scholarly journals Ex vivo fetal brain MRI: Recent advances, challenges, and future directions

NeuroImage ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 195 ◽  
pp. 23-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lana Vasung ◽  
Christine J. Charvet ◽  
Tadashi Shiohama ◽  
Borjan Gagoski ◽  
Jacob Levman ◽  
...  
2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (18) ◽  
pp. 10035-10044
Author(s):  
Xiaojie Wang ◽  
Verginia C. Cuzon Carlson ◽  
Colin Studholme ◽  
Natali Newman ◽  
Matthew M. Ford ◽  
...  

One factor that contributes to the high prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is binge-like consumption of alcohol before pregnancy awareness. It is known that treatments are more effective with early recognition of FASD. Recent advances in retrospective motion correction for the reconstruction of three-dimensional (3D) fetal brain MRI have led to significant improvements in the quality and resolution of anatomical and diffusion MRI of the fetal brain. Here, a rhesus macaque model of FASD, involving oral self-administration of 1.5 g/kg ethanol per day beginning prior to pregnancy and extending through the first 60 d of a 168-d gestational term, was utilized to determine whether fetal MRI could detect alcohol-induced abnormalities in brain development. This approach revealed differences between ethanol-exposed and control fetuses at gestation day 135 (G135), but not G110 or G85. At G135, ethanol-exposed fetuses had reduced brainstem and cerebellum volume and water diffusion anisotropy in several white matter tracts, compared to controls. Ex vivo electrophysiological recordings performed on fetal brain tissue obtained immediately following MRI demonstrated that the structural abnormalities observed at G135 are of functional significance. Specifically, spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current amplitudes measured from individual neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex and putamen strongly correlated with diffusion anisotropy in the white matter tracts that connect these structures. These findings demonstrate that exposure to ethanol early in gestation perturbs development of brain regions associated with motor control in a manner that is detectable with fetal MRI.


2020 ◽  
pp. 60-69
Author(s):  
Z. A.-G. Radzhabova ◽  
M. Д. Kotov ◽  
A. S. Mitrofanov ◽  
Z. S. Bekyasheva ◽  
E. V. Levchenko

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 250-262
Author(s):  
Maryam Islami ◽  
Fatemeh Soleimanifar

Transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) derived from umbilical cord blood (UCB) has been taken into account as a therapeutic approach in patients with hematologic malignancies. Unfortunately, there are limitations concerning HSC transplantation (HSCT), including (a) low contents of UCB-HSCs in a single unit of UCB and (b) defects in UCB-HSC homing to their niche. Therefore, delays are observed in hematopoietic and immunologic recovery and homing. Among numerous strategies proposed, ex vivo expansion of UCB-HSCs to enhance UCB-HSC dose without any differentiation into mature cells is known as an efficient procedure that is able to alter clinical treatments through adjusting transplantation-related results and making them available. Accordingly, culture type, cytokine combinations, O2 level, co-culture with mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), as well as gene manipulation of UCB-HSCs can have effects on their expansion and growth. Besides, defects in homing can be resolved by exposing UCB-HSCs to compounds aimed at improving homing. Fucosylation of HSCs before expansion, CXCR4-SDF-1 axis partnership and homing gene involvement are among strategies that all depend on efficiency, reasonable costs, and confirmation of clinical trials. In general, the present study reviewed factors improving the expansion and homing of UCB-HSCs aimed at advancing hematopoietic recovery and expansion in clinical applications and future directions.


Author(s):  
Isura Nirmal ◽  
Abdelwahed Khamis ◽  
Mahbub Hassan ◽  
Wen Hu ◽  
Xiaoqing Zhu

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (15) ◽  
pp. 3274-3286
Author(s):  
Haseeb Mughal ◽  
Michal Szostak

Azetidines represent one of the most important four-membered heterocycles in organic synthesis. We provide an overview of the synthesis, reactivity and application of azetidines with a focus on the most recent advances, trends and future directions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 483-496
Author(s):  
Mitchel J.R. Ruigrok ◽  
Henderik W. Frijlink ◽  
Barbro N. Melgert ◽  
Peter Olinga ◽  
Wouter L.J. Hinrichs

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