Establishment and characterization of prostate organoids from treatment-naïve patients with prostate cancer.

Three-dimensional (3D) organoid culture systems are emerging as potential reliable tools to investigate basic developmental processes of human disease, especially cancer. The present study used established and modified culture conditions to report successful generation and characterization of patient-derived organoids from fresh primary tissue specimens of patients with treatment-naïve prostate cancer (PCa). Fresh tissue specimens were collected, digested enzymatically and the resulting cell suspensions were plated in a 3D environment using Matrigel as an extracellular matrix.

Epidermal Growth Factor Is Essential for the Maintenance of Novel Prostate Epithelial Cells Isolated From Patient-Derived Organoids.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality and morbidity among males worldwide. Deciphering the biological mechanisms and molecular pathways involved in PCa pathogenesis and progression has been hindered by numerous technical limitations mainly attributed to the limited number of cell lines available, which do not recapitulate the diverse phenotypes of clinical disease. Indeed, PCa has proven problematic to establish as cell lines in culture due to its heterogeneity which remains a challenge, despite the various and model systems available.

PulseNet Lebanon: An Overview of Its Activities, Outbreak Investigations, and Challenges.

Foodborne diseases are still a major health issue in Lebanon, although some steps have been taken forward in food safety. To this purpose, PulseNet Lebanon, a foodborne diseases tracking network, was established in 2009, through the collaboration between the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and the American University of Beirut (AUB). Three papers published regarding the PulseNet project were summarized.

Assessing Radiosensitivity of Bladder Cancer : A 2D vs. 3D Approach.

Bladder cancer is the fourth most commonly diagnosed cancer among males worldwide. Current treatment strategies established for bladder cancer mainly consist of cystectomy yet advances in radiation therapy have pointed to the value of organ-preserving strategies in preserving patients' quality of life. To study and compare the radiosensitivity in two-dimension (2D) and physiologically-relevant three-dimension (3D) culture of three human bladder cancer cell lines, RT4, T24, and UM-UC-3.

EMT Markers in Locally-Advanced Prostate Cancer: Predicting Recurrence?

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most frequent cause of cancer-related death in men worldwide. It is a heterogeneous disease at molecular and clinical levels which makes its prognosis and treatment outcome hard to predict. The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marks a key step in the invasion and malignant progression of PCa.

The synthetic retinoid ST1926 attenuates prostate cancer growth and potentially targets prostate cancer stem-like cells.

Retinoids are vitamin A derivatives that regulate crucial biological processes such as cellular proliferation, apoptosis, and differentiation. The use of natural retinoids in cancer therapy is limited due to their toxicity and the acquired resistance by cancer cells. Therefore, synthetic retinoids were developed, such as the atypical adamantyl retinoid ST1926 that provides enhanced bioavailability and reduced toxicity.

Sphere-Formation Assay: Three-Dimensional Culturing of Prostate Cancer Stem/Progenitor Sphere-Forming Cells.

Cancer Stem Cells (CSCs) are a sub-population of cells, identified in most tumors, responsible for the initiation, recurrence, metastatic potential, and resistance of different malignancies. In prostate cancer (PCa), CSCs were identified and thought to be responsible for the generation of the lethal subtype, commonly known as Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC). models to investigate the properties of CSCs in PCa are highly required.

Modeling Human Neurological and Neurodegenerative Diseases: From Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Neuronal Differentiation and Its Applications in Neurotrauma.

With the help of several inducing factors, somatic cells can be reprogrammed to become induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) lines. The success is in obtaining iPSCs almost identical to embryonic stem cells (ESCs), therefore various approaches have been tested and ultimately several ones have succeeded. The importance of these cells is in how they serve as models to unveil the molecular pathways and mechanisms underlying several human diseases, and also in its potential roles in the development of regenerative medicine.

Molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella species from clinical specimens and food Items in Lebanon.

Introduction: Foodborne illnesses can be due to a wide range of bacteria, one of the most common being Salmonella. In this study, PulseNet International was implemented in Lebanon to identify circulating pathogens at the species and strain levels, determine antimicrobial resistance, and link food sources and clinical cases during outbreaks.

Methodology: Clinical and food Salmonella isolates received from the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit, Ministry of Public Health (ESUMOH) and the Lebanese Agriculture Research Institute (LARI) between 2011 and 2014 were identified to the species level using API 20E.

Corrigendum: Escherichia coli Isolated from Urinary Tract Infections of Lebanese Patients between 2005 and 2012: Epidemiology and Profiles of Resistance.

[This corrects the article on p. 26 in vol. 2, PMID: 4415468.

Assessment of combination therapy in BALB/c mice injected with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae strains.

Monotherapeutic options for carbapenem resistant infections are limited. Studies suggest that combination therapy may be associated with better outcomes than monotherapies. However, this is still controversial.

Prevalence of Clostridium difficile toxinotypes in infected patients at a tertiary care center in Lebanon.

Introduction: Due to the increase in the incidence of Clostridium difficile associated diseases at a tertiary care center in Lebanon, this study was undertaken to determine the prevalent C. difficile toxinotypes.

Methodology: The immunocard method was used to test for toxins A and B in 88 collected stool samples, followed with API 20A to confirm for C.