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Myelomeningocele (MMC) is a congenital birth defect of the spine and spinal cord, commonly treated clinically through prenatal or postnatal surgery by repairing the unclosed spinal canal. Having previously developed a PLA/PCL polymer smart patch for this condition, we aim to further expand the potential therapeutic options by providing additional cellular and biochemical support in addition to its mechanical properties. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are a large class of secreted factors that serve as modulators of development in multiple organ systems, including the CNS. We hypothesize that our smart patch mitigates the astrogenesis induced, at least partly, by increased BMP activity during MMC. To test this hypothesis, neural stem or precursor cells were isolated from rat fetuses and cultured in the presence of Noggin, an endogenous antagonist of BMP action, with recombinant BMPs. We found that the developed PLA/PCL patch not only serves as a biocompatible material for developing neural stem cells but was also able to act as a carrier for BMP–Notch pathway inhibitor Noggin, effectively minimizing the effect of BMP2 or BMP4 on NPCs cultured with the Noggin-loaded patch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid overload of the adipose tissue, which can be caused by overnutrition, underlies metabolic disease. We hypothesized that increasing the energy demand of adipose tissue is a promising strategy to combat excessive lipid accumulation. Resveratrol, a natural polyphenol, activates lipid catabolism in fat tissue; however, its clinical success is hindered by poor bioavailability. Here, we implanted resveratrol releasing poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) scaffolds into epididymal fat to overcome its poor bioavailability with the goal of enhancing local lipid catabolism. In lean mice, resveratrol scaffolds decreased adipocyte size relative to scaffolds with no drug, a response that correlated with AMP kinase activation. Immunohistochemistry indicated that macrophages and multinucleated giant cells within the scaffold expressed carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 (CPT1) at higher levels than other cells in the adipose tissue. Furthermore, resveratrol increased CPT1 levels in cultured macrophages. Taken together, we propose that resveratrol scaffolds decrease adipocyte size because resveratrol increases lipid utilization in scaffold‐infiltrating immune cells, possibly through elevating CPT1 levels or activity. In a follow‐up study, mice that received resveratrol scaffolds 28‐day prior to a high‐fat diet exhibited decreased weight gain, adipose tissue expansion, and adipocyte hypertrophy compared to mice with control scaffolds. Notably, this scaffold‐based strategy required a single resveratrol administration compared to the daily regiment generally needed for oral administration. These results indicate that localized delivery of metabolism modulating agents to the adipose tissue may overcome issues with bioavailability and that the role of biomaterials should be further investigated in this therapeutic strategy for metabolic disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While a causal link between smoking and lung cancer (LCA) has been established, there are also many other causes not associated with smoking behaviors. Due to the negative stigma against smoking and LCA patients have not always received appropriate care. Respiratory therapists (RTs) regularly interact with LCA patients and those at risk for LCA. The purpose of the project was to explore the presence and impact of implicit bias (IB) among respiratory therapists related to LCA. Methods: The sample of convenience of RTs from three large hospitals were asked to respond to questions about how LCA patients were treated and the effects of IB on the care of LCA patients. In addition, they were asked to complete and report the results of the Harvard Implicit Association Test (IAT) for LCA. Data analysis included descriptive statistics. Results: 89.5% (n=44) of RTs believed LCA patients were rarely or never treated differently than other cancer patients. RTs also self-reported a strong to moderate association between LCA and negative words. In addition, 43.2% (n=44) of RTs believed that IB had a slight effect on patient care interactions with LCA patients. RTs indicated that knowledge of their IAT results would slightly or not at all affect their future care of patients with LCA, despite indicating that they would increase LCA screening recommendations in the future. Conclusions: Opportunities exist to both increase awareness of IB and its negative effect on patient care and to disseminate successful strategies to minimize the effect of IB on patient care interactions. Disclosures: None. Sponsored Research - None [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]