Successful treatment of metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma with combination chemotherapy regimens.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Current 5-year survival is less than 4%, highlighting the dire need for effective treatment. We report the case of a 41-year-old woman who was diagnosed with advanced metastatic well-to-moderately differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, involving the liver and peritoneal cavity.

Secretory products of breast cancer cells upregulate hyaluronan production in a human osteoblast cell line.

Hyaluronan (HA) has been implicated in breast cancer progression and metastasis to lymph nodes. Although breast cancer has a strong propensity for metastasis to the bone, the role of HA in the development of bone metastasis in breast cancer is not well delineated. In order to determine the role of HA in breast cancer induced osteolysis, we examined the effect of secretory products in the conditioned medium of breast cancer cell lines on the expression of hyaluronan synthases (HAS), accumulation of HA in pericellular matrix, secretion of HA in the culture media, and on expression of surface HA receptors, in a human immature osteoblast cell line (Hfob).

Characterization of hyaluronan synthase expression and hyaluronan synthesis in bone marrow mesenchymal progenitor cells: predominant expression of HAS1 mRNA and up-regulated hyaluronan synthesis in bone marrow cells derived from multiple myeloma patients.

Hyaluronan (HA) is suggested to play a role in the pathophysiology of multiple myeloma. To further investigate the role of HA in this disease, we examined hyaluronan synthase (Has) gene expression and HA production in bone marrow mesenchymal progenitor cells (bmMPCs) derived from multiple myeloma patients. The relative abundance of mRNA for each HAS gene was determined using competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (cRT-PCR), whereas HA production was detected by fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (FACE).