The University of the Philippines Manila (UPM) is a state-funded medical and research university located in Ermita, Manila, Philippines. It is known for being the country's center of excellence in the health sciences, including health professional education, training, and research. It is the oldest of eight constituent universities of the University of the Philippines System, even predating the founding of UP by three years. Originally established on December 1, 1905, as the Philippine Medical School and later called as the UP College of Medicine and Surgery on June 10, 1907. It was renamed as University of the Philippines Manila in 1983.UP Manila administers and operates the Philippine General Hospital, the largest medical center and the national referral center for health in the Philippines. The university is also the home of the National Institutes of Health. Its 14 hectare campus occupies two large city blocks and it contains pre-war heritage buildings and structures built during the American Period designed by American Architect William E. Parsons, which were declared by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines as historical landmarks.Since 2001, the College of Medicine and the College of Nursing has been recognized as Centers of Excellence by the Commission on Higher Education.
The clinical translation of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapies remains limited due to rapid cell clearance and stress-induced viability loss during injection. These limitations emphasize the need to develop delivery systems allowing MSCs to persist in the tissue and exert their biological effect. Cell microencapsulation within alginate (Alg) biomaterials is a promising strategy, where arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD)-coupled alginate (RAlg) hydrogels have recently demonstrated improved bioactivity. However, achieving precise encapsulation and injectability while preserving cell viability remains an ongoing challenge. This study presents an injectable delivery platform using electrosprayed RAlg microcapsules that enhance viability and sustain the release of MSCs. Electrospray parameters were optimized to yield a microcapsule size of 175.4 ± 21.1 μm with high uniformity and consistent spherical morphology. Electron microscopy images of the microcapsules revealed a highly ordered microporous architecture. Physicochemical characterization confirmed that the presence of RGD peptides did not significantly alter the swelling, viscoelasticity, and encapsulation efficiency of Alg. Successful encapsulation of MSCs were observed, with cells assuming a round morphology within the microcapsule. After 14 days, RAlg maintained significantly higher cell viability at 91.3
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is defined as a type I hypersensitivity reaction against allergens derived from Aspergillus spp., ubiquitous fungi present in various environments. Annually, the disease contributes a significant proportion to global morbidity and mortality, relative to other fungal diseases. Although known to affect populations worldwide, the exact pathogenesis of the disease from environmental to clinically-pertinent isolates and the basis for the emergence of antifungal resistance, a known by-product of unregulated prescription and use of drugs targeted at specific factors involved in forming fungal structural elements (i.e., ergosterol, chitin) and mediating survival mechanisms (i.e., fungal metabolism, DNA/RNA synthesis), remains poorly understood. Here, we focus on the role of the one health approach in combating the environment-host transition and mitigating the emergence of antifungal resistance. This includes the synthesis of current literature relevant to the subsequent insights on strategies to control the spread of the disease. From the findings of the present review, novel approaches to manage the incidence of ABPA and reduce the overall disease burden can be developed on a global scale. Perspectives utilizing the One Health approach has emerged as a prominent future direction for health programs worldwide, geared towards reducing the incidence and overall burden of fungal respiratory infections, such as ABPA.
X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP) is a rare, hereditary neurodegenerative movement disorder endemic to the Philippines, characterized by progressive dystonia and parkinsonism. Given the limited treatment options, chronic course, and economic burden, caregiving responsibilities fall heavily on family members yet little is known about their burden and quality of life. This study examined the burden of family caregivers of persons with XDP in Metro Manila by assessing caregiver strain, quality of life, and lived experiences. A mixed-methods convergent design was employed, integrating quantitative and qualitative data. Twenty-eight caregiver-patient pairs were recruited through purposive and convenience sampling. Caregivers completed sociodemographic surveys, the Modified Caregiver Strain Index-Pilipino (MCSI-P), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief (WHOQOL-BREF) Filipino version. Two focus group discussions and two key informant interviews were conducted to explore lived experiences. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data underwent thematic analysis. Caregiver strain was associated with civil status, educational attainment, caregiver–patient relationship, and patients’ age at diagnosis. The mean MCSI-P score was 23.1, with 43
