Nyhetsbrev 12/2023 Newsletter |
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Pharmaceutical Sciences Laboratory, Åbo Akademi |
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Året kommer till ett slut och vi är ivriga att avluta det med sista nyhetsbrevet av 2023. Vi ses igen nästa år! ---- The year is coming to an end, and we are excited to wrap it up with the last newsletter of 2023. We will meet again next year! Trevlig läsning! | Happy reading! |
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Innehåll | Table of Contents |
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Nyheter Kommande evenemang Hälsningar från möten Nya PSL-medlemmar Projekt/finansiering Nya publikationer
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News Upcoming events Greetings from meetings New PSL members Projects/financing New publications
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Melomanes School of Nanomedicine and Cancer Immunotherapy On 24-25.10. we hosted an interdisciplinary and international School of Nanomedicine and Cancer Immunotherapy covering topics on how nanomedicine and novel immunotherapies are opening new roads for cancer treatments. The school also featured a workshop on ’career development beyond academia’ on day 3 in Joki, BioCity. These two events were aimed especially at early-stage researchers interested in getting a broad overview of these fields of research and of their future career. The events were organised by Melomanes, an European Doctoral Network gathering 25 academic and non-academic participants from 11 European countries, to develop an innovative immunotherapy treatment enhanced by nanoparticles. Read more about the event on the dedicated website: https://melomanes.eu/school-of-nanomedicine-and-immunotherapy-turku-24th-25th-october-2023/ Den 24-25 oktober stod vi värd för en tvärvetenskaplig och internationell School of Nanomedicine and Cancer Immunotherapy som behandlade bl.a. hur nanomediciner och nya immunterapier öppnar nya vägar för cancerbehandlingar. Skolan innehöll också en workshop om "karriärutveckling utanför den akademiska världen" dag 3 i Joki i BioCity. Dessa två evenemang riktade sig särskilt till unga forskare som är intresserade av att få en bred översikt över dessa forskningsområden och sin framtida karriär. Evenemangen anordnades av Melomanes, ett europeiskt doktorandnätverk som samlar 25 akademiska och icke-akademiska deltagare från 11 europeiska länder för att utveckla en innovativ immunterapibehandling som förstärks av nanopartiklar. Läs mer om evenemanget på webbplatsen: https://melomanes.eu/school-of-nanomedicine-and-immunotherapy-turku-24th-25th-october-2023/ |
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Kemistklubben vid ÅA r.f. 100 årsjubileum. Den 11.11. ställdes det till med en hejdundrande Baal på Logomo för 850 personer som ville fira den 100-åriga Kemistklubben. Med bland gästerna fanns förstås också farmacins lärarkårs KK:are, Johan som uppträdde med Benzen Singers och Jessica som en av de största sponsorerna Tekniska Föreningen i Finland (TFiF) representant. Därmed passade vi även på att ta en fin bild med Ex Tempore-repparna (se bild bredvid). Jessica blev också förärad KKs seniormedlemskap på Solenna akten, och festen fortsatte tidigt nästa dag med sillis för 500 (anmälda) personer på hemlig destination så det gällde att vara i tid till sin tilldelade buss! |
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Opening ceremony of Bayer’s new production plant On 21.9. we celebrated the opening of Bayer’s new production facility in Turku. The new state-of-the-art plant is part of Bayer's 250 million investment, which also includes modernisation of the existing plant. Turku, the contraceptive capital of the world, exports contraceptive products to more than 130 countries. Very timely, the event took place in the week before World Contraception Day and was a unique opportunity to participate in current discussions with leading experts in the field. Participants at the Invited Guest Event included politicians, policy makers, partners from the innovation ecosystem and universities, NGOs, the media and Bayer. Invigningsceremoni av Bayers nya produktionsanläggning. Den 21.9. firade vi invigningen av Bayers nya produktionsanläggning i Åbo. Den nya toppmoderna anläggningen är en del av Bayers investering på 250 miljoner, som också omfattar modernisering av den befintliga anläggningen. Åbo, världens huvudstad för preventivmedel, exporterar preventivmedel till mer än 130 länder. Lägligt nog, ägde evenemanget rum veckan före världsdagen för preventivmedel (World Contraception Day) och var ett unikt tillfälle att delta i aktuella diskussioner med ledande experter inom området. Bland deltagarna vid evenemanget som endast var till för inbjudna gäster fanns politiker, beslutsfattare, partners från innovationsekosystemet och universiteten, icke-statliga organisationer, media och förstås Bayer. Bild: Jessica, Manja Ahola (Bayer) & Kei Heikkilä (ÅA). |
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50 år av farmaci i Kuopio Den 28.10. firade Östra Finlands Universitet i Kuopio 50 år av farmaci med ett festseminarium och en stor festbankett på musikhuset tillsammans med Fortis r.f. Tappi representerade ÅA Farmaci. Jubiléet har egna nätsidor: https://sites.uef.fi/farmasia50/ 50 years of pharmacy in Kuopio On 28.10. the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio celebrated 50 years of pharmacy with a celebratory seminar and a big banquet at the Kuopio music hall together with the Pharmacy Student Assocation Fortis. Tappi represented ÅA Pharmacy. The anniversary has its own website: https://sites.uef.fi/farmasia50/ |
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2024 Finnish Pharmaceutical Society Grants: Call for Applications for Travel Grants and Event Organization The Finnish Pharmaceutical Society is pleased to announce the opening of the call for applications for travel grants and grants for organizing scientific meetings or conferences. The application time for the grants is 1.1.-31.1.2024. Personal grants can be applied for 1) participation in scientific meetings and events and 2) organizing a scientific meeting or conference. Grants are not awarded for past events, and the grant must be used in 2023. The grant decisions are made by the board of the Finnish Pharmaceutical Society. The grant recipients will be notified at the beginning of March. A dedicated part of the grants will be awarded to participate in the 10th BBBB conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences in Tartu on 12 –14.9.2024 The grants can be applied during 1.1.-31.1.2024 through an application form found on the new webpage of the society: https://www.suomenfarmaseuttinenyhdistys.fi/ The grant recipient is expected to provide a written clarification on the use of the grant within three months of using the grant. The application call for research grants for conducting scientific PhD studies (PhD scholarships) will be launched in May 2024. NB – the Finnish Pharmaceutical Society is also now on LinkedIn! --------- Styrelsen för Farmaceutiska föreningen i Finland utlyser stipendier ur forsknings- och utbildningsfonderna att sökas inom januari 2024. Ur fonderna utdelas stipendier för 1) deltagande i vetenskapliga konferenser eller för deltagande i forsknings- eller fortsättningsutbildningskurser och 2) ordnandet av vetenskapliga konferenser. Beslut om utdelningen av och storleken på stipendierna fattas av styrelsen för Farmaceutiska föreningen i Finland. Stipendierna utdelas i mars. En del av stipendierna är specifikt ämnade för deltagandet i ”10th BBBB conference on Pharmaceutical Sciences” i Tartu 12.-14.9.2024. Ansökningsblanketter finns på föreningens nya hemsida, att sökas mellan 1.1.-31.1.2024: https://www.suomenfarmaseuttinenyhdistys.fi/ Bidragsmottagaren måste lämna en skriftlig redovising om användningen av stipendet inom tre månader från det att stipendiet utnyttjats. Stipendier för forskningsarbete som relaterar till doktorsexamen (doktorandstipendier) utlyses i maj. OBS – Farmaceutiska föreningen i Finland finns också nu på LinkedIn! |
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Kommande evenemang | Upcoming events |
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Xiadong Ma disputerar / thesis defense Den 15.12. disputerar Xiaodong Ma med avhandlingen ”Stimuli-Responsive Prodrug Nanomaterials for Combination Therapy of Cancer” i ämnet läkemedelsutveckling i Aud. Argentum i Aurum kl. 13. Opponent är Associate Professor Mingshi Yang, Köpenhamns universitet, Köpenhamn, Danmark och kustos är Professor Hongbo Zhang. Disputationen kan också följas via Zoom, länken publiceras här ungefär en vecka innan evenemanget. VÄLKOMNA!!! On 15.12., Xiaodong Ma will defend his thesis entitled "Stimuli-Responsive Prodrug Nanomaterials for Combination Therapy of Cancer" on the subject of drug development in the Argentum hall in Aurum at 13. The opponent is Associate Professor Mingshi Yang, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and the custos is Professor Hongbo Zhang. The defense can also be followed via Zoom, the link will be published here about a week before the event. WELCOME!!! |
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Hälsningar från möten | Greetings from meetings |
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32nd BioCity Symposium: sculpting tissues Cells, matrix and forces and Biocity PhD mini Symposium Ida Alanko and Fanny Frejborg gave presentations on their respective research during the Biocity PhD mini Symposium on the 23rd of August. Fanny Frejborg and Wu Yang presented posters at the 32nd BioCity Symposium on the 24-25th of August. |
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14th World Congress on Targeting Mitochondria 2023 Conference 11.-13.10.2023 - Berlin, Germany Yonghui Wang and Oliver Koivisto represented our team at the 14th World Congress on Targeting Mitochondria from October 11-13, 2023, in Berlin at the Steigenberger Hotel Am Kanzleramt. This event, organized by the World Mitochondria Society, gathered top experts to discuss the latest in mitochondrial research. Yonghui delivered an engaging presentation to a large audience on Professor Hongbo Zhang´s Research to Business project, Comitell, highlighting our innovative approaches in the field. The congress was a fantastic platform for learning and networking, with diverse topics ranging from mitochondrial biodynamics to pharmaceutical innovations. We're excited to bring back fresh insights and ideas to our team! |
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Turku Biomaterials Days 2023 On 26-29.10. it was time for the annual Turku Biomaterials Days, which is arranged by the Biomaterials and Medical Device Research Program to which PSL belongs. The theme of this year’s event was ”Emerging technologies for biomedical applications: additive manufacturing, biosensors and bioelectronics” which is a familiar topic for many PSLers, and thus the event also saw many PSL presentations – both oral and poster. And very successfully so, as both ”Best oral presentation” and ”Best poster” awards went to PSL: Ezgi Özliseli for the former and Alaa Mahran for the latter! Congratulations!!! |
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Nordic POP mobility to the Arctic University of Norway (UiT) in Tromsø. Jyoti Verma, a PhD student, travelled to UiT Tromso on November 19, 2023, through the Nordic POP mobility program, to conduct an in vitro permeability assay of an acyclovir-based nanoemulsion on the mucus-PVPA model as part of her PhD research work. The mucus-PVPA model is a robust in vitro method that can effectively predict drug absorption by mimicking the physiological conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. The purpose of this mobility is to learn how to conduct the permeability assay using a model that UiT Arctic University's Department of Pharmacy has developed. The drug transport and delivery team at UiT has vast experience in this area. This is a great opportunity to learn and gain valuable insights into the mucus-PVPA based model for assessing the permeability of drugs and its applications in drug development. |
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Synthesis, Pharmacy and Radiochemistry seminar, and networking event In 2022, some chemists and materialists at UTU and ÅAU got together with the ÅAU pharmacists and Turku PET Centre to contemplate common interests. To effectivate this as much as possible, we are now for the second time arranging a joint seminar to get to know each other. The first seminar featured talks by the PIs, while the second one consisted of research talks. Vice Rector of Research Reko Leino will open the event, which is sponsored by our strategic research profiling area, Solutions for Health, at Aurum 8.12. |
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New Horizons in Drug Delivery and Formulations 2023 On Sunday 26.11. eight PSL researchers (Alaa, Ezgi, Fadak, Rathna, Usama, Xiaoju, Jessica and Tappi) took the Viking Line ferry over to Stockholm to attend the New Horizons in Drug Delivery and Formulations 2023 conference 27-29.11. in Uppsala. The conference was co-organized by competence centers SweDeliver and NextBioForm, as well as Nordic POP. Thus, we ran into many familiar Nordic POPpers and made new acquaintances during these intensive three days. We heard many inspiring talks, and the youngsters presented posters; even Tappi had a 3D Cure poster :) To our massive disappointment, our return ferry didn’t have any karaoke on weekdays, so we had to make do with entertaining the bar guests in Uppsala with our ”singing” instead. |
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Happy conference participants at the conference dinner in Uppsala castle. |
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Nya PSL-medlemmar | New PSL members |
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Vi är glada att reflektera över vår grupps tillväxt när året går mot sitt slut. I höstas hade vi nöjet att välkomna nya medlemmar till vår familj. Deras tillkomst har försett oss med nya perspektiv och energi, vilket har förbättrat vårt samarbete. Vänligen se deras självintroduktion nedan då vi firar deras bidrag. Vi är mycket glada över att ha dem med oss. Gott Nytt År, och välkomna ombord! As the year draws to a close, we're excited to reflect on the growth of our team. This past autumn, we were delighted to welcome new members to our family. Their addition has brought fresh perspectives and energy, enhancing our collaborative efforts. As we celebrate their contributions, please find their self-introduction below. We're thrilled to have them with us. Happy New Year, and welcome aboard! |
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Yu Wang received her Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering (Sept. 2018-Jun. 2021) State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing. Her current scientific interest is focused on functional materials and their biomedical applications. |
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Yuanqiang Li received his bachelor's degree in Biotechnology from Jilin Agricultural University. Currently, he is conducting experimental work in Hongbo's group at Åbo Akademi University. His research focuses on the application of DNA functional nanomaterials in medicine. |
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Jouni Vuorinen graduated from the University of Helsinki, with a Master’s Thesis on the Synthesis and detection of Cholesterol Sulphate Potassium salts. He has also done research on glycoalkaloids and fluoroquinolones. Currently, he is doing a Master’s thesis in Pharmacy on validation and optimization of the DNAzyme catalyzed DNA hydrolysis in Professor Hongbo Zhang’s group at Åbo Akademi University. |
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Xiaochao Ma received his Master’s degree in Clinical Medicine from the University of Jilin. Currently, as a joint student, he performs some experimental works in Hongbo's group at Åbo Akademi University. His main research direction is the application of nanomaterials in the field of medical surgery. |
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Projekt/finansiering | Projects/financing |
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Centre of Excellence in Research ”Materials-Driven Solutions for Combatting Antimicrobial Resistance” (MADNESS). We have been awarded the status of Centre of Excellence in Research for the years 2024-28, which allows us to establish and expand our research into exciting and clinically relevant areas. Our CoE will counter antimicrobial resistance (AMR) issues and tackle biofilms with materials-based treatment strategies against infectious diseases. The development of new antibiotic drugs falls short in addressing the global AMR threat, and alternative innovative solutions are urgently needed. We rise to this challenge using our broad expertise in materials science and technology, pharmacy, and artificial intelligence (AI). The CoE director is Jessica Rosenholm, with Ivan Porres Paltor (IT) as vice-director. The CoE will be coordinated by docent Kuldeep Bansal, and other PIs from PSL that are part of this CoE are Xiaoju Wang, Hongbo Zhang and Tappi Viitala. The CoE also includes PIs from IT, Natural Materials Technology, and Molecular Science and Engineering. Read more about the new CoEs here: https://www.abo.fi/en/research-at-aau/centres-of-excellence/ |
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Nya publikationer | New publications |
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Vi är glada att meddela att vårt team har publicerat ett flertal nya publikationer i år. Du kan hitta en omfattande lista över alla PSL-publikationer på vår webbplats som vi uppmuntrar alla att utforska och ta del av här! We're excited to share that our team has hit the ground running this year with many new publications. You can find a comprehensive list of all PSL publications on our website, which we encourage everyone to check out and explore here! |
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Stimuli-Responsive Prodrug Nanomaterials for Combination Therapy of Cancer Xiaodong Ma In this thesis, we explore advanced solutions to combat cancer by designing prodrug-based nanomaterials and studying their antitumor effects. We focused on overcoming the limitations of traditional chemotherapy and phototherapy, such as high toxicity and drug resistance. Our approach involves synthesizing reduction-sensitive paclitaxel (PTX) prodrugs and forming self-assembled nanoparticles for synergistic cancer treatment. These nanoparticles combine PTX with various chemotherapeutic drugs or photosensitizers, effectively overcoming drug resistance and reducing toxicity. Additionally, we developed a targeted drug delivery system using mesoporous silica nanoparticles encapsulated by cancer cell membranes, demonstrating enhanced anticancer effects in cellular experiments. This work offers new insights into improving combined chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy, ensuring more effective and safer cancer treatment methods. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-12-4334-9 |
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In this manuscript, we induced intestinal inflammation with the intestinal irritant dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and analyzed the anti-inflammatory properties of stilbenoid compounds in vivo in Drosophila. To explore the potential interaction of stilbenoids with Drosophila TrpA1, we employed molecular modeling to computationally predict antagonist binding sites on the receptor. Our results demonstrate that the stilbenoids PS and PSMME exhibit anti-inflammatory properties in the intestine in vivo and can alliviate chemically induced intestinal inflammation in Drosophila. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1253805 |
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In this work, we construct a miR-21-targeted MNAzyme-powered HSP70 mRNA cleavage machinery to restrain HSP70 production before PTT treatment. We fabricate a DSPE-PEG2k micelles modified with the tumor-targeting peptide RGD for the coloading of the mitochondrion-targeted PTT dye IR780 and the Ca2+ efflux pump inhibition agent curcumin (abbreviated as RM(I+C)). The MNAzyme is mineralized on the PEG layer of the micelle system using calcium phosphate to form the final nanodevice, RM(I+C)@CaP(P) (Fig. 2). After cell internalization, CaP produce tremendous Ca2+ for lysosomal escape. As a result, some enzymes consume miRNA-21 and self-assemble into Ca2+assisted MNAzyme-powered HSP70 mRNA silencing machines in tumor tissues while retaining the HSP70 protection effect in healthy tissues. The silencing of miRNA-21 causes PTEN expression to be upregulated, which also sensitize the tumor tissues to increase PTT efficiency. Further sensitization to IR780-mediated PTT is accomplished through Ca2+-induced multichannel mitochondria disruption due to curcumin-mediated calcium efflux pump inhibition and Ca2+ release from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) in cancer cells. The addition of zinc prevents the phase transformation of amorphous CaP to hydroxyapatite, enhancing the stability of the nanoformulations during storage. Finally, we demonstrated the ability of the MNAzyme system to selectively regulate tumor tissue and adjacent tissue in an orthotopic pancreatic cancer model. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-42740-2 |
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In this clinical drug-drug interaction study in humans, ticagrelor increased the plasma exposure to rosuvastatin by 2.6-fold. The mechanism is likely inhibition of the breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP)-mediated transport of rosuvastatin in the intestine by ticagrelor. Because the risk for rosuvastatin-induced myotoxicity increases along with rosuvastatin plasma concentrations, using ticagrelor concomitantly with high doses of rosuvastatin should be avoided. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpt.3067 |
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The study focuses on improving the solubility of Celecoxib (CLX), a poorly soluble anti-inflammatory drug, by using nanoemulsion technology. The nanoemulsion (NE) was prepared using poly(δ-decalactone) (PDL) polymer and mPEG-b-PDL as surfactants. In vitro and in vivo studies showed significant anti-inflammatory activity with lowered cardiac marker values and an increased plasma resident time of CLX. The long-term storage stability showed no significant changes in size and drug content, suggesting the use of PDL NE for developing oral formulations for poorly soluble drugs. This work has been done in collaboration with NMIMS University, India. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejps.2023.106585 |
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An attenuated, replication-competent HSV vector expressing the NMR-HAS2 gene was developed and its enhanced oncolytic potential was studied in glioblastoma cells. The results show that the NMR-HAS2 gene may have an anti-cancer effect in humans and that this effect can be induced with an HSV vector expressing the gene.
https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11112657 |
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In this focus article, we provide a scrutinizing analysis of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) as the two common methods to study the sizes of nanoparticles with focus on the application in pharmaceutics and drug delivery. https://doi.org/10.1039/d3mh00717k |
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In this study, we delved into the impact of surface modification of mesoporous silica nanoparticles on nanocomposite hydrogel formulation. Our focus was on formulating nanocomposite hydrogel that can provide cell-directed drug delivery that allows tissue repair, on skeletal muscle tissue as a proof-of-concept. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100865 |
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In this review, we first outlined the development of digital PCR (dPCR)-based and next generation sequencing (NGS)-based ctDNA detection systems. Besides, we presented the introduction of the emerging ctDNA analysis strategies based on various biosensors, such as electrochemical biosensors, fluorescent biosensors, surface plasmon resonance, and Raman spectroscopy, as well as their applications in the field of biomedicine. Finally, we summarized the essentials of the preceding discussions, and the existing challenges and prospects for the future are also involved. https://doi.org/10.1002/SMMD.20230031 |
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