Thymoquinone Suppresses Cellular Proliferation, Inhibits VEGF Production and Obstructs Tumor Progression and Invasion in the Rat Model of DMH-Induced Colon Carcinogenesis

A myriad of medicinal effects has been attributed to Thymoquinone (TQ), the major biological-active component of Nigella sativa. TQ has been shown to exhibit potent anti-tumor activities. The present work was undertaken to further explore TQ’s chemopreventive efficacy against 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced colon carcinogenesis in the rat model through a two-phase study (initiation and post-initiation) and to evaluate its potential impact on tumor progression and invasion in vivo. TQ treatment in the initiation phase significantly reduced tumor incidence, multiplicity and mean tumor volume. However, although mean tumor volume and multiplicity were decreased upon TQ treatment in the post-initiation phase, TQ did not reduce incidence significantly. Cellular proliferation, as assessed by expression of colonic PCNA, was shown to be inhibited in consequence to TQ treatment in both phases, with a more pronounced reduction in the initiation phase. In addition, our results demonstrated an appreciable negative impact of TQ on vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production in tumor-bearing rats. Furthermore, we provided evidence that TQ-treatment, in both phases, tended to considerably suppress tumor progression and invasion. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that TQ, at an orally daily dose of 10 mg/kg, has a chemopreventive effect in the initiation phase, and has the potential to attenuate tumor burden, suppress progression of pre-neoplastic lesions and to inhibit tumor growth in the post-initiation phase of DMH-induced colon carcinogenesis, We surmise that such effects of TQ may be due to suppression of cellular proliferation and inhibition of VEGF production. The results could provide an effective chemopreventive approach in the primary prevention of colon cancer in humans in the next future, and illuminate a promising horizon to combat progression of benign colonic pre-neoplastic lesions into malignant metastatic tumors and to manage colon cancer.

Decreased LDHB expression in breast tumor cells causes NK cell activation and promotes tumor progression

Objective: Abnormal metabolism is the underlying reason for breast cancer progression. Decreased lactate dehydrogenase B(LDHB) has been detected in breast cancer but the function of LDHB remains unknown.Methods: Western blot was used to analyze LDHB expression in breast cancer cells. The impact of LDHB on tumor cell migration and invasion was determined using Transwell assays, wound healing assays, and a mouse lung metastasis model. Subcutaneous tumor formation, a natural killer(NK) cell cytotoxicity assay, and flow cytometry evaluated NK cell activation. Immunofluorescence and quantitative real-time PCR detected NK cell activation markers. Kaplan-Meier analysis evaluated the effect of immune cell infiltration on prognosis. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis determined NK cell activation scores. A support vector machine predicted the role of LDHB in NK cell activation.Results: In this study we showed that LDHB inhibits the breast cancer cell metastasis and orchestrates metabolic reprogramming within tumor cells. Our results revealed that LDHB-mediated lactic acid clearance in breast cancer cells triggers NK cell activation within the tumor microenvironment. Our findings, which were confirmed in a murine model, demonstrated that LDHB in tumor cells promotes NK cell activation and ultimately results in the eradication of malignant cells. Clinically, our study further validated that LDHB affects immune cell infiltration and function. Specifically, its expression has been linked to enhanced NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity and improved patient survival. Furthermore, we identified LDHB expression in tumors as an important predictor of NK cell activation, with strong predictive ability in some cancers.Conclusions: Our results suggest that LDHB is a promising target for activating the tumor immune microenvironment in breast cancer, where LDHB-associated lactic acid clearance leads to increased NK cell activity. This study highlights the critical role of LDHB in regulating immune responses and its potential as a therapeutic target for breast cancer.

MicroRNA-320a suppresses tumor progression by targeting PBX3 in gastric cancer and is downregulated by DNA methylation

BACKGROUND Ectopic expression of miRNAs promotes tumor development and progression.miRNA(miR)-320a is downregulated in many cancers,including gastric cancer(GC).However,the mechanism underlying its downregulation and the role of miR-320a in GC are unknown.AIM To determine expression and biological functions of miR-320a in GC and investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms.METHODS Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR)was used to determine expression of miR-320a in GC cell lines and tissues.TargetScanHuman7.1,miRDB,and microRNA.org were used to predict the possible targets of miR-320a,and a dual luciferase assay was used to confirm the findings.Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of pre-B-cell leukemia homeobox 3(PBX3)in GC cells and tissue samples.Cell Counting Kit-8 proliferation,Transwell,wound healing,and apoptosis assays were performed to analyze the biological functions of miR-320a in GC cells.Methylation-specific PCR was used to analyze the methylation level of the miR-320a promoter CpG islands.5-Aza-2’-deoxycytidine(5-Aza-CdR)and trichostatin A(TSA)were used to treat GC cells.RESULTS miR-320a expression was lower in GC cell lines and tissues than in the normal gastric mucosa cell line GES-1 and matched adjacent normal tissues.miR-320a overexpression suppressed GC cell proliferation,invasion and migration,and induced apoptosis.PBX3 was a target of miR-320a in GC.The methylation level of the miR-320a promoter CpG islands was elevated and this was partly reversed by 5-Aza-CdR and TSA.CONCLUSION miR-320a acts as a tumor suppressor and inhibits malignant behavior of GC cells,partly by targeting PBX3.DNA methylation is an important mechanism associated with low expression of miR-320a.

Retraction: KIF18A is a potential prognostic factor and promotes tumor progression in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma

Following the publication of this paper,a concerned reader alerted the Editors to the similarities between the data presented in this article and data published in prior works by different authors from different research institutions.Specifically,the colony formation data in Fig.4B,the Western Blot data in Fig.4C,and the tumor data in Figs.5A and 5B appear strikingly similar to data previously published.

Stem cell-derived exosomes： roles （I）CrossMarkin stromal remodeling, tumor progression,and cancer immunotherapy

Stem cells are known to maintain sternness at least in part through secreted factors that promote stem-like phenotypesin resident cells. Accumulating evidence has clarified that stem cells release nano-vesicles, known as exosomes,which may serve as mediators of cell-to-cell communication and may potentially transmit stem cell phenotypes torecipient cells, facilitating stem cell maintenance, differentiation, self-renewal, and repair. It has become apparent thatstem cell-derived exosomes mediate interactions among stromal elements, promote genetic instability in recipientcells, and induce malignant transformation. This review will therefore discuss the potential of stem cell-derivedexosomes in the context of stromal remodeling and their ability to generate cancer-initiating cells in a tumor nicheby inducing morphologic and functional differentiation of fibroblasts into tumor-initiating fibroblasts. In addition, theimmunosuppressive potential of stem cell-derived exosomes in cancer immunotherapy and their prospective applicationsin cell-free therapies in future translational medicine is discussed.

Immunometabolism:A novel perspective of liver cancer microenvironment and its influence on tumor progression

The initiation and progression of liver cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, are dependent on its tumor microenvironment. Immune cells are key players in the liver cancer microenvironment and show complicated crosstalk with cancer cells. Emerging evidence has shown that the functions of immune cells are closely related to cell metabolism. However, the effects of metabolic changes of immune cells on liver cancer progression are largely undefined. In this review, we summarize the recent findings of immunometabolism and relate these findings to liver cancer progression. We also explore the translation of the understanding of immunometabolism for clinical use.

Hsp70 confines tumor progression of rat histiocytoma and impedes the cytotoxicity induced by natural killer cells and peritoneal macrophages

Objective:To study the role of inducible form of heat shock protein 70(Hsp70) in the host tumor regression of rat tumor model.Methods:We examined the role of Hsp70 in host tumorigenicity and in vitro cellular cytotoxicity using a rat histocytoma.The differential tumor growth and regression kinetics were studied and correlated with the expression of Hsp70,activation of macrophages and natural killer(NK) cells,and circulating or tumor infiltrating immune molecules in the host system.Results:The sub cuteaneous(s.c.) tumor regression was correlated with increased serum cytokines such as IL-12,TNF P,IFNγand Hsp70.Despite of similar increase of Hsp70 in intraperitoneal(i.p.) tumor implanted animals,animals succumb to tumor growth,further,evidently,no immune molecule activation was observed.The viral promoter driven Hsp70 over expression in these tumor cells restrained solid tumor growth,however,failed to inhibit ascites growth.The NK cells from s.c.immunized animals induces cytotoxicity in the presence of anti-tumor antibody,which necessitated CD40-L expression,conversely,NK cells from i.p.immunized animals failed to induce cytotoxicity.The NK cells from s.c.or i.p.implanted animals with Hsp70 positive tumor cells failed to induce such cytotoxicity.The peritoneal macrophages isolated from s.c.tumor implanted animals when co-cultured with parental BC-8 cells lyses tumor cells,nevertheless entail macrophage specific TNFαexpression.On the contrary,Hsp70 expressing BC-8 tumor cells were resistant to peritoneal macrophage induced cytolysis.Conclusions:This study brings out that Hsp70 possibly involved in regulating the host tumor response and cellular cytotoxicity.

Efficacy of 5-Fluorouracil and High-Concentration Cisplatin Suspended in Lipiodol by Short-Term Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy for Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Portal Vein Tumor Thrombosis

Background: Since advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is potentially fatal, and patients’ quality of life (QOL) often deteriorates during their treatment, improving the prognosis and QOL of patients given chemotherapy is very important. In addition, cost-effective treatments are highly desirable when chemotherapy must be given repeatedly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and usefulness of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and high-concentration cisplatin by short-term hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (3-day FPL) in advanced HCC patients. Methods: Thirty patients with unresectable advanced HCC were enrolled. The patients underwent hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy via the implanted port system with 5-FU on days 1 - 3 and a fine-powder formulation of cisplatin in suspended pre-warmed lipiodol on day 2 every 4 to 10 weeks. Tumor response was assessed one month later with CT. Results: All patients had evidence of portal vein invasion (Vp2-4). Four patients achieved a complete response (CR), 8 patients achieved a partial response (PR), and 7 patients had stable disease (SD). The median progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 198 days and 452 days, respectively. The OS was significantly longer in the successful disease control group (CR, PR, and SD) than in the progressive disease group (P < 0.005). Conclusions: Three-day FPL was effective and tolerable in advanced HCC patients due to its shorter time of administration than conventional FP therapy. Therefore, repetitive 3-day FPL appears useful and contributes to improving the prognosis and QOL of patients with advanced HCC. In addition, this protocol is a cost-effective treatment.

Recent standardization of treatment strategy for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Recent advances in localization techniques,such as the selective arterial secretagogue injection test(SASI test) and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy have promoted curative resection surgery for patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors(PNET).For patients with sporadic functioning PNET,curative resection surgery has been established by localization with the SASI test using secretin or calcium.For curative resection of functioning PNET associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1(MEN 1) which are usually multiple and sometimes numerous,resection surgery of the pancreas and/or the duodenum has to be performed based on localization by the SASI test.As resection surgery of PNET has increased,several important pathological features of PNET have been revealed.For example,in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome(ZES),duodenal gastrinoma has been detected more frequently than pancreatic gastrinoma,and in patients with MEN 1 and ZES,gastrinomas have been located mostly in the duodenum,and pancreatic gastrinoma has been found to co-exist in 13% of patients.Nonfunctioning PNET in patients with MEN 1 becomes metastatic to the liver when it is more than 1 cm in diameter and should be resected after careful observation.The most important prognos-tic factor in patients with PNET is the development of hepatic metastases.The treatment strategy for hepatic metastases of PNET has not been established and aggressive resection with chemotherapy and trans-arterial chemoembolization have been performed with significant benefit.The usefulness of octreotide treatment and other molecular targeting agents are currently being assessed.

Performance of risk stratification systems for gastrointestinal stromal tumors: A multicenter study

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal stromal tumors(GISTs) are the most common mesenchymal tumor type in the gastrointestinal system. Presently, various classification systems to prognosticate GISTs have been proposed.AIM To evaluate the application value of four different risk stratification systems for GISTs.METHODS Patients who were diagnosed with GISTs and underwent surgical resection at four hospitals from 1998 to 2015 were identified from a database. Risk of recurrence was stratified by the modified National Institute of Health(NIH)criteria, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology(AFIP) criteria, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center(MSKCC) prognostic nomogram, and the contour maps. Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves were established to compare the four abovementioned risk stratification systems based on the area under the curve(AUC).RESULTS A total of 1303 patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 55.77 ± 13.70 yr; 52.3% of the patients were male. The mean follow-up period was 64.91 ± 35.79 mo. Approximately 67.0% the tumors were located in the stomach, and 59.5% were smaller than 5 cm; 67.3% of the patients had a mitotic count ≤ 5/50 high-power fields(HPFs). Thirty-four tumors ruptured before and during surgery. Univariate analysis demonstrated that tumor size > 5 cm(P <0.05), mitotic count > 5/50 HPFs(P < 0.05), non-gastric location(P < 0.05), and tumor rupture(P < 0.05) were significantly associated with increased recurrence rates. According to the ROC curve, the AFIP criteria showed the largest AUC(0.754).CONCLUSION According to our data, the AFIP criteria were associated with a larger AUC than the NIH modified criteria, the MSKCC nomogram, and the contour maps, which might indicate that the AFIP criteria have better accuracy to support therapeutic decision-making for patients with GISTs.

Skeletal muscle as a molecular and cellular biomarker of disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis:a narrative review

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a fatal multisystemic neurodegenerative disease with motor neurons being a primary target.Although progressive weakness is a hallmark feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,there is considerable heterogeneity,including clinical presentation,progression,and the underlying triggers for disease initiation.Based on longitudinal studies with families harboring amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-associated gene mutations,it has become apparent that overt disease is preceded by a prodromal phase,possibly in years,where compensatory mechanisms delay symptom onset.Since 85-90%of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is sporadic,there is a strong need for identifying biomarkers that can detect this prodromal phase as motor neurons have limited capacity for regeneration.Current Food and Drug Administration-approved therapies work by slowing the degenerative process and are most effective early in the disease.Skeletal muscle,including the neuromuscular junction,manifests abnormalities at the earliest stages of the disease,before motor neuron loss,making it a promising source for identifying biomarkers of the prodromal phase.The accessibility of muscle through biopsy provides a lens into the distal motor system at earlier stages and in real time.The advent of“omics”technology has led to the identification of numerous dysregulated molecules in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis muscle,ranging from coding and non-coding RNAs to proteins and metabolites.This technology has opened the door for identifying biomarkers of disease activity and providing insight into disease mechanisms.A major challenge is correlating the myriad of dysregulated molecules with clinical or histological progression and understanding their relevance to presymptomatic phases of disease.There are two major goals of this review.The first is to summarize some of the biomarkers identified in human amyotrophic lateral sclerosis muscle that have a clinicopathological correlation with disease activity,evidence of a similar dysregulation in the SOD1G93A mouse during presymptomatic stages,and evidence of progressive change during disease progression.The second goal is to review the molecular pathways these biomarkers reflect and their potential role in mitigating or promoting disease progression,and as such,their potential as therapeutic targets in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Mycobacterium smegmatis enhances shikonin-induced immunogenic cell death—an efficient in situ tumor vaccine strategy

Tumor vaccines are a promising avenue in cancer immunotherapy.Despite the progress in targeting specific immune epitopes,tumor cells lacking these epitopes can evade the treatment.Here,we aimed to construct an efficient in situ tumor vaccine called Vac-SM,utilizing shikonin(SKN)to induce immunogenic cell death(ICD)and Mycobacterium smegmatis as an immune adjuvant to enhance in situ tumor vaccine efficacy.SKN showed a dose-dependent and time-dependent cytotoxic effect on the tumor cell line and induced ICD in tumor cells as evidenced by the CCK-8 assay and the detection of the expression of relevant indicators,respectively.Compared with the control group,the in situ Vac-SM injection in mouse subcutaneous metastatic tumors significantly inhibited tumor growth and distant tumor metastasis,while also improving survival rates.Mycobacterium smegmatis effectively induced maturation and activation of bone marrow-derived dendritic cells(DCs),and in vivo tumor-draining lymph nodes showed an increased maturation of DCs and a higher proportion of effector memory T-cell subsets with the Vac-SM treatment,based on flow cytometry analysis results.Collectively,the Vac-SM vaccine effectively induces ICD,improves antigen presentation by DCs,activates a specific systemic antitumor T-cell immune response,exhibits a favorable safety profile,and holds the promise for clinical translation for local tumor immunotherapy.

The action mechanism by which C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-6 alleviates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in diabetic mice

Studies have shown that C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-6 (CTRP6) can alleviate renal ischemia/reperfusion injury in mice. However, its role in the brain remains poorly understood. To investigate the role of CTRP6 in cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury associated with diabetes mellitus, a diabetes mellitus mouse model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury was established by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. To overexpress CTRP6 in the brain, an adeno-associated virus carrying CTRP6 was injected into the lateral ventricle. The result was that oxygen injury and inflammation in brain tissue were clearly attenuated, and the number of neurons was greatly reduced. In vitro experiments showed that CTRP6 knockout exacerbated oxidative damage, inflammatory reaction, and apoptosis in cerebral cortical neurons in high glucose hypoxia-simulated diabetic cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. CTRP6 overexpression enhanced the sirtuin-1 signaling pathway in diabetic brains after ischemia/reperfusion injury. To investigate the mechanism underlying these effects, we examined mice with depletion of brain tissue-specific sirtuin-1. CTRP6-like protection was achieved by activating the sirtuin-1 signaling pathway. Taken together, these results indicate that CTRP6 likely attenuates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury through activation of the sirtuin-1 signaling pathway.

Correlation of tumor-associated macrophage density and proportion of M2 subtypes with the pathological stage of colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND Colorectal cancer(CRC)is a prevalent global malignancy with complex prognostic factors.Tumor-associated macrophages(TAMs)have shown paradoxical associations with CRC survival,particularly concerning the M2 subset.AIM We aimed to establish a simplified protocol for quantifying M2-like TAMs and explore their correlation with clinicopathological factors.METHODS A cross-sectional study included histopathological assessment of paraffinembedded tissue blocks obtained from 43 CRC patients.Using CD68 and CD163 immunohistochemistry,we quantified TAMs in tumor stroma and front,focusing on M2 proportion.Demographic,histopathological,and clinical parameters were collected.RESULTS TAM density was significantly higher at the tumor front,with the M2 proportion three times greater in both zones.The tumor front had a higher M2 proportion,which correlated significantly with advanced tumor stage(P=0.04),pathological nodal involvement(P=0.04),and lymphovascular invasion(LVI,P=0.01).However,no significant association was found between the M2 proportion in the tumor stroma and clinicopathological factors.CONCLUSION Our study introduces a simplified protocol for quantifying M2-like TAMs in CRC tissue samples.We demonstrated a significant correlation between an increased M2 proportion at the tumor front and advanced tumor stage,nodal involvement,and LVI.This suggests that M2-like TAMs might serve as potential indicators of disease progression in CRC,warranting further investigation and potential clinical application.

Rate of local tumor progression following radiofrequency ablation of pathologically early hepatocellular carcinoma

AIM To evaluate whether pathologically early hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) exhibited local tumor progression after radiofrequency ablation(RFA) less often than typical HCC.METHODS Fifty pathologically early HCCs [tumor diameter(mm): mean, 15.8; range, 10-23; follow-up days after RFA: median, 1213; range, 216-2137] and 187 typical HCCs [tumor diameter(mm): mean, 15.6; range, 6-30; follow-up days after RFA: median, 1116; range, 190-2328] were enrolled in this retrospective study. The presence of stromal invasion(namely, tumor cell invasion into the intratumoral portal tracts) was considered to be the most important pathologic finding for the diagnosis of early HCCs. Typical HCC was defined as the presence of a hyper-vascular lesion accompanied by delayed washout using contrastenhanced computed tomography or contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Follow-up examinations were performed at 3-mo intervals to monitor for signs of local tumor progression. The local tumor progression rates of pathologically early HCCs and typical HCCs were then determined using the Kaplan-Meier method.RESULTS During the follow-up period for the 50 pathologically early HCCs, 49(98%) of the nodules did not exhibit local tumor progression. However, 1 nodule(2%) was associated with a local tumor progression found 636 d after RFA. For the 187 typical HCCs, 46(24.6%) of the nodules exhibited local recurrence after RFA. The follow-up period until the local tumor progression of typical HCC was a median of 605 d, ranging from 181 to 1741 d. Among the cases with typical HCCs, local tumor progression had occurred in 7.0%(7/187), 16.0%(30/187), 21.9%(41/187) and 24.6%(46/187) of the cases at 1, 2, 3 and 4 years, respectively. Pathologically early HCC was statistically associated with a lower rate of local tumor progression, compared with typical HCC, when evaluated using a log-rank test(P = 0.002). CONCLUSION The rate of local tumor progression for pathologically early HCCs after RFA was significantly lower than that for typical HCCs.

N-myc downstream regulated gene 1 inhibition of tumor progression in Caco2 cells

BACKGROUND Invasion and migration are the irreversible stages of colorectal cancer(CRC).The key is to find a sensitive,reliable molecular marker that can predict the migration of CRC at an early stage.N-myc downstream regulated gene 1(NDRG1)is a multifunctional gene that has been tentatively reported to have a strong relationship with tumor invasion and migration,however the current molecular role of NDRG1 in CRC remains unknown.AIM To explore the role of NDRG1 in the development of CRC.METHODS NDRG1 stably over-expressed Caco2 cell line was established by lentiviral infection and NDRG1 knock-out Caco2 cell line was established by CRISPR/Cas9.Furthermore,the mRNA and protein levels of NDRG1 in Caco2 cells after NDRG1 over-expression and knockout were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot.The cell proliferation rate was measured by the cell counting kit-8 method;cell cycle and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry;invasion and migration ability were detected by the 24-transwell method.RESULTS NDRG1 over-expression inhibited Caco2 proliferation and the cell cycle could be arrested at the G1/S phase when NDRG1 was over-expressed,while the number of cells in the G2 phase was significantly increased when NDRG1 was knocked out.This suggests that NDRG1 inhibited the proliferation of Caco2 cells by arresting the cell cycle in the G1/S phase.Our data also demonstrated that NDRG1 promotes early cell apoptosis.Invasion and migration of cells were extensively inhibited when NDRG1 was over-expressed.CONCLUSION NDRG1 inhibits tumor progression in Caco2 cells which may represent a potential novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CRC.

Oncogenic Osteomalacia Associated with Phosphaturic Mesenchymal Tumor of the Knee: Case Presentation and Review of the Literature

Oncogenic osteomalacia (OOM) is an uncommon metabolic and bone disease caused by fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), a phosphaturic factor produced by phosphaturic mesenchymal tumors (mixed connective tissue variant, PMTMCTV) characterized by phosphate leakage from kidneys and subsequent hypophosphatemia. In this paper, we present the case of a patient, 42-year-old woman affected by left side limp and pain involving lumbar spine, pelvis and hip joints, referred to the Rheumatology Department of our Hospital for the treatment of a suspected sero-negative spondilo-arthritis. During hospitalization patient began an immuno-suppressive therapy with TNF-alpha inhibitors associated with Pamidornate, Indometacin, Esomeprazole and vitamin D3. Nevertheless pain did not decrease and a new examination found a worst hypophosphatemia (1 mg/dl) with normal Ca and PTH’s plasma values. During the same check-up a painful bulge on the anterior part of the right knee was observed and the Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan revealed an ovular solid lesion in the soft tissue closed to the upper part of the patella. Histological analysis identified the lesion as a PMTMCTV. After surgical removal patient got complete recovery. We will discuss about diagnostic evaluation, differential diagnosis and treatment.

Adeno-associated virus mediated endostatin gene therapy in combination with topoisomerase inhibitor effectively controls liver tumor in mouse model

AIM:rAAV mediated endostatin gene therapy has been examined as a new method for treating cancer.However, a sustained and high protein delivery is required to achieve the desired therapeutic effects.We evaluated the impact of topoisomerase inhibitors in rAAV delivered endostatin gene therapy in a liver tumor model. METHODS:rAAV containing endostatin expression cassettes were transduced into hepatoma cell lines.To test whether the topoisomerase inhibitor pretreatment increased the expression of endostatin,Western blotting and ELISA were performed.The biologic activity of endostatin was confirmed by endothelial cell proliferation and tube formation assays. The anti-tumor effects of the rAAV-endostatin vector combined with a topoisomerase inhibitor,etoposide,were evaluated in a mouse liver tumor model. RESULTS:Topoisomerase inhibitors,including camptothecin and etoposide,were found to increase the endostatin exPression level in vitro.The over-expressed endostatin, as a result of pretreatment with a topoisomerase inhibitor, was also biologically active.In animal experiments,the combined therapy of topoisomerase inhibitor,etoposide with the rAAV-endostatin vector had the best tumor- suppressive effect and tumor foci were barely observed in livers of the treated mice.Pretreatment with an etoposide increased the level of endostatin in the liver and serum of rAAV-endostatin treated mice.Finally,the mice treated With rAAV-endostatin in combination with etoposide showed the longest survival among the experimental models. CONCLUSION:rAAV delivered endostatin gene therapy in combination with a topoisomerase inhibitor pretreatment is an effective modality for anticancer gene therapy.

Immunophenotypic signature of primary glioblastoma multiforme: A case of extended progression free survival

Glioblastoma-multiforme(GBM), the most aggressive glial tumor, has a worldwide age-adjusted incidence ranging from 0.59-3.69/100000 persons. Despite current multimodal-treatment approach, median-survival time and progression-free survival(PFS) remains short. Glioblastomas display a variety of molecular alterations, which necessitates determining which of these have a prognostic significance. This is a case of a 45-yearold patient who presented with progressive slurring of speech and features of raised intracranial pressure. Computed tomography(CT) scan revealed a large heterogeneously enhancing lesion in the left front-temporalperisylvian region with solid, cystic areas, suggestive of malignant glioma. Partial tumor-excision was followed by concurrent chemo-radiotherapy. Histopathologically, the tumor was astrocytoma grade-IV. Patient had an extended PFS of 12 mo, with an overall survival of 26 mo. Primary-GBM was confirmed using molecular markers and the immunophenotypic signature was defined by evaluating systemic expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase, interleukin-6, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1, human chitinase-3-like-protein-1(YKL-40) and high mobility group-A1. Current findings suggest that this signature can identify worst outcomes, independent of clinical criteria.

A liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method for quantitating total and unbound ceritinib in patient plasma and brain tumor

A rapid, sensitive, and robust reversed-phase liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry method was developed and validated for the determination of total and unbound ceritinib, a secondgeneration ALK inhibitor, in patient plasma and brain tumor tissue samples. Sample preparation involved simple protein precipitation with acetonitrile. Chromatographic separation was achieved on a Waters ACQUITY UPLC BEH C_(18) column using a 4-min gradient elution consisting of mobile phase A(0.1% formic acid in water) and mobile phase B(0.1% formic acid in acetonitrile), at a flow rate of 0.4 m L/min. Ceritinib and the internal standard([^(13)C_6]ceritinib) were monitored using multiple reaction monitoring mode under positive electrospray ionization. The lower limit of quantitation(LLOQ) was 1 n M of ceritinib in plasma. The calibration curve was linear over ceritinib concentration range of 1–2000 n M in plasma. The intra-and interday precision and accuracy were within the generally accepted criteria for bioanalytical method( o15%).The method was successfully applied to assess ceritinib brain tumor penetration, as assessed by the unbound drug brain concentration to unbound drug plasma concentration ratio, in patients with brain tumors.