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Thromboembolism in blood vessels poses a serious risk of stroke, heart attack, and even sudden death if not properly managed. Sonothrombolysis combined with ultrasound contrast agents has emerged as a promising approach for the effective treatment of thromboembolism. Recent reports have highlighted the potential of intravascular sonothrombolysis as a safe and effective treatment modality for deep vein thrombosis (DVT). However, its efficiency has not been validated through in vivo testing of retracted clots. This study aimed to develop a miniaturized multidirectional transducer featuring two 4-layer lead zirconate titanate (PZT-5A) stacks with an aperture size of 1.4 mm × 1.4 mm, enabling both forward- and side-looking treatment. Integrated into a custom two-lumen 10-French (Fr) catheter, the capability of this device for intravascular sonothrombolysis was validated both in vitro and in vivo. With low-dose tissue plasminogen activators and nanodroplets, the rotational multidirectional transducer reduced the retracted clot mass (800 mg) by an average of 52% within 30 min during in vitro testing. The lysis rate was significantly higher by 37% than that in a forward-viewing transducer without rotation. This improvement was particularly noteworthy in the treatment of retracted clots. Notably, a long-retracted clot (> 10 cm) was successfully treated within 40 min in vivo by creating a flow channel with a diameter > 4 mm in a porcine DVT model. In conclusion, these findings strongly suggest the potential of this technique for clinical applications in sonothrombolysis, offering a feasible solution for effectively treating thromboembolism, particularly in challenging cases involving retracted clots.

Abstract The objective of this pilot clinical study was to identify salivary biomarkers that are associated with periodontal disease and measures of diabetic autonomic dysfunction. Saliva samples from 32 participants were obtained from 3 groups: healthy (H), type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM), and type 1 diabetes mellitus with neuropathy (DMN). Based on the periodontal examination, individuals’ mean Periodontal Screening and Recording scores were categorized into two groups (periodontally healthy and gingivitis), and correlated to specific salivary inflammatory biomarkers assessed by a customized protein array and enzyme assay. The mean salivary IgA level in DM was 9211.5 ± 4776.4 pg/ml, which was significantly lower than H (17,182.2 ± 8899.3 pg/ml). IgA in DMN with healthy periodontium was significantly lower (5905.5 ± 3124.8 pg/ml) compared to H, although IgA levels in DMN patients with gingivitis (16,894. 6 ± 7084.3) were not. According to the result of a logistic regression model, IgA and periodontal condition were the indicators of the binary response given by H versus DM, and H versus DMN, respectively. These data suggest that selected salivary biomarkers, such as IgA, combined with a periodontal examination prior to obtaining salivary samples can offer a non-invasive method to assess risk for developing diabetic neuropathy.

This research aims to demonstrate a novel vortex ultrasound enabled endovascular thrombolysis method designed for treating cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). This is a topic of substantial importance since current treatment modalities for CVST still fail in as many as 20% to 40% of the cases, and the incidence of CVST has increased since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Compared with conventional anticoagulant or thrombolytic drugs, sonothrombolysis has the potential to remarkably shorten the required treatment time owing to the direct clot targeting with acoustic waves. However, previously reported strategies for sonothrombolysis have not demonstrated clinically meaningful outcomes (e.g., recanalization within 30 min) in treating large, completely occluded veins or arteries. Here, we demonstrated a new vortex ultrasound technique for endovascular sonothrombolysis utilizing wave-matter interaction-induced shear stress to enhance the lytic rate substantially. Our in vitro experiment showed that the lytic rate was increased by at least 64.3% compared with the nonvortex endovascular ultrasound treatment. A 3.1-g, 7.5-cm-long, completely occluded in vitro 3-dimensional model of acute CVST was fully recanalized within 8 min with a record-high lytic rate of 237.5 mg/min for acute bovine clot in vitro. Furthermore, we confirmed that the vortex ultrasound causes no vessel wall damage over ex vivo canine veins. This vortex ultrasound thrombolysis technique potentially presents a new life-saving tool for severe CVST cases that cannot be efficaciously treated using existing therapies.

Background: Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models have significantly enhanced cancer research, and often serve as a robust model. However, enhanced growth rate and altered pathological phenotype with serial passages have repeatedly been shown in adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) PDX tumors, which is a major concern. Methods: We evaluated the fidelity of ACCs in their natural habitat by performing ACC orthotopic xenotransplantation (PDOX) in salivary glands. Findings: Our PDOX model enabled solid tumors to integrate within the local epithelial, stromal and neuronal environment. Over serial passages, PDOX tumors maintained their stereotypic MYB-NFIB translocation, and FGFR2 and ATM point mutations. Tumor growth rate and histopathology were retained, including ACCs hallmark presentations of cribriform, tubular, solid areas and innervation. We also demonstrate that the PDOX model retains its capacity as a tool for drug testing. Interpretation: Unlike the precedent PDX model, our data shows that the PDOX is a superior model for future cancer biology and therapy research. Fund: This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) grants DE022557, DE027034, and DE027551. Keywords: Adenoid cystic carcinoma, Salivary gland, Orthotopic PDX model, Fidelity, Neural invasion, Drug treatment

Summary: Understanding how epithelial progenitors within exocrine glands establish specific cell lineages and form complex functional secretory units is vital for organ regeneration. Here we identify the transcription factor Sox10 as essential for both the maintenance and differentiation of epithelial KIT+FGFR2b+ progenitors into secretory units, containing acinar, myoepithelial, and intercalated duct cells. The KIT/FGFR2b-Sox10 axis marks the earliest multi-potent and tissue-specific progenitors of exocrine glands. Genetic deletion of epithelial Sox10 leads to loss of secretory units, which reduces organ size and function, but the ductal tree is retained. Intriguingly, the remaining duct progenitors do not compensate for loss of Sox10 and lack plasticity to properly form secretory units. However, overexpression of Sox10 in these ductal progenitors enhances their plasticity toward KIT+ progenitors and induces differentiation into secretory units. Therefore, Sox10 controls plasticity and multi-potency of epithelial KIT+ cells in secretory organs, such as mammary, lacrimal, and salivary glands. : In this manuscript, Lombaert and colleagues discovered that transcription factor Sox10 is not only essential to maintain epithelial progenitors in exocrine glands, but also acts as a master regulator to induce plasticity toward secretory units. These results provide new avenues for directed differentiation and engineering of secretory units in vitro and/or in vivo. Keywords: SOX10, secretory unit, cell fate, stem/progenitor cell, exocrine glands, salivary gland, mammary gland, lacrimal gland, KIT

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: This study’s aims are to optimize the isolation and growth of chondrocytes from pig auricular cartilage; to identify the ideal seeding conditions onto 3D printed auricular bioscaffolds to maximize chondrocyte growth; and to investigate what quantity and types of host tissue can grow on the bioscaffold. Primary outcomes will include comparisons between different seeding conditions in various objective measures of bioscaffold growth and survival as listed in the methods section. Secondary outcomes will include continued optimization of bioscaffolds to minimize extrusion rates and maximize morphologic and histologic similarity to human auricular cartilage. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: For chondrocyte-seeded scaffolds, cartilage will be collected from freshly harvested porcine auricular tissue and digested in type II collagenase. Chondrocytes derived from the harvest will be seeded into auricular PCL scaffolds using a type I collagen/hyaluronic acid composite gel, which has been previously shown to support chondrogenesis. For scaffolds containing cartilage, punch biopsies will be collected and embedded in specific areas of the scaffold previously shown to experience excessive stress/strain compared to the rest of the construct. From there, five of each chondrocyte-seeded bioscaffolds, chondrocyte-unseeded bioscaffolds, and cartilage-containing bioscaffolds will be implanted into athymic rats. Total follow up will be for six months, with outcomes as measured by clinical assessments, morphologic measurements, radiological imaging, histological analysis, biomechanical evaluation, and photodocumentation. Once these measures are obtained, we will work closely with Dr. Myra Kim, an adjunct professor with the Biostatistics Department, to appropriately analyze differences between the models. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We believe that while all scaffolds (chondrocyte-seeded, chondrocyte-unseeded, and cartilage-containing) will be structurally sound, the chondrocyte-seeded scaffolds and cartilage-containing scaffolds will exhibit improved soft tissue coverage and have lower exposure and fracture rates. Additionally, between the two, we posit that there will not be appreciable differences histologically, radiologically, or morphologically. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Auricular reconstruction is a geometrically complex and technically challenging problem. Reconstruction hinges on the physical characteristics of the deformity, patient preferences, and reconstructive materials available. The current gold standard for auricular reconstruction uses autologous rib cartilage as foundational support for overlying soft tissue and these techniques involve freehand carving of the cartilage, requiring high levels of technical skill. Harvesting the materials for this procedure is invasive, and the outcomes of the surgery are largely variable and sometimes undesirable. As alternatives, implantable scaffolds including those made from high density porous polyethylene (commercially referred to as MedPor) have been investigated. However, many of these have proven inadequate due to factors including infection, extrusion, and morphologic and biomechanical dissimilarity from native tissue. 3D printing represents an exciting new avenue through which to address many of these difficulties. Our group has previously demonstrated the successful design, production, and implantation of 3D-printed models: in auricular reconstruction, we have demonstrated the successful creation and implementation of a 3D printed ear scaffold into an athymic rodent model. We now turn our attention to optimization of seeding of our ear scaffold with chondrocytes derived from porcine auricular cartilage or with cartilage punch biopsies, all while maintaining emphasis on regulatory feasibility. With success in this arena, we will be able to provide a much less invasive and technically challenging alternative to the current gold standard, create patient-specific bioscaffolds which are more form fitting and individualized, and provide children with ear malformations better alternatives and treatments for their conditions.