistics, Biostatistics and Actuarial Sciences (ISBA/LIDAM), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Pascal De Tullio
- Clinical Metabolomics Group (CliMe), Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Marie-Pierre Hayette
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège, Domaine Universitaire, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Paul A M Michels
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Michel Frédérich
- Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Center of Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Bernadette Govaerts
- Institute of Statistics, Biostatistics and Actuarial Sciences (ISBA/LIDAM), Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Joëlle Quetin-Leclercq
- Pharmacognosy Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain, Avenue E. Mounier, B1 72.03, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
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25
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Schmitz M, Vanbeneden A, Yzerbyt V. The many faces of compensation: The similarities and differences between social and facial models of perception. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297887. [PMID: 38394248 PMCID: PMC10890726 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous research shows that stereotypes can distort the visual representation of groups in a top-down fashion. In the present endeavor, we tested if the compensation effect-the negative relationship that emerges between the social dimensions of warmth and competence when judging two social targets-would bias the visual representations of these targets in a compensatory way. We captured participants' near spontaneous facial prototypes of social targets by means of an unconstrained technique, namely the reverse correlation. We relied on a large multi-phase study (N = 869) and found that the expectations of the facial content of two novel groups that differed on one of the two social dimensions are biased in a compensatory manner on the facial dimensions of trustworthiness, warmth, and dominance but not competence. The present research opens new avenues by showing that compensation not only manifests itself on abstract ratings but that it also orients the visual representations of social targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Schmitz
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Institute for Research in the Psychological Sciences, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Antoine Vanbeneden
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Institute for Research in the Psychological Sciences, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Vincent Yzerbyt
- Université Catholique de Louvain, Institute for Research in the Psychological Sciences, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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26
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Messer LF, Lee CE, Wattiez R, Matallana-Surget S. Novel functional insights into the microbiome inhabiting marine plastic debris: critical considerations to counteract the challenges of thin biofilms using multi-omics and comparative metaproteomics. Microbiome 2024; 12:36. [PMID: 38389111 PMCID: PMC10882806 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-024-01751-x] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Microbial functioning on marine plastic surfaces has been poorly documented, especially within cold climates where temperature likely impacts microbial activity and the presence of hydrocarbonoclastic microorganisms. To date, only two studies have used metaproteomics to unravel microbial genotype-phenotype linkages in the marine 'plastisphere', and these have revealed the dominance of photosynthetic microorganisms within warm climates. Advancing the functional representation of the marine plastisphere is vital for the development of specific databases cataloging the functional diversity of the associated microorganisms and their peptide and protein sequences, to fuel biotechnological discoveries. Here, we provide a comprehensive assessment for plastisphere metaproteomics, using multi-omics and data mining on thin plastic biofilms to provide unique insights into plastisphere metabolism. Our robust experimental design assessed DNA/protein co-extraction and cell lysis strategies, proteomics workflows, and diverse protein search databases, to resolve the active plastisphere taxa and their expressed functions from an understudied cold environment. RESULTS For the first time, we demonstrate the predominance and activity of hydrocarbonoclastic genera (Psychrobacter, Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas) within a primarily heterotrophic plastisphere. Correspondingly, oxidative phosphorylation, the citrate cycle, and carbohydrate metabolism were the dominant pathways expressed. Quorum sensing and toxin-associated proteins of Streptomyces were indicative of inter-community interactions. Stress response proteins expressed by Psychrobacter, Planococcus, and Pseudoalteromonas and proteins mediating xenobiotics degradation in Psychrobacter and Pseudoalteromonas suggested phenotypic adaptations to the toxic chemical microenvironment of the plastisphere. Interestingly, a targeted search strategy identified plastic biodegradation enzymes, including polyamidase, hydrolase, and depolymerase, expressed by rare taxa. The expression of virulence factors and mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance suggested pathogenic genera were active, despite representing a minor component of the plastisphere community. CONCLUSION Our study addresses a critical gap in understanding the functioning of the marine plastisphere, contributing new insights into the function and ecology of an emerging and important microbial niche. Our comprehensive multi-omics and comparative metaproteomics experimental design enhances biological interpretations to provide new perspectives on microorganisms of potential biotechnological significance beyond biodegradation and to improve the assessment of the risks associated with microorganisms colonizing marine plastic pollution. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren F Messer
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland
| | - Charlotte E Lee
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland
| | - Ruddy Wattiez
- Proteomics and Microbiology Department, University of Mons, Mons, 7000, Belgium
| | - Sabine Matallana-Surget
- Division of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland.
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27
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Derouane F, Desgres M, Moroni C, Ambroise J, Berlière M, Van Bockstal MR, Galant C, van Marcke C, Vara-Messler M, Hutten SJ, Jonkers J, Mourao L, Scheele CLGJ, Duhoux FP, Corbet C. Metabolic adaptation towards glycolysis supports resistance to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in early triple negative breast cancers. Breast Cancer Res 2024; 26:29. [PMID: 38374113 PMCID: PMC10875828 DOI: 10.1186/s13058-024-01788-8] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is the standard of care for patients with early-stage triple negative breast cancers (TNBC). However, more than half of TNBC patients do not achieve a pathological complete response (pCR) after NAC, and residual cancer burden (RCB) is associated with dismal long-term prognosis. Understanding the mechanisms underlying differential treatment outcomes is therefore critical to limit RCB and improve NAC efficiency. METHODS Human TNBC cell lines and patient-derived organoids were used in combination with real-time metabolic assays to evaluate the effect of NAC (paclitaxel and epirubicin) on tumor cell metabolism, in particular glycolysis. Diagnostic biopsies (pre-NAC) from patients with early TNBC were analyzed by bulk RNA-sequencing to evaluate the predictive value of a glycolysis-related gene signature. RESULTS Paclitaxel induced a consistent metabolic switch to glycolysis, correlated with a reduced mitochondrial oxidative metabolism, in TNBC cells. In pre-NAC diagnostic biopsies from TNBC patients, glycolysis was found to be upregulated in non-responders. Furthermore, glycolysis inhibition greatly improved response to NAC in TNBC organoid models. CONCLUSIONS Our study pinpoints a metabolic adaptation to glycolysis as a mechanism driving resistance to NAC in TNBC. Our data pave the way for the use of glycolysis-related genes as predictive biomarkers for NAC response, as well as the development of inhibitors to overcome this glycolysis-driven resistance to NAC in human TNBC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Françoise Derouane
- Pole of Medical Imaging, Radiotherapy and Oncology (MIRO), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Avenue Hippocrate 57, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Medical Oncology, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Manon Desgres
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Avenue Hippocrate 57, B1.57.04, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Camilla Moroni
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Avenue Hippocrate 57, B1.57.04, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jérôme Ambroise
- Centre des Technologies Moléculaires Appliquées (CTMA), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Avenue Hippocrate 54, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Martine Berlière
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Gynecology, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Pole of Gynecology (GYNE), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Avenue Mounier 52, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mieke R Van Bockstal
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christine Galant
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Pole of Morphology (MORF), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale Et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Avenue Mounier 52, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cédric van Marcke
- Pole of Medical Imaging, Radiotherapy and Oncology (MIRO), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Avenue Hippocrate 57, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Medical Oncology, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marianela Vara-Messler
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Avenue Hippocrate 57, B1.57.04, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Sanofi Belgium, 9052, Zwijnaarde, Belgium
| | - Stefan J Hutten
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jos Jonkers
- Division of Molecular Pathology, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066CX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Oncode Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Larissa Mourao
- Laboratory for Intravital Imaging and Dynamics of Tumor Progression, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Colinda L G J Scheele
- Laboratory for Intravital Imaging and Dynamics of Tumor Progression, VIB Center for Cancer Biology, KU Leuven, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Oncology, KU Leuven, 3000, Louvain, Belgium
| | - Francois P Duhoux
- Pole of Medical Imaging, Radiotherapy and Oncology (MIRO), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Avenue Hippocrate 57, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Medical Oncology, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
- Breast Clinic, King Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Avenue Hippocrate 10, 1200, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Cyril Corbet
- Pole of Pharmacology and Therapeutics (FATH), Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), UCLouvain, Avenue Hippocrate 57, B1.57.04, 1200, Brussels, Belgium.
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Carton de Tournai A, Herman E, Gathy E, Ebner-Karestinos D, Araneda R, Dricot L, Macq B, Vandermeeren Y, Bleyenheuft Y. Baby HABIT-ILE intervention: study protocol of a randomised controlled trial in infants aged 6-18 months with unilateral cerebral palsy. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e078383. [PMID: 38367973 PMCID: PMC10875549 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078383] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Research using animal models suggests that intensive motor skill training in infants under 2 years old with cerebral palsy (CP) may significantly reduce, or even prevent, maladaptive neuroplastic changes following brain injury. However, the effects of such interventions to tentatively prevent secondary neurological damages have never been assessed in infants with CP. This study aims to determine the effect of the baby Hand and Arm Bimanual Intensive Therapy Including Lower Extremities (baby HABIT-ILE) in infants with unilateral CP, compared with a control intervention. METHODS AND ANALYSIS This randomised controlled trial will include 48 infants with unilateral CP aged (corrected if preterm) 6-18 months at the first assessment. They will be paired by age and by aetiology of the CP, and randomised into two groups (immediate and delayed). Assessments will be performed at baseline and at 1 month, 3 months and 6 months after baseline. The immediate group will receive 50 hours of baby HABIT-ILE intervention over 2 weeks, between first and second assessment, while the delayed group will continue their usual activities. This last group will receive baby HABIT-ILE intervention after the 3-month assessment. Primary outcome will be the Mini-Assisting Hand Assessment. Secondary outcomes will include behavioural assessments for gross and fine motricity, visual-cognitive-language abilities as well as MRI and kinematics measures. Moreover, parents will determine and score child-relevant goals and fill out questionnaires of participation, daily activities and mobility. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Full ethical approval has been obtained by the Comité d'éthique Hospitalo-Facultaire/Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels (2013/01MAR/069 B403201316810g). The recommendations of the ethical board and the Belgian law of 7 May 2004 concerning human experiments will be followed. Parents will sign a written informed consent ahead of participation. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT04698395. Registered on the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) on 2 December 2020 and NIH Clinical Trials Registry on 6 January 2021. URL of trial registry record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04698395?term=bleyenheuft&draw=1&rank=7.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Enimie Herman
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Estelle Gathy
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Neurology Department, Stroke Unit/Motor Learning Lab, CHU UCL Namur, Yvoir, Belgium
| | - Daniela Ebner-Karestinos
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Exercise and Rehabilitation Science Institute, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Science, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Rodrigo Araneda
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Exercise and Rehabilitation Science Institute, School of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Science, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Laurence Dricot
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Louvain Bionics, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Benoît Macq
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Institute of Information and Communication Technologies, Electronics and Applied Mathematics (ICTM), Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Yves Vandermeeren
- Neurology Department, Stroke Unit/Motor Learning Lab, CHU UCL Namur, Yvoir, Belgium
- Louvain Bionics, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Yannick Bleyenheuft
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
- Louvain Bionics, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Anania S, Farnir M, Peiffer R, Boumahd Y, Thiry M, Agirman F, Maloujahmoum N, Bellahcène A, Peulen O. Identification of myoferlin as a mitochondria-associated membranes component required for calcium signaling in PDAC cell lines. Cell Commun Signal 2024; 22:133. [PMID: 38368370 PMCID: PMC10874564 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-024-01514-z] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is an aggressive cancer type with one of the lowest survival rates due to late diagnosis and the absence of effective treatments. A better understanding of PDAC biology will help researchers to discover the Achilles' heel of cancer cells. In that regard, our research team investigated the function of an emerging oncoprotein known as myoferlin. Myoferlin is overexpressed in PDAC and its silencing/targeting has been shown to affect cancer cell proliferation, migration, mitochondrial dynamics and metabolism. Nevertheless, our comprehension of myoferlin functions in cells remains limited. In this study, we aimed to understand the molecular mechanism linking myoferlin silencing to mitochondrial dynamics. METHODS Experiments were performed on two pancreas cancer cell lines, Panc-1 and MiaPaCa-2. Myoferlin localization on mitochondria was evaluated by immunofluorescence, proximity ligation assay, and cell fractionation. The presence of myoferlin in mitochondria-associated membranes was assessed by cell fractionation and its function in mitochondrial calcium transfer was evaluated using calcium flow experiments, proximity ligation assays, co-immunoprecipitation, and timelapse fluorescence microscopy in living cells. RESULTS Myoferlin localization on mitochondria was investigated. Our results suggest that myoferlin is unlikely to be located on mitochondria. Instead, we identified myoferlin as a new component of mitochondria-associated membranes. Its silencing significantly reduces the mitochondrial calcium level upon stimulation, probably through myoferlin interaction with the inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptors 3. CONCLUSIONS For the first time, myoferlin was specifically demonstrated to be located in mitochondria-associated membranes where it participates to calcium flow. We hypothesized that this function explains our previous results on mitochondrial dynamics. This study improves our comprehension of myoferlin localization and function in cancer biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandy Anania
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, Pathology Institute B23, Université de Liège, Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Martin Farnir
- STAR Institute, Université de Liège, Allée du 6 Août 19, Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Raphaël Peiffer
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, Pathology Institute B23, Université de Liège, Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Yasmine Boumahd
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, Pathology Institute B23, Université de Liège, Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Marc Thiry
- Cellular and Tissular Biology, GIGA-Neurosciences, Cell Biology L3, Université de Liège, Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Ferman Agirman
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, Pathology Institute B23, Université de Liège, Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Naima Maloujahmoum
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, Pathology Institute B23, Université de Liège, Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Akeila Bellahcène
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, Pathology Institute B23, Université de Liège, Liège, B-4000, Belgium
| | - Olivier Peulen
- Metastasis Research Laboratory, GIGA-Cancer, Pathology Institute B23, Université de Liège, Liège, B-4000, Belgium.
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Medicines (CIRM), Mitochondria Adaptation in Cancer Group, Pathology Institute B23, Université de Liège, Liège, B-4000, Belgium.
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Koroma M, Beck J, Schmidt C, Rasch B, Demertzi A. Probing the embodiment of sleep functions: Insights from cardiac responses to word-induced relaxation during sleep. J Sleep Res 2024:e14160. [PMID: 38356295 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.14160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthieu Koroma
- Physiology of Cognition Lab, GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Fund for Scientific Research FNRS, Brussels, Belgium
- Sleep & Chronobiology Laboratory, GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Jonas Beck
- Swiss Sleep House Bern, Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Christina Schmidt
- Physiology of Cognition Lab, GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Fund for Scientific Research FNRS, Brussels, Belgium
- Sleep & Chronobiology Laboratory, GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Psychology & Neuroscience of Cognition (PsyNCog), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Björn Rasch
- Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Athena Demertzi
- Physiology of Cognition Lab, GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Fund for Scientific Research FNRS, Brussels, Belgium
- Sleep & Chronobiology Laboratory, GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Psychology & Neuroscience of Cognition (PsyNCog), University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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Araujo NDS, Ogihara F, Martins PM, Arias MC. Insights from Melipona bicolor hybrid genome assembly: a stingless bee genome with chromosome-level scaffold. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:171. [PMID: 38350872 PMCID: PMC10863234 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10075-x] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The highly eusocial stingless bees are crucial pollinators of native and agricultural ecosystems. Nevertheless, genomic studies within this bee tribe remain scarce. We present the genome assembly of the stingless bee Melipona bicolor. This bee is a remarkable exception to the typical single-queen colony structure, since in this species, multiple queens may coexist and share reproductive duties, resulting in genetically diverse colonies with weak kinship connections. As the only known genuinely polygynous bee, M. bicolor's genome provides a valuable resource for investigating sociality beyond kin selection. RESULTS The genome was assembled employing a hybrid approach combining short and long reads, resulting in 241 contigs spanning 259 Mb (N50 of 6.2 Mb and 97.5% complete BUSCOs). Comparative analyses shed light on some evolutionary aspects of stingless bee genomics, including multiple chromosomal rearrangements in Melipona. Additionally, we explored the evolution of venom genes in M. bicolor and other stingless bees, revealing that, apart from two genes, the conserved repertoire of venom components remains under purifying selection in this clade. CONCLUSION This study advances our understanding of stingless bee genomics, contributing to the conservation efforts of these vital pollinators and offering insights into the evolutionary mechanisms driving their unique adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fernando Ogihara
- Laboratory of Genetics and Evolution of Bees, Bioscience Institute, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Mariano Martins
- Gene Expression and Evolution Laboratory, Bioscience Institute, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Cristina Arias
- Laboratory of Genetics and Evolution of Bees, Bioscience Institute, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, Brazil
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Kruse CJ, Dieu M, Renaud B, François AC, Stern D, Demazy C, Burteau S, Boemer F, Art T, Renard P, Votion DM. New Pathophysiological Insights from Serum Proteome Profiling in Equine Atypical Myopathy. ACS Omega 2024; 9:6505-6526. [PMID: 38371826 PMCID: PMC10870397 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c06647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
Equine atypical myopathy (AM) is a severe environmental intoxication linked to the ingestion of protoxins contained in seeds and seedlings of the sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) in Europe. The toxic metabolites cause a frequently fatal rhabdomyolysis syndrome in grazing horses. Since these toxic metabolites can also be present in cograzing horses, it is still unclear as to why, in a similar environmental context, some horses show signs of AM, whereas others remain clinically healthy. Label-free proteomic analyses on the serum of 26 diseased AM, 23 cograzers, and 11 control horses were performed to provide insights into biological processes and pathways. A total of 43 and 44 differentially abundant proteins between "AM vs cograzing horses" and "AM vs control horses" were found. Disease-linked changes in the proteome of different groups were found to correlate with detected amounts of toxins, and principal component analyses were performed to identify the 29 proteins representing a robust AM signature. Among the pathway-specific changes, the glycolysis/gluconeogenesis pathway, the coagulation/complement cascade, and the biosynthesis of amino acids were affected. Sycamore maple poisoning results in a combination of inflammation, oxidative stress, and impaired lipid metabolism, which is trying to be counteracted by enhanced glycolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline-J. Kruse
- Department
of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Physiology
and Sport Medicine, Fundamental and Applied
Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège 1, Belgium
| | - Marc Dieu
- Namur
Research Institute for Life Sciences (Narilis), University of Namur (UNamur), Namur 5000, Belgium
- MaSUN,
Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of
Namur (UNamur), Namur 5000, Belgium
| | - Benoît Renaud
- Department
of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacology
and Toxicology, Fundamental and Applied
Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège 1, Belgium
| | - Anne-Christine François
- Department
of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacology
and Toxicology, Fundamental and Applied
Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège 1, Belgium
| | - David Stern
- GIGA
Bioinformatics Platform, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Catherine Demazy
- Namur
Research Institute for Life Sciences (Narilis), University of Namur (UNamur), Namur 5000, Belgium
- MaSUN,
Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of
Namur (UNamur), Namur 5000, Belgium
| | - Sophie Burteau
- Namur
Research Institute for Life Sciences (Narilis), University of Namur (UNamur), Namur 5000, Belgium
- MaSUN,
Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of
Namur (UNamur), Namur 5000, Belgium
| | - François Boemer
- Biochemical
Genetics Lab, Department of Human Genetics, CHU of Liège, University of Liège, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - Tatiana Art
- Department
of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Physiology
and Sport Medicine, Fundamental and Applied
Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège 1, Belgium
| | - Patricia Renard
- Namur
Research Institute for Life Sciences (Narilis), University of Namur (UNamur), Namur 5000, Belgium
- MaSUN,
Mass Spectrometry Facility, University of
Namur (UNamur), Namur 5000, Belgium
| | - Dominique-M. Votion
- Department
of Functional Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Pharmacology
and Toxicology, Fundamental and Applied
Research for Animals & Health (FARAH), University of Liège, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège 1, Belgium
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Mesquita RM, Willems PA, Dewolf AH, Catavitello G. Kinetics and mechanical work done to move the body centre of mass along a curve. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298790. [PMID: 38346043 PMCID: PMC10861085 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
When running on a curve, the lower limbs interact with the ground to redirect the trajectory of the centre of mass of the body (CoM). The goal of this paper is to understand how the trajectory of the CoM and the work done to maintain its movements relative to the surroundings (Wcom) are modified as a function of running speed and radius of curvature. Eleven participants ran at different speeds on a straight line and on circular curves with a 6 m and 18 m curvature. The trajectory of the CoM and Wcom were calculated using force-platforms measuring the ground reaction forces and infrared cameras recording the movements of the pelvis. To follow a circular path, runners overcompensate the rotation of their trajectory during contact phases. The deviation from the circular path increases when the radius of curvature decreases and speed increases. Interestingly, an asymmetry between the inner and outer lower limbs emerges as speed increases. The method to evaluate Wcom on a straight-line was adapted using a referential that rotates at heel strike and remains fixed during the whole step cycle. In an 18 m radius curve and at low speeds on a 6 m radius, Wcom changes little compared to a straight-line run. Whereas at 6 m s-1 on a 6 m radius, Wcom increases by ~25%, due to an augmentation in the work to move the CoM laterally. Understanding these adaptations provides valuable insight for sports sciences, aiding in optimizing training and performance in sports with multidirectional movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael M. Mesquita
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Patrick A. Willems
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Arthur H. Dewolf
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Giovanna Catavitello
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Terrucha I, Fernández Domingos E, C. Santos F, Simoens P, Lenaerts T. The art of compensation: How hybrid teams solve collective-risk dilemmas. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297213. [PMID: 38335192 PMCID: PMC10857581 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
It is widely known how the human ability to cooperate has influenced the thriving of our species. However, as we move towards a hybrid human-machine future, it is still unclear how the introduction of artificial agents in our social interactions affect this cooperative capacity. In a one-shot collective risk dilemma, where enough members of a group must cooperate in order to avoid a collective disaster, we study the evolutionary dynamics of cooperation in a hybrid population. In our model, we consider a hybrid population composed of both adaptive and fixed behavior agents. The latter serve as proxies for the machine-like behavior of artificially intelligent agents who implement stochastic strategies previously learned offline. We observe that the adaptive individuals adjust their behavior in function of the presence of artificial agents in their groups to compensate their cooperative (or lack of thereof) efforts. We also find that risk plays a determinant role when assessing whether or not we should form hybrid teams to tackle a collective risk dilemma. When the risk of collective disaster is high, cooperation in the adaptive population falls dramatically in the presence of cooperative artificial agents. A story of compensation, rather than cooperation, where adaptive agents have to secure group success when the artificial agents are not cooperative enough, but will rather not cooperate if the others do so. On the contrary, when risk of collective disaster is low, success is highly improved while cooperation levels within the adaptive population remain the same. Artificial agents can improve the collective success of hybrid teams. However, their application requires a true risk assessment of the situation in order to actually benefit the adaptive population (i.e. the humans) in the long-term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inês Terrucha
- IDLab, Ghent University-IMEC, Gent, Belgium
- AILab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elias Fernández Domingos
- Machine Learning Group, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- FARI Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles-Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Francisco C. Santos
- INESC-ID & Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Porto Salvo, Portugal
- ATP-group, Porto Salvo, Portugal
| | | | - Tom Lenaerts
- AILab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Machine Learning Group, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- FARI Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles-Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Human-Compatible AI, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
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Tan Y, Pierrard F, Frédérick R, Riant O. Enhancing Tsuji-Trost deallylation in living cells with an internal-nucleophile coumarin-based probe. RSC Adv 2024; 14:5492-5498. [PMID: 38352674 PMCID: PMC10862660 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra08938j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, bioorthogonal uncaging reactions have been developed to proceed efficiently under physiological conditions. However, limited progress has been made in the development of protecting groups combining stability under physiological settings with the ability to be quickly removed via bioorthogonal catalysis. Herein, we present a new water-soluble coumarin-derived probe bearing an internal nucleophilic group capable of promoting Tsuji-Trost deallylation under palladium catalysis. This probe can be cleaved by a bioorthogonal palladium complex at a faster rate than the traditional probe, namely N-Alloc-7-amino-4-methylcoumarin. As the deallylation process proved to be efficient in mammalian cells, we envision that this probe may find applications in chemical biology, bioengineering, and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghua Tan
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences (IMCN), Université catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve 1348 Belgium
- Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Université catholique de Louvain Brussels B-1200 Belgium
| | - François Pierrard
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences (IMCN), Université catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve 1348 Belgium
- Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Université catholique de Louvain Brussels B-1200 Belgium
| | - Raphaël Frédérick
- Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Université catholique de Louvain Brussels B-1200 Belgium
| | - Olivier Riant
- Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences (IMCN), Université catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve 1348 Belgium
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Amerio P, Coucke N, Cleeremans A. Integrative experiments require a shared theoretical and methodological basis. Behav Brain Sci 2024; 47:e34. [PMID: 38311447 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x2300225x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Creating an integrated design space can be successful only if researchers agree on how to define and measure a certain phenomenon of interest. Adversarial collaborations and mathematical modeling can aid in reaching the necessary level of agreement when researchers depart from different theoretical perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Amerio
- Consciousness Cognition and Computation Group, Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium https://axc.ulb.be/
| | - Nicolas Coucke
- Consciousness Cognition and Computation Group, Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium https://axc.ulb.be/
- IRIDIA, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Axel Cleeremans
- Consciousness Cognition and Computation Group, Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium https://axc.ulb.be/
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Conard NJ, Rots V. Rope making in the Aurignacian of Central Europe more than 35,000 years ago. Sci Adv 2024; 10:eadh5217. [PMID: 38295167 PMCID: PMC10830101 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh5217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Evidence for the manufacture and use of fiber technology such as rope and twine is rare in the Paleolithic, despite the widely held view that such artifacts were in regular use during the Pleistocene. On the basis of the discovery of a more than 35,000-year-old perforated baton made from mammoth ivory at Hohle Fels Cave in Ach Valley of southwestern Germany together with experimental studies, we are now able to demonstrate one way people of the early Upper Paleolithic manufactured rope. This work contributes to our understanding of the evolution of technology, cooperative work, and Paleolithic social organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Conard
- Department of Early Prehistory and Quaternary Ecology, Schloss Hohentübingen, University of Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
- Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Paleoenvironment, Schloss Hohentübingen, University of Tübingen, 72070 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Veerle Rots
- F.R.S.-FNRS, TraceoLab, University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
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38
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Moens de Hase E, Neyrinck AM, Rodriguez J, Cnop M, Paquot N, Thissen JP, Xu Y, Beloqui A, Bindels LB, Delzenne NM, Van Hul M, Cani PD. Impact of metformin and Dysosmobacter welbionis on diet-induced obesity and diabetes: from clinical observation to preclinical intervention. Diabetologia 2024; 67:333-345. [PMID: 37897566 PMCID: PMC10789671 DOI: 10.1007/s00125-023-06032-0] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023]
Abstract
AIMS/HYPOTHESIS We aimed to investigate the association between the abundance of Dysosmobacter welbionis, a commensal gut bacterium, and metabolic health in human participants with obesity and diabetes, and the influence of metformin treatment and prebiotic intervention. METHODS Metabolic variables were assessed and faecal samples were collected from 106 participants in a randomised controlled intervention with a prebiotic stratified by metformin treatment (Food4Gut trial). The abundance of D. welbionis was measured by quantitative PCR and correlated with metabolic markers. The in vitro effect of metformin on D. welbionis growth was evaluated and an in vivo study was performed in mice to investigate the effects of metformin and D. welbionis J115T supplementation, either alone or in combination, on metabolic variables. RESULTS D. welbionis abundance was unaffected by prebiotic treatment but was significantly higher in metformin-treated participants. Responders to prebiotic treatment had higher baseline D. welbionis levels than non-responders. D. welbionis was negatively correlated with aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and fasting blood glucose levels in humans with obesity and type 2 diabetes. In vitro, metformin had no direct effect on D. welbionis growth. In mice, D. welbionis J115T treatment reduced body weight gain and liver weight, and improved glucose tolerance to a better level than metformin, but did not have synergistic effects with metformin. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION D. welbionis abundance is influenced by metformin treatment and associated with prebiotic response, liver health and glucose metabolism in humans with obesity and diabetes. This study suggests that D. welbionis may play a role in metabolic health and warrants further investigation. CLINICAL TRIAL NCT03852069.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Moens de Hase
- Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain), Brussels, Belgium
- WELBIO-Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology, WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
| | - Audrey M Neyrinck
- Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julie Rodriguez
- Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Miriam Cnop
- ULB Center for Diabetes Research, Université Libre de Bruxelles, and Division of Endocrinology, Erasmus Hospital, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Paquot
- Laboratory of Diabetology, Nutrition and Metabolic Disease, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Jean-Paul Thissen
- Pole of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC), UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yining Xu
- Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ana Beloqui
- WELBIO-Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology, WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
- Advanced Drug Delivery and Biomaterials, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Laure B Bindels
- Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain), Brussels, Belgium
- WELBIO-Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology, WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
| | - Nathalie M Delzenne
- Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Matthias Van Hul
- Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain), Brussels, Belgium.
- WELBIO-Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology, WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium.
| | - Patrice D Cani
- Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain), Brussels, Belgium.
- WELBIO-Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and Biotechnology, WELBIO Department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium.
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC), UCLouvain (Université catholique de Louvain), Brussels, Belgium.
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Mesquita RM, Willems PA, Catavitello G, Dewolf AH. Kinematics and mechanical changes with step frequency at different running speeds. Eur J Appl Physiol 2024; 124:607-622. [PMID: 37684396 DOI: 10.1007/s00421-023-05303-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Running at a given speed can be achieved by taking large steps at a low frequency or on the contrary by taking small steps at a high frequency. The consequences of a change in step frequency, at a fixed speed, affects the stiffness of the lower limb differently. In this study, we compared the running mechanics and kinematics at different imposed step frequencies (from 2 step s-1 to 3.6 step s-1) to understand the relationship between kinematic and kinetic parameters. METHODS Eight recreational male runners ran on a treadmill at 5 different speeds and 5 different step frequencies. The lower-limb segment motion and the ground reaction forces were recorded. Mechanical powers, general gait parameters, lower-limb movements and coordination were investigated. RESULTS At low step frequencies, in order to limit the magnitude of the ground reaction force, the vertical stiffness is reduced and thus runners deviate from an elastic rebound. At high step frequencies, the stiffness is increased and the elastic rebound is optimised in its ability to absorb and restore energy during the contact phase. CONCLUSION We studied the consequences of a change in step frequency on the bouncing mechanics of running. We showed that the lower limb stiffness and the intersegmental coordination of the lower-limb segments are affected by running step frequency rather than speed. The runner rather adapts their lower limb stiffness to match a step frequency for a given speed than the opposite.
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Affiliation(s)
- R M Mesquita
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place P. de Coubertin, 1, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - P A Willems
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place P. de Coubertin, 1, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - G Catavitello
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place P. de Coubertin, 1, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - A H Dewolf
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Place P. de Coubertin, 1, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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40
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Genva M, Fougère L, Bahammou D, Mongrand S, Boutté Y, Fouillen L. A global LC-MS 2 -based methodology to identify and quantify anionic phospholipids in plant samples. Plant J 2024; 117:956-971. [PMID: 37937773 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16525] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Anionic phospholipids (PS, PA, PI, PIPs) are low-abundant phospholipids with impactful functions in cell signaling, membrane trafficking and cell differentiation processes. They can be quickly metabolized and can transiently accumulate at defined spots within the cell or an organ to respond to physiological or environmental stimuli. As even a small change in their composition profile will produce a significant effect on biological processes, it is crucial to develop a sensitive and optimized analytical method to accurately detect and quantify them. While thin-layer chromatography (TLC) separation coupled with gas chromatography (GC) detection methods already exist, they do not allow for precise, sensitive, and accurate quantification of all anionic phospholipid species. Here we developed a method based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with two-dimensional mass spectrometry (MS2 ) by MRM mode to detect and quantify all molecular species and classes of anionic phospholipids in one shot. This method is based on a derivatization step by methylation that greatly enhances the ionization, the separation of each peak, the peak resolution as well as the limit of detection and quantification for each individual molecular species, and more particularly for PA and PS. Our method universally works in various plant samples. Remarkably, we identified that PS is enriched with very long chain fatty acids in the roots but not in aerial organs of Arabidopsis thaliana. Our work thus paves the way for new studies on how the composition of anionic lipids is finely tuned during plant development and environmental responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Genva
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire (LBM), UMR 5200, F-33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
- Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Molecules, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Louise Fougère
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire (LBM), UMR 5200, F-33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Delphine Bahammou
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire (LBM), UMR 5200, F-33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Sébastien Mongrand
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire (LBM), UMR 5200, F-33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Yohann Boutté
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire (LBM), UMR 5200, F-33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Laetitia Fouillen
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biogenèse Membranaire (LBM), UMR 5200, F-33140, Villenave d'Ornon, France
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Naji MM, Gualdrón Duarte JL, Forneris NS, Druet T. Inbreeding depression is associated with recent homozygous-by-descent segments in Belgian Blue beef cattle. Genet Sel Evol 2024; 56:10. [PMID: 38297209 PMCID: PMC10832232 DOI: 10.1186/s12711-024-00878-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cattle populations harbor generally high inbreeding levels that can lead to inbreeding depression (ID). Here, we study ID with different estimators of the inbreeding coefficient F, evaluate their sensitivity to used allele frequencies (founder versus sample allele frequencies), and compare effects from recent and ancient inbreeding. METHODS We used data from 14,205 Belgian Blue beef cattle genotyped cows that were phenotyped for 11 linear classification traits. We computed estimators of F based on the pedigree information (FPED), on the correlation between uniting gametes (FUNI), on the genomic relationship matrix (FGRM), on excess homozygosity (FHET), or on homozygous-by-descent (HBD) segments (FHBD). RESULTS FUNI and FGRM were sensitive to used allele frequencies, whereas FHET and FHBD were more robust. We detected significant ID for four traits related to height and length; FHBD and FUNI presenting the strongest associations. Then, we took advantage of the classification of HBD segments in different age-related classes (the length of an HBD segment being inversely related to the number of generations to the common ancestors) to determine that recent HBD classes (common ancestors present approximately up to 15 generations in the past) presented stronger ID than more ancient HBD classes. We performed additional analyses to check whether these observations could result from a lower level of variation in ancient HBD classes, or from a reduced precision to identify these shorter segments. CONCLUSIONS Overall, our results suggest that mutational load decreases with haplotype age, and that mating plans should consider mainly the levels of recent inbreeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maulana Mughitz Naji
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA-R & Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Quartier Hôpital, Avenue de l'Hôpital, 11, 4000, Liege, Belgium.
| | - José Luis Gualdrón Duarte
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA-R & Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Quartier Hôpital, Avenue de l'Hôpital, 11, 4000, Liege, Belgium
- Walloon Breeders Association (awe groupe), 5590, Ciney, Belgium
| | - Natalia Soledad Forneris
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA-R & Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Quartier Hôpital, Avenue de l'Hôpital, 11, 4000, Liege, Belgium
| | - Tom Druet
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA-R & Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Quartier Hôpital, Avenue de l'Hôpital, 11, 4000, Liege, Belgium
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Lecart M, Dobbelaere T, Alaerts L, Randresihaja NR, Mohammed AV, Vethamony P, Hanert E. Land reclamation and its consequences: A 40-year analysis of water residence time in Doha Bay, Qatar. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296715. [PMID: 38295030 PMCID: PMC10829981 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Qatar's rapid industrialization, notably in its capital city Doha, has spurred a surge in land reclamation projects, leading to a constriction of the entrance to Doha Bay. By reducing and deflecting the ocean circulation, land reclamation projects have reduced the effective dispersion of wastewater introduced into the bay and hence degraded the water quality. Here, we assess fluctuations in water residence time across three distinct eras (1980, 2000, and 2020) to gauge the impact of successive land reclamation developments. To do this, we couple the multi-scale ocean model SLIM with a Lagrangian model for water residence time within Doha's coastal area. We consider three different topographies of Doha's shoreline to identify which artificial structures contributed the most to increase water residence time. Our findings reveal that the residual ocean circulation in Doha Bay was predominantly impacted by northern developments post-2000. Between 1980 and 2000, the bay's residence time saw a modest rise, of about one day on average. However, this was followed by a substantial surge, of three to six days on average, between 2000 and 2020, which is mostly attributable to The Pearl mega artificial island development. Certain regions of the bay witnessed a tripling of water residence time. Given the ongoing population expansion along the coast, it is anticipated that the growth of artificial structures and coastal reclamation will persist, thereby exacerbating the accumulation of pollutants in the bay. Our findings suggest that artificial offshore structures can exert far-reaching, non-local impacts on water quality, which need to be properly assessed during the planning stages of such developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Lecart
- Earth and Life Institute (ELI), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Thomas Dobbelaere
- Earth and Life Institute (ELI), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Lauranne Alaerts
- Earth and Life Institute (ELI), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Department of Astrophysics, Geophysics and Oceanography (AGO), ULiège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Ny Riana Randresihaja
- Earth and Life Institute (ELI), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Department of Astrophysics, Geophysics and Oceanography (AGO), ULiège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | | | - Emmanuel Hanert
- Earth and Life Institute (ELI), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering (IMMC), UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Vanderijst L, Hever F, Buot A, Dauré C, Benoit J, Hanak C, Veeser J, Morgiève M, Campanella S, Kornreich C, Mallet L, Leys C, Noël X. Psilocybin-assisted therapy for severe alcohol use disorder: protocol for a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 7-month parallel-group phase II superiority trial. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:77. [PMID: 38279085 PMCID: PMC10821548 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05502-y] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A significant number of individuals with alcohol use disorder remain unresponsive to currently available treatments, which calls for the development of new alternatives. In parallel, psilocybin-assisted therapy for alcohol use disorder has recently yielded promising preliminary results. Building on extant findings, the proposed study is set to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary clinical efficacy of psilocybin-assisted therapy when incorporated as an auxiliary intervention during inpatient rehabilitation for severe alcohol use disorder. Moreover, it intends to pinpoint the modifications in the two core neurocognitive systems underscored by dual-process models of addiction. METHODS In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 7-month parallel-group phase II superiority trial, 62 participants aged 21-64 years will be enrolled to undergo psilocybin-assisted therapy as part of a 4-week inpatient rehabilitation for severe alcohol use disorder. The experimental group will receive a high dose of psilocybin (30 mg), whereas the control group will receive an active placebo dose of psilocybin (5 mg), both within the context of a brief standardized psychotherapeutic intervention drawing from key elements of acceptance and commitment therapy. The primary clinical outcome is the between-group difference regarding the change in percentage of heavy drinking days from baseline to four weeks posthospital discharge, while safety and feasibility metrics will also be reported as primary outcomes. Key secondary assessments include between-group differences in terms of changes in (1) drinking behavior parameters up to six months posthospital discharge, (2) symptoms of depression, anxiety, trauma, and global functioning, (3) neuroplasticity and key neurocognitive mechanisms associated with addiction, and (4) psychological processes and alcohol-related parameters. DISCUSSION The discussion outlines issues that might arise from our design. TRIAL REGISTRATION EudraCT 2022-002369-14 and NCT06160232.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laetitia Vanderijst
- Laboratory of Medical Psychology and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
- Research Center for the Promotion of Health, Prosocial Behavior and Wellbeing, Faculty of Psychology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Felix Hever
- Laboratory of Medical Psychology and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Psychiatric Institute, University Hospital Brugmann, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anne Buot
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, CNRS, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Charles Dauré
- Université de Paris, INSERM UMRS1144, 4 avenue de l'Observatoire, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Janaïna Benoit
- Psychiatric Institute, University Hospital Brugmann, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Catherine Hanak
- Psychiatric Institute, University Hospital Brugmann, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Johannes Veeser
- Psychiatric Institute, University Hospital Brugmann, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Margot Morgiève
- Université Paris Cité, CNRS, Inserm, Cermes3, F-75006, Paris, France
| | - Salvatore Campanella
- Laboratory of Medical Psychology and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Charles Kornreich
- Laboratory of Medical Psychology and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Psychiatric Institute, University Hospital Brugmann, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Luc Mallet
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, CNRS, Inserm, Paris, France
- Département Médical-Universitaire de Psychiatrie et d'Addictologie, Univ Paris-Est Créteil, DMU IMPACT, Hôpitaux Universitaires Henri Mondor - Albert Chenevier, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Créteil, France
- Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, Global Health Institute, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Leys
- Research Center for the Promotion of Health, Prosocial Behavior and Wellbeing, Faculty of Psychology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Xavier Noël
- Laboratory of Medical Psychology and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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Yang Y, Shtukenberg AG, Zhou H, Ruzie C, Geerts YH, Lee SS, Kahr B. Coherence in Polycrystalline Thin Films of Twisted Molecular Crystals. Chem Mater 2024; 36:881-891. [PMID: 38282684 PMCID: PMC10809410 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemmater.3c02740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Helicoidal crystallites in rhythmically banded spherulites manifest spectacular optical patterns in small molecules and polymers. It is shown that concentric optical bands indicating crystallographic orientations typically lose coherence (in-phase twisting) with growth from the center of nucleation. Here, coherence is shown to increase as the twist period decreases for seven molecular crystals grown from the melt. This dependence was correlated to crystallite fiber thickness and length, as well as crystallite branching frequency, a parameter that was extracted from scanning electron micrographs, and supported by numerical simulations. Hole mobilities for 2,5-didodecyl-3,6-di(thiophen-2-yl)pyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-1,4(2H,5H)-dione (DPP-C12) measured by using organic field-effect transistors demonstrated that more incoherent boundaries between optical bands in spherulites lead to higher charge transport for films with the same twist period. This was rationalized by combining our growth model with electrodynamic simulations. This work illustrates the emergence of complexity in crystallization processes (spherulite formation) that arises in the extra variable of helicoidal radial twisting. The details of the patterns analyzed here link the added complexity in crystal growth to the electronic and optical properties of the thin films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongfan Yang
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Design Institute, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Alexander G. Shtukenberg
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Design Institute, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Hengyu Zhou
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Design Institute, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Christian Ruzie
- Laboratoire
de Chimie des Polymères, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, CP 206/01, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Yves Henri Geerts
- Laboratoire
de Chimie des Polymères, Faculté des Sciences, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, CP 206/01, Brussels 1050, Belgium
- International
Solvay Institutes of Physics and Chemistry, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Boulevard du Triomphe, CP 231, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Stephanie S. Lee
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Design Institute, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
| | - Bart Kahr
- Department
of Chemistry and Molecular Design Institute, New York University, New York, New York 10003, United States
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Jühlen R, Grauer L, Martinelli V, Rencurel C, Fahrenkrog B. Alteration of actin cytoskeletal organisation in fetal akinesia deformation sequence. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1742. [PMID: 38242956 PMCID: PMC10799014 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-50615-1] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Fetal akinesia deformation sequence (FADS) represents the severest form of congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS), a diverse group of inherited disorders characterised by impaired neuromuscular transmission. Most CMS originate from defects in the muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, but the underlying molecular pathogenesis is only poorly understood. Here we show that RNAi-mediated silencing of FADS-related proteins rapsyn and NUP88 in foetal fibroblasts alters organisation of the actin cytoskeleton. We show that fibroblasts from two independent FADS individuals have enhanced and shorter actin stress fibre bundles, alongside with an increased number and size of focal adhesions, with an otherwise normal overall connectivity and integrity of the actin-myosin cytoskeleton network. By proximity ligation assays and bimolecular fluorescence complementation, we show that rapsyn and NUP88 localise nearby adhesion plaques and that they interact with the focal adhesion protein paxillin. Based on these findings we propose that a respective deficiency in rapsyn and NUP88 in FADS alters the regulation of actin dynamics at focal adhesions, and thereby may also plausibly dictate myofibril contraction in skeletal muscle of FADS individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Jühlen
- Laboratory Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041, Gosselies, Belgium.
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany.
| | - Lukas Grauer
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Valérie Martinelli
- Laboratory Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041, Gosselies, Belgium
- Laboratory of Neurovascular Signaling, Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041, Gosselies, Belgium
| | | | - Birthe Fahrenkrog
- Laboratory Biology of the Cell Nucleus, Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 6041, Gosselies, Belgium.
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, 4056, Basel, Switzerland.
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Rondelet B, Dehanne F, Van Den Bulcke J, Martins D, Belhaj A, Libert B, Leclercq P, Pirson M. Daly/Cost comparison in the management of peripheral arterial disease at 17 Belgian hospitals. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:109. [PMID: 38243251 PMCID: PMC10797854 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-10535-2] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a manifestation of atherosclerosis that affects the lower extremities and afflicts more than 200 million people worldwide. Because of limited resources, the need to provide quality care associated with cost control is essential for health policies. Our study concerns an interhospital comparison among seventeen Belgian hospitals that integrates the weighting of quality indicators and the costs of care, from the hospital perspective, for a patient with this pathology in 2018. METHODS The disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) were calculated by adding the number of years of life lost due to premature death and the number of years of life lost due to disability for each in-hospital stay. The DALY impact was interpreted according to patient safety indicators. We compared the hospitals using the adjusted values of costs and DALYs for their case mix index, obtained by relating the observed value to the predicted value obtained by linear regression. RESULTS We studied 2,437 patients and recorded a total of 560.1 DALYs in hospitals. The in-hospital cost average [standard deviation (SD)] was €8,673 (€10,893). Our model identified the hospitals whose observed values were higher than predicted; six needed to reduce the costs and impacts of DALYs, six needed to improve one of the two factors, and four seemed to have good results. The average cost (SD) for the worst performing hospitals amounted to €27,803 (€28,358). CONCLUSIONS Studying the costs of treatment according to patient safety indicators permits us to evaluate the entire chain of care using a comparable unit of measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoît Rondelet
- Department of Cardio-Vascular, Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplantation, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Avenue G. Therasse, 1, 5530, Yvoir, Belgium.
- Chief Medical Officer Department, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Yvoir, Belgium.
| | - Fabian Dehanne
- Chief Executive Officer Department, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Yvoir, Belgium
- Health and Society Research Institute (IRSS) - UCLouvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
- Health Economics, Hospital Management and Nursing Research Department, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Julie Van Den Bulcke
- Health Economics, Hospital Management and Nursing Research Department, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Dimitri Martins
- Health Economics, Hospital Management and Nursing Research Department, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Asmae Belhaj
- Department of Cardio-Vascular, Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplantation, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Avenue G. Therasse, 1, 5530, Yvoir, Belgium
| | - Benoît Libert
- Chief Executive Officer Department, CHU UCL Namur, UCLouvain, Yvoir, Belgium
| | - Pol Leclercq
- Health Economics, Hospital Management and Nursing Research Department, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Magali Pirson
- Health Economics, Hospital Management and Nursing Research Department, School of Public Health, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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Simor P, Polner B, Báthori N, Bogdány T, Sifuentes Ortega R, Peigneux P. Reduced REM and N2 sleep, and lower dream intensity predict increased mind-wandering. Sleep 2024; 47:zsad297. [PMID: 37976037 DOI: 10.1093/sleep/zsad297] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Mind-wandering is a mental state in which attention shifts from the present environment or current task to internally driven, self-referent mental content. Homeostatic sleep pressure seems to facilitate mind-wandering as indicated by studies observing links between increased mind-wandering and impaired sleep. Nevertheless, previous studies mostly relied on cross-sectional measurements and self-reports. We aimed to combine the accuracy of objective sleep measures with the use of self-reports in a naturalistic setting in order to examine if objective sleep parameters predict the tendency for increased mind-wandering on the following day. We used mobile sleep electroencephalographic (EEG) headbands and self-report scales over 7 consecutive nights in a group of 67 healthy participants yielding ~400 analyzable nights. Nights with more wakefulness and shorter REM and slow wave sleep were associated with poorer subjective sleep quality at the intraindividual level. Reduced REM and N2 sleep, as well as less intense dream experiences, predicted more mind-wandering the following day. Our micro-longitudinal study indicates that intraindividual fluctuations in the duration of specific sleep stages predict the perception of sleep quality as assessed in the morning, as well as the intensity of daytime mind-wandering the following hours. The combined application of sleep EEG assessments and self-reports over repeated assessments provides new insights into the subtle intraindividual, night-to-day associations between nighttime sleep and the next day's subjective experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter Simor
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bertalan Polner
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Donders Centre for Cognition, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Noémi Báthori
- Department of Cognitive Science, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics
| | - Tamás Bogdány
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Rebeca Sifuentes Ortega
- UR2NF, Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit at CRCN affiliated at Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI - ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium
| | - Philippe Peigneux
- UR2NF, Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Research Unit at CRCN affiliated at Center for Research in Cognition and Neurosciences and UNI - ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium
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Łoczechin A, Séron K, Barras A, Giovanelli E, Belouzard S, Chen YT, Metzler-Nolte N, Boukherroub R, Dubuisson J, Szunerits S. Correction to "Functional Carbon Quantum Dots as Medical Countermeasures to Human Coronavirus". ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2024; 16:1950-1952. [PMID: 38150635 PMCID: PMC11027511 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c15036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
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Ghaffari-Bohlouli P, Jafari H, Okoro OV, Alimoradi H, Nie L, Jiang G, Kakkar A, Shavandi A. Gas Therapy: Generating, Delivery, and Biomedical Applications. Small Methods 2024:e2301349. [PMID: 38193272 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202301349] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Oxygen (O2 ), nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (H2 S), and hydrogen (H2 ) with direct effects, and carbon dioxide (CO2 ) with complementary effects on the condition of various diseases are known as therapeutic gases. The targeted delivery and in situ generation of these therapeutic gases with controllable release at the site of disease has attracted attention to avoid the risk of gas poisoning and improve their performance in treating various diseases such as cancer therapy, cardiovascular therapy, bone tissue engineering, and wound healing. Stimuli-responsive gas-generating sources and delivery systems based on biomaterials that enable on-demand and controllable release are promising approaches for precise gas therapy. This work highlights current advances in the design and development of new approaches and systems to generate and deliver therapeutic gases at the site of disease with on-demand release behavior. The performance of the delivered gases in various biomedical applications is then discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pejman Ghaffari-Bohlouli
- 3BIO-BioMatter, École polytechnique de Bruxelles, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50-CP 165/61, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Hafez Jafari
- 3BIO-BioMatter, École polytechnique de Bruxelles, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50-CP 165/61, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
| | - Oseweuba Valentine Okoro
- 3BIO-BioMatter, École polytechnique de Bruxelles, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50-CP 165/61, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
| | - Houman Alimoradi
- 3BIO-BioMatter, École polytechnique de Bruxelles, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50-CP 165/61, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
| | - Lei Nie
- 3BIO-BioMatter, École polytechnique de Bruxelles, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50-CP 165/61, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
- College of Life Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang, 464000, China
| | - Guohua Jiang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou, 310018, China
| | - Ashok Kakkar
- Department of Chemistry, McGill University, 801 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, Québec, H3A 0B8, Canada
| | - Amin Shavandi
- 3BIO-BioMatter, École polytechnique de Bruxelles, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 50-CP 165/61, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
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50
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Grégoire C, Baussard L, Ernst M, Diep A, Faymonville ME, Devos M, Jerusalem G, Vanhaudenhuyse A. Evaluation of a psychoneurological symptom cluster in patients with breast or digestive cancer: a longitudinal observational study. BMC Cancer 2024; 24:51. [PMID: 38195471 PMCID: PMC10777491 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-023-11799-x] [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] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A psychoneurological symptom cluster composed of cancer-related fatigue, emotional distress, sleep difficulties, and pain is very common among patients with cancer. Cognitive difficulties are also frequently associated with this cluster. Network analyses allow for an in-depth understanding of the relationships between symptoms in a cluster. This paper details the study protocol of a longitudinal assessment of the psychoneurological symptom cluster in two distinct cohorts: breast cancer and digestive cancer survivors, using network analyses. METHODS Over two years, the symptoms involved in the psychoneurological symptom cluster, along with other common symptoms (e.g., digestive symptoms, financial difficulties) and variables (i.e., self-compassion, coping strategies) will be assessed in two cohorts: breast cancer survivors (N = 240) and digestive cancer survivors (N = 240). Online questionnaires will be completed at baseline, then 6, 12 and 24 months later. Network analyses will be used to assess the configuration of the symptom cluster at each measurement time and in each cohort. Comparison of networks between two measurement times or between the two cohorts will also be done with network comparison tests. DISCUSSION This study will enable a better understanding of the relationships between common symptoms endured by patients with cancer. The results will be employed to develop more cost-effective interventions which, ultimately, will significantly improve the quality of life of patients with breast or digestive cancer. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05867966). Registered on the 27th of April 2023. url: https://classic. CLINICALTRIALS gov/ct2/show/NCT05867966 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Grégoire
- Sensation and Perception Research Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de l'Hôpital, 1, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
| | | | - Marie Ernst
- Biostatistics and Research Method Center, University Hospital and University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Anh Diep
- Biostatistics and Research Method Center, University Hospital and University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Marie-Elisabeth Faymonville
- Sensation and Perception Research Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de l'Hôpital, 1, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Arsène Burny Cancerology Institute, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Martine Devos
- Arsène Burny Cancerology Institute, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Guy Jerusalem
- Medical Oncology Department, University Hospital and University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Audrey Vanhaudenhuyse
- Sensation and Perception Research Group, GIGA Consciousness, University of Liège, Avenue de l'Hôpital, 1, 4000, Liège, Belgium
- Algology Interdisciplinary Center, University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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