DiGeorge syndrome is a disorder caused by a microdeletion on the long arm of chromosome 22. Approximately 1% of patients diagnosed with DiGeorge syndrome may have an absence of a functional thymus, which characterizes the complete form of the syndrome. These patients require urgent treatment to reconstitute T cell immunity. Thymus transplantation is a promising investigational procedure for reconstitution of thymic function in infants with congenital athymia. Here, we demonstrate a possible optimization of the preparation of thymus slices for transplantation through prior depletion of thymocytes and leukocyte cell lineages followed by cryopreservation with cryoprotective media (5% dextran FP 40, 5% Me2SO, and 5% FBS) while preserving tissue architecture. Thymus fragments were stored in liquid nitrogen at -196°C for 30 days or one year. The tissue architecture of the fragments was preserved, including the distinction between medullary thymic epithelial cells (TECs), cortical TECs, and Hassall bodies. Moreover, depleted thymus fragments cryopreserved for one year were recolonized by intrathymic injections of 3×106 thymocytes per mL, demonstrating the capability of these fragments to support T cell development. Thus, this technique opens up the possibility of freezing and storing large volumes of thymus tissue for immediate transplantation into patients with DiGeorge syndrome or atypical (Omenn-like) phenotype.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a capacidade de degradação do herbicida diclosulam por bactérias. Essas bactérias foram isoladas de solos procedentes de três importantes regiões de cultivo de soja do Brasil, as quais receberam a aplicação do herbicida diclosulam. Os testes foram conduzidos em shaker, sendo utilizado um meio de cultivo sintético. As características avaliadas foram: massa de glicose e diclosulam consumidos, velocidade de degradação do diclosulam e massa celular produzida. Embora todas elas tenham sido capazes de utilizar o diclosulam, os resultados indicaram que Klebsiella sp. foi mais eficiente e promissora para ser utilizada na biorremediação de áreas contaminadas com esse composto.

This work aimed to evaluate diclosulam degradation by ten bacteria strains isolated from soils collected from three important soybean cultivation regions in Brazil. The tests were conducted in a shaker using a synthetic medium. The evaluated parameters were: glucose mass and diclosulam consumed, diclosulam degradation rate, and cell mass produced. Although all the 10 bacteria strains could use diclosulam, the results showed that the bacterium strain Klebsiella sp. was the most efficient and promising for bioremediation of diclosulam-contaminated areas.