Agent-based approaches for biological modeling in oncology: A literature review.

Context: Computational modeling involves the use of computer simulations and models to study and understand real-world phenomena. Its application is particularly relevant in the study of potential interactions between biological elements. It is a promising approach to understand complex biological processes and predict their behavior under various conditions.

Optimizing Algorithm for Existing Fiber-Optic Displacement Sensor Performance.

This paper describes the optimal design of a miniature fiber-optic linear displacement sensor. It is characterized by its ability to measure displacements along a millimetric range with sub-micrometric resolution. The sensor consists of a triangular reflective grating and two fiber-optic probes.

Interrogation of endothelial and mural cells in brain metastasis reveals key immune-regulatory mechanisms.

Brain metastasis (BrM) is a common malignancy, predominantly originating from lung, melanoma, and breast cancers. The vasculature is a key component of the BrM tumor microenvironment with critical roles in regulating metastatic seeding and progression. However, the heterogeneity of the major BrM vascular components, namely endothelial and mural cells, is still poorly understood.

Phenotypic diversity of T cells in human primary and metastatic brain tumors revealed by multiomic interrogation.

The immune-specialized environment of the healthy brain is tightly regulated to prevent excessive neuroinflammation. However, after cancer development, a tissue-specific conflict between brain-preserving immune suppression and tumor-directed immune activation may ensue. To interrogate potential roles of T cells in this process, we profiled these cells from individuals with primary or metastatic brain cancers via integrated analyses on the single-cell and bulk population levels.

[Oncology: what's new in 2022].

The past year has brought several innovations in medical oncology, opening up promising new options for many solid tumors, both localized and metastatic. Immunotherapy, a real spearhead of emerging therapies in metastatic diseases, is seeing its use extend to adjuvant and neoadjuvant modalities, particularly in colon and lung cancers. 2022 also sees a great deal of focus on targeted therapies, as well as on antibody-drug conjugates, which creates new standards in both breast and lung cancers.

Attenuation of the pro-inflammatory signature of lung cancer-derived mesenchymal stromal cells by statins.

Solid tumor growth triggers a dynamic host response, which recapitulates wound healing and defines the tumor microenvironment (TME). In addition to the action of the tumor cells themselves, the TME is maintained by a myriad of immune and stromal cell-derived soluble mediators and extracellular matrix components whose combined action supports tumor progression. However, therapeutic targeting of the TME has proven challenging because of incomplete understanding of the tumor-host crosstalk at the molecular level.

Mesenchymal stromal cells in cancer: a review of their immunomodulatory functions and dual effects on tumor progression.

Mesenchymal stem or stromal cells (MSCs) are pluripotent cells implicated in a broad range of physiological events, including organogenesis and maintenance of tissue homeostasis as well as tissue regeneration and repair. Because their current definition is somewhat loose - based primarily on their ability to differentiate into a variety of mesenchymal tissues, adhere to plastic, and express, or lack, a handful of cell surface markers - MSCs likely encompass several subpopulations, which may have diverse properties. Their diversity may explain, at least in part, the pleiotropic functions that they display in different physiological and pathological settings.

Reciprocal modulation of mesenchymal stem cells and tumor cells promotes lung cancer metastasis.

Metastasis is a multi-step process in which direct crosstalk between cancer cells and their microenvironment plays a key role. Here, we assessed the effect of paired tumor-associated and normal lung tissue mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the growth and dissemination of primary human lung carcinoma cells isolated from the same patients. We show that the tumor microenvironment modulates MSC gene expression and identify a four-gene MSC signature that is functionally implicated in promoting metastasis.

The prognostic effect of salvage surgery and radiotherapy in patients with recurrent primary urethral carcinoma.

Background: To evaluate the impact of salvage therapy (ST) on overall survival (OS) in recurrent primary urethral cancer (PUC).

Patients: A series of 139 patients (96 men, 43 women; median age = 66, interquartile range: 57-77) were diagnosed with PUC at 10 referral centers between 1993 and 2012. The modality of ST of recurrence (salvage surgery vs.

Tumor-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Use Distinct Mechanisms to Block the Activity of Natural Killer Cell Subsets.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) display pleiotropic functions, which include secretion of soluble factors with immunosuppressive activity implicated in cancer progression. We compared the immunomodulatory effects on natural killer (NK) cells of paired intratumor (T)- and adjacent non-tumor tissue (N)-derived MSCs from patients with squamous cell lung carcinoma (SCC). We observed that T-MSCs were more strongly immunosuppressive than N-MSCs and affected both NK function and phenotype, as defined by CD56 expression.

Oncological Outcomes of Patients with Concomitant Bladder and Urethral Carcinoma.

Introduction: The study aimed to investigate oncological outcomes of patients with concomitant bladder cancer (BC) and urethral carcinoma.

Methods: This is a multicenter series of 110 patients (74 men, 36 women) diagnosed with urethral carcinoma at 10 referral centers between 1993 and 2012. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to investigate the impact of BC on survival, and Cox regression multivariable analysis was performed to identify predictors of recurrence.

Antimicrobial Activity of Nisin and Natamycin Incorporated Sodium Caseinate Extrusion-Blown Films: A Comparative Study with Heat-Pressed/Solution Cast Films.

Antimicrobial edible films based on sodium caseinate, glycerol, and 2 food preservatives (nisin or natamycin) were prepared by classical thermomechanical processes. Food preservatives were compounded (at 65 °C for 2.5 min) with sodium caseinate in a twin-screw extruder.

Holocellulose Nanofibers of High Molar Mass and Small Diameter for High-Strength Nanopaper.

Wood cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) based on bleached pulp are different from the cellulose microfibrils in the plant cell wall in terms of larger diameter, lower cellulose molar mass, and modified cellulose topochemistry. Also, CNF isolation often requires high-energy mechanical disintegration. Here, a new type of CNFs is reported based on a mild peracetic acid delignification process for spruce and aspen fibers, followed by low-energy mechanical disintegration.

Prognostic factors and outcomes in primary urethral cancer: results from the international collaboration on primary urethral carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate risk factors for survival in a large international cohort of patients with primary urethral cancer (PUC).

Methods: A series of 154 patients (109 men, 45 women) were diagnosed with PUC in ten referral centers between 1993 and 2012. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank test was used to investigate various potential prognostic factors for recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS).

Impact of perioperative chemotherapy on survival in patients with advanced primary urethral cancer: results of the international collaboration on primary urethral carcinoma.

Background: To investigate the impact of perioperative chemo(radio)therapy in advanced primary urethral carcinoma (PUC).

Patients And Methods: A series of 124 patients (86 men, 38 women) were diagnosed with and underwent surgery for PUC in 10 referral centers between 1993 and 2012. Kaplan-Meier analysis with log-rank testing was used to investigate the impact of perioperative chemo(radio)therapy on overall survival (OS).

High-performance and moisture-stable cellulose-starch nanocomposites based on bioinspired core-shell nanofibers.

Moisture stability and brittleness are challenges for plant fiber biocomposites intended for load-bearing applications, for instance those based on an amylopectin-rich (AP) starch matrix. Core-shell amylopectin-coated cellulose nanofibers and nanocomposites are prepared to investigate effects from the distribution of AP matrix. The core-shell nanocomposites are compared with nanocomposites with more irregular amylopectin (AP) distribution.

Influence of some formulation and process parameters on the stability of lysozyme incorporated in corn flour- or corn starch-based extruded materials prepared by melt blending processing.

In order to obtain an antimicrobial biodegradable material, corn flour was extruded with 1% of lysozyme. Since the limited stability of natural preservatives such as lysozyme is a common bottleneck to the elaboration of active biomaterials by melt blending processes, the influence of formulation and of extrusion processing temperature on its residual enzymatic activity was investigated. To assess the contribution of process parameters such as temperature, shear stress and of related formulation parameters such as glycerol and moisture contents, the stability of lysozyme following its extrusion or its thermoforming with plasticized corn starch or thermal treatments in aqueous glycerol solutions was also studied.

Strong and moldable cellulose magnets with high ferrite nanoparticle content.

A major limitation in the development of highly functional hybrid nanocomposites is brittleness and low tensile strength at high inorganic nanoparticle content. Herein, cellulose nanofibers were extracted from wood and individually decorated with cobalt-ferrite nanoparticles and then for the first time molded at low temperature (<120 °C) into magnetic nanocomposites with up to 93 wt % inorganic content. The material structure was characterized by TEM and FE-SEM and mechanically tested as compression molded samples.

Polybutylene succinate adipate/starch blends: a morphological study for the design of controlled release films.

Films made of plasticized starch (PLS)/poly(butylene succinate co-butylene adipate) (PBSA) blends were prepared by thermomechanical processing varying the PBSA proportions in blends to obtain biphasic materials with distinct morphologies. These morphologies were characterized by selective extraction of each phase, microscopic observations, and selective water/oxygen permeation properties. These experiments allowed identifying the blend compositions corresponding to the beginning of partial continuity (cluster partial percolation) until total continuity of each phases.

Synthesis of hydroxycinnamic acid glucuronides and investigation of their affinity for human serum albumin.

Hydroxycinnamic acids (HCAs) are among the most abundant dietary polyphenols. Recent bioavailability studies have shown that HCAs enter the blood circulation mainly as glucuronides, which are thus most likely to express their potential health effects. In this work, an efficient synthesis of HCA O-arylglucuronides is developed.

Chemical synthesis of hydroxycinnamic acid glucosides and evaluation of their ability to stabilize natural colors via anthocyanin copigmentation.

This work describes the chemical synthesis of O-aryl-beta-D-glucosides and 1-O-beta-D-glucosyl esters of hydroxycinnamic acids. In particular, O-aryl-beta-D-glucosides were efficiently prepared via a simple diastereoselective glycosylation procedure using phase transfer conditions. Despite the lability of its ester linkage, 1-O-beta-D-caffeoylglucose could also be obtained using a Lewis acid catalyzed glycosylation step and a set of protective groups that can be removed under neutral conditions.

Twin product/process approach for pellet preparation by extrusion/spheronisation. Part I: hydro-textural aspects.

The extrusion/spheronisation technique has made a notable contribution to the existing range of pharmaceutical forms especially in the area of modified-release products. The twin product/process approach adopted in this work is based on the on-line monitoring of the hydro-textural characteristics of the product up to its final form. The objective is to balance the influence of the operating parameters for each successive stage against the influence of product characteristics.

Beneficial effects of L-carnitine in myoblastic C2C12 cells. Interaction with zidovudine.

L-Carnitine is a key molecule in the transfer of fatty acid across mitochondrial membranes. Bioavailable L-carnitine is either provided by an endogeneous biosynthesis or after intestinal absorption of dietary items containing L-carnitine. After intestinal absorption or hepatic biosynthesis, L-carnitine is transferred to organs whose metabolism is dependent upon fatty acid oxidation, such as skeletal muscle.