Translational research : the journal of laboratory and clinical medicine
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The primary goal of translational research is to generate and apply knowledge that can improve human health. Although research conducted within the confines of a single discipline has helped us to achieve this goal in many settings, this unidisciplinary approach may not be optimal when disease causation is complex and health decisions are pressing. To address these issues, we suggest that transdisciplinary approaches can facilitate the progress of translational research, and we review publications that demonstrate what these approaches can look like. ⋯ The benefits of cross-disciplinary communication are hard to predict a priori and a detailed research protocol or process may impede the realization of novel and important insights. Overall, these examples demonstrate that enhanced cross-disciplinary information exchange can serve as a starting point that helps researchers frame better questions, integrate more relevant evidence, and advance translational knowledge more effectively. Specifically, we discuss examples where transdisciplinary approaches are helping us to better explore, assess, and intervene to improve human health.
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The systemic response to ischemic stroke is associated with the hepatic acute phase response (APR) that modulates leukocytes recruitment to the injured brain. The inappropriate recruitment of leukocytes to the brain parenchyma can result in blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown. Emerging data suggest that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor beta/delta (PPAR-β/δ) activation has a potential neuroprotective role in ischemic stroke. ⋯ The results showed that GW0742 treatment decreased infarct volume and edema, reactant production and neutrophil recruitment to the brain and liver, which is a hallmark of the APR. GW0742 significantly reduced BBB leakage and metalloproteinase 9 expression and upregulated the expression of tight junction proteins. These findings may help to guide the experimental and clinical therapeutic use of PPAR-β/δ agonists against brain injury.
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Obesity is an alarming global health problem that results in multiaspect metabolic syndromes in both genders and most age groups. The lack of effective therapies for obesity and its associated metabolic syndrome is an urgent societal issue. To elucidate whether mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC)-based therapies can ameliorate high-fat diet-induced obesity and compare the effectiveness of several methodological approaches, we transplanted human MSCs, MSC-derived brown adipocytes (M-BA), and MSC lysateinto obese mice. ⋯ Among treatments, M-BA showed the strongest beneficial effect. Importantly, M-BA administration not only reduced obesity-associated metabolic syndromes but also reduced body weight and hyperlipidemia, indicating that it is an effective therapy for obesity. Together, our findings revealed the therapeutic potential of MSCs for the treatment of metabolic syndrome.
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Constipation is a common condition for which current treatments can have limited efficacy. By high-throughput screening, we recently identified a phenylquinoxalinone activator of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chloride channel that stimulated intestinal fluid secretion and normalized stool output in a mouse model of opioid-induced constipation. Here, we report phenylquinoxalinone structure-activity analysis, mechanism of action, animal efficacy data in acute and chronic models of constipation, and functional data in ex vivo primary cultured human enterocytes. ⋯ As evidence to support efficacy in human constipation, CFTRact-J027 increased transepithelial fluid transport in enteroids generated from normal human small intestine. Also, CFTRact-J027 was rapidly metabolized in vitro in human hepatic microsomes, suggesting minimal systemic exposure upon oral administration. These data establish structure-activity and mechanistic data for phenylquinoxalinone CFTR activators, and support their potential efficacy in human constipation.
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Fragility fractures are a growing problem worldwide, and current methods for diagnosing osteoporosis do not always identify individuals who require treatment to prevent a fracture and may misidentify those not a risk. Traditionally, fracture risk is assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, which provides measurements of areal bone mineral density at sites prone to fracture. ⋯ As reviewed herein, advances in quantitative computed tomography (QCT) predict hip and vertebral body strength; high-resolution HR-peripheral QCT (HR-pQCT) and micromagnetic resonance imaging assess the microarchitecture of trabecular bone; quantitative ultrasound measures the modulus or tissue stiffness of cortical bone; and quantitative ultrashort echo-time MRI methods quantify the concentrations of bound water and pore water in cortical bone, which reflect a variety of mechanical properties of bone. Each of these technologies provides unique characteristics of bone and may improve fracture risk diagnoses and reduce prevalence of fractures by helping to guide treatment decisions.