Intriguingly, hyper-activation of LIF signalling can even overrid

Intriguingly, hyper-activation of LIF signalling can even override the programmes induced by check details Activin and FGF in EpiSC, to promote the generation of chimaera-competent ES-like cells [55••]. In contrast, enforced Nanog expression in EpiSC lines cannot drive reprogramming without removal of Activin/FGF [6]. To determine whether extrinsic signals are dominant over intrinsic

determinants in dictating pluripotent states, it will be important to test the ability of LIF hyper-activation to reprogramme Nanog−/− EpiSC and whether Nanog overexpression can reprogramme EpiSC cell lines cultured in N2B27/Activin/FGF supplemented with LIF. As mentioned above, human ES cells can be established from pre-implantation embryos under conditions used to establish mouse post-implantation (not pre-implantation) pluripotent cell lines [2 and 3]. This raises the question of whether an equivalent of the mouse pre-implantation pluripotent state exists in humans. Attempts have been made to generate human ES cells that possess desirable traits of mouse ES cells such as clonogenicity [56, 57, 58 and 59•]. LIF-dependent human ES cells were obtained using Oct4/Sox2/Nanog/lin28 Vorinostat [56 and 60] or using Nanog alongside Oct4/Sox2/Klf4/myc [57]. LIF-dependent human cells express pre-implantation markers,

though to varying degrees [57, 58, 59• and 60]. Studies using Oct4/Sox2/Klf4/myc without Nanog found that conversion of human ES cells to a LIF-dependent Calpain state was possible either in the presence of a compounds that boost Klf4 expression [58] or by including an Nr5a2 transgene [59•]: both of these TFs can reprogramme EpiSCs [24 and 50]. With one notable exception [59•], these cells remain dependent on continued transgene expression [57 and 58] or signal modulators [56 and 60]. Perhaps, in these latter cases self-renewal of converted human ES cells is not robustly sustained because LIF signalling cannot sufficiently activate the pre-implantation PGRN which requires further

reinforcement from additional TFs. Nanog is crucial in driving establishment of pluripotency during specification of the pre-implantation epiblast and for maintenance of the specified PGC population later in development. By combining in vivo studies with results generated by in vitro reprogramming of Nanog−/− somatic cells, and the identification of Nanog transcriptional targets, at least two aspects of Nanog activity have emerged: first, Nanog regulates expression of other pre-implantation TFs, and thus stands close to the top of the transcriptional hierarchy governing the pre-implantation PGRN; second, Nanog interacts with a number of epigenetic factors [ 48•• and 61], targeting them to chromatin and possibly initiating reversion of repressive marks at silent genes during establishment of pluripotency ( Figure 3).

Eight-μm sections were obtained in an 820-II microtome (Reichert-

Eight-μm sections were obtained in an 820-II microtome (Reichert-Jung, Austria). Following xylol-based Epacadostat nmr paraffin removal and tissue rehydration, three 10-minute incubations in 3% hydrogen peroxide took place. Immunofluorescence assays followed standard protocols (Oiticica et al., 2010). Images were obtained by confocal microscopy (LSM510, Zeiss, Germany) after background subtraction from negative control (primary antibody omission). The means obtained for CMAP amplitude and latency for each group were analyzed by the Kruskal–Wallis test to determine if there was any difference among groups. Group-paired analyses for CMAP amplitude, segment axonal density or

diameter were performed with the Mann–Whitney test. Axonal density comparisons between different segments (proximal or distal) were by

the Wilcoxon (Mann–Whitney-U) test. All statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS, version 19.0). Significance level was 5% (p<0.05) unless when adjusted by the Bonferroni coefficient. The authors thank Dr. Ana Lúcia Garippo (Instituto do Coração, USP, São Paulo, Brazil) and Waldir Caldeira (Instituto de Biociências, USP, São Paulo, Brazil) for careful confocal microscope analyses. LAH and RFB acknowledge financial support from INCT Program Project (573633/2008-8, National Council for selleck compound Scientific and Technological Development, CNPq, Brasília, Brazil) and São Paulo Research Demeclocycline Foundation, FAPESP (CEPID 1998/14254-2) through the facilities of the Human Genome Research Center (Instituto de Biociências, USP, São Paulo, Brazil). Research has been funded by FAPESP grants 2008/00584-4 for HJZRC, 2008/53857-8 for LAH, and 2008/00972-4 for RFB. “
“The authors regret not including the funding of the study by the Else Kroener-Fresenius Foundation to B.S. “
“Aberrant expression of alpha-synuclein (SNCA) occurs in a number of diseases termed synucleinopathies, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), multiple system atrophy and dementia with Lewy bodies

(Marti et al., 2003). In familial forms of PD, SNCA is directly associated with disease pathogenesis due to three missense mutations in the SNCA gene or multiplication of the gene (Lee and Trojanowski, 2006). SNCA is further implicated in the pathogenesis of sporadic PD because it is a major protein component of intra-cytoplasmic inclusions termed Lewy bodies, a diagnostic hallmark of PD (Spillantini et al., 1997). These findings suggest that therapeutically targeting aberrant SNCA expression may ameliorate disease pathogenesis in both sporadic and familial PD. Many SNCA-based experimental models of PD have been created in an effort to better understand the role of SNCA in disease pathogenesis. Transgenic mouse models of PD in which SNCA is expressed under the control of various promoters allowing expression in a ubiquitous or cell-specific manner have been created.

Cases related to genetic mutations and metabolic abnormalities ha

Cases related to genetic mutations and metabolic abnormalities have also been described, although at least some of these cases also exhibited associated structural malformations. Even in some cases when no structural

lesion was evident on cranial imaging, postmortem examinations demonstrated evidence of a migration disorder or dysgenesis that was not previously appreciated on neuroimaging [3] and [16]. A variety of structural malformations have been associated with Ohtahara syndrome, including hemimegalencephaly [11] and [17], agenesis of the corpus callosum [3] and [8], porencephaly [8], agenesis of the mamillary bodies [18], and dentato-olivary dysplasia [17]. Hypoxic injury [3], cortical dysplasias, and cerebral migration disorders are also frequently described [16], [19] and [20]. Metabolic disorders that were reported to accompany Antidiabetic Compound Library ic50 Ohtahara syndrome include this website nonketotic hyperglycinemia [3], cytochrome C oxidase deficiency [21], pyridoxine dependency, carnitine palmitoyltransferase deficiency [11], and a case of Leigh encephalopathy [22]. More recently, a patient with biotinidase deficiency [23] and two patients with mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I deficiency were described [24] and [25]. One of the patients with respiratory

chain complex I deficiency also manifested microcephaly, thinning of the corpus callosum, and cortical atrophy [24]. The other patient with a similar complex 1 deficiency demonstrated normal cranial imaging [25]. Deficiencies in cytochrome C oxidase or respiratory chain complex I may result in energy depletion during development, in turn leading to demyelination and abnormalities in neuronal migration [26]. Underlying genetic mutations have been increasingly reported with Ohtahara syndrome. Mutations in the syntaxin binding protein 1 (STXBP1) gene, for example, have been described in Ohtahara syndrome since 2008 [27]. A proportion of patients with known

Ohtahara syndrome is now thought to manifest underlying STXBP1 mutations, although the exact number of such patients has varied from study to study, ranging from 10-13% [28] and [29] to 38% in the original report [27]. Similarly, mutations of the Aristaless-related homeobox (ARX) gene ASK1 have also been associated with Ohtahara syndrome [30], [31] and [32]. In keeping with the close relationship between the age-dependent epileptic encephalopathies, mutations in both ARX and STXBP1 have also been described in patients with West syndrome [28], [29] and [31]. Finally, two reports described patients with Ohtahara syndrome who had mutations in the solute carrier family 25 (SLC25A22) gene. Both patients were born to consanguinous parents [33]. As with the metabolic disturbances, the mechanisms by which these genetic abnormalities cause Ohtahara syndrome are thought to be related to brain dysgenesis or neuronal dysfunction.

In most cases, three or more replications will be necessary for a

In most cases, three or more replications will be necessary for appropriate statistical analysis. Confidence intervals and p-values obtained from an experiment, carried out at one

point in time, convey information about the plausible range and strength of treatment effects. This PD0332991 cost information has to be interpreted in terms of reproducibility, if similar experiments of same size were to be carried out in the future under the exact same conditions, except for differences through inclusion of additional explanatory variables in the statistical analysis (often using an analysis of covariance model). Thus, in view of this interpretation, one may be able to establish reproducibility of results at a single time point. However, in agricultural and biological research the impact of environment has to

be considered because biological effects may be affected by unpredictable ambient conditions in an otherwise well-designed experiment. Moreover, due to practical limitations in equipment and/or resources, climate conditions are often not recorded in detail. Lack of such information makes time useful, but a prerequisite for the inclusion of time as an explanatory variable in PI3K inhibitor any statistical analysis is variation over time in the experiment. Most experiments would need to be repeated independently over time in order to be able to claim any kind of reproducibility of results, independent of time. We acknowledge that there may be exceptions to this rule if biological systems are considered very constant and stable, but this would require convincing arguments; it is certainly Sorafenib datasheet not the case for commonly conducted field trials or laboratory experiments. One approach is to run separate statistical analyses for each point in time and subsequently combine and/or summarize results, either through biological reasoning or by using some statistical weighting scheme (e.g., Bozic et al., 2012 and Mennan

et al., 2012). Another approach is to consider a simultaneous model for all points in time. This approach will usually imply linear or nonlinear mixed-effects models that can incorporate the experiments replicated over time as random effects. By introducing these random effects, variation among experiments is explicitly addressed and estimated, next to the residual (within-experiment) variation. We separate the variation in time from the residual or other sources of variation. In other words, we separate random variation due to replication in time from variation due to experiments (Nature Editorial, 2014). We believe this approach should be adopted as the standard analysis. A related approach is to fit a simultaneous linear or nonlinear model without any random effects, but then subsequently adjust confidence intervals and p-values through so-called robust standard errors to incorporate the variation in time (e.g.

In particular, it has been suggested that the low transcriptional

In particular, it has been suggested that the low transcriptional activity of perinuclear heterochromatin is a

consequence of nuclear lamina-mediated gene silencing [50]. The nuclear lamina which is comprised of a meshwork of type V intermediate filament proteins (lamins) and other associated proteins (reviewed in [51]) provides the interface between the inner nuclear membrane, nuclear pore complex and the nearby chromatin. Associations of large regions of chromatin, termed lamin associated domains (LADs) Selleckchem Rucaparib with the nuclear lamina is generally associated with transcriptional repression [52], however relocation to the periphery is not always sufficient for gene silencing [53], nor is it necessary as many inactive loci are located within the nucleoplasm away from the nuclear periphery. Nonetheless the association with, and disassociation of Venetoclax order gene loci from the nuclear lamina and corresponding changes in transcriptional status, for example during embryonic stem cell differentiation [52], implicates this nuclear compartment in the regulation of gene expression. Recent studies have advanced our understanding of how genes relocate to and from the

nuclear periphery. In S. cerevisiae the INO1 gene relocates to the nuclear pore complex (NPC) upon transcriptional activation [ 54]. This relocation is controlled by two upstream 8 bp and 20 bp DNA elements termed ‘DNA zip codes’ which are sufficient for relocation and clustering at the NPC [ 55••], suggesting that the genome itself encodes for its spatial organization. DNA elements can also mediate gene repositioning in mammalian cells. The IgH and Cyp3a loci are located OSBPL9 within LADs that dissociate from the nuclear lamina in cell types in which these genes are actively transcribed [ 56]. Integration of BACs containing these genomic regions into a control locus relocates the locus

to the nuclear periphery [ 57••]. Through a series of truncation experiments, Singh and colleagues identified a 4–6 kb minimal sequence element at these loci that is sufficient to target the surrounding DNA region to the nuclear periphery and consequently attenuate transcription of a reporter gene [ 57••]. This sequence element is enriched with the GAGA motif, which when inserted as 10 copies in a 400 bp array, is sufficient to target a DNA locus to the lamina. The sequestration at the lamina could be partially inhibited through knockdown of either the zinc finger protein cKrox, which binds the GAGA motif, or the histone deacetylase HDAC3 [ 57••]. Therefore, chromatin modifications, in addition to the DNA sequence elements, may also be involved in positioning genes at the nuclear periphery. This is further supported by findings implicating histone deactylases in targeting the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene to the nuclear periphery in non-expressing cells [ 58].

No caso particular do nosso doente a simples repetição da EDA, co

No caso particular do nosso doente a simples repetição da EDA, com progressão duodenal profunda, foi suficiente para estabelecer o diagnóstico, evitando o recurso a outras metodologias mais dispendiosas e de acesso limitado. Dado que o doente tinha realizado previamente 2 EDA, com a última a mostrar a presença de estase gástrica, optou-se pela repetição deste procedimento endoscópico com recurso a um endoscópio terapêutico. Este instrumento, de

maior calibre e rigidez, permite, Vemurafenib price por norma, uma maior profundidade de inserção duodenal comparativamente ao endoscópio convencional. A outra alternativa seria recorrer a um enteroscópio de pulsão dedicado ou mesmo um colonoscópio pediátrico ou convencional. O único procedimento potencialmente curativo é a ressecção radical da lesão. A duodenopancreactectomia cefálica (procedimento de Whipple) é o tratamento cirúrgico que satisfaz os princípios fundamentais considerados numa cirurgia neoplásica curativa, já que consegue realizar uma ressecção em bloco da lesão com linfadenectomia10. No entanto, em tumores duodenais distais (terceira e quarta porções) estudos retrospetivos não demonstraram benefício da duodenopancreactectomia comparativamente

à ressecção segmentar do duodeno. Alguns SB431542 research buy autores advogam mesmo a realização de segmentectomia do duodeno, tendo como vantagens uma menor taxa de mortalidade e morbilidade, com igual capacidade de resseção e limpeza ganglionar11, 12, 13 and 14. O doente apresentado foi sujeito ao procedimento mais invasivo, com a realização de pancreaticoduodenectomia radical com pancreato, hepático

e gastrojejunostomia, com boa evolução no período pós-operatório. O papel da terapêutica adjuvante (quimioterapia e/ou radioterapia) após ressecção do adenocarcinoma do intestino delgado permanece indefinido15. 4��8C No entanto, tem-se verificado uma utilização crescente da quimioterapia adjuvante na doença localmente avançada, sendo esta recomendada por vários autores (grau 2 C)16. No presente caso clínico (estádio IIIA) poderia ter sido considerada a realização deste tipo de terapêutica. O adenocarcinoma primário do duodeno é uma neoplasia agressiva, apresentando uma sobrevida global aos 5 anos de aproximadamente 25%17, que pode ser significativamente aumentada até 54% através da ressecção com intuitos curativos14, o que se traduz num melhor prognóstico comparado com lesões neoplásicas vizinhas, nomeadamente neoplasia do pâncreas e vias biliares. O fator de prognóstico isoladamente mais importante na doença potencialmente ressecável é o envolvimento ganglionar16 and 18. Lesões localizadas na primeira ou segunda porção do duodeno, sem invasão linfática e margens cirúrgicas negativas, estão associadas a melhor prognóstico. Outros fatores associados à sobrevida são o estádio histológico, profundidade de invasão, tamanho tumoral e metastização ganglionar17 and 19.

375 and 0 75 mg/kg), it decreased at higher doses (4 4–7 0% at 1

375 and 0.75 mg/kg), it decreased at higher doses (4.4–7.0% at 1 day to 0.84–3.5% at 26 weeks after administration for 1.5–6.0 mg/kg). At higher doses, this low fraction could be associated with delayed clearance from lung. Previous studies indicated that the lavagable fraction of ultrafine TiO2 particles in lung corresponded to 69%, which was calculated using the tissue fraction (15.4%) and the equation (Tissue fraction = 1 − 1.23 × lavaged fraction), 1 day after check details intratracheal administration of approximately 2.3 mg/kg (0.5 mg/rat) (Oberdörster et al., 1992) and 19% 7 days after intratracheal administration of approximately 2 mg/kg (0.52 mg/rat)

(Sager et al., 2008). In the present study, 6.0% and 7.0% of the administered TiO2 nanoparticles were lavaged 1 day after administration of 1.5 and 3.0 mg/kg, respectively, and 6.3% and 3.8% 7 days after administration of 1.5 and 3.0 mg/kg. Therefore, comparing similar doses and observation timings, the fractions in the present study were smaller than those reported previously. In these three studies, the animals were of the same strain and sex (Fisher F344 rat; male) and their body weight

were similar (220 g in Oberdörster et al. (1992), 200–300 g in Sager et al. (2008); and 215–273 g in our study). The primary sizes of the TiO2 nanoparticles were also similar among the three studies: ∼20 nm in Oberdörster et al. (1992) and 21 nm in Sager et al. (2008) and in our study. However, BALF was sampled using 2 × 7 mL washes with saline in the Thiamet G present study, compared to 10 × 5 mL washes (Oberdörster et al., 1992) or 2 × 6 mL washes followed by several 8 mL washes, up to a total of 80 mL (Sager et al., 2008). selleck products This was consistent with our observation of fewer macrophages and neutrophils in BALF, compared to those

reported in previous studies (Table S1) (Oberdörster et al., 1992 and Sager et al., 2008). Therefore, the smaller fraction in the present study could be due to the milder BALF sampling. The lavagable fraction in the present study could be either the particles internalized in the lavagable alveolar macrophages and/or the free particles in the airspaces. Oberdörster et al. (1992) considered that 1.23 times the lavagable fraction is retained in the alveolar space and the rest is located in the tissue. Sager et al. (2008) considered the lavagable fraction as the particles internalized by lavagable alveolar macrophages or presenting as free particles in the airspaces. Since BALF sampling was milder in our study than in the previous studies, the number of particles in lavagable macrophages and/or free particles in the air space might be larger than the lavagable fraction obtained in the present study. In previous studies, after inhalation exposure to TiO2 nanoparticles, TiO2 was only detected in the lungs and lung-associated lymph nodes, and was below the detection limit of <500 ng/organ in other organs (Bermudez et al., 2004, Ma-Hock et al.

Different measurement methods

have been used by researche

Different measurement methods

have been used by researchers to gain an understanding of the diffusion rate of specific CPAs in cartilage and similar tissues. Sharma et al. [92] and Jomha et al. [51] calculated the overall uptake of four commonly used CPAs in cartilage discs by measuring the osmolality of a known amount of phosphate-buffered saline in which the treated cartilage disc had been equilibrated over 24 h. Using a similar approach, Pegg et al. [106] used high performance BIBW2992 order liquid chromatography (HPLC) to measure Me2SO content in discs of cartilage. Wusteman et al. [113] did not directly measure the overall concentration, but used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to measure the melting point of the tissue sample after

freezing for direct application in their step-cooling protocol. In a few other studies, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to evaluate the overall CPA content of the tissue [34], [43] and [80]. Mukherjee et al. (2008) used MRI to obtain total Me2SO concentration in cartilage dowels [71]. The data acquired in these experiments were either used directly in the design of the stepwise protocols, or were fed to models AG-014699 mouse such as Fick’s law of diffusion to calculate the effective diffusion coefficient of the CPA in cartilage for making further predictions. The study by Isbell et al. [43] was the first to demonstrate the possibility of collecting spatially resolved data of the dynamics of CPA diffusion in rat kidney

and liver tissues. However, Cediranib (AZD2171) the application of the acquired data was limited to the calculation of an effective diffusion coefficient in the tissue. A recent study by Abazari et al. (2012) was the first to experimentally spatiotemporally resolve the uptake of Me2SO in cartilage dowels during the course of a 1-h experiment using MRI [3]. The data presented in that study showed that the heterogeneities in cartilage matrix collagen and GAG protein network have minimal effect on the distribution of a nonionic solute such as Me2SO, and that, in full-thickness healthy porcine cartilage, the diffusion of Me2SO is not significantly hindered due to matrix orientation and density across the thickness, and that the diffusion is abruptly impeded at the bone-cartilage interface, as previously suggested [78]. A nonuniform distribution of CPA due to the thickness produces a subsequent nonuniform pattern of damage, so that the chondrocytes may survive in some regions while experiencing more damage in other regions. This makes it even more difficult to analyze the CPA toxicity effects during loading.

Capsule contributes to the overall virulence and protects S pneu

Capsule contributes to the overall virulence and protects S. pneumoniae from phagocytosis. In 2000, the 7-valent pneumococcal-diphtheria CRM197 protein conjugate vaccine (PCV-7; Prevnar; Wyeth, USA) was introduced for pediatric use. The vaccine is composed of the seven serotypes that were the most common causes of invasive diseases in the US and often confer drug-resistance in children: ABT888 19F, 14, 6B, 23F, 9V, 18C, and 4. PCV-7

has been shown to be effective against invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) caused by serotypes contained in the vaccine [5], [6] and [7]. After the introduction of PCV-7 in young children, the rates of IPD decreased significantly not only in the vaccinated age group but also in elderly persons who did not receive vaccine [8]. The decline in IPD in the elderly

was significant compared to the prior period when pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV-23) was the only vaccine available and recommended for the elderly [9] and [10]. Due to serotype specific efficacy, the better serotype coverage should improve the efficacy of the vaccine. In our previous study [11], we studied pneumococcal isolates from children <5 years old with ABT-263 datasheet invasive pneumococcal disease in Thailand from 2000 to 2005 and found serotype coverage of 73.9% and 87.8% by PCV-7 and PCV13, respectively. In June 2006, PCV-7 became available in Thailand, but has not been included in the National Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI). The goal of this study was to monitor serotype coverage of PCV and drug susceptibility in children and over adults after vaccine availability. The information from this study may guide vaccine development and direction of health

policy. A total of 174 S. pneumoniae isolates from normally sterile sites were obtained from patients admitted to the hospitals under a collaborative network including 4 tertiary care public hospitals, Siriraj Hospital, Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bhumipol Aduljadej Hospital, and 10 other smaller (6 private and 4 public) hospitals, from January 2006 to February 2009. These were all the isolates available from the clinical specimens during the period mentioned at the sites. The catchment area in this study included 3 provinces located in central Thailand (Bangkok, Nakorn Pratom and Nonthaburi). Two isolates died during subculture, therefore 172 isolates were delivered to the microbiological laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Siriraj Hospital for serotyping and drug susceptibility test. Another 42 isolates from non-sterile sites in children younger than 5 years were randomly collected from Siriraj Hospital were included in the study. The isolates were confirmed to be S. pneumoniae by optochin test, bile solubility test and kept at −70 °C in 5% trypticase soy broth plus 20% (v/v) glycerol until use [12].

Funding for this study was provided by WHO Larisa Rudenko is an

Funding for this study was provided by WHO. Larisa Rudenko is an employee of the Institute of Experimental Medicine in St.Petersburg, Russia, an independent research organization, and maintained independent scientific control over the study, including data analysis and interpretation of final results. Irina Kiseleva, Anatoly Naikhin and Natalie Larionova are also employee of the Institute of Experimental Medicine in St.Petersburg, Russia. Han van den Bosch was at the time of the studies an employee of Nobilon International in The Netherlands, and provided free technology and advice through a license

agreement with the WHO. Alexander Mironov and Dimitri Bushmenkov are employee at Microgen Federal State Company in Moscow, Russia, and provided free advice. All authors state that they have no conflict of interest. The authors express appreciation to Ab Osterhaus Palbociclib price at ViroClinics for assistance in developing the ferret data; this website and WHO for support to the reconstruction of influenza laboratories in St Petersburg to meet international standards. “
“In May 2006, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a Global Pandemic Influenza Action Plan to increase influenza vaccine supply for the world [1]. The overriding aim of the Action Plan was to decrease the obvious shortfall between demand

for a pandemic vaccine and the available production capacity if a severe pandemic should occur. A significant part of the agenda focused on building influenza vaccine production capacity in developing countries that would not otherwise have access to a pandemic vaccine to protect their populations. However, because of the lack of know-how and production facilities for influenza vaccine in

these countries, the need for considerable and expeditious technology transfer to build new production capacity becomes a major challenge. After receiving funds for influenza vaccine technology transfer, WHO moved rapidly to make vaccine others production a reality. Developing country vaccine manufacturers were systematically encouraged to submit proposals for influenza vaccine production, and a process was set up to review the proposals. Central to that review process was a WHO internal coordinating group in Geneva and an independent, international review committee, dubbed the Technical Advisory Group (TAG). The eight members of TAG (Table 1), appointed in their personal capacity, have industrial influenza vaccine production expertise and/or relevant regulatory experience that allows them to understand both the challenges ahead of the applicants and the local, regional and global effects and benefits that the WHO seed grants might have.