Hyaluronic acid receptor CD44 deficiency is associated with decreased Cryptococcus neoformans brain infection.

Cryptococcus neoformans is a pathogenic yeast that can invade the brain and cause meningoencephalitis. Our previous in vitro studies suggested that the interaction between C. neoformans hyaluronic acid and human brain endothelial CD44 could be the initial step of brain invasion.

Primary mixed glioneuronal tumor of the central nervous system in a patient with noonan syndrome: a case report and review of the literature.

Noonan syndrome is an autosomal dominant condition with variable phenotypic expression. Although an association between Noonan syndrome and various neoplasms has been identified, a relationship with primary glial or neuronal tumors of the central nervous system (CNS) has not yet been established. We describe the case of a 6-year-old male patient with Noonan syndrome and leptomeningeally disseminated low-grade mixed glioneuronal tumor.

Effect of the angiogenesis inhibitor Cilengitide (EMD 121974) on glioblastoma growth in nude mice.

Objective: To determine the effect of the angiogenesis inhibitor Cilengitide (EMD 121974) on glioblastoma growth and associated angiogenesis in the brains of nude mice.

Methods: Human glioblastoma cells (10 U87MG cells) in 1 mul of medium were stereotactically injected during a 20-minute period into the caudate/putamen of nude mice. The mice were intraperitoneally treated daily with Cilengitide or solvent (control) beginning 5 days after tumor injection.

Longitudinal microPET imaging of brain tumor growth with F-18-labeled RGD peptide.

Purpose: EMD 121974, a potent cyclic RGD peptide inhibitor of alphav-integrins, demonstrated effectiveness in suppressing brain tumor growth in both preclinical models and phases I/II clinical trials. The ability to non-invasively evaluate alphav-integrin expression provides a novel and unique way to better understand brain tumor angiogenesis in relationship to alphav-integrin expression, and allow for direct assessment of anti-integrin treatment efficacy.

Procedures: We developed a F-18-labeled RGD peptide [F-18]FB-RGD and performed serial microPET imaging scans to follow brain tumor growth and angiogenesis as a function of time in an orthotopic U87MG glioblastoma xenograft model in athymic nude mice.

Pegylated Arg-Gly-Asp peptide: 64Cu labeling and PET imaging of brain tumor alphavbeta3-integrin expression.

Unlabelled: The alphav-integrins, cell adhesion molecules that are highly expressed on activated endothelial cells and tumor cells but not on dormant endothelial cells or normal cells, present an attractive target for tumor imaging and therapy. We previously coupled a cyclic Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptide, c(RGDyK), with 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) and labeled the RGD-DOTA conjugate with 64Cu (half-life, 12.8 h; 19% beta+) for solid tumor targeting, with high tumor-to-background contrast.

MicroPET imaging of brain tumor angiogenesis with 18F-labeled PEGylated RGD peptide.

We have previously labeled cyclic RGD peptide c(RGDyK) with fluorine-18 through conjugation labeling via a prosthetic 4-[18F]fluorobenzoyl moiety and applied this [18F]FB-RGD radiotracer for alphav-integrin expression imaging in different preclinical tumor models with good tumor-to-background contrast. However, the unfavorable hepatobiliary excretion and rapid tumor washout rate of this tracer limit its potential clinical applications. The aims of this study were to modify the [18F]FB-RGD tracer by inserting a heterobifunctional poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG, M.

Species-specific urokinase receptor ligands reduce glioma growth and increase survival primarily by an antiangiogenesis mechanism.

Species-specific urokinase receptor (uPAR) ligands with improved pharmacokinetics were generated by site-specific mutagenesis and amino-terminal pegylation. These molecules were used to probe the role of uPAR in brain tumor progression and angiogenesis. The ligands blocked endothelial cell tube formation in Matrigel in a species-specific manner and reduced both baseline and uPA amino-terminal fragment-stimulated cell migration on vitronectin gradients.