Chronological occurrence of PI3KCA mutations in breast cancer liver metastases after repeat partial liver resection.

Background: Liver metastases of breast cancer are frequent and can recur even after "complete/R0" resection in combination with systemic and hormonal treatments. The aim of this study was to analyze throughout repeat hepatectomies for liver metastases the evolution of PI3KCA gene mutational status.

Methods: All liver metastases nodules (n = 70) from 19 women who underwent at least 2 liver resections were reexamined.

c-MET Overexpression as a Poor Predictor of MET Amplifications or Exon 14 Mutations in Lung Sarcomatoid Carcinomas.

Introduction: MNNG HOS transforming gene (MET) abnormalities such as amplification and exon 14 mutations may be responsive to targeted therapies. They are prevalent in lung sarcomatoid carcinomas (LSCs) and must be diagnosed as efficiently as possible. Hypothetically, c-MET overexpression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) may prove effective as a screening test for MET abnormalities.

Improving the selectivity of antimicrobial peptides from anuran skin.

Anuran skin is known to be a rich source of antimicrobial peptides although their therapeutic potential is often limited due to their toxicity against mammalian cells. The analysis of structure-activity relationships among anuran antimicrobial peptides provided the parameters to construct the "Mutator" tool for improving their selectivity for bacterial cells, by suggesting appropriate point substitutions. Double substitution analogues [K2, K16] of the Xenopus tropicalis peptide XT-7 and [I2, K19] of the Ascaphus truei peptide ascaphin-8 were predicted by this tool to have an increased 'therapeutic index' (TI = HC(50)/MIC for erythrocytes with respect to bacteria) > 80.