Prevalence of BRCA mutations in an unselected population of triple-negative breast cancer.

Background: This study assessed BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation prevalence in an unselected cohort of patients with triple-negative breast cancer (BC).

Methods: One hundred ninety-nine patients were enrolled. Triple negativity was defined as <1% estrogen and progesterone staining by immunohistochemistry and HER-2/neu not overexpressed by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Three-dimensional adipose tissue model using low shear bioreactors.

Presented here are techniques developed to culture and analyze three-dimensional (3-D) adipose-like tissues as a means to bridge the gap between current limitations in culturing preadipocytes (PAs) and that of providing clinically relevant volumes of adipose tissue useful for soft tissue engineering strategies in reconstructive surgery. Pilot studies were performed to determine techniques to visualize and analyze 3-D PA-like tissues as well as to develop successful strategies to culture 3T3-L1 cells in a high aspect ratio vessel rotating-wall bioreactor both with and without microcarriers. Next, a series of cultures were accessed to verify these techniques as well as to compare the culture of the cells with and without microcarriers.

Microvascular endothelial cells sustain preadipocyte viability under hypoxic conditions.

Obesity, soft tissue wound healing, adipose tissue engineering, lipomas, and other physiological and pathophysiological conditions necessitate a clear understanding of the interactions between adipocytes and endothelial cells. Adipogenesis and angiogenesis are intimately integrated, despite not being in direct apposition with one another. However, underlying mechanisms have not been elucidated.

Isolation and culture of rat microvascular endothelial cells.

The purpose of this study is to identify the separation techniques that result in pure cultures of rat microvascular endothelial cells (MECs). A multistep process is used to optimize the separation of the cells from rat epididymal fat pads, obtaining as pure a culture as possible within a relatively short processing time. The process initially employs the digestion, filtration, and density gradient separation steps.