Discrimination of cancerous and non-cancerous cell lines by headspace-analysis with PTR-MS.

Proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) has been used to analyze the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by in-vitro cultured human cells. For this purpose, two pairs of cancerous and non-cancerous human cell lines were selected:1. lung epithelium cells A-549 and retinal pigment epithelium cells hTERT-RPE1, cultured in different growth media; and 2.

Altered Ca2+-homeostasis of cisplatin-treated and low level resistant non-small-cell and small-cell lung cancer cells.

Background: Chemotherapy often leads to encouraging responses in lung cancer. But, in the course of the treatment, resistance to chemotherapy ultimately limits the life expectancy of the patient. We aimed at investigating if treatment with cisplatin alters the intracellular Ca2+-homeostasis of lung cancer cells and how this may be related to cisplatin resistance.

Mechanisms altering airway smooth muscle cell Ca+ homeostasis in two asthma models.

Background: Asthma is characterized by airway remodeling, altered mucus production and airway smooth muscle cell (ASMC) contraction causing extensive airway narrowing. In particular, alterations of ASMC contractility seem to be of crucial importance. The elevation of the cytoplasmic Ca(2+) concentration is a key event leading to ASMC contraction and changes in the agonist-induced Ca(2+) increase in ASMC have been reported in asthma.