A 20-year-old woman in rural Ethiopia presented with fever in her third trimester. She died within hours. Looking back at her blood smear, the answer had been there all along.
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P53-regulated non-apoptotic cell death pathways and their relevance in cancer and other diseases Reviews Molecular Cell Biology
The tumour suppressor p53 controls non-apoptotic cell death (NACD) pathways, including ferroptosis, necroptosis and pyroptosis. This Review discusses the roles, mechanisms and physiological settings in which NACDs are regulated by p53, and their potential targeting for the treatment of human diseases.
Cardiac imaging in oncology: the detection of cardiotoxicity
In this episode of the Heart podcast, Digital Media Editor, Professor James Rudd, is joined by Professor Kazuaki Negishi from Sydney, Australia. They discuss the optimal use of imaging to detect cardiac effects of cancer therapies. If you enjoy the show, please leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcasts. It helps us to reach more people — thanks!
Link to published paper: https://heart.bmj.com/content/111/22/1057.
Vascular aging as a driver of organ dysfunction and systemic aging
In this Review, Dimmeler and Augustin discuss microvascular aging as an emerging key driver of tissue dysfunction and systemic decline, highlighting how single-cell and multiomic approaches are uncovering organ-specific vascular vulnerabilities and signaling mechanisms, opening new opportunities for vascular rejuvenation and healthy aging.
Locus coeruleus noradrenaline neurons mapped!
BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia adversely affects fetal brain angiogenesis, with potential acute and long-term consequences. However, the mechanisms underlying these cerebrovascular alterations remain unclear. We investigated whether TSP-1 (thrombospondin-1), an antiangiogenic glycoprotein, mediates communication between fetoplacental and fetal brain endothelium in preeclampsia. METHODS: Conditioned media from human umbilical vein endothelial cells derived from normal and preeclamptic pregnancies were used to treat human (human cerebral microvascular endothelial cell line) and murine brain endothelial cells. Proteomic analysis of umbilical cord serum identified differentially expressed proteins, and TSP-1 was validated by Western blot. TSP-1 expression was investigated in umbilical endothelial cells (EA.
Utilizing a 3D Spheroid Model and Live-Cell Analysis for Compound Profiling
This application note explores how combining 3D single spheroid models with live-cell analysis can enhance compound screening and drug discovery workflows. Using a library of 880 FDA-approved compounds, researchers evaluated changes in spheroid growth, viability, and morphology over time to gain a more comprehensive understanding of compound activity than traditional endpoint assays can provide. The study demonstrates how live-cell imaging enables continuous, non-invasive monitoring of 3D cell models, delivering rich kinetic data while maintaining cells in a physiologically relevant environment.
The application note highlights the value of phenotypic screening in complex 3D models, allowing researchers to identify cytotoxic, cytostatic, and disruptive compound responses through simultaneous measurement of spheroid size and viability. It also compares findings from 2D monolayer cultures with 3D spheroid assays, revealing important differences in compound sensitivity and response that may improve the translation of in vitro results to in vivo outcomes. By integrating advanced imaging, automated analysis, and 3D cell culture, this workflow provides a powerful approach for identifying promising drug candidates and generating more predictive biological insights early in the drug development process.
Spinning Liquid into Solid
A new technique for generating solid fibers from a liquid jet is easier to model—and thus easier to control—than past methods.
In traditional spinning, fibers are twisted together into a continuous strand. In modern manufacturing, spinning can involve drawing out liquid streams to produce solid filaments that are woven into advanced materials. But the process is complex and challenging to model theoretically. Now researchers have shown how to greatly simplify the process by using light to catalyze solidification within a stream of freely falling liquid [1]. The technique may offer more control over the manufacture of fibers than current methods can provide.
The complexity of most modern force-driven spinning arrangements led fluid mechanics expert Henri Lhuissier of Aix-Marseille University in France and his colleagues to develop a simpler technique. “Most manufactured fibers are spun,” he says, “but what happens is mostly unpredictable due to the complexity of chemistry, phase changes, fluid mechanics, and other factors.” He says that much remains unknown about how solidification takes place and, therefore, what the ultimate size of the fiber will be.