Wearable Intracranial Pressure Monitoring Sensor for Infants

Monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP) is important for patients at risk of raised ICP, which may indicate developing diseases in brains that can lead to brain damage or even death. Monitoring ICP can be invaluable in the management of patients suffering from brain injury or hydrocephalus. To date, invasive measurements are still the standard method for monitoring ICP; however, these methods can not only cause bleeding or infection but are also very inconvenient to use, particularly for infants. Currently, none of the non-invasive methods can provide sufficient accuracy and ease of use while allowing continuous monitoring in routine clinical use at low cost. Here, we have developed a wearable, non-invasive ICP sensor that can be used like a band-aid. For the fabrication of the ICP sensor, a novel freeze casting method was developed to encapsulate the liquid metal microstructures within thin and flexible polymers. The final thickness of the ICP sensor demonstrated is 500 µm and can be further reduced. Three different designs of ICP sensors were tested under various pressure actuation conditions as well as different temperature environments, where the measured pressure changes were stable with the largest stability coefficient of variation being only CV = 0.0206. In addition, the sensor output values showed an extremely high linear correlation (R2 > 0.9990) with the applied pressures.

Adipocyte Fatty Acid Binding Protein Promotes the Onset and Progression of Liver Fibrosis via Mediating the Crosstalk between Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells and Hepatic Stellate Cells

Development of liver fibrosis results in drastic changes in the liver microenvironment, which in turn accelerates disease progression. Although the pathological function of various hepatic cells in fibrogenesis is identified, the crosstalk between them remains obscure. The present study demonstrates that hepatic expression of adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) is induced especially in the liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) in mice after bile duct ligation (BDL). Genetic ablation and pharmacological inhibition of A-FABP attenuate BDL- or carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in mice associating with reduced collagen accumulation, LSEC capillarization, and hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation. Mechanistically, elevated A-FABP promotes LSEC capillarization by activating Hedgehog signaling, thus impairs the gatekeeper function of LSEC on HSC activation. LSEC-derived A-FABP also acts on HSCs in paracrine manner to potentiate the transactivation of transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) by activating c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)/c-Jun signaling. Elevated TGFβ1 subsequently exaggerates liver fibrosis. These findings uncover a novel pathological mechanism of liver fibrosis in which LSEC-derived A-FABP is a key regulator modulating the onset and progression of the disease. Targeting A-FABP may represent a potential approach against liver fibrosis.

IL-17 inhibits CXCL9/10-mediated recruitment of CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and regulatory T cells to colorectal tumors

BACKGROUND

The IL-17 family cytokines are potent drivers of colorectal cancer (CRC) development. We and others have shown that IL-17 mainly signals to tumor cells to promote CRC, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. IL-17 also dampens Th1-armed anti-tumor immunity, in part by attracting myeloid cells to tumor. Whether IL-17 controls the activity of adaptive immune cells in a more direct manner, however, is unknown.

METHODS

Using mouse models of sporadic or inducible colorectal cancers, we ablated IL-17RA in the whole body or specifically in colorectal tumor cells. We also performed adoptive bone marrow reconstitution to knockout CXCR3 in hematopoietic cells. Histological and immunological experimental methods were used to reveal the link among IL-17, chemokine production, and CRC development.

RESULTS

Loss of IL-17 signaling in mouse CRC resulted in marked increase in the recruitment of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs), starting from early stage CRC lesions. This is accompanied by the increased expression of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and TGF-β. IL-17 signaling also inhibits the production of T cell attracting chemokines CXCL9 and CXCL10 by tumor cells. Conversely, the inability of hematopoietic cells to respond to CXCL9/10 resulted in decreased tumor infiltration by CTLs and Tregs, decreased levels of IL-10 and TGF-β, and increased numbers of tumor lesions. Blockade of IL-17 signaling resulted in increased expression of immune checkpoint markers. On the other hand, treatment of mouse CRC with anti-CTLA-4 antibody led to increased expression of pro-tumor IL-17.

CONCLUSION

IL-17 signals to colorectal tumor cells and inhibits their production of CXCL9/10 chemokines. By doing so, IL-17 inhibits the infiltration of CD8+ CTLs and Tregs to CRC, thus promoting CRC development. Cancer immunotherapy may be benefited by the use of anti-IL-17 agents as adjuvant therapies, which serve to block both IL-17-mediated tumor promotion and T cell exclusion.