No abstract

Healthcare providers and public health departments should be vigilant to the possibility of continuing CVB1-associated neonatal illness, and testing and continued reporting of enterovirus infections should be encouraged.

In the summer and fall of 2007, we observed a unique cluster of cases of severe coxsackievirus B1 (CVB1) infection among Chicago area neonates. Eight neonates had closely related strains of CVB1 that were typed at the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention; 2 other neonates had CVB infections, 1 of which was further identified as serotype CVB1. All had severe myocarditis; 1 neonate underwent heart transplantation, and 1 died of severe left ventricular dysfunction.

Perivascular spaces (PVS) drain brain waste metabolites, but their specific flow paths are debated. Meningeal pia mater reportedly forms the outermost boundary that confines flow around blood vessels. Yet, we show that pia is perforated and permissive to PVS fluid flow. Furthermore, we demonstrate that pia is comprised of vascular and cerebral layers that coalesce in variable patterns along leptomeningeal arteries, often merging around penetrating arterioles. Heterogeneous pial architectures form variable sieve-like structures that differentially influence cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) transport along PVS. The degree of pial coverage correlates with macrophage density and phagocytosis of CSF tracer. In vivo imaging confirms transpial influx of CSF tracer, suggesting a role of pia in CSF filtration, but not flow restriction. Additionally, pial layers atrophy with age. Old mice also exhibit areas of pial denudation that are not observed in young animals, but pia is unexpectedly hypertrophied in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, pial thickness correlates with improved CSF flow and reduced β-amyloid deposits in PVS of old mice. We show that PVS morphology in mice is variable and that the structure and function of pia suggests a previously unrecognized role in regulating CSF transport and amyloid clearance in aging and disease.

No abstract

Strategies to protect against sexual transmission of HIV include the development of products formulated for topical application, which limit the toxicities associated with systemic oral pre-exposure prophylaxis. Following several clinical trial failures, attention is now focused on antiretroviral (ARV) agents. Highly potent ARV topical formulations provide a female-controlled, targeted, and feasible option for HIV prevention. A recently completed tenofovir gel trial was the first to demonstrate significant protection against HIV acquisition. Topical ARVs have the advantage of delivering high concentration of drug at the site of transmission of HIV, with low systemic absorption. Sustained-release formulations, such as intravaginal rings, will likely improve adherence and can be designed to provide controlled and continuous delivery of ARV combinations. Further studies to test alternative dosing strategies and pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationships in the genital tract will provide valuable information as the field strives to improve upon the promising tenofovir gel trial results.

With the advancement of technology and the evolution of modern healthcare systems, the focus is shifting from conventional drug delivery vehicles to novel, nanosized carriers. Nanogels are an example of such nanosized drug delivery systems that have been researched at length. They can be designed to be sensitive to a multitude of physical and chemical stimuli and this endows them with the capability to deliver the drugs they carry in a site-specific manner. These intelligent drug delivery systems are biocompatible and capable of loading copious quantities of the drug. pH is a major chemical property and temperature is a major physical property of a biological system. So nanogels responsive to either pH or temperature or a combination of both, possess immense biomedical potential. This review encompasses synthetic techniques and evaluation tests to confirm the responsiveness of single pH-responsive nanogels and thermoresponsive nanogels as well as dual pH/thermoresponsive nanogels. A closer look is also taken at their biomedical applications.

The emergence of nanotechnology paves the way for improving disease therapy strategies. An investigation into the progression of the release of the medication targeting the specified predetermined location is a significant factor to consider. Due to the ability to advance existing products and to develop new products in a variety of applications, the nanotechnology industry is considered an evolving technology. Cyclodextrin-based porous nanoparticles or unique nano-sponges (NSs) which have recently been used in the pharmaceutical, biomedical, and cosmetic industries are the main elements of this growth. This superior technology can circumvent the defects of current techniques by its ability to attack and visualize tumour sites. A biodegradable and biocompatible feature along with a built-in high surface area resulting in enormous amounts of drug loading and biomimetic design, and the ability to control nanoparticles size are just a handful of good attractive attributes that find this technique as an overwhelming advantage in the field of nanomedicine. This review article is organized such that we first explored the unique features of these nanosponges and the diverse methods for synthesizing, followed by the drug loading and release principle and application based on drug delivery, targeting, boosting solubility of BCS Class II and IV drugs, others in biomedicine and more. Finally, the recent progress on the use of biomimetic nanosponge as a pandemic tool due to the SARS-CoV-2 virus briefly comes into line.