Keloid is an aberrant scarring process of the skin, characterized by excessive extracellular matrix synthesis and deposition. The pathogenesis of this prevalent cutaneous disorder is not fully understood; however, a persistent inflammatory process is observed. To obtain more insight into this process, we analyzed lesional, perilesional and healthy tissue using multi-antigen-analysis (MAA) in conjunction with a data mining approach. Here, we demonstrate that monocyte-derived inflammatory dendritic cells (CD1a+, CD11c+, CD14+) and activated CD4+ T lymphocytes (CD45 RO+) dominated the immune infiltration in keloids while associating with fibroblasts. In perilesional tissue, precursor immune cells were dominant in the perivascular area, suggesting that they were attracted by an immune process, potentially in the lesional area. Supporting this hypothesis, only in keloid lesions, high levels of ADAM10/17 and Neprilysin (CD10) were observed in both fibroblasts and leukocytes. The spatial proximity of these two cell types, which could be confirmed by image analysis only in lesional tissue, could be a potential factor leading to the activation of fibroblasts. Our findings provide new insight into the pathogenesis of keloid formation and reveal metalloproteinases as a target for therapeutical intervention.

Brain tumors are highly aggressive tumors characterized by secretions of high levels of matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9, leading to tumor growth, invasion and metastasis by digesting the basement membrane and extracellular matrix components. We previously demonstrated the effectiveness of a nutrient mixture (NM) containing ascorbic acid, lysine, proline, and green tea extract in vitro: on activity of urokinase plasminogen activator, matrix metalloproteinases and TIMPs in various human glioblastoma (LN-18, T-98G and A-172) cell lines and on glioblastoma A-172 cell proliferation and Matrigel invasion. Our main objective in this study was to investigate the effect of the NM in vivo on human glioblastoma U-87 MG cell line. Athymic male nude mice inoculated with 3·10(6) U-87 MG cells subcutaneously and were fed a regular diet or a regular diet supplemented with 0.5% NM. Four weeks later, the mice were sacrificed, the tumors were weighed and measured. The samples were studied histologically. NM inhibited tumor weight and tumor burden by 53% (p = 0.015) and 48% (p = 0.010), respectively. These results suggest the therapeutic potential of NM as an adjuvant in the treatment of glioblastoma.

Background: Although digital and data-based technologies are widespread in various industries in the context of Industry 4.0, the use of smart connected devices in health care is still in its infancy. Innovative solutions for the medical environment are affected by difficult access to medical device data and high barriers to market entry because of proprietary systems. Objective: In the proof-of-concept project OP 4.1, we show the business viability of connecting and augmenting medical devices and data through software add-ons by giving companies a technical and commercial platform for the development, implementation, distribution, and billing of innovative software solutions. Methods: The creation of a central platform prototype requires the collaboration of several independent market contenders, including medical users, software developers, medical device manufacturers, and platform providers. A dedicated consortium of clinical and scientific partners as well as industry partners was set up. Results: We demonstrate the successful development of the prototype of a user-centric, open, and extensible platform for the intelligent support of processes starting with the operating room. By connecting heterogeneous data sources and medical devices from different manufacturers and making them accessible for software developers and medical users, the cloud-based platform OP 4.1 enables the augmentation of medical devices and procedures through software-based solutions. The platform also allows for the demand-oriented billing of apps and medical devices, thus permitting software-based solutions to fast-track their economic development and become commercially successful. Conclusions: The technology and business platform OP 4.1 creates a multisided market for the successful development, implementation, distribution, and billing of new software solutions in the operating room and in the health care sector in general. Consequently, software-based medical innovation can be translated into clinical routine quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively, optimizing the treatment of patients through smartly assisted procedures.