Thymic epithelial tumors and metastasis to the brain: a case series and systematic review.

Background: Thymic epithelial tumors (TETs) rarely metastasize to the brain. Clinico-pathologic features of TET patients with brain metastasis are not well described.

Methods: TET patients referred for consultation or screening for clinical trials are included.

Female fertility following dose-adjusted EPOCH-R chemotherapy in primary mediastinal B-cell lymphomas.

We assessed fertility/gonadal function in premenopausal women treated with dose-adjusted EPOCH-Rituximab for untreated primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBL). Eligible patents were ≤ 50 years and premenopausal. Serial reproductive histories were obtained and hormonal assays were performed on serum samples before, at the end of treatment and 4-18 months later.

Kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies in oncology: clinical implications.

Molecularly targeted cancer therapies, such as small-molecule kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, constitute a rapidly growing and an important part of the oncology armamentarium. Unlike conventional (cytotoxic) chemotherapeutics, targeted therapies were designed to disrupt cancer cell pathogenesis at specific biological points essential for the development and progression of the tumour. These agents were developed to disrupt specific targets with the aim of minimizing treatment burden compared with conventional chemotherapy.

Alterations of immune cell subsets in relapsed, thymoma-associated minimal change disease: A case report.

The most frequently described glomerulopathy in patients with thymoma is minimal change disease (MCD). The present study reports the case of a 63-year-old female with recurrent thymoma and poorly-controlled paraneoplastic MCD, who was enrolled on a phase I/II clinical trial (no. NCT01100944) and treated with the histone deacetylase inhibitor, belinostat, in combination with cisplatin, doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide.

The role of reproductive hormones in epithelial ovarian carcinogenesis.

Epithelial ovarian cancer comprises ∼85% of all ovarian cancer cases. Despite acceptance regarding the influence of reproductive hormones on ovarian cancer risk and considerable advances in the understanding of epithelial ovarian carcinogenesis on a molecular level, complete understanding of the biologic processes underlying malignant transformation of ovarian surface epithelium is lacking. Various hypotheses have been proposed over the past several decades to explain the etiology of the disease.

Successful fertility restoration after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Objective: Myeloablative conditioning regimens given prior to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) frequently cause permanent sterility in men. In patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) we use a nonmyeloablative regimen with sirolimus, alemtuzumab, and low-dose total-body irradiation (300 centigrays) with gonadal shielding preceding allogeneic HSCT. We report here the restoration of azoospermia in a patient with SCD after allogeneic HSCT.

Acrometastasis as the Initial Presentation of a KRAS-Positive Colon Cancer.

The propensity of colon cancer to metastasize to bones is very low compared to prostate, breast or lung cancer. The reason for this is not yet understood, although an explanation for the osteotropism of certain primaries has been offered by the 'seed and soil' concept, suggesting that the bone microenvironment provides a favorable 'soil' for metastasis and proliferation of some tumor cells ('seeds') [1]. Here, we report an unusual case of colon cancer with metastasis to the finger at initial presentation, and exophytic sclerotic lesions to other bones.

Seborrheic keratoses of florid eruption.

We report the case of a 79-year-old Caucasian man, who developed numerous pruritic seborrheic keratoses on his chest and back within one year. An underlying malignant disease was suspected. Upper and lower endoscopies were performed and the patient was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma of the ascending colon.

Metastatic methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a common and increasingly recognized hospital- and community-acquired infection. To minimize morbidity and mortality, it is essential to determine which patients are at high risk for metastatic SAB. The risk-scoring system described by Fowler et al and the APACHE II scoring system can be helpful in identifying the clinical predictors of metastatic SAB.

Bortezomib-based chemotherapy for light chain deposition disease presenting as acute renal failure.

We report a case of kappa light chain deposition disease (LCDD) associated with multiple myeloma in a patient presenting with acute renal failure, 2+ proteinuria and hypercalcemia. Serum protein electrophoresis showed an M-spike at 0.1 g/dL.

Transduction of human embryonic stem cells by foamy virus vectors.

Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are important tools for the study of stem cell biology and may ultimately be used in cellular therapies and regenerative medicine. For hESCs to achieve their potential, stable genetic modification of the hESC genome will be required. Here we have studied the transduction of hESCs by vectors based on foamy virus (FV), an integrating retrovirus with no known pathogenicity.

Genome size and structure determine efficiency of postinternalization steps and gene transfer of capsid-modified adenovirus vectors in a cell-type-specific manner.

Adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vectors containing Ad B-group fibers have become increasingly popular as gene transfer vectors because they efficiently transduce human cell types that are relatively refractory to Ad5 infection. So far, most B-group fiber-containing vectors have been first-generation vectors, deleted of E1 and/or E3 genes. Transduction with these vectors, however, results in viral gene expression and is associated with cytotoxicity and immune responses against transduced cells.

The interaction between the fiber knob domain and the cellular attachment receptor determines the intracellular trafficking route of adenoviruses.

Most of the presently used adenovirus (Ad) vectors are based on serotype 5. However, the application of these vectors is limited by the native tropism of Ad5. To address this problem, a series of fiber chimeric vectors were produced to take advantage of the different cellular receptors used by Ad of different subgroups.

Advances in gene transfer into haematopoietic stem cells by adenoviral vectors.

Until recently, the cells of haematopoietic origin were not considered good adenoviral (Adv) targets, primarily because they lacked the specific Adv receptors required for productive and efficient Adv infections. In addition, because of limitations inherent in Adv infections, such as short-term expression and a non-integrating nature, their application has been precluded from haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and bone marrow transduction protocols where long-term expression has been required. Therefore, limited research utilising Adv-mediated gene transfer into haematopoietic cells had been conducted.

Identification and characterization of 9D7, a novel human protein overexpressed in renal cell carcinoma.

With the objective of discovering novel tumor-associated antigens of the cancer/testis type, we compared the transcriptional profiles of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and non-tumorous kidney and further screened for genes expressed in RCC and testis, but not other normal tissues. In a first step, a representational difference analysis library consisting of approximately 1,900 RCC cDNA clones was generated. Clones were then spotted onto filters and hybridized with cDNA probes derived from a testis-specific cDNA library, a pool of RCCs and a pool of 10 healthy normal tissues, respectively.