Low-level RET/PTC recombination occurs in nonneoplastic follicular cells in HT and in a subset of papillary thyroid carcinomas. RET/PTC expression variability should be taken into account for the molecular diagnosis of thyroid lesions. Overlapping molecular mechanisms may govern early stages of tumor development and inflammation in the thyroid.

The steady increase in antimicrobial resistance in different pathogens requires the development of alternative treatment strategies next to the oral delivery of antibiotics. A photothermally activated platform based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-embedded polymeric nanofiber mats for on-demand release of antibiotics upon irradiation in the near-infrared is fabricated. Cross-linked hydrophilic nanofibers, obtained by electrospinning a mixture of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and rGO, show excellent stability in aqueous media. Importantly, these PAA@ rGO nanofiber mats exhibit controlled photothermal heating upon irradiation at 980 nm. Nanofiber mats are efficiently loaded with antibiotics through simple immersion into corresponding antibiotics solutions. Whereas passive diffusion based release at room temperature is extremely low, photothermal activation results in increased release within few minutes, with release rates tunable through power density of the applied irradiation. The large difference over passive and active release, as well as the controlled turn-on of release allows regulation of the dosage of the antibiotics, as evidenced by the inhibition of planktonic bacteria growth. Treatment of superficial skin infections with the antibiotic-loaded nanofiber mats show efficient wound healing of the infected site. Facile fabrication and implementation of these photothermally active nanofiber mats makes this novel platform adaptable for on-demand delivery of various therapeutic agents.

Neutrophils form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) of decondensed DNA and histones that trap and immobilize particulate matter and microbial pathogens like bacteria. NET aggregates reportedly surround and isolate large objects like monosodium urate crystals, which cannot be sufficiently cleared from tissues. In the setting of acute necrotizing pancreatitis, massive tissue necrosis occurs, which is organized as pancreatic pseudocysts (1). In contrast to regular cysts, these pseudocysts are not surrounded by epithelial layers. We hypothesize that, instead, the necrotic areas observed in necrotizing pancreatitis are isolated from the surrounding healthy tissues by aggregated NETs. These may form an alternative, putatively transient barrier, separating necrotic areas from viable tissue. To test this hypothesis, we investigated histological samples from the necropsy material of internal organs of two patients with necrotizing pancreatitis and peritonitis accompanied by multiple organ failure. Tissues including the inflammatory zone were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and evaluated for signs of inflammation. Infiltrating neutrophils and NETs were detected by immunohistochemistry for DNA, neutrophil elastase (NE), and citrullinated histone H3. Interestingly, in severely affected areas of pancreatic necrosis or peritonitis, chromatin stained positive for NE and citrullinated histone H3, and may, therefore, be considered NET-derived. These NET structures formed a layer, which separated the necrotic core from the areas of viable tissue remains. A condensed layer of aggregated NETs, thus, spatially shields and isolates the site of necrosis, thereby limiting the spread of necrosis-associated proinflammatory mediators. We propose that necrotic debris may initiate and/or facilitate the formation of the NET-based surrogate barrier.

Gold nanorods (Au NRs) are known for their efficient conversion of photon energy into heat, resulting in hyperthermia and suppression of tumor growths in vitro and in vivo.

Abstract.Despite the availability of different antibiotics, bacterial infections are still one of the leading causes of hospitalization and mortality. The clinical failure of antibiotic treatment is due to a general poor antibiotic penetration to bacterial infection sites as well as the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. In the case of skin infection, the wound is covered by exudate, making it impermeable to topical antibiotics. The development of a flexible patch allowing a rapid and highly efficient treatment of subcutaneous wound infections via photothermal irradiation is presented here. The skin patch combines the near-infrared photothermal properties of a gold nanohole array formed by self-assembly of colloidal structures on flexible polyimide films with that of reduced graphene oxide nanosheets for laser-gated pathogen inactivation. In vivo tests performed on mice with subcutaneous skin infection and treated with the photothermal skin patch show wound healing of the infected site, while nontreated areas result