We have synthesized a biomaterial consisting of Gd(III) ions chelated to lipid-coated, size-selected microbubbles for utility in both magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging. The macrocyclic ligand DOTA-NHS was bound to PE headgroups on the lipid shell of pre-synthesized microbubbles. Gd(III) was then chelated to DOTA on the microbubble shell. The reaction temperature was optimized to increas...

Multi-modal imaging plays a key role in the earlier detection of disease. In this work, a facile bioinspired method was developed to synthesize Gd-functionalized gold nanoclusters (Gd-Au NCs). The Gd-Au NCs exhibit a uniform size, with an average size of 5.6 nm in dynamic light scattering (DLS), which is a bit bigger than gold clusters (3.74 nm, DLS), while the fluorescent properties of Gd-Au N...

BACKGROUND Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is an incurable, debilitating disease found exclusively in patients with decreased kidney function and comprises a fibrosing disorder of the skin and systemic tissues. The disease is associated with exposure to gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents (GBCA) used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Tissue samples from many patients with NSF contain m...

Glycoprotein D (gD) of herpes simplex virus (HSV) binds to a host cell surface receptor, which is required to trigger membrane fusion for virion entry into the host cell. gD has become a validated anti-HSV target for therapeutic antibody development. The highly inhibitory human monoclonal antibody E317 (mAb E317) was previously raised against HSV gD for viral neutralization. To understand the s...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES There is increasing evidence that galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) and Gd-IgA1-containing immune complexes are important for the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). In the present study, we assessed a novel noninvasive multi-biomarker approach in the diagnostic test for IgAN. MATERIALS AND METHODS We compared serum levels of IgA, IgG, Gd-IgA1, Gd-IgA1-specific ...

Initial contact between herpesviruses and host cells is mediated by virion envelope glycoproteins which bind to cellular receptors. In several alphaherpesviruses, the nonessential glycoprotein gC has been found to interact with cell surface proteoglycans, whereas the essential glycoprotein gD is involved in stable secondary attachment. In addition, gD is necessary for penetration, which involve...

Liver tumors are common and imaging methods, particularly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), play an important role in their non-invasive diagnosis. Previous studies have shown that detection of liver tumors can be improved by injection of two different MR contrast agents. Here, we developed a new contrast agent, Gd-manganese-doped magnetism-engineered iron oxide (Gd-MnMEIO), with enhancement ef...

Four glycoproteins (gD, gB, gH, and gL) are essential for herpes simplex virus (HSV) entry into cells. An early step of fusion requires gD to bind one of several receptors, such as nectin-1 or herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM). We hypothesize that a conformational change in gD occurs upon receptor binding that triggers the other glycoproteins to mediate fusion. Comparison of the crystal structu...

Existing data suggest a negative correlation between maternal sleep deprivation and male offspring reproductive capability. However, there is dearth of information on the critical period of development during which reproductive organs may be programmed. Thirty pregnant rats were divided into six groups based on the Gestation Days (GD) during which they were sleep deprived as follows: GD 17 cont...