Benzamides as melanotropic carriers for radioisotopes, metals, cytotoxic agents and as enzyme inhibitors.

Benzamide derivatives are known as antipsychotic and antiemetic drugs. Owing to its neurotropic characteristic this class of compounds was found useful for imaging melanoma and melanoma metastases. [(123I)]BZA (N-(2-diethylaminoethyl)-4-[(123I)]iodobenzamide) was the first example which was clinically applied as an imaging agent demonstrating high tumor uptake.

Flavodiiron proteins in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms: photoprotection of photosystem II by Flv2 and Flv4 in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.

Background: Flavodiiron proteins (FDPs) comprise a group of modular enzymes that function in oxygen and nitric oxide detoxification in Bacteria and Archaea. The FDPs in cyanobacteria have an extra domain as compared to major prokaryotic enzymes. The physiological role of cyanobacteria FDPs is mostly unknown.

Identification and characterization of a peptide with affinity to head and neck cancer.

Unlabelled: Combination therapy has improved the quality of life for patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCCs) but has not decisively changed prognosis. Targeted therapies, which enhance accumulation of the drug in the tumor, may be realized using tumor-specific binding peptides. This paper identifies and characterizes an HNSCC affine peptide.

Intrarectal quinine versus intravenous or intramuscular quinine for treating Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

Background: In children with falciparum malaria, a proprietary quinine preparation (adjusted to make it less acidic) administered rectally may be easier to use and less painful than intramuscular or intravenous administration. However, rectal quinine may be less effective.

Objectives: To compare intrarectal quinine with intravenous or intramuscular quinine for treating malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum.

Differentiation between malignant transformation and tumour recurrence by (68)Ga-bombesin and (18)F-FDG-PET, in patients with low grade gliomas.

Treatment of gliomas is multimodal. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the posttreatment course is of limited value due to therapy-induced changes. In low-grade gliomas (LGG) malignant transformation is of special interest.

Transient Broca's aphasia as feature of an extradural abscess.

Diagnosis of extradural abscesses can be difficult and is often delayed. The case is presented of a 13-year-old girl who was afebrile and had episodes of expressive aphasia, with maintenance of awareness and understanding, lasting for 2-3 minutes and with normal neurologic examination in between. She was found to have a left frontal extradural abscess overlying the region of Broca's area (Brodmann area 44/45) on magnetic resonance imaging.

Metabolome phenotyping of inorganic carbon limitation in cells of the wild type and photorespiratory mutants of the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803.

The amount of inorganic carbon represents one of the main environmental factors determining productivity of photoautotrophic organisms. Using the model cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, we performed a first metabolome study with cyanobacterial cells shifted from high CO(2) (5% in air) into conditions of low CO(2) (LC; ambient air with 0.

Artemisinin derivatives versus quinine in treating severe malaria in children: a systematic review.

Background: The efficacy of intravenous quinine, which is the mainstay for treating severe malaria in children, is decreasing in South East Asia and Africa. Artemisinin derivatives are a potential alternative to quinine. However, their efficacy compared to quinine in treating severe malaria in children is not clearly understood.

Molecular imaging of tumor metabolism and apoptosis.

Increased metabolism has been found to be one of the most prominent features of malignant tumors. This property led to the development of tracers for the assessment of glucose metabolism and amino acid transport and their application for tumor diagnosis and staging. Prominent examples are fluorodeoxyglucose, methionine and tyrosine analogs, which have found broad clinical application.

PAMAM structure-based multifunctional fluorescent conjugates for improved fluorescent labelling of biomacromolecules.

Fluorescent probes are of increasing interest in medicinal and biological applications for the elucidation of the structures and functions of healthy as well as tumour cells. The quality of these investigations is determined by the intensity of the fluorescence signal. High dye/carrier ratios give strong signals.

Enzymes/transporters.

Tracers that specifically target tumours are highly warranted for diagnosis and to monitor cancer chemotherapy response. However, as cancer cells arise from normal cells they do not substantially differ from the normal cells and therefore tumour specific targets are rare. Fortunately, the process of malignant transformation is associated with the up- or down-regulation of enzymes and transporters that play a crucial role in tumour growth.

Tetrafluorophenolate of HBED-CC: a versatile conjugation agent for 68Ga-labeled small recombinant antibodies.

Purpose: The success of (68)Ga-labeled peptides for positron emission tomography of neuroendocrine tumors is mainly depending on the complex chemistry of this radioisotope. 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA), the chelator of choice has however limitations if its application is expanded to heat-sensitive proteins. Recombinant antibodies like single chain Fv or diabodies belong to this class of proteins.

3'-Sulfonylesters of 2,5'-anhydro-1-(2-deoxy-beta-d-threo-pentofuranosyl)thymine as precursors for the synthesis of [(18)F]FLT: syntheses and radiofluorination trials.

Title compounds [3'-sulfonylesters of 2,5'-anhydro-1-(2-deoxy-beta-d-threo-pentofuranosyl)thymine: 2,5'-anhydro-1-(2-deoxy-3-methanesulfonyl-beta-d-threo-pentofuranosyl)thymine (1a); 2,5'-anhydro-1-(2-deoxy-3-(4-nitrobenzenesulfonyl)-beta-d-threo-pentofuranosyl)thymine (1b); 2,5'-anhydro-1(-2-deoxy-3-(toluenesulfonyl)-beta-d-threo-pentofuranosyl)thymine (1c); and 2,5'-anhydro-1(-2-deoxy-3-(2,2,2-trifluoroethanesulfonyl)-beta-d-threo-pentofuranosyl)thymine 1d] were synthesized, and their use as starting materials for the synthesis of 3'-deoxy-3'-[(18)F]fluorothymidine ([(18)F]FLT) was investigated. Radiofluorination of Compound 1b and subsequent hydrolysis with NaOH, in solution or on solid support, yielded a product with the same retention on radio thin-layer chromatography as [(18)F]FLT. However, careful analysis with high-performance liquid chromatography could not identify the product to be [(18)F]FLT.