University Health Network

Mesenchymal stromal cells immunosuppress osteoarthritis synovial fluid modulated monocytes via IL-6 and CCL2

Abstract Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) interactions with monocytes/macrophages are central to their therapeutic effects in knee osteoarthritis (KOA); however, mechanisms of these interactions are not fully understood. We hypothesize that MSC soluble factors, particularly interle...

CAR T Cells Targeting an Intracellular Leukemia Antigen Promiscuously Presented by Diverse HLA-II Alleles

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) technology has revolutionized B-cell malignancy treatment by enabling T cells to effectively recognize and target lineage-specific surface antigens. However, CAR T cells show limited efficacy against myeloid neoplasms and solid tumors due to challe...

Considerations for optimal team-based rheumatology care: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of rheumatology health professionals

Interdisciplinary team-based rheumatology care models are a promising solution for improving access to high quality, equitable care for people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disorders. There is limited understanding on health professionals’ perspectives on their needs to deli...

MetaboSense: An Integrated Quantum Dot‐Mediated Aptamer Assay and Modular Microfluidic Platform for Continuous In‐Line Monitoring of Lung Metabolism During Ex Vivo Perfusion

ABSTRACT Organ transplantation provides a life‐saving intervention for patients with end‐stage lung disease; however, access to this treatment remains limited by the shortage of donor organs. Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) is a platform that enables surgeons to assess extended‐cri...

Altered Complement and Tubular Mitochondrial Proteins Are Linked to Graft Loss in DSA+ Antibody–Mediated Rejection

Background: Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is the main driver of late kidney allograft loss. Anti-HLA donor-specific antibodies (DSA) are strongly associated with AMR. However, 30-60% of DSA + patients do not develop AMR, raising the possibility of local tissue adaptations to...

Immune checkpoint blockade sensitivity is linked to endogenous retroelement transcriptional changes in cancer

Abstract Endogenous retrotransposable elements (EREs) can modulate immune responses. We explored ERE transcription in relation to response to immune checkpoint inhibition in advanced solid tumors. ERE expression was measured in pre and on-treatment samples from patients treated i...

Cerebral Microbleeds and Superficial Siderosis: Vascular Correlates and Cognition in a Memory Clinic

OBJECTIVE: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) are increasingly recognized in patients with cognitive impairment and are considered markers of cerebral small vessel disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). However, their associated variable...

Multicenter retrospective study on perceived effectiveness, reported side effects, and cognitive outcomes of SSRIs in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) markedly increases risk of psychiatric disorders, including anxiety and mood disorders, and is associated with a spectrum of cognitive impairment, from borderline functioning to intellectual disability, with cognitive decline frequently reporte...

A Novel Approach to Characterizing Patterns of Real-World Upper-Extremity Use During Walking and Activities of Daily Living in People with Subacute Stroke

In accelerometer-based measurement, the inclusion of upper extremity (UE) activity during walking can overestimate real-world functional UE use in people post-stroke. This study introduces a comprehensive, accelerometer-based approach to examining real-world UE use, including the...

Defining Difficult-to-Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis in Routine Care: Comparative Performance of Published Criteria and Description of Early and Late D2T-RA Phenotypes

Objectives Despite advances in treat-to-target strategies, a subset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients remains refractory to therapy, described as difficult-to-treat RA (D2T-RA). The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) has proposed formal criteria for D2...

Clinical Relevance of Pelvic and Heel Enthesophytes in Psoriatic Arthritis

Objectives Enthesitis is a hallmark feature of psoriatic arthritis (PsA), but its clinical assessment can be confounded by subjective assessment and overlapping fibromyalgia. We aimed to investigate the clinical and functional associations of radiographic enthesophytes in a large...

Acyl-Alkyl-Phosphatidylcholine C40:6 is Potentially a Causal Biomarker for Obesity-Related Knee Osteoarthritis: Data from 4 Independent Cohorts

Objectives To identify potential causal biomarkers for obesity-related knee osteoarthritis (OB+OA+) by metabolome-wide association analysis (MWA) and Mendelian randomization (MR). Methods Four cohorts were included: the Newfoundland Osteoarthritis Study (NFOAS) as discovery, the...

Lupus Double-Negative B Cells Harbor Expanded Somatic Mutations in Lymphoma-Relevant Pathways

Objectives Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients have a 2–7-fold increased risk of hematologic malignancies, particularly B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL).[1] Although germline susceptibility shared between SLE and B-NHL is minimal,[2] somatic evolution of autoreactive B...

Differential Impact of Body Mass Index on Minimal Disease Activity Across Therapies in Psoriatic Arthritis

Objectives Overweight and obesity are associated with reduced odds of achieving minimal disease activity (MDA). Whether this effect is mediated by direct inflammation or psychosocial factors remains unclear. This study aimed to assess a) the influence of body mass index (BMI) on...

Hypothalamic recurrent inhibition regulates functional states of stress effector neurons

ABSTRACT Stress triggers rapid and reversible shifts in vital physiological functions from homeostatic operation to emergency response. However, the neural mechanisms regulating such functional stress states remain poorly understood. Here we identify a novel recurrent inhibitory...