Citations

Background Epidemiologic evidence suggests a link between short sleep duration and cardiovascular risk, although the nature of any relationship and mechanisms remain unclear. Short sleep duration has also been linked to an increase in cardiovascular events. Endothelial dysfunction has itself been implicated as a mediator of heightened cardiovascular risk. We sought to determine the effect of 8 days/8 nights of partial sleep restriction on endothelial function in healthy humans. Methods and Results Sixteen healthy volunteers underwent a randomized study of usual sleep versus sleep restriction of two‐thirds normal sleep time for 8 days/8 nights in a hospital‐based clinical research unit. The main outcome was endothelial function measured by flow‐mediated brachial artery vasodilatation ( FMD ). Those randomized to sleep restriction slept 5.1 hours/night during the experimental period compared with 6.9 hours/night in the control group. Sleep restriction was associated with significant impairment in FMD (8.6±4.6% during the initial pre‐randomization acclimation phase versus 5.2±3.4% during the randomized experimental phase, P =0.01) whereas no change was seen in the control group (5.0±3.0 during the acclimation phase versus 6.73±2.9% during the experimental phase, P =0.10) for a between‐groups difference of −4.40% (95% CI −7.00 to −1.81%, P =0.003). No change was seen in non‐flow mediated vasodilatation ( NFMD ) in either group. Conclusion In healthy individuals, moderate sleep restriction causes endothelial dysfunction. Clinical Trial Registration URL : ClinicalTrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT 01334788.

Abstract Background:BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers are at substantially increased risk for developing breast and ovarian cancer. The incomplete penetrance coupled with the variable age at diagnosis in carriers of the same mutation suggests the existence of genetic and nongenetic modifying factors. In this study, we evaluated the putative role of variants in many candidate modifier genes. Methods: Genotyping data from 15,252 BRCA1 and 8,211 BRCA2 mutation carriers, for known variants (n = 3,248) located within or around 445 candidate genes, were available through the iCOGS custom-designed array. Breast and ovarian cancer association analysis was performed within a retrospective cohort approach. Results: The observed P values of association ranged between 0.005 and 1.000. None of the variants was significantly associated with breast or ovarian cancer risk in either BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers, after multiple testing adjustments. Conclusion: There is little evidence that any of the evaluated candidate variants act as modifiers of breast and/or ovarian cancer risk in BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation carriers. Impact: Genome-wide association studies have been more successful at identifying genetic modifiers of BRCA1/2 penetrance than candidate gene studies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(1); 308–16. ©2014 AACR.

AbstractThe GM2 gangliosidoses are a group of autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorders caused by defective β‐hexosaminidase. There are three clinical conditions in this group: Tay‐Sachs disease (TSD), Sandhoff disease (SD), and hexosaminidase activator deficiency. The three conditions are clinically indistinguishable. TSD and SD have been identified with infantile, juvenile, and adult onset forms. The activator deficiency is only known to present with infantile onset. Diagnosis of TSD and SD is based on decreased hexosaminidase activity and a change in the percentage of activity between isoforms. There are no biochemical tests currently available for activator deficiency. This unit provides a detailed procedure for identifying TSD and SD in affected individuals and carriers from leukocyte samples, the most robust sample type available. Curr. Protoc. Hum. Genet. 83:17.16.1‐17.16.8. © 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Abstract RATIONALE: The inability to deliver viruses homogeneously throughout solid tumors is a universal obstacle encountered in oncolytic virotherapy. The initial intratumoral viral dispersion volume is a critical determinant of virotherapy efficacy, and depends not only on the number of infected cells, but also on the spatial distribution of the infected cells. In this study, we determined the feasibility and usefulness of monitoring the initial intratumoral delivery of oncolytic viruses to solid tumors using contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT). EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES: Human BxPC-3 pancreatic tumor xenografts were established in nude mice. An engineered oncolytic measles virus expressing the sodium iodide symporter reporter (MV-NIS) was mixed with a 1:10 dilution of Omnipaque-300 contrast material and injected directly into mouse tumors. Mice were imaged with micro-CT immediately pre and post-injection of the virus + Omnipaque solution and on day 3 post-injection with 99mTcO4 micro-SPECT/CT. Tumors were harvested immediately after micro-SPECT/CT imaging for autoradiography and immunistochemistry analysis of radioactivity uptake and viral infection. Linear regression and Spearman correlation analyses were performed to determine the relationship between intratumoral contrast enhancement and subsequent intratumoral viral infection. RESULTS: This dilution of Omnipaque was found to have no effect on viral infectivity or cell viability in vitro, yet was more than adequate for CT imaging of the virus + Omnipaque injectate distribution following intratumoral injection. Ex vivo autoradiography and immunohistochemistry confirmed a strong correlation between intratumoral CT contrast enhancement, SPECT activity, viral infection, and sodium iodide symporter activity. CONCLUSIONS: This injection method is translatable to the clinic and should allow optimization of intratumoral injection in humans. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4145. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4145

Abstract Recent evidence indicates that sensory and motor changes may precede the cognitive symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) by several years and may signify increased risk of developing AD. Traditionally, sensory and motor dysfunctions in aging and AD have been studied separately. To ascertain the evidence supporting the relationship between age‐related changes in sensory and motor systems and the development of AD and to facilitate communication between several disciplines, the National Institute on Aging held an exploratory workshop titled “Sensory and Motor Dysfunctions in Aging and AD.” The scientific sessions of the workshop focused on age‐related and neuropathologic changes in the olfactory, visual, auditory, and motor systems, followed by extensive discussion and hypothesis generation related to the possible links among sensory, cognitive, and motor domains in aging and AD. Based on the data presented and discussed at this workshop, it is clear that sensory and motor regions of the central nervous system are affected by AD pathology and that interventions targeting amelioration of sensory‐motor deficits in AD may enhance patient function as AD progresses.