Improvements of Virtual and Augmented Reality for Advanced Treatments in Urology

Present signs of development in virtual and augmented reality have offered an important amount of inventive outfits into the customer market. Virtual reality (VR) technology has now affected the optimistic features of treatment. Surgeries in especially urology are constantly emerging, and the virtual reality model has become an important supplement in urologist teaching and training lists. This chapter provides a summary of the significance and varieties of virtual reality methods, their present applications in the area of urology (surgery), and upcoming implications.

NK cell upraise in the dark world of cancer stem cells

One of the obstacles in treating different cancers, especially solid tumors, is cancer stem cells (CSCs) with their ability in resistance to chemo/radio therapy. The efforts for finding advanced treatments to overcome these cells have led to the emergence of advanced immune cell-based therapy (AICBT). Today, NK cells have become the center of attention since they have been proved to show an appropriate cytotoxicity against different cancer types as well as the capability of detecting and killing CSCs. Attempts for reaching an off-the-shelf source of NK cells have been made and resulted in the emergence of chimeric antigen receptor natural killer cells (CAR-NK cells). The CAR technology has then been used for generating more cytotoxic and efficient NK cells, which has increased the hope for cancer treatment. Since utilizing this advanced technology to target CSCs have been published in few studies, the present study has focused on discussing the characteristics of CSCs, which are detected and targeted by NK cells, the advantages and restrictions of using CAR-NK cells in CSCs treatment and the probable challenges in this process.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, antibiotic resistance genes, and antibiotic residues in wastewater from a poultry slaughterhouse after conventional and advanced treatments

Slaughterhouse wastewater is considered a reservoir for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and antibiotic residues, which are not sufficiently removed by conventional treatment processes. This study focuses on the occurrence of ESKAPE bacteria (Enterococcus spp., S. aureus, K. pneumoniae, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp.), ESBL (extended-spectrum β-lactamase)-producing E. coli, antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and antibiotic residues in wastewater from a poultry slaughterhouse. The efficacy of conventional and advanced treatments (i.e., ozonation) of the in-house wastewater treatment plant regarding their removal was also evaluated. Target culturable bacteria were detected only in the influent and effluent after conventional treatment. High abundances of genes (e.g., blaTEM, blaCTX-M-15, blaCTX-M-32, blaOXA-48, blaCMY and mcr-1) of up to 1.48 × 106 copies/100 mL were detected in raw influent. All of them were already significantly reduced by 1–4.2 log units after conventional treatment. Following ozonation, mcr-1 and blaCTX-M-32 were further reduced below the limit of detection. Antibiotic residues were detected in 55.6% (n = 10/18) of the wastewater samples. Despite the significant reduction through conventional and advanced treatments, effluents still exhibited high concentrations of some ARGs (e.g., sul1, ermB and blaOXA-48), ranging from 1.75 × 102 to 3.44 × 103 copies/100 mL. Thus, a combination of oxidative, adsorptive and membrane-based technologies should be considered.

Revolutions in arthroscopic wrist surgeries

Recent technical and technological developments in wrist arthroscopic surgery allow for advanced treatments of difficult wrist disorders. In this review, world leaders of wrist arthroscopy describe bone graft for scaphoid nonunion, transosseous repair for triangular fibrocartilage fovea avulsion, palmaris longus reconstruction of the triangular fibrocartilage, and arthroscopic reconstruction of the scapholunate and lunotriquetral ligaments.

Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of demyelinating diseases

Demyelinating diseases, especially multiple sclerosis (MS) is not only medical but also socio-economic issue. Unsatisfactory quality of life and high degree of disability in these patients require the implementation of the advanced treatments, such as stem cell transplantation. Numerous experimental and clinical studies are being conducted, revealing new mechanisms of the action of stem cells in demyelinating diseases. Further research is needed to understand many more aspects of clinical use. This review is devoted to the use of regenerative cell technologies in the treatment of demyelinating diseases, the current state and prospects of the approach to the treatment of such pathology with stem cells.

Co-Opting Host Receptors for Targeted Delivery of Bioconjugates—From Drugs to Bugs

Bioconjugation has allowed scientists to combine multiple functional elements into one biological or biochemical unit. This assembly can result in the production of constructs that are targeted to a specific site or cell type in order to enhance the response to, or activity of, the conjugated moiety. In the case of cancer treatments, selectively targeting chemotherapies to the cells of interest limit harmful side effects and enhance efficacy. Targeting through conjugation is also advantageous in delivering treatments to difficult-to-reach tissues, such as the brain or infections deep in the lung. Bacterial infections can be more selectively treated by conjugating antibiotics to microbe-specific entities; helping to avoid antibiotic resistance across commensal bacterial species. In the case of vaccine development, conjugation is used to enhance efficacy without compromising safety. In this work, we will review the previously mentioned areas in which bioconjugation has created new possibilities and advanced treatments.