TASK DEFINITION: Given a passage, construct a question on the basis of the information present in the passage. Construct the question in such a way that (i) it is unambiguous, (ii) it is answerable from the passage, (iii) its answer is unique (iv) it answer uses text phrases from the passage. Avoid creating questions that (i) can't be answered correctly without actually understanding the passage and (ii) uses the same words or phrases given in the passage.
PROBLEM: Embryonic-like stem cells (ELSCs) express embryonic stem cell-specific marker genes, such as SSEA-4, Oct-4 and Nanog, and can be induced to differentiate into cells of all 3 germ layers. Our preliminary data showed that ELSCs isolated from human bone marrow express multipotent antigen markers and differentiate into multinucleated myotube-like cells more efficiently than do mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) isolated from the same source. We investigated the therapeutic effect of ELSCs in dystrophin/utrophin double knock-out (dko) mice, one of the Duchenne muscular dystrophy animal models, by systemically transplanting them through tail-vein injection.', 'ELSCs and MSCs were both isolated from human bone marrow. Two months after equal amounts of ELSCs or MSCs were injected through tail-vein injection, we evaluated skeletal muscle motor function and serum creatine kinase activity and measured dystrophin expression by means of immunostaining, Western blotting and semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction.', 'ELSCs positive for Oct-4 and Nanog-3 expressed higher levels of SSEA-4, FZD-9 and CD105 and were induced to differentiate into myotube-like cells more efficiently than did MSCs in vitro. Transplantation of ELSCs through the tail vein improved motor function and decreased serum creatine kinase activity at 2 months after cell transplantation. In addition, dystrophin protein and messenger RNA were upregulated and the skeletal muscle histology was improved in these dko mice transplanted with ELSCs.

SOLUTION: Does systemic delivery of human bone marrow embryonic-like stem cells improve motor function of severely affected dystrophin/utrophin-deficient mice?

PROBLEM: Inadequate response of the innate immune system to bacterial antigens present in the intestinal flora may play a role in the development of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Pattern recognition receptors such as CD14, toll-like receptor (TLR) 4, and caspase-recruitment domain (CARD) 15 bind bacterial lipopolysaccharide and peptidoglycan, and their activation leads to production of inflammatory cytokines. Our aim was to evaluate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CD14, TLR4, and CARD15 are associated with the risk of NEC in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants.', 'We determined the CD14 C-260T, TLR4 A +896G, C +1196T, and CARD15 G +2722C, C +2104T, 3020insC functional SNPs in dried blood samples from 118 VLBW infants (of those, 41 developed NEC) and from 146 healthy term newborns using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism methods. We tested the association between genotype and risk of NEC.', 'No significant differences were found in the prevalence of CD14 -260T, TLR4 +896G, +1196T, and CARD15 +2722C, +2104T, 3020insC alleles between VLBW infants and healthy term newborns (P = NS). The frequencies of investigated genotypes were similar in infants with and without NEC (P = NS). Furthermore, we did not find any association between genotype and prematurity or sepsis, which are important risk factors of NEC.

SOLUTION: Are genetic polymorphisms of CD14 , toll-like receptor 4 , and caspase-recruitment domain 15 associated with necrotizing enterocolitis in very low birth weight infants?

PROBLEM: A number of gene therapy applications would benefit from vectors capable of expressing multiple genes. In this study we explored the feasibility and efficiency of expressing two or three transgenes in HIV-1 based lentiviral vector. Bicistronic and tricistronic self-inactivating lentiviral vectors were constructed employing the internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) sequence of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) and/or foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) cleavage factor 2A. We employed enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP), O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT), and homeobox transcription factor HOXB4 as model genes and their expression was detected by appropriate methods including fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry, immunocytochemistry, biochemical assay, and western blotting.', 'All the multigene vectors produced high titer virus and were able to simultaneously express two or three transgenes in transduced cells. However, the level of expression of individual transgenes varied depending on: the transgene itself; its position within the construct; the total number of transgenes expressed; the strategy used for multigene expression and the average copy number of pro-viral insertions. Notably, at limiting MOI, the expression of eGFP in a bicistronic vector based on 2A was approximately 4 times greater than that of an IRES based vector.

SOLUTION:
Do multicistronic lentiviral vectors containing the FMDV 2A cleavage factor demonstrate robust expression of encoded genes at limiting MOI?