Three-Dimensional Craniofacial Bone Reconstruction With SmartBone on Demand.

This is a report of a 34-year-old male lacking of bone development in the frontal and orbital part of the skull due to a surgical removal of a right orbital-front osteoma at the age of 5. The integrity of the craniofacial district was important for the young patient also for social acceptance and self-esteem.Based on computed tomography patient images, a skull model was reconstructed, both digitally and on 3-dimensional real model, to best design the needed bone graft.

Cranial bone grafts in forehead reconstruction after resection for benign tumors.

Cranial bone graft was first used in forehead reconstruction by Muller and König as early as 1890. Because cranial bone graft is the ideal material for almost all facial and skull repairs, surgeons have subsequently used this technique to repair skull defects. In fact, membranous bone (calvaria) is superior to endochondral bone (ilium, rib) and maintains its volume to a significantly greater extent than endochondral bone.

Novel molecular mechanisms by inorganic phosphate in osteosarcoma U2OS cells.

Osteosarcoma is the most common malignant primary bone tumor in children and adolescents and is characterized by a high metastatic potential. Its clinical outcome remains discouraging despite aggressive treatments. Thus, novel therapeutic approaches are needed.

Leptin potentiates antiproliferative action of cAMP elevation via protein kinase A down-regulation in breast cancer cells.

Previously, we have shown that leptin potentiates the antiproliferative action of cAMP elevating agents in breast cancer cells and that the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor KT-5720 prevented the antiproliferative effects induced by the leptin plus cAMP elevation. The present experiments were designed to gain a better understanding about the PKA role in the antitumor interaction between leptin and cAMP elevating agents and on the underlying signaling pathways. Here we show that exposure of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells to leptin resulted in a strong phosphorylation of both ERK1/2 and STAT3.

Leptin enhances growth inhibition by cAMP elevating agents through apoptosis of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.

Elevation of cAMP inhibits the proliferation and expression of transformed phenotype in several cell types, including breast cancer cells. Leptin has been shown to act as a mitogen/survival factor in many types of cancer cells. In the present work, we have studied the impact of cAMP elevation on leptin-induced proliferation of breast cancer cells.

Inorganic phosphate inhibits growth of human osteosarcoma U2OS cells via adenylate cyclase/cAMP pathway.

In order to elucidate how phosphate regulates cellular functions, we investigated the effects of inorganic phosphate (Pi) on adenylate cyclase (AC)/cyclic AMP (cAMP) axis. Here we describe that Pi treatment of human osteosarcoma U2OS cells results in a decrease of both intracellular cAMP levels and AC activity, and in a cell growth inhibition. The phosphate-triggered effects observed in U2OS cells are not a widespread phenomenon regarding all cell lines, since other cell lines screened respond differently to parallel Pi treatments.

Effect of Vitamin C on pre-osteoblast gene expression.

Ascorbic acid (AA), also known as Vitamin C, is a cofactor required for the function of several hydroxylases. It is not synthesised in humans and has to be provided by diet. Its absence is responsible for scurvy, a condition related to the defective synthesis of collagen by the reduced function of prolylhydroxylase.

An in vitro model for dissecting distraction osteogenesis.

Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is a mechanotransduction process capable of generating viable osseous tissue by the gradual separation of osteotomized bone edges. Several variables are implicated in DO: magnitude of mechanical strain, distraction rate, and type of distracted bone. The combination of these factors acts on different types of cells inducing apoptosis, cell proliferation, and differentiation.

Adenylate cyclase regulation via proteasome-mediated modulation of Galphas levels.

The adenylate cyclase (AC)/cyclic AMP (cAMP)/cAMP-dependent protein kinase pathway controls many biological phenomena. The ubiquitin/proteasome system, controlling the levels of many proteins, modulates important cellular processes such as cell cycle and cell growth. Here we describe a novel mechanism for AC regulation by proteasome pathway.