Massive Ameloblastoma Requiring Awake Nasal Fiberoptic Intubation.

Ameloblastomas are rare tumors that arises from the odontogenic epithelium. Although benign and slow growing, an extensive lesion may cause airway obstruction, making bag-mask ventilation and intubation a significant challenge. Here, we present a 54-year-old male in respiratory distress with an 18x15x13 cm submandibular mass causing airway compromise.

A Screening Method for Identification of Heterochromatin-Promoting Drugs Using Drosophila.

Drosophila is an excellent model organism that can be used to screen compounds that might be useful for cancer therapy. The method described here is a cost-effective in vivo method to identify heterochromatin-promoting compounds by using Drosophila. The Drosophila's DX1 strain, having a variegated eye color phenotype that reflects the extents of heterochromatin formation, thereby providing a tool for a heterochromatin-promoting drug screen.

Streptonigrin at low concentration promotes heterochromatin formation.

Heterochromatin is essential for regulating global gene transcription and protecting genome stability, and may play a role in tumor suppression. Drugs promoting heterochromatin are potential cancer therapeutics but very few are known. In order to identify drugs that can promote heterochromatin, we used a cell-based method and screened NCI drug libraries consisting of oncology drugs and natural compounds.

Identification of methotrexate as a heterochromatin-promoting drug.

Heterochromatin is a tightly packed form of DNA involved in gene silencing, chromosome segregation, and protection of genome stability. Heterochromatin is becoming more recognized in tumor suppression and may thus serve as a potential target for cancer therapy. However, to date there are no drugs that are well established to specifically promote heterochromatin formation.