How Can a Punch Knock You Out?
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Updated: Nov 30, 2025

Generation of Knock-out Primary and Expanded Human NK Cells Using Cas9 Ribonucleoproteins
Published on: June 14, 2018
Anders Hånell1, Elham Rostami1,2
1Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Abstract:
Several hypotheses have been put forth over time to explain how consciousness can be so rapidly lost, and then spontaneously regained, following mechanical head trauma. The knockout punch in boxing is a relatively homogenous form of traumatic brain injury and can thus be used to test the predictions of these hypotheses. While none of the hypotheses put forth can be considered fully verified, pore formation following stretching of the axonal cell membrane, mechanoporation, is a strong contender. We here argue that the theoretical foundation of mechanoporation can be strengthened by a comparison with the experimental method electroporation.
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