Neurodevelopmental disorders encompass diverse, dynamic and interactive childhood-onset symptoms, which can include sensory deficits, motor impairments, epilepsies, intellectual disabilities and mental health difficulties. Until recently, the cause of each individual's disorder was most often unknown. Now, genomic analysis can diagnose a specific cause in 60% of severely affected children (Gilissen et al., 2014), and the catalogue of genetic diagnoses associated with neurodevelopmental disorders has rapidly expanded to more than 1,500 confirmed genes (https://www.ebi.ac.uk/gene2 pheno type). This step-change in aetiological diagnosis yields new opportunities to understand the multi-level mechanisms contributing to each individual's difficulties and, potentially, to treat their underlying brain dysfunction rather than (or in addition to) their onthe-surface symptoms.
Innate immune responses can be activated by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) or danger signals released by damaged tissues. As PAMPs are typically conserved across broad groups of pathogens but absent from the host, it is unclear whether they allow hosts to recognize parasites that are phylogenetically related to themselves, such as parasitoid wasps infecting insects. Parasitoids must penetrate the cuticle of Drosophila larvae to inject their eggs. In line with previous results, we find that the danger signal of wounding triggers the differentiation of specialized immune cells called lamellocytes. However, using oil droplets to mimic infection by a parasitoid wasp egg, we find that the activation of melanization response that kills parasitoids also requires exposure to a parasitoid wasp molecule that acts as a PAMP. The unidentified factor enhances the transcriptional response in hemocytes and induces a specific response in the fat body that includes Tep1, which is essential for efficient melanization. We conclude that a combination of danger signals and PAMPs are required activate Drosophila's immune response against parasitic insects.
Radical prostatectomy (RP) is a standard treatment for men with localised prostate cancer. Robot-assisted RP (RARP) is associated with fewer intraoperative adverse events, reduced blood loss and lower complication rates compared to open and laparoscopic RP but delivers comparable oncological and functional outcomes [1]. Furthermore, the use of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) pathways for RARP, have improved patient recovery and experience, reducing costs and maintaining patient safety [2].
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