Dose escalation of docetaxel concomitant with hypofractionated, once weekly chest radiotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer: a phase I study.

Hypofractionated chest radiotherapy has been used as an alternative when standard fractionated schedules are neither practical nor feasible. To explore docetaxel as radiosensitizer in a hypofractionated chest irradiation schedule, a docetaxel dose escalation study was conducted in which 26 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (stages III and IV) were enrolled. Docetaxel was administered 24 hours prior to irradiation (starting dose 10mg/m2; escalating in 5mg/m2 increments).

Chimerism analysis in sex-mismatched murine transplantation using quantitative real-time PCR.

Marine experimental stem cell transplantations require the accurate discrimination and quantification of donor cells from host cells. A Y-chromosome-specific, quantitative real-time PCR (kinetic PCR) protocol for blood-derived DNA was developed. The assay sensitivity was extremely high with accurate detection of only 10 pg (six copies of Y target DNA) in a variable background of female DNA background ranging from 2.

Efficient c-kit receptor-targeted gene transfer to primary human CD34-selected hematopoietic stem cells.

We have previously reported effective gene transfer with a targeted molecular conjugate adenovirus vector through the c-kit receptor in hematopoietic progenitor cell lines. However, a c-kit-targeted recombinant retroviral vector failed to transduce cells, indicating the existence of significant differences for c-kit target gene transfer between these two viruses. Here we demonstrate that conjugation of an adenovirus to a c-kit-retargeted retrovirus vector enables retroviral transduction.

Poly-L-lysine-based molecular conjugate vectors: a high efficiency gene transfer system for human progenitor and leukemia cells.

Background: Targeted, specific receptor mediated gene transfer is a major goal of gene therapy research to accomplish gene transfer exclusively to the desired cell population.

Methods: First, the use of natural receptor for stem cell factor and transferrin receptor-targeted gene transfer using poly-L-lysine-based molecular conjugate vectors was evaluated in a panel of hematopoietic progenitor cell lines. Second, the ability of poly-L-lysine to enhance adenovirus mediated gene transfer efficiency was examined in different cell lines by using recombinant adenovirus-poly-L-lysine molecular conjugate conglomerates (recMCVEGFP).