Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by the loss of function of neurofibromin protein due to mutations in the NF1 gene. The loss of function of Neurofibromin results in the over-activation of RAS protein, leading to uncontrolled cellular proliferation and tumor development. Patients with Neurofibromatosis have a higher incidence of developing malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST), which are aggressive and invasive cancers with a low rate of survival. Gene therapies for Neurofibromatosis using viral drug delivery systems are limited due to the NF1 gene size. To overcome this limitation, extracellular vesicles (EVs) and engineered EVs (eEVs) have emerged as promising non-viral therapeutic carriers. For this reason, this research focuses on the restoration of neurofibromin protein function via delivery of NF1 cargo (e.g., mRNA, protein, and NF1 plasmid) loaded in eEVs as a novel therapeutic strategy for Neurofibromatosis type 1. Overall, our findings showed the potential of NF1-loaded eEVs as a gene therapy strategy for the rescue of neurofibromin protein function that can alleviate the outcome of neurofibromatosis type 1 disorder and other types of cancer associated with NF1 gene mutations such as glioblastoma and melanoma.
Maternal health has a substantial effect on offspring vitality and well-being. A significant contributing factor to maternal health is psychosocial stress. Psychosocial stress results from adverse experiences in everyday life and the inability to cope with them, resulting in anxiety and depression. Unfortunately, it is estimated that ~75% of mothers will suffer a stressful life event the year their infants are born, and upwards of 20% suffer depression. These already high levels of psychosocial stress have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is not known if maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy affects offspring heart health. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy on offspring heart health. We hypothesize that maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy will have an adverse effect on offspring heart health. Our data demonstrate that maternal psychosocial stress during pregnancy is detrimental to offspring heart function in a sex-specific manner. These findings may reveal a previous unexplored etiology of cardiovascular disease.
1:15-2:15 All you need to know about the Biophysics candidacy exam
Biophysics Student Organization
If you are pre-candidacy learn about all the ins and outs of successfully preparing for and taking the candidacy exam. If you are post-candidacy, help your peers by sharing your experience.
Last update: 4/10/2024, Ralf Bundschuh