Development and Validation of a Simple and Reliable HPLC-UV Method for Determining Gemcitabine Levels: Application in Pharmacokinetic Analysis.

: Gemcitabine has been used to treat various solid cancers, including, since 1997, metastatic pancreatic cancer. Here, we developed an HPLC-UV method to determine serum gemcitabine levels and use it in pharmacokinetic studies. : The analysis was performed after a single protein precipitation step on a reversed-phase column, isocratically eluted with sodium phosphate buffer and methanol.

A Comparative Analysis of ARX and ANFIS Models for Tumor Growth Prediction Under Single and Multi-agent Chemotherapy.

Background/aim: Despite the advances in oncology and cancer treatment over the past decades, cancer remains one of the deadliest diseases. This study focuses on further understanding the complex nature of cancer by using mathematical tumor modeling to understand, capture as best as possible, and describe its complex dynamics under chemotherapy treatment.

Materials And Methods: Focusing on autoregressive with exogenous inputs, i.

Targeting of Notch, IL-1, and leptin has therapeutic potential in xenograft colorectal cancer.

Background/aim: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a fatal malignancy type and its occurence still needs to be explored mechanistically. Notch, IL-1, and leptin crosstalk is reported to play a role in the proliferation, migration, and expression of proangiogenic molecules. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of inhibition of Notch, IL-1, and leptin on CRC.

Modified Diatomaceous Earth in Heparin Recovery from Porcine Intestinal Mucosa.

Heparin, a highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan, is a naturally occurring anticoagulant that plays a vital role in various physiological processes. The remarkable structural complexity of heparin, consisting of repeating disaccharide units, makes it a crucial molecule for the development of commercial drugs in the pharmaceutical industry. Over the past few decades, significant progress has been made in the development of cost-effective adsorbents specifically designed for the adsorption of heparin from porcine intestinal mucosa.

Caveolin-1 protein expression as a prognostic biomarker of gastrointestinal tumours: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers remain a major threat worldwide, accounting for over 30% of cancer deaths. The identification of novel prognostic biomarkers remains a challenge despite significant advances in the field. The CAV1 gene, encoding the caveolin-1 protein, remains enigmatic in cancer and carcinogenesis, as it has been proposed to act as both a tumour promoter and a tumour suppressor.

Influence of the Topology of Poly(L-Cysteine) on the Self-Assembly, Encapsulation and Release Profile of Doxorubicin on Dual-Responsive Hybrid Polypeptides.

Τhe synthesis of a series of novel hybrid block copolypeptides based on poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(l-histidine) (PHis) and poly(l-cysteine) (PCys) is presented. The synthesis of the terpolymers was achieved through a ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of the corresponding protected -carboxy anhydrides of --l-histidine and --butyl-l-cysteine, using an end-amine-functionalized poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-NH) as macroinitiator, followed by the deprotection of the polypeptidic blocks. The topology of PCys was either the middle block, the end block or was randomly distributed along the PHis chain.

Pancreatic Cancer Organoids: An Emerging Platform for Precision Medicine?

Despite recent therapeutic advances, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) remains one of the most aggressive malignancies, with remarkable resistance to treatment, poor prognosis, and poor clinical outcome. More efficient therapeutic approaches are urgently needed to improve patients' survival. Recently, the development of organoid culture systems has gained substantial attention as an emerging preclinical research model.

P90 ribosomal S6 kinases: A bona fide target for novel targeted anticancer therapies?

The 90 kDa ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) family of proteins is a group of highly conserved Ser/Thr kinases. They are downstream effectors of the Ras/ERK/MAPK signaling cascade. ERK1/2 activation directly results in the phosphorylation of RSKs, which further, through interaction with a variety of different downstream substrates, activate various signaling events.

Increased Expression of the Mitochondrial Glucocorticoid Receptor Enhances Tumor Aggressiveness in a Mouse Xenograft Model.

Mitochondria are important organelles for cellular physiology as they generate most of the energy requirements of the cell and orchestrate many biological functions. Dysregulation of mitochondrial function is associated with many pathological conditions, including cancer development. Mitochondrial glucocorticoid receptor (mtGR) is proposed as a crucial regulator of mitochondrial functions via its direct involvement in the regulation of mitochondrial transcription, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), enzymes biosynthesis, energy production, mitochondrial-dependent apoptosis, and regulation of oxidative stress.

Heterodimeric IL-15 (hetIL-15) reduces circulating tumor cells and metastasis formation improving chemotherapy and surgery in 4T1 mouse model of TNBC.

Immunotherapy has emerged as a viable approach in cancer therapy, with cytokines being of great interest. Interleukin IL-15 (IL-15), a cytokine that supports cytotoxic immune cells, has been successfully tested as an anti-cancer and anti-metastatic agent, but combinations with conventional chemotherapy and surgery protocols have not been extensively studied. We have produced heterodimeric IL-15 (hetIL-15), which has shown anti-tumor efficacy in several murine cancer models and is being evaluated in clinical trials for metastatic cancers.

MRSA in the bursa: an unusual complication of MRSA bacteremia causing bilateral acromioclavicular septic arthritis.

Bacteraemia is known to cause serious complications including metastatic infections such as infective endocarditis, vertebral osteomyelitis, iliopsosas abscesses and septic arthritis. Bilateral septic arthritis, however, is a rare medical emergency with limited previous reports. species are the most common organisms identified as a result of suspected haematogenous spread from bacteraemia, direct inoculation or translocation from adjacent tissues.

Bioinformatic Analysis of the BCL-xL/BCL2L1 Interactome in Patients with Pancreatic Cancer.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to analyze the differential gene expression of BCL-xL/BCL2L and the associated genetic, molecular, and biologic functions in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) by employing advanced bioinformatics to investigate potential candidate genes implicated in the pathogenesis of PDAC. Materials and Methods: Bioinformatic techniques were employed to build the gene network of BCL-xL, to assess the translational profile of BCL-xL in PDAC, assess its role in predicting PDAC, and investigate the associated biologic functions and the regulating miRNA families. Results: Microarray data extracted from one dataset was incorporated, including 130 samples (PDAC: 69; Control: 61).

Efficient and Economic Heparin Recovery from Porcine Intestinal Mucosa Using Quaternary Ammonium-Functionalized Silica Gel.

Heparin, usually isolated from porcine intestinal mucosa, is an active pharmaceutical ingredient of great material value. Traditionally, diverse types of commercial resins were employed as an adsorbent for heparin retrieval from biological samples. However, more recent years have encouraged the advent of new cost-effective adsorbents to achieve enhanced heparin retrieval.

Hydrophilic Random Cationic Copolymers as Polyplex-Formation Vectors for DNA.

Research on the improvement and fabrication of polymeric systems as non-viral gene delivery carriers is required for their implementation in gene therapy. Random copolymers have not been extensively utilized for these purposes. In this regard, double hydrophilic poly[(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate)-co-(oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] [P(DMAEMA-co-OEGMA)] random copolymers were synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization.

Effects of combined administration of doxorubicin and chloroquine on lung pathology in mice with solid Ehrlich ascites carcinoma.

Combined use of a chemotherapeutic agent and an autophagy inhibitor is a novel cancer treatment strategy. We investigated the effects of chloroquine (CQ) on lung pathology caused by both solid Ehrlich ascites carcinoma (EAC) and doxorubicin (DXR). A control group and eight experimental groups of adult female mice were inoculated subcutaneously with 2.

Effects of In Vitro Muscle Contraction on Thermogenic Protein Levels in Co-Cultured Adipocytes.

The crosstalk between the exercising muscle and the adipose tissue, mediated by myokines and metabolites, derived from both tissues during exercise has created a controversy between animal and human studies with respect to the impact of exercise on the browning process. The aim of this study was to investigate whether co-culturing of C2C12 myotubes and 3T3-L1 adipocytes under the stimuli of electrical pulse stimulation (EPS) mimicking muscle contraction can impact the expression of UCP1, PGC-1a, and IL-6 in adipocytes, therefore providing evidence on the direct crosstalk between adipocytes and stimulated muscle cells. In the co-cultured C2C12 cells, EPS increased the expression of PGC-1a ( = 0.

Prognostic significance and therapeutic implications of Caveolin-1 in gastrointestinal tract malignancies.

Caveolin-1 (CAV1) is expressed in several solid tumors both in cancerous cells as well as in tumor stroma and is reported to be related to cancer progression, metastasis, therapy resistance and clinical outcomes. Many studies report contrasting functions of this protein depending on the tumor cell model, the tumor type, or the stage of cancer studied. This protein is reported to function both as tumor suppressor and as tumor promoter.

L. Extract and Its Constituents: Chemistry, Pharmacology and Therapeutic Potential.

Natural products or organic compounds isolated from natural sources as primary or secondary metabolites have inspired numerous drugs [...

Tumor Chemosensitivity Assays Are Helpful for Personalized Cytotoxic Treatments in Cancer Patients.

Tumor chemosensitivity assays (TCAs), also known as drug response assays or individualized tumor response tests, have been gaining attention over the past few decades. Although there have been strong positive correlations between the results of these assays and clinical outcomes, they are still not considered routine tests in the care of cancer patients. The correlations between the assays' results (drug sensitivity or resistance) and the clinical evaluations (e.

Chimeric Stimuli-Responsive Liposomes as Nanocarriers for the Delivery of the Anti-Glioma Agent TRAM-34.

Nanocarriers are delivery platforms of drugs, peptides, nucleic acids and other therapeutic molecules that are indicated for severe human diseases. Gliomas are the most frequent type of brain tumor, with glioblastoma being the most common and malignant type. The current state of glioma treatment requires innovative approaches that will lead to efficient and safe therapies.

The Presence of Fungal and Parasitic Infections in Substances of Human Origin and Their Transmission via Transfusions and Transplantations: Protocol for Two Systematic Reviews.

Background: The European Union Directives stipulate mandatory tests for the presence of any infections in donors and donations of substances of human origin (SoHO). In some circumstances, other pathogens, including fungi and parasites, may also pose a threat to the microbial safety of SoHO.

Objective: The aim of the two systematic reviews is to identify, collect, and evaluate scientific evidence for the presence of fungal and parasitic infections in donors and donations of SoHO, and their transmission via transfusion and transplantation.

Study of the Relationship between Sigma Receptor Expression Levels and Some Common Sigma Ligand Activity in Cancer Using Human Cancer Cell Lines of the NCI-60 Cell Line Panel.

Sigma (σ) receptors have attracted great interest since they are implicated in various cellular functions and biological processes and diseases, including various types of cancer. The receptor family consists of two subtypes: sigma-1 (σ1) and sigma-2 (σ2). Both σ receptor subtypes have been proposed as therapeutic targets for various types of cancers, and many studies have provided evidence that their selective ligands (agonists and antagonists) exhibit antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity.