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Both excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and impaired antioxidant function are found in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Therefore, individual susceptibility towards CKD can be induced by functional variations of genes encoding antioxidant regulatory (nuclear factor erythroid 2 - related factor 2 (Nrf2)) and catalytic (superoxide dismutase (SOD2) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX1)) proteins. Several types of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been found within the genes encoding these proteins, with Nrf2 (-617C/A), SOD2 (Ala16Val) and GPX1 (Pro198Leu) conferring impaired catalytic activity. The most unexplored gene polymorphism in CKD susceptibility, progression and survival, with only two original studies published, is the Nrf2 (-617C/A) polymorphism. The results of these studies showed that there was no individual impact of this polymorphism on the susceptibility towards end stage renal disease (ESRD) development, oxidative phenotype and mortality. However, Nrf2 had a significant role in ESRD risk and survival, when combined with other antioxidant genes. The results regarding the impact of SOD2 (Ala16Val) and GPX1 (Pro198Leu) polymorphisms on either CKD or ESRD are still inconclusive. Namely, some studies showed that patients having variant SOD2 (Val) or GPX1 (Leu) allele were at increased risk of CKD development and progression, while other studies reported only weak or no association between these polymorphisms and CKD. Surprisingly, the only study that reported an association of GPX1 polymorphism with overall/cardiovascular survival in ESRD patients showed a significant impact of low activity GPX1 (Leu/Leu) genotype on better survival. In this review, we comprehensively and critically appraise the literature on these polymorphisms related to oxidative stress in CKD patients, in order to identify gaps and provide recommendations for further clinical research and translation. New developments in the field of antioxidant polymorphisms in CKD patients could lead to better stratification of CKD patients, based on a prognostic antioxidant gene panel, and provide a more personalised medicine approach for the need of antioxidant therapy in these patients.

This editorial discusses the long-term effects of preeclampsia, a dangerous pregnancy complication, on both mothers and their offspring. It highlights the increased risk of cardiac disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, and hormonal, metabolic, and neurodevelopmental disturbances. The article emphasizes the need for ongoing research to understand the mechanisms of preeclampsia and develop effective treatments. It also discusses the importance of biomarkers in predicting and managing preeclampsia and suggests educational opportunities for patients to raise awareness about the condition's long-term effects. Additionally, the article explores the impact of preeclampsia on cerebrovascular health, neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring, and the increased risk of systemic cardiovascular, metabolic, and reproductive diseases. The authors disclose financial support for the research and declare no conflicts of interest. [Extracted from the article]

Preeclampsia is a heterogeneous and multiorgan cardiovascular disorder of pregnancy. Here, we report the development of a novel strip‐based lateral flow assay (LFA) using lanthanide‐doped upconversion nanoparticles conjugated to antibodies targeting two different biomarkers for detection of preeclampsia. We first measured circulating plasma FKBPL and CD44 protein concentrations from individuals with early‐onset preeclampsia (EOPE), using ELISA. We confirmed that the CD44/FKBPL ratio is reduced in EOPE with a good diagnostic potential. Using our rapid LFA prototypes, we achieved an improved lower limit of detection: 10 pg ml−1 for FKBPL and 15 pg ml−1 for CD44, which is more than one order lower than the standard ELISA method. Using clinical samples, a cut‐off value of 1.24 for CD44/FKBPL ratio provided positive predictive value of 100 % and the negative predictive value of 91 %. Our LFA shows promise as a rapid and highly sensitive point‐of‐care test for preeclampsia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug-delivery vehicles have garnered immense interest in recent years due to unparalleled progress made in material science and nanomedicine. However, the development of stimuli-responsive devices with controllable drug-release systems (DRSs) is still in its nascent stage. In this paper, we designed a two-way controlled drug-release system that can be promoted and prolonged, using the external stimulation of near-infrared light (NIR) and protein coating. A hierarchical nanostructure was fabricated using upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs)—mesoporous silica as the core-shell structure with protein lysozyme coating. The mesoporous silica shell provides abundant pores for the loading of drug molecules and a specific type of photosensitive molecules. The morphology and the physical properties of the nanostructures were thoroughly characterized. The results exhibited the uniform core-shell nanostructures of ~four UCNPs encapsulated in one mesoporous silica nanoparticle. The core-shell nanoparticles were in the spherical shape with an average size of 200 nm, average surface area of 446.54 m2/g, and pore size of 4.6 nm. Using doxorubicin (DOX), a chemotherapy agent as the drug model, we demonstrated that a novel DRS with capacity of smart modulation to promote or inhibit the drug release under NIR light and protein coating, respectively. Further, we demonstrated the therapeutic effect of the designed DRSs using breast cancer cells. The reported novel controlled DRS with dual functionality could have a promising potential for chemotherapy treatment of solid cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]