Synergistic effects of MK-1775 and gemcitabine on cytotoxicity in non-small cell lung cancer.

Background: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Chemotherapy is crucial in NSCLC treatment, and targeting Wee1 kinase, a key regulator of the G2/M cell cycle checkpoint, may enhance the efficacy of cytotoxic agents. This study investigates the potential of the Wee1 inhibitor MK-1775 in combination with gemcitabine and pemetrexed to enhance cytotoxicity in NSCLC cell lines.

Synergistic effects of the combination of trametinib and alpelisib in anaplastic thyroid cancer with BRAF and PI3KCA co-mutations.

Background: Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC), a rare and aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis, has shown promise with the approved dabrafenib/trametinib combination for BRAF mutation. Co-occurring PI3KCA mutations, identified as negative prognostic factors in lung cancer with BRAF mutation, emphasize the need to target both pathways. Exploring trametinib and alpelisib combination becomes crucial for ATC.

Wee1 inhibition by MK1775 potentiates gemcitabine through accumulated replication stress leading to apoptosis in biliary tract cancer.

Patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) have a poor prognosis, and novel treatments are needed. Gemcitabine, the standard of care for BTC, induces DNA damage; however, the ability of cancer cells to repair DNA dampens its effects. To improve the efficacy of gemcitabine, we combined it with MK1775, a Wee1 inhibitor that prevents activation of the G2/M checkpoint.

Identification and Clinical Significance of Pancreatic Cancer Stem Cells and Their Chemotherapeutic Drug Resistance.

Pancreatic cancer ranks in the 10th-11th position among cancers affecting men in Taiwan, besides being a rather difficult-to-treat disease. The overall 5-year survival rate of pancreatic cancer is only 5-10%, while that of resectable pancreatic cancer is still approximately 15-20%. Cancer stem cells possess intrinsic detoxifying mechanisms that allow them to survive against conventional therapy by developing multidrug resistance.

Taiwan cobra envenoming: serum venom concentration before and after specific treatment and relationship with debridement of necrotic wound tissue.

Background: Bivalent freeze-dried neurotoxic (FN) antivenom has been the primary treatment since the 1980s for Taiwan cobra () envenomation in Taiwan. However, envenomation-related wound necrosis is a significant problem after cobra snakebites. In the present study, we analyzed the changes in serum venom concentration before and after antivenom administration to discover their clinical implications and the surgical treatment options for wound necrosis.

The Clinical Usefulness of Taiwan Bivalent Freeze-Dried Hemorrhagic Antivenom in - and -Envenomed Patients.

Snakebites from (Taiwan habus) and (green bamboo vipers) account for the most venomous snakebites in Taiwan. The bivalent freeze-dried hemorrhagic (FH) antivenom is employed to treat these two snakebite patients without a strict clinical trial. We evaluated the clinical usefulness of Taiwan bivalent freeze-dried hemorrhagic (FH) antivenom in Taiwan habu- and green bamboo viper-envenomed patients.

Programming a nonvolatile memory-like sensor for KRAS gene sensing and signal enhancement.

A programmable field effect-based electrolyte-insulator-semiconductor (EIS) sensor constructed with a nonvolatile memory-like structure is proposed for KRAS gene DNA hybridization detection. This programmable EIS structure was fabricated with silicon oxide (SiO2)/silicon nitride (Si3N4)/silicon oxide on a p-type silicon wafer, namely electrolyte-oxide-nitride-oxide-Si (EONOS). In this research, voltage stress programming from 4 to 20V was applied to trigger holes confinement in the nitride-trapping layer that, consequently, enhances the DNA attachment onto the sensing surface due to additional electrostatic interaction.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 in gastric cancer and their relation to claudin-4 expression.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) MMP-2 and MMP-9 can degrade type IV collagen of extracellular matrix and basal membranes. Claudin-4 is a member of a large family of transmembrane proteins, claudins, essential in the formation and maintenance of tight junctions. Claudin-4 has been shown to activate MMP-2, indicating that claudin-mediated increased cancer cell invasion might be mediated through the activation of MMP proteins.

Differential expression of claudin-4 between intestinal and diffuse-type gastric cancer.

Our previous microarray analysis of gastric cancer found that claudin-4 was differentially expressed between intestinal-type gastric cancer (IGC) and diffuse-type gastric cancer (DGC). Claudin-4 is a member of a large family of transmembrane proteins, claudins, essential in the formation and maintenance of tight junctions. To explore the roles of claudin-4 in the two histologically distinct types of gastric cancer, we selected 45 IGC and 48 DGC cases and then analyzed the expression of the protein using immunohistochemistry.