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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Synaptic dysfunction is a hallmark pathology of AD and is strongly associated with cognitive impairment in AD. Abnormal phagocytosis by microglia is one of the main causes of synapse loss in AD. Existing studies have revealed that inflammasomes contribute to cognitive deficits in AD. Previous studies have shown that the absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) inflammasome was upregulated in the hippocampus of APP/PS1 mice. In this study, we identified abnormally increased expression of AIM2 in microglia in an Aβ1-42-induced AD mouse model (AD mice). Conditional knockout of microglial AIM2 rescued cognitive impairment and synaptic dysfunction in AD mice. Excessive microglial phagocytosis of synapses was decreased after knockout of microglial AIM2, which was dependent on inhibiting complement activation. These results suggest that microglial AIM2 plays a critical role in regulating synaptic plasticity and memory deficits associated with AD, providing a new direction for developing novel preventative and therapeutic interventions for this disease.

Antibody profiling is a fundamental component of understanding the humoral response in a wide range of disease areas. Most currently used approaches operate by capturing antibodies onto functionalised surfaces. Such measurements of surface binding are governed by an overall antibody titre, while the two fundamental molecular parameters, antibody affinity and antibody concentration, are challenging to determine individually from such approaches. Here, by applying microfluidic diffusional sizing (MDS), we show how we can overcome this challenge and demonstrate reliable quantification of alloantibody binding affinity and concentration of alloantibodies binding to Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA), an extensively used clinical biomarker in organ transplantation, both in buffer and in crude human serum. Capitalising on the ability to vary both serum and HLA concentrations during MDS, we show that both affinity and concentration of HLA-specific antibodies can be determined directly in serum when neither of these parameters is known. Finally, we provide proof of principle in clinical transplant patient sera that our assay enables differentiation of alloantibody reactivity against HLA proteins of highly similar structure, providing information not attainable through currently available techniques. These results outline a path towards detection and in-depth profiling of humoral immunity and may enable further insights into the clinical relevance of antibody reactivity in clinical transplantation and beyond.

Silk fibroin is a natural protein obtained from the Bombyx mori silkworm. In addition to being the key structural component in silkworm cocoons, it also has the propensity to self-assemble in vitro into hierarchical structures with desirable properties such as high levels of mechanical strength and robustness. Furthermore, it is an appealing biopolymer due to its biocompatability, low immunogenicity, and lack of toxicity, making it a prime candidate for biomedical material applications. Here, it is demonstrated that nanofibrils formed by reconstituted silk fibroin can be engineered into supramolecular microgels using a soft lithography-based microfluidic approach. Building on these results, a potential application for these protein microgels to encapsulate and release small molecules in a controlled manner is illustrated. Taken together, these results suggest that the tailored self-assembly of biocompatible and biodegradable silk nanofibrils can be used to generate functional micromaterials for a range of potential applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields.

This paper utilizes the conductivity method, critical pH method and turbidity measurement to select RO scale inhibitors. Six kinds of RO scale inhibitors both at home and abroad are used to explore feasibility of the three methods. The results show that, all of them can be the rapid screening methods for scale inhibitors; test temperature and dosage of inhibitor affect screening results. The total weighted mean value is suggested to evaluate RO scale inhibitors. And the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the conductivity method, critical pH method and turbidity measurement are 1.92%, 0.57% and 55.23% respectively.

Peanut allergy (PNA) has becoming a non-negligible health concern worldwide. Thus far, allergen-specific immunotherapy aimed at inducing mucosal tolerance has widely been regarded as a major management strategy for PNA. The safety profiles and the intrinsic probiotic properties of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) render them attractive delivery vehicles for mucosal vaccines. In the present study, we exploited genetically modified Lactococcus lactis to produce peanut allergen Ara h 2 via different protein-targeting systems and their immunomodulatory potency for allergic immune responses in mice were investigated. By comparison with the strain expressing the cytoplasmic form of Ara h 2 (LL1), the strains expressing the secreted and anchored forms of Ara h 2 (LL2 and LL3) were more potent in redirecting a Th2-polarized to a non-allergic Th1 immune responses. Induction of SIgA and regulatory T cells were also observed at the local levels by orally administration of recombinant L. lactis. Our results indicate that allergen-producing L. lactis strains modulated allergic immune responses and may be developed as promising mucosal vaccines for managing allergic diseases.