The Use of Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Instrumentation in Patients with Spinal Oncologic Tumors: A Systematic Review of Literature and Future Directions.

Introduction: Metastatic spine tumors affect over 30% of patients who have been diagnosed with cancer. While techniques in surgical intervention have undoubtedly evolved, there are some pitfalls when spinal instrumentation is required for stabilization following tumor resection. However, the use of carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) implants has become increasingly popular due to improved radiolucency and positive osteobiologic properties.

Effects of Lovastatin on Brain Cancer Cells.

Although brain tumors occur less frequently than other forms of cancer, they have one of the bleakest prognoses with low survival rates. The conventional treatment for brain tumors includes surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. However, resistance to treatment remains a problem with recurrence shortly following.

Lovastatin Inhibits RhoA to Suppress Canonical Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling and Alternative Wnt-YAP/TAZ Signaling in Colon Cancer.

Statins are first-line drugs used to control patient lipid levels, but there is recent evidence that statin treatment can lower colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence by 50% and prolong CRC patient survival through mechanisms that are poorly understood. In this study, we found that the treatment of APC mice by the mevalonate pathway inhibitor lovastatin significantly reduced the number of colonic masses and improved hypersplenism and peripheral anemia. Furthermore, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis of colonic mass tissues showed a potent inhibitory effect in both Wnt/β-catenin signaling and YAP/TAZ signaling in the lovastatin treatment group.