Panek, A. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2025

Locally persistent lineages are an important component of zoonotic foodborne pathogen Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O157:H7 disease ecology

Evidence suggests that Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains do not persist at the farm level. We hypothesized that ecosystem-level STEC persistence occurs and contributes significantly to disease burden. We tested this by identifying locally persistent lineages (LPLs) of STEC O157:H7 in Minnesota. We identified 15 distinct LPLs, which were associated with 35.3% of reported cases in Minnesota and persisted for 1.3 to 8.6 years. LPLs were associated with multiple outbreaks with Minnesota sources and no multi-state outbreaks, and LPL cases were spatially clustered. Our findings show long-term persistence in defined geographic areas, suggesting the importance of ecosystem-level persistence. SummaryShiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) persistence is poorly understood. This study examined long-term STEC persistence. Locally persistent lineages (LPLs) of STEC O157:H7 contributed significantly to disease burden and persisted up to 8.6 years. LPLs suggest the importance of ecosystem-level persistence.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2023

High resolution optical spectroscopy for the evaluation of cannabidiol efficiency as a radiation therapy support of peripheral nervous system tumors

An increasing number of scientific papers discuss the promising therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) not only for the treatment of cancer, but also for asthma and neurodegenerative disorders. This happens mainly due to its proven anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. In the field of cancer research, the use of CBD has already been investigated on malignant tumors of the central nervous system, like gliomas. So far, CBD has not yet been explored in the therapy of peripheral nervous system (PNS) tumors. Peripheral nerves reside outside the central nervous system, therefore peripheral nerve tumors can occur anywhere in the body. When the tumor develops within large blood vessels, spinal nerves or involves more than one peripheral nerve, radiotherapy is recommended. Due to high doses of ionizing radiation, complications such as dizziness, damage to adjacent nerves, or malignancy of the lesion may occur. Therefore, it is important to develop a treatment scheme that efficiently reduces tumor volume while maintaining the normal functions of the surrounding cells and decrease the side effects. Herein, we proposed to combine hyperspectral imaging using Raman and FTIR spectroscopy and AFM-IR technique as a novel approach to monitor the therapeutic efficacy of CBD. Performed studies reviled the dual effect of CBD, that protects normal cells from ionizing radiation and increases its toxicity in cancer cells.

biophysics↗