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Nanowire Device Captures EVs for Targeted Cancer Liquid Biopsies

Researchers at Nagoya University, Japan, have developed a nanowire-based microfluidic device they say can improve the detection and analysis of cancer-associated extracellular vesicles (EVs) in blood samples. The new device uses zinc oxide nanowires modified with antibodies to selectively capture EVs linked to cancer while preserving both their surface proteins and internal microRNAs, which can then be analyzed. The findings, published in the journal Device, indicate that new device could potentially improve liquid biopsies for ovarian cancer as well as other cancers.

“In this study, we developed a nanowire microfluidic device capable of selectively capturing cancer-associated EVs with high efficiency, while suppressing nonspecific adsorption through simple chemical modification,” said senior author Takao Yasui, PhD, a professor in the graduate school of engineering at Nagoya University. “We also demonstrated that this approach maintains both EV membrane proteins and internal microRNAs intact, showing strong potential for highly sensitive analysis of cancer states.”

EVs are an emerging class of analytes because they carry molecular cargo such as messenger RNAs, microRNAs, and membrane proteins that reflect the cells from which they originate. To date, however, there have been challenges finding way to isolate EVs from complex biological fluids.

According to the researchers, techniques to isolate EVs such as ultracentrifugation, size-exclusion chromatography, and polymer-based precipitation can be time-consuming, require large sample volumes, and provide limited specificity. These methods also don’t reliably distinguish between EV subtypes.

Previously, investigators in the Yasui lab had developed zinc oxide nanowire devices capable of efficiently enriching EVs through charge interactions and hydrogen bonding. Further, the researchers noted that polyketone-coated zinc oxide nanowires improved the efficiency and purity of EV isolation within a microfluidic system designed for cancer diagnostics. Those findings led the team to explore whether polyketone chemistry could provide a more controlled method of attaching antibodies to the nanowires.

To do this, the team developed a platform based on N-hydroxysuccinimide ester-functionalized polyketones, known as pKNHS. They synthesized six pKNHS variants with different chain lengths and found that pKNHS 4.2 provided the most effective combination of nanowire stability and antibody immobilization.

The technology was first evaluated using cultured breast cancer cells. Antibody-free nanowires captured approximately 65% of CD9-positive EVs, while nanowires conjugated with CD9 antibodies captured efficiency of about 90%.

Next, the platform was testing using antibodies directed against ovarian cancer-associated markers CLDN3, FOLR1, and TROP2. These modified nanowires selectively recovered EVs from ovarian cancer cells and were subsequently used to isolate EVs from blood serum samples obtained from six patients with high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma and six individuals without cancer.

Analysis of the captured EVs showed distinct microRNA patterns of the EVs collected from cancer patients compared with those from the people without cancer. In total, the team identified 126 microRNAs shared among EVs captured using all three ovarian cancer markers. They also found unique microRNA populations linked to each marker, including 40 associated with CLDN3, 37 with FOLR1, and 45 with TROP2.

The system also facilitated the analysis of both EV membrane proteins and encapsulated microRNAs, which could scientists to better understand the relationships between surface markers and the associated molecular cargo.

Future work will focus on comparing the technology with existing clinical diagnostic methods and expanding its ability to capture additional EV subpopulations. The long-term goal is to apply the approach to noninvasive liquid biopsies and early diagnosis across a range of cancer types.

The post Nanowire Device Captures EVs for Targeted Cancer Liquid Biopsies appeared first on Inside Precision Medicine.

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Hantavirus One-Shot mRNA Vaccine Fully Protects in Syrian Hamster Model

Last month, the Andes virus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship departing from Argentina brought a transmission context for hantavirus, that was previously unprecedented, to the forefront. The Andes virus is the only member of the hantavirus family that is capable of efficient person-to-person spread through close contact with respiratory secretions. Other hantaviruses are typically spread through contact with infected rodents, making the Andes virus a much more significant public health threat.

While at sea, the outbreak spread among passengers and crew, infecting 13 people and killing three. The cruise passengers have since returned to their home countries, 23 in total. Because a person can carry the virus for weeks before showing any symptoms, health agencies are facing a complex challenge of identifying everyone who was exposed. There are currently no vaccines or preventive treatments approved for the virus; this travel-related outbreak brought the need for vaccine development to the forefront.

Researchers at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) had previously developed and tested two mRNA vaccines against intramuscular Andes virus challenge in golden Syrian hamsters (“1-methylpseudouridine-modified or non-modified mRNA modalities encoding the envelope glycoproteins, Gn and Gc, in a single open reading frame.”)

When tested in the Syrian hamster model, both mRNA vaccines were efficacious in hamsters using a two-dose regimen. Recognizing that a fast-moving international outbreak doesn’t allow time for patients to wait weeks between shots, the team retested the vaccines to determine whether a single dose would be effective.

Now, a new report shares the finding that the vaccine provided full protection against the Andes hantavirus after a single dose.

This work is published in The Lancet in the paper, “Single-dose mRNA vaccines against Andes hantavirus.”

Alexander Bukreyev, PhD, head of the Laboratory of Viral Pathogenesis and Vaccine Development at UTMB, said that the group is working to fast-track these single-dose vaccines into human clinical trials.

The results exceeded expectations. When testing the vaccines in an animal model that mimics human disease, the scientists found that a single shot provided 100% protection against a lethal dose of the virus. Even when the researchers significantly lowered the dosage to a fraction of the original amount, the results remained definitive.

“Every vaccinated animal remained completely healthy and showed no symptoms or weight loss,” said Michelle Meyer, PhD, senior scientist in the Bukreyev Laboratory. “When we looked at the tissues from the vaccinated animals a month after infection, the virus was entirely gone. The vaccines triggered a powerful immune response, creating protective antibodies in as little as 14 days.”

Because the Andes virus can take a relatively long time to make a human severely ill, these fast-acting vaccines could serve a dual purpose, possibly functioning as an emergency tool for people who have already been exposed.

“If given quickly to high-risk contacts during an outbreak, such as the Andes virus situation on the cruise ship, the vaccines could theoretically jump-start their immune systems fast enough to intercept the virus—stopping it from replicating and preventing them from getting sick or spreading it further,” Bukreyev said.

The post Hantavirus One-Shot mRNA Vaccine Fully Protects in Syrian Hamster Model appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

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SonoThera Raises $125M to Develop Ultrasound-Mediated Genetic Medicines

Biotechnology company SonoThera has raised $125 million in an oversubscribed Series B financing round. The financing was led by Vida Ventures, with participation from ARK Invest, CureDuchenne Ventures, Leaps by Bayer, Otsuka Pharmaceutical, SymBiosis, UCB Ventures SA, Vivo Capital, and existing investors ARCH Venture Partners, Alexandria Venture Investments, Duquesne Family Office, Illumina Ventures, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Medical Excellence Capital, RA Capital, and Vertex Ventures HC.

SonoThera will use the funds to advance its lead programs in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) in the clinic. The funds will also support efforts to expand its pipeline of targeted redosable genetic medicines across multiple organ systems and scale its proprietary platform technologies for safe, targeted therapy delivery.

The company’s platform combines a proprietary ultrasound-mediated delivery technology dubbed RIPPLE™, with a payload engineering platform dubbed PORE™. The platforms are designed to support the development of DNA and RNA therapeutics, gene editing, and gene silencing approaches. SonoThera is using its tech to develop genetic medicines that it claims will address key limitations of conventional gene therapies including delivery challenges, payload size constraints, immune responses, safety events, and difficulties with redosing. 

As Kenneth Greenberd, PhD, SonoThera’s co-founder and CEO, stated “we founded SonoThera to take a fundamentally different approach, with a platform designed to broaden the therapeutic possibilities of the field. We believe our technology has the potential to expand the range of diseases addressable by genetic medicines while enabling more precise, durable, safer, and repeatable therapies for patients.”

SonoThera has already demonstrated the targeted delivery and expression capabilities of its platform across multiple tissues, including skeletal muscle, heart, liver, kidney, adipose, and brain. It has also shown that it can deliver large payloads such as full-length dystrophin for DMD and RNA-based payloads for gene silencing applications in preclinical studies. 

The company expects to initiate its first clinical trial in DMD in 2027.

Commenting on the financing, Rajul Jain, MD, managing director at Vida Ventures, said “we believe SonoThera, with its RIPPLE delivery and PORE payload engineering technologies, has the potential to unlock opportunities in diseases with significant unmet need that have been previously inaccessible to other genetic medicine approaches.” 

In connection with the financing, Jain and Rakhshita Dhar, MS, vice president & head of Healthcare Venture Investments at Leaps by Bayer, have joined SonoThera’s Board of Directors.

The post SonoThera Raises $125M to Develop Ultrasound-Mediated Genetic Medicines appeared first on GEN – Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News.

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<![CDATA[Delphi panel reveals how NPs and PAs can talk about long-acting injectables earlier in schizophrenia, boosting adherence and cutting relapse.]]>
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<![CDATA[Experts unpack why SSRI withdrawal hits, how to taper safely, and what protracted symptoms mean for long-term antidepressant use.]]>
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Distribution of bladder afferent activity across the sacral roots in sheep shows marked individual variation: implications for neuroprosthesis design

ObjectiveImplantable sacral anterior root stimulators enable bladder emptying after spinal cord injury but do not prevent reflex incontinence. A closed-loop neuroprosthesis that detects and inhibits reflex bladder contractions could address this, but first, reliable detection of bladder fullness from the sacral roots. Further, the distribution of afferent bladder activity between sacral roots, and the relationship between efferent and afferent activity within each root, remains unclear and must be clarified to guide implant design.MethodsElectrode books were implanted on the S1–S3 extra-dural sacral roots bilaterally in six terminally anesthetized sheep. Afferent electroneurogram (ENG) was recorded concurrently from all implanted roots during filling cystometries and correlated with bladder pressure. Each root was individually electrically stimulated and the bladder pressure response recorded. Post-mortem morphometric analysis determined fiber size distribution in each root.ResultsOverall, S2 ENG activity showed the highest correlation with bladder pressure, and electrical stimulation of S2 and S3 produced the greatest increases in bladder pressure. Fiber size distribution did not correlate with either ENG activity or bladder pressure response. Significant variation was identified between individual sheep, but notably, in four of six sheep, a single sacral root had both the highest ENG correlation to bladder pressure and the greatest bladder response to stimulation.SignificanceThis study demonstrates reliable recording of bladder afferents from sacral roots using clinically applicable electrodes. It provides the first systematic recording of bladder ENG concurrently across three pairs of sacral roots in multiple animals, and the first characterization of signal distribution between roots. Significant individual variation is identified, impacting the design of future implantable sacral neuroprostheses for bladder control.
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Artificial intelligence for autism spectrum disorder: advances in diagnosis, behavior analysis and educational support

IntroductionArtificial intelligence has become an increasingly relevant field of research in the study of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), offering novel technological approaches for the analysis, detection, and support of individuals on the autism spectrum. The aim of this study was to systematically review recent scientific literature examining the application of artificial intelligence in ASD.MethodsThe review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, Dialnet, and Google Scholar, including studies published between 2019 and 2025. After applying predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 18 empirical studies were included in the final analysis. Methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tools adapted to the methodological design of each study.ResultsCurrent research focuses primarily on four areas: early detection and diagnostic support, automated analysis of behavioral and social patterns, AI-based educational technologies, and communication support systems. Although the reviewed studies demonstrate promising advances in machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing, important methodological limitations remain, particularly regarding external validation, dataset representativeness, and heterogeneity of performance indicators.DiscussionOverall, artificial intelligence shows considerable potential for supporting diagnosis, education, and communication in ASD; however, greater methodological robustness, transparency, and ethical safeguards remain necessary before broader implementation in real clinical and educational settings.
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Head circumference assessment in pediatric MRI: a pilot study of manual measurement methods and automated segmentation-based alternatives

PurposeHead circumference (HC) is an important clinical parameter in neuropediatrics, but it is often missing or outdated in referral information. This can lead to subjective, reader-dependent estimation during MRI interpretation. We first aimed to compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based methods for HC measurement against the tape measure (ground truth), and second to establish an automated alternative.MethodsIn 23 children (mean age 4.5 years, range 0.5–17 years), HC was prospectively measured with a tape measure (ground truth) on the day of MRI. MRI-based HC measurements were derived from 3D T1-weighted MPRAGE and followed a two-step workflow: measurement plane selection and circumference measurement within that plane. Plane selection was performed using visual-based, rule-based, atlas-based [(infant) FreeSurfer], or neural network (nn)-based methods. Circumference measurement was performed using manual ellipsoid, manual contour, automated ellipsoid, or automated contour methods. The relative technical error of measurement (r-TEM; acceptable < 1.5%) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC; two-way mixed ANOVA model) were used to assess accuracy and consistency with the tape measure.ResultsVisual-based with manual ellipsoid/contour and rule-based with manual ellipsoid/contour showed acceptable accuracy (r-TEM 0.73%–1.12%). Visual-based with automated ellipsoid and rule-based with automated ellipsoid also demonstrated acceptable accuracy (r-TEM 0.77% and 0.68%). Atlas-based with automated ellipsoid achieved the lowest r-TEM (0.55%), followed by nn-based with automated ellipsoid (r-TEM 0.75%). In contrast, automated contour approaches showed unacceptable accuracy (r-TEM 3.42%–4.21%). Seven nn-based measurements with automated ellipsoid/contour were spurious. ICCs were high across all methods (0.993–0.997); however, manual contour and automated ellipsoid were associated with overfitting issues.ConclusionThe developed, fully automated algorithm based on (infant) FreeSurfer provides precise and reliable head circumference measurements from pediatric MRI scans with acceptable overall accuracy and excellent consistency with manual measurements using a tape (gold standard). Our algorithm simplifies the head circumference measurement process and provides a reproducible, reader-independent value that enhances the interpretation of neuroradiological findings. Further studies should be conducted to validate with larger sample sizes and to develop deep neural network algorithms for segmentation.
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Sexual function in women with complex PTSD: a comparative study

BackgroundPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with impaired sexual functioning in women, but the effects of complex PTSD (CPTSD) remain unclear. This study tested three hypotheses: (1) women with CPTSD would report lower overall sexual function than women with PTSD and trauma-exposed controls; (2) the pain domain would show the largest group differences; and (3) CPTSD symptom severity would be negatively associated with sexual function, while PTSD symptom severity would not.MethodsA cross-sectional study included 386 Mexican female university students (18–55 years) who completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ), and Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-IQ). Group differences were assessed using ANOVA with post-hoc comparisons. Multivariable linear regressions examined whether CPTSD severity predicted sexual function independently of PTSD severity and age. A sensitivity analysis excluded women aged 45 and older.ResultsFSFI total scores differed significantly across groups (F = 3.52, p = 0.031). Women with CPTSD reported lower overall sexual function (M = 26.56, SD = 6.41) than trauma-exposed controls (M = 28.86, SD = 5.03; p = 0.047). In the pain domain, women with CPTSD reported greater sexual pain than controls (F = 6.35, p = 0.002). Multivariable regressions showed that CPTSD severity predicted lower FSFI total scores (β = -0.22, p < 0.001), independent of age and PTSD severity (adjusted R2 = 0.028). For sexual pain, the bivariate association with CPTSD (rho = -0.16, p < 0.01) did not persist after adjusting for age; age was the only significant predictor (β = 0.02, p = 0.007). Sensitivity analyses yielded unchanged results.ConclusionsCPTSD severity is associated with poorer overall sexual function, independent of age and PTSD severity. However, the association with sexual pain did not persist after accounting for age. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
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Logotherapy techniques to unlock resilience among Ukrainian refugees: a pre-post quasi-experimental design

The ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war has triggered a significant refugee crisis, resulting in widespread trauma, displacement, and mental health challenges among affected populations. This study aimed to explore the potential usefulness of logotherapy, a meaning-centered therapy, in addressing the mental health needs of Ukrainian refugees. The research was conducted in a naturalistic scenario of a group of 20 Ukrainian refugees residing in Europe who received a tailored logotherapy or meaning-centered psychological support, compared with controls who did not. Meaning-oriented techniques, namely, Socratic Dialogue, Modification of Attitude, Paradoxical Intention, and Dereflection were used during the intervention. Participants were assessed in a pre-post quasi-experimental design using validated self-report measures for anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), depression (Beck Depression Inventory), and general health (General Health Questionnaire-12). The improvements were clearly observed as reductions in their self-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms after the meaning-centeres psychological support. Overall, these preliminary findings indicate that logotherapy may be a promising and feasible approach to psychological support for refugee populations. However, given its pilot nature and quasi-experimental design, causal conclusions cannot be drawn, and further research using larger, randomized, and methodologically rigorous designs is warranted to examine long-term effects and broader applicability.