Registration accuracy comparing different rendering techniques on local vs external virtual 3D liver model reconstruction for vascular landmark setting by intraoperative ultrasound in augmented reality navigated liver resection.

Purpose: Augmented reality navigation in liver surgery still faces technical challenges like insufficient registration accuracy. This study compared registration accuracy between local and external virtual 3D liver models (vir3DLivers) generated with different rendering techniques and the use of the left vs right main portal vein branch (LPV vs RPV) for landmark setting. The study should further examine how registration accuracy behaves with increasing distance from the ROI.

Microwave ablation enhances tumor-specific immune response in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Thermal ablative therapies are standard treatments for localized hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In addition to local tumor destruction, ablation leads to abscopal effects in distant lesions most likely mediated by an anti-tumor immune response. Although microwave ablation (MWA) is increasingly substituting other ablative techniques, its systemic immunostimulatory effects are poorly studied.

Web-Based Immersive Virtual Patient Simulators: Positive Effect on Clinical Reasoning in Medical Education.

Background: Clinical reasoning is based on the declarative and procedural knowledge of workflows in clinical medicine. Educational approaches such as problem-based learning or mannequin simulators support learning of procedural knowledge. Immersive patient simulators (IPSs) go one step further as they allow an illusionary immersion into a synthetic world.

Overcoming tumor-mediated immunosuppression.

Mechanisms of tumor-mediated immunosuppression have been described for several solid and hematological tumors. Tumors inhibit immune responses by attraction of immunosuppressive lymphocytic populations, secretion of immunosuppressive cytokines or expression of surface molecules, which inhibit immune responses by induction of anergy or apoptosis in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. This tumor-mediated immunosuppression represents a major obstacle to many immunotherapeutic or conventional therapeutic approaches.

CD95 and TNFα-induced apoptosis in liver metastases of colorectal carcinoma.

Background: Therapeutic options in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer are still limited. As apoptosis contributes to the overall sensitivity to radiotherapy or chemotherapy, a better understanding of the apoptotic process in metastatic tumour tissues is necessary.

Materials And Methods: Precision cut tissue slices (PCTS) of three human liver metastases were used to investigate the effect of activating CD95 antibodies (concentrations: 0.

COX-2 expression and effects of COX-2 inhibition in colorectal carcinomas and their liver metastases.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are known to reduce the risk and mortality from colorectal carcinoma by inhibiting cyclo-oxygenases (COX). COX-2 expression was investigated immunohistologically in 57 patients with colorectal carcinomas and in the corresponding liver metastases using tissue microarray analysis. Ex vivo COX-2 inhibition with assessment of apoptosis was performed using precision-cut tissue slices of three human liver metastases.

Pathomorphological changes after radiofrequency ablation in the liver.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has become a widespread treatment option for liver carcinoma. There is limited knowledge regarding the macroscopic and histomorphological changes of induced lesions. Twelve domestic pigs underwent RFA using a Starburst XL device with ablation diameter of 3 cm.

Liver tumor infiltrating lymphocytes: comparison of hepatocellular and cholangiolar carcinoma.

Aim: To investigate the role of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in primary hepatocellular and cholangiolar carcinomas of the liver.

Methods: Immunohistochemical analysis was performed including antibodies to CD3, CD4, CD8, CD20, CD56 and TIA-1 in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue of 35 liver resection specimens of hepatocellular or cholangiocellular carcinomas. Semiquantitative evaluation was performed with emphasis on the area of the tumor itself and of the tumor/liver interface.