Citations

Abstract The Midwest Aging Consortium (MAC) has emerged as a critical collaborative initiative aimed at advancing our understanding of aging and developing strategies to combat the rising prevalence of age-related diseases. Founded in 2019, MAC brings together researchers from various disciplines and institutions across the Midwestern United States to foster interdisciplinary geroscience research. This report summarizes the highlights of the Fourth Annual Symposium of MAC, which was held at Iowa State University in May 2023. The symposium featured presentations on a wide array of topics, including studies on slow-aging animals, cellular senescence and senotherapeutics, the role of the immune system in aging, metabolic changes in aging, neuronal health in aging, and biomarkers for measuring the aging process. Speakers shared findings from studies involving a variety of animals, ranging from commonly used species such as mice, rats, worms, yeast, and fruit flies, to less-common ones like naked mole-rats, painted turtles, and rotifers. MAC continues to emphasize the importance of supporting emerging researchers and fostering a collaborative environment, positioning itself as a leader in aging research. This symposium not only showcased the current state of aging biology research but also highlighted the consortium’s role in training the next generation of scientists dedicated to improving the healthspan and well-being of the aging population.

Aim: The aim of this analysis was to assess the cost–effectiveness of the EmboTrap ® Revascularization Device compared with the Solitaire™ Revascularization Device and Trevo ® Retriever for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. Methods: According to MASTRO I, a recent living systematic literature review and meta-analysis, mechanical thrombectomy (MT) with EmboTrap in the treatment of AIS resulted in better functional outcomes compared with the use of Solitaire or Trevo. Based on the proportion of patients that achieved 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores of 0–2, 3–5 and 6 reported in MASTRO I, a combined 90-day short-term decision tree and Markov model with a 10-year time horizon was used to compare the cost–effectiveness of the three devices. The primary outcome was the incremental cost–effectiveness ratio (ICER), representing the incremental cost (in 2022 Chinese Yuan [CNY]) per incremental quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). The ICERs were compared against willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds of 1, 1.5 and 3-times the 2022 national gross domestic product (GDP) per capita in China. Results: Treatment with EmboTrap resulted in total QALYs of 3.28 and total costs of 110,058 CNY per patient. Treatment with Trevo resulted in total QALYs of 3.05 and total costs of 116,941 CNY per patient. Treatment with Solitaire resulted in total QALYs of 2.81 and total costs of 99,090 CNY per patient. Trevo was dominated by EmboTrap as it was a more costly and less effective intervention. As such, Trevo was not cost-effective at any WTP threshold. Compared with Solitaire, EmboTrap was more effective and more costly, with an ICER of 23,615 CNY per QALY. This result suggests that EmboTrap is cost-effective when compared with Solitaire since the ICER was lower than all WTP thresholds assessed. Conclusion: EmboTrap dominated Trevo and is cost-effective for the treatment of patients with AIS compared with Solitaire when assessed from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system and based on the device-level meta-analysis MASTRO I. Selecting a stent retriever (SR) that optimizes 90-day mRS score is an important consideration from both a clinical and healthcare payer perspective in China as it is associated with reduced long-term costs and increased quality of life.

Abstract 3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, holds immense potential for rapid prototyping and customized production of functional health‐related devices. With advancements in polymer chemistry and biomedical engineering, polymeric biomaterials have become integral to 3D‐printed biomedical applications. However, there still exists a bottleneck in the compatibility of polymeric biomaterials with different 3D printing methods, as well as intrinsic challenges such as limited printing resolution and rates. Therefore, this review aims to introduce the current state‐of‐the‐art in 3D‐printed functional polymeric health‐related devices. It begins with an overview of the landscape of 3D printing techniques, followed by an examination of commonly used polymeric biomaterials. Subsequently, examples of 3D‐printed biomedical devices are provided and classified into categories such as biosensors, bioactuators, soft robotics, energy storage systems, self‐powered devices, and data science in bioplotting. The emphasis is on exploring the current capabilities of 3D printing in manufacturing polymeric biomaterials into desired geometries that facilitate device functionality and studying the reasons for material choice. Finally, an outlook with challenges and possible improvements in the near future is presented, projecting the contribution of general 3D printing and polymeric biomaterials in the field of healthcare.

Abstract Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is characterized by excruciating facial pain usually caused by neurovascular compression of the trigeminal nerve roots. TN can be treated medically or invasively. Microvascular decompression is the procedure of choice and usually results in complete symptom relief. During surgical decompression, Teflon can be placed between the offending vessel and the nerve root entry zone. In some cases, chronic Teflon-related inflammation can cause recurrent TN, which might lead to additional surgical intervention. We present imaging and histopathological correlation of a patient presenting with intractable recurrent TN approximately 2 years after microvascular decompression with Teflon implant.