Carbonic anhydrase IX enhances tumor cell proliferation and tumor progression in osteosarcoma.

Purpose: We investigated the effect of carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) inhibitor under hypoxia and normoxia in SaOS2 human osteosarcoma cell line. We also evaluated the expression of CA IX in 27 patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma.

Materials And Methods: CA IX expression in SaOS2 cells cultured under different oxygen tensions was analyzed by Western blotting.

STAT3 inhibitor, cucurbitacin I, is a novel therapeutic agent for osteosarcoma.

The development of clinical agents remains a costly and time-consuming process. Although identification of new uses of existing drugs has been recognized as a more efficient approach for drug discovery than development of novel drugs, little screening of drugs that might be used for a rare malignant tumor such as osteosarcoma (OS) has been performed. In this study, we attempted to identify new molecular targeted agents for OS by employing Screening Committee of Anticancer Drugs (SCADS) kits.

Impact of plasma fibrinogen levels in benign and malignant soft tissue tumors.

Background: Fibrinogen, a 340 kDa glycoprotein synthesized in the liver, is known to be involved in tumor angiogenesis, enlargement, and metastasis. Elevated plasma fibrinogen levels are associated with tumor progression in many cancer patients. However, there are no reports about differences in fibrinogen levels between benign and malignant soft tissue tumors.

Giant pseudomeningocele after spinal surgery: A case report.

Very few reports have described giant pseudomeningoceles ≥ 8 cm in diameter. We report this case of the biggest giant pseudomeningocele at the unusual cervicothoracic level. A 59 year old man who underwent cervicothoracic laminectomy had a giant pseudomeningocele detected and the lesion gradually grew to about 15 cm in diameter by 2 years postoperatively.