High-Throughput Cysteine Scanning To Identify Stable Antibody Conjugation Sites for Maleimide- and Disulfide-Based Linkers.

THIOMAB antibody technology utilizes cysteine residues engineered onto an antibody to allow for site-specific conjugation. The technology has enabled the exploration of different attachment sites on the antibody in combination with small molecules, peptides, or proteins to yield antibody conjugates with unique properties. As reported previously ( Shen , B.

Complications and Retrieval Data of Vena Cava Filters Based on Specific Infrarenal Location.

Purpose: Although recommended placement of IVC filters is with their tips positioned at the level of the renal vein inflow, in practice, adherence is limited due to clinical situation or IVC anatomy. We seek to evaluate the indwelling and retrieval complications of IVC filters based on their specific position within the infrarenal IVC.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective, single institution study of 333 consecutive infrarenal vena cava filters placed by interventional radiologists in patients with an average age of 62.

Indwelling and Retrieval Complications of Denali and Celect Infrarenal Vena Cava Filters.

Purpose: To compare indwelling and retrieval complications of Denali and Celect filters placed in the infrarenal inferior vena cava (IVC).

Materials And Methods: A retrospective study was conducted over 2 years at a single institution in which 171 Denali and 162 Celect filters were placed in 333 patients with a mean age of 62.3 years ± 15.

The Emprint™ Ablation System with Thermosphere™ Technology: One of the Newer Next-Generation Microwave Ablation Technologies.

Microwave ablation is a recent development in the field of tumor ablation that uses electromagnetic waves to establish a microwave near-field with direct tissue heating. Some of the limitations of the earlier generation devices had been unpredictable size and shape of the ablation zones with changes in the surrounding tissue environment as well as differences across various different tissue types. The Emprint Ablation System with Thermosphere Technology (Covidien, Boulder, CO) is the most recent generation ablation system that attempts to produce predictable large spherical zones of ablation despite varying tissue environments across different tissue types such as liver, lung, and bone to name a few.

Core Lung Biopsy for Biomarker Analysis: Is There Increased Risk Compared With Conventional Biopsy?

Purpose: The aim of the study was to compare the rate of pneumothorax and chest tube placement in patients undergoing conventional lung biopsy with those undergoing core lung biopsy for biomarker analysis.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-three patients had biopsies performed for biomarker analysis (5 male, 18 female patients, mean age 67 y), and 173 patients underwent standard diagnostic lung biopsy (86 male, 87 female patients, mean age 68 y). All biopsies were performed under computed tomography guidance using the coaxial technique (19 G introducer needle and 20 G core biopsy needle).

Optimization and automation of an end-to-end high throughput microscale transient protein production process.

High throughput protein production from transient transfection of mammalian cells is used in multiple facets of research and development studies. Commonly used formats for these high number expressions are 12-, 24- and 96-well plates at various volumes. However there are no published examples of a 96-deep well plate microscale (1,000 μL) suspension process for mammalian transient expression.

Strut penetration: local complications, breakthrough pulmonary embolism, and retrieval failure in patients with Celect vena cava filters.

Purpose: To investigate strut penetration in patients with Celect filters, specifically local complications and association with breakthrough pulmonary embolism (PE) or retrieval failure.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective single-center study was conducted to evaluate patients who received Celect filters between January 2007 and May 2013. A total of 595 filters were placed during the study period.

Dual-lumen chest port infection rates in patients with head and neck cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate dual-lumen chest port infection rates in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) compared to those with other malignancies (non-HNC).

Materials And Methods: An IRB-approved retrospective study was performed on 1,094 consecutive chest ports placed over a 2-year period. Patients with poor follow-up (n = 53), no oncologic history (n = 13), or single-lumen ports (n = 183) were excluded yielding a study population of 845 patients.

Development of a semi-automated high throughput transient transfection system.

Transient transfection of mammalian cells provides a rapid method of producing protein for research purposes. Combining the transient transfection protein expression system with new automation technologies developed for the biotechnology industry would enable a high throughput protein production platform that could be utilized to generate a variety of different proteins in a short amount of time. These proteins could be used for an assortment of studies including proof of concept, antibody development, and biological structure and function.

Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (MRDTI) of the optic nerve and optic radiations at 3T in children with neurofibromatosis type I (NF-1).

Background: Optic pathway glioma (OPG) is a characteristic hallmark of neurofibromatosis type I (NF-I).

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (MRDTI) at 3T to detect abnormalities of the optic nerves and optic radiations in children with NF-I.

Materials And Methods: 3-T MRDTI was prospectively performed in 9 children with NF-I (7 boys, 2 girls, average age 7.