A New Sensitive Method for the Detection of Mycoplasmas Using Fluorescence Microscopy.

Contamination of cell cultures by mycoplasmas is a very common phenomenon. As they can substantially alter cell metabolism and potentially spread to all cell cultures in laboratory, their early detection is necessary. One of the fastest and cheapest methods of mycoplasma detection relies on the direct staining of mycoplasmas' DNA by DAPI or Hoechst dyes.

Platelet-Derived Mitochondria Display Embryonic Stem Cell Markers and Improve Pancreatic Islet β-cell Function in Humans.

Diabetes is a major global health issue and the number of individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) increases annually across multiple populations. Research to develop a cure must overcome multiple immune dysfunctions and the shortage of pancreatic islet β cells, but these challenges have proven intractable despite intensive research effort more than the past decades. Stem Cell Educator (SCE) therapy-which uses only autologous blood immune cells that are externally exposed to cord blood stem cells adhering to the SCE device, has previously been proven safe and effective in Chinese and Spanish subjects for the improvement of T1D, T2D, and other autoimmune diseases.

High lapatinib plasma levels in breast cancer patients: risk or benefit?

Aims And Background: Lapatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor targeting epidermal growth factor receptors 1 (EGFR/HER1) and 2 (HER2) used in the treatment of patients with HER2-positive breast cancer. The aim of the present study was to determine lapatinib plasma levels in breast cancer patients treated with lapatinib plus capecitabine.

Patients And Methods: We assessed lapatinib plasma levels in blood samples from 21 breast cancer patients treated with lapatinib plus capecitabine using the standard regimen in an expanded access program.

Capillary electrophoretic method for nucleotide analysis in cells: application on inherited metabolic disorders.

Purine and pyrimidine nucleotides influence many metabolic pathways and their analogs have been widely used in medicine. A capillary electrophoretic method was developed for measuring intracellular nucleotides. The final BGE consisted of 40 mM citric acid with addition of 0.

Montelukast decreases plasma endothelin-1 and serum eosinophil cationic protein levels in paediatric atopic asthma.

Background And Objective: Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is produced by vascular endothelial cells and epithelial cells, T-lymphocytes and phagocytes. Increased ET-1 levels have been demonstrated in the bronchial epithelium of asthma patients. In vitro, ET-1 stimulates mucus secretion, activates proinflammatory cells - macrophages and mast cells - and serves as a mitogenic stimulus for fibroblasts and smooth muscle.

Analysis of aminoimidazole ribosides by capillary electrophoresis--diagnosing defects in second part of purine biosynthetic pathway.

Background: Only three inherited metabolic defects have been identified in purine de novo synthesis (PDNS). We present here CE methods for diagnosing defects in the second half of PDNS (from sixth to tenth enzymatic conversion) based on analysis of aminoimidazole ribosides - dephosphorylated intermediates - in urine.

Methods: Assays were performed in an uncoated fused-silica capillary using two electrophoretic separation systems: 60 mmol/l borate - 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol-80 mmol/l sodium dodecylsulfate (pH 9.

The analysis of correlations between drug resistance and clinical/laboratory measures found in a group of children with all treated by ALL-BFM 90 protocol.

This study was designed to assess the predictive value of an MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2,5-diphenyl] tetrazolium bromide) in vitro assay for the evaluation of leukemic cell resistance/sensitivity to cytotoxic drugs, and to compare these results with clinical and laboratory parameters in cases of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).The chemoresistance of leukemic cells was ascertained by means of an MTT assay in 32 previously untreated children with ALL. The children were treated using the protocol ALL-BFM 90.

New lupane derived compounds with pro-apoptotic activity in cancer cells: synthesis and structure-activity relationships.

Cellular screening of various synthetic triterpenoid compounds formally derived from lupane has identified a number of analogues as potential anticancer drug candidates. Here we describe the synthesis and structure-activity relationships of betulin and betulinic acid derivatives containing an E-ring modified with different oxygen functions. Thus compounds containing the lup-18-en-21-one, lup-18-ene-21,22-dione, 18,19-secolupane, and the highly oxygenated 18,19-secolupane systems, as well as des-E-lupane derivatives, were prepared from the readily available natural pentacyclic triterpene betulin using oxidative procedures.