Travel to Health

  Nanoparticles  (NPs) are thought to have potential as novel intravascular probes for  both diagnostic (e.g., imaging) and therapeutic purposes (e.g., drug delivery) .  Critical issues for successful nanoparticle delivery include the ability: To target specific tissues and cell types   Endocytosis  (uptake into the cells) Targeting agent  (address tags) To escape from the biological particulate filter   Mononuclear Phagocyte System  (MPS; clearance of unwanted particulate material) Phagocytes and Nanoparticles Protection from Clearance by MPS  Main NP research question—how is particulate material recognized and cleared? In this article, we will cover the above five highlighted areas.  Note that the below topics are parts of the design considerations, but will not discussed here. Reduction in toxicity while maintaining therapeutic effects Greater safety and biocompatibility Figure 1.   Endocytosis (Created by Mariana Ruiz...

Vaccines against COVID-19 have been developed with unprecedented speed. In particular, mRNA vaccines — a technology already in clinical trials for other infectious diseases, such as influenza — have shown impressive efficacy in world-wide administration. However, allergic reactions including anaphylaxis have been found in some people after receipt of mRNA vaccines. [1] Anaphylaxis Anaphylaxis is a potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can cause rashes, a plummeting blood pressure, shortness of breath, and a fast heartbeat. It can occur with any vaccine, but are usually extremely rare— about one per 1 million doses . Based on a prospective cohort of health care employees, it found that: [3] 98% without any allergic reactions 2% reported some allergic symptoms Severe reactions consistent with anaphylaxis occurred at a rate of 2.47 per 10 000 vaccinations. All individuals with anaphylaxis recovered without shock or endotracheal intubation. Incidence rate of confirmed an...