Variability in growth and biosynthetic activity of hairy roots.

is a widespread medicinal plant with a sufficiently well-studied chemical composition. Secondary metabolites synthesized by plants have pharmacological value for treating numerous diseases, and various types of aseptic in vitro cultures can be used as a source of these compounds. From this perspective, hairy roots attract considerable attention for the production of bioactive chemicals, including flavonoids with antioxidant activity.

Construction of viral-based expression vectors for high-level production of human interferon alpha 2b in plants.

Human interferon (hINF) alpha 2b is clinically important pharmaceutical product included in combinatory therapy against chronic hepatitis C and B and complex therapy against several cancer diseases. Here, we created the genetic constructions, based on genome elements of potato virus X (PVX), carrying the infα2b gene for transient expression in plant cells. The created plasmid vector constructions were tested through Agrobacterium-mediated transient gene expression method in two plant species-Nicotiana benthamiana and Ocimum basilicum (sweet basil).

Accumulation of colicin M protein and its biological activity in transgenic lettuce and mizuna plants.

Food-borne illnesses caused by pathogenic strains, especially enterohaemorrhagic (EHEC), are a serious public health problem, as debilitating disease and even death from such food poisonings have been repeatedly reported. Colicin M (ColM), a non-antibiotic antimicrobial protein produced by some strains of , has shown promising activity in controlling multiple enteropathogenic strains of and related pathogens. As contaminated green leafy vegetables are a frequent source of pathogenic infections, we genetically modified (GM) two edible crops, lettuce ( L.

Pretargeted PET of Osteodestructive Lesions in Dogs.

The last decade has witnessed the creation of a highly effective approach to pretargeting based on the inverse electron demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) click ligation between tetrazine (Tz) and -cyclooctene (TCO). Despite the steady progression of this technology toward the clinic, concerns have persisted regarding whether this chemistry will work in humans given their larger size and blood volume. In this work, we describe the use of a Cu-labeled Tz radioligand ([Cu]Cu-SarAr-Tz) and a TCO-bearing bisphosphonate (TCO-BP) for the pretargeted positron emission tomography (PET) imaging of osteodestructive lesions in a large animal model: companion dogs.

Study of Superoxide Dismutase Activity in Long-Term Cultivated Artemisia and Althaea "hairy" Roots.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term effect of Agrobacterium rhizogenes genes transfer on plant antioxidant system by the study of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in "hairy" roots of Artemisia and Althaea spp plants. PCR analyses revealed stability of the transformation and presence of bacterial rol B and rol C genes in the "hairy" roots after 4-6 years from the transformation event. SOD activity in the roots of untransformed in vitro cultivated plants used for the initiation of "hairy" roots growth was in the range of 45.

Robust -Mediated Transient Expression in Two Duckweed Species (Lemnaceae) Directed by Non-replicating, Replicating, and Cell-to-Cell Spreading Vectors.

Plant-based transient expression systems have recognized potential for use as rapid and cost-effective alternatives to expression systems based on bacteria, yeast, insect, or mammalian cells. The free-floating aquatic plants of the Lemnaceae family (duckweed) have compact architecture and can be vegetatively propagated on low-cost nutrient solutions in aseptic conditions. These features provide an economically feasible opportunity for duckweed-based production of high-value products via transient expression of recombinant products in fully contained, controlled, aseptic and bio-safe conditions in accordance with the requirements for pharmaceutical manufacturing and environmental biosafety.

Long-Term Potato Virus X (PVX)-Based Transient Expression of Recombinant GFP Protein in Culture In Vitro.

Plant molecular farming has a great potential to produce valuable proteins. Transient expression technology provides high yields of recombinant proteins in greenhouse-grown plants, but every plant must be artificially agroinfiltrated, and open greenhouse systems are less controlled. Here, we propose to propagate agrobacteria-free plants with high-efficient long-term self-replicated transient gene expression in a well-controlled closed in vitro system.

Increased ribonuclease activity in Solanum tuberosum L. transformed with heterologous genes of apoplastic ribonucleases as a putative approach for production of virus resistant plants.

Viral pathogens seriously decrease the yield of potato ( L.) -an important agricultural crop. Therefore, there is a demand for potato cultivars resistant to multiple viruses.

Direct labeling of a somatostatin receptor antagonist via peptide cyclization with Re, Tc and Re metal centers: Radiochemistry and in vitro evaluation.

Introduction: With the long-term goal of developing a diagnostic (Tc) and therapeutic (Re) agent pair for targeting somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-positive neuroendocrine tumors (NETs), we developed novel metal-cyclized peptides through direct labeling of the potent SSTR2 antagonist Ac-4-NO-Phe-c(DCys-Tyr-DTrp-Lys-Thr-Cys)-DTyr-NH (1) with Re (in Re-1), Tc (in [Tc]Tc-1) and Re (in [Re]Re-1).

Methods: Re-1 was characterized by LC-ESI-MS and HR-ESI-MS and was tested for receptor affinity in SSTR-expressing cells (AR42J). Radiolabeling of the peptide was achieved via ligand exchange from Tc-labeled glucoheptonate or [Re]ReOCl(PPh), yielding [Tc]Tc-1 or [Re]Re-1, respectively.

Preclinical Evaluation of Novel Cu-Labeled Gastrin-Releasing Peptide Receptor Bioconjugates for PET Imaging of Prostate Cancer.

We report herein the preclinical evaluation of new [Cu]Cu-gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR)-targeting tracers, employing the potent peptide antagonist Phe-Gln-Trp-Ala-VaI-Gly-His-Sta-Leu-NH conjugated to NOTA (in ) or NODAGA (in ) chelators via a 6-aminohexanoic acid linker. The Cu-/ metalated peptides were synthesized by reacting / with CuCl and were characterized by LC-ESI-MS and HR-ESI-MS. Cu-/ exhibited high GRPR-binding affinities with IC values <3 nM, as measured in a competition assay using the GRPR-expressing human PC-3 prostate cancer cell line and [I]I-Tyr-BBN as the competing ligand.

Rhizoextraction Potential of Convolvulus tricolor Hairy Roots for Cr, Ni, and Pb Removal from Aqueous Solutions.

This study evaluated the potential of dwarf morning-glory Convolvulus tricolor (Convolvulaceae) plants and their hairy roots induced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes for rhizoextraction of heavy metals ions from the liquid medium under aseptic growth conditions. Both the young C. tricolor plants and the generated hairy root culture efficiently removed Cr, Ni, and Pb ions from the liquid cultivation medium.

Development and Preclinical Evaluation of Tc- and Re-Labeled NOTA and NODAGA Bioconjugates Demonstrating Matched Pair Targeting of GRPR-Expressing Tumors.

Purpose: The goal of this work was to develop hydrophilic gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR)-targeting complexes of the general formula fac-[M(CO)(L)] [M = Re, Tc, Re; L: NOTA for 1, NODAGA for 2] conjugated to a powerful GRPR peptide antagonist (Phe-Gln-Trp-Ala-Val-Gly-His-Sta-Leu-NH) via a 6-aminohexanoic acid linker.

Procedures: Metallated-peptides were prepared employing the [M(OH)(CO)] [M = Re, Tc, Re] precursors. Re-1/2 complexes were characterized with HR-MS.

Somatostatin receptor targeting with hydrophilic [Tc/Re]Tc/Re-tricarbonyl NODAGA and NOTA complexes.

Introduction: The aim of this work was to develop diagnostic (Tc) and therapeutic (Re) agents for targeting somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-positive neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). In this regard, we evaluated in vitro complexes of the general formula [M(CO)(L-sst-ANT)] (M = Tc, Re), where L denotes NODAGA or NOTA and sst-ANT denotes the potent SSTR2 antagonist 4-NO-Phe-c(DCys-Tyr-DTrp-Lys-Thr-Cys)-DTyr-NH. Moreover, we assessed the in vivo properties of the Tc-complexes in an animal SSTR-tumor model.

NOTA and NODAGA [Tc]Tc- and [Re]Re-Tricarbonyl Complexes: Radiochemistry and First Example of a [Tc]Tc-NODAGA Somatostatin Receptor-Targeting Bioconjugate.

With the long-term goal of developing theranostic agents for applications in nuclear medicine, in this work we evaluated the well-known NOTA and NODAGA chelators as bifunctional chelators (BFCs) for the [Tc/Re]Tc/Re-tricarbonyl core. In particular, we report model complexes of the general formula fac-[M(L)(CO)] (M = Re, Tc, Re) where L denotes NOTA-Pyr (1) or NODAGA-Pyr (2), which are derived from conjugation of NOTA/NODAGA with pyrrolidine (Pyr). Further, as proof-of-principle, we synthesized the peptide bioconjugate NODAGA-sst-ANT (3) and explored its complexation with the fac-[Re(CO)] and fac-[Tc][Tc(CO)] cores; sst-ANT denotes the somatostatin receptor (SSTR) antagonist 4-NO-Phe-c(DCys-Tyr-DTrp-Lys-Thr-Cys)-DTyr-NH.

Rheumatological Assessment Is Important for Interstitial Lung Disease Diagnosis.

Objective: Interstitial lung diseases (ILD) form a diverse group of parenchymal lung disorders. Currently, a multidisciplinary team (MDT) including pulmonologists, radiologists, and pathologists is the gold standard for ILD diagnosis. Recently, additional subtypes of connective tissue disease (CTD)-ILD with autoimmune features were defined, making the rheumatological assessment increasingly important.

Mangiferin functionalized radioactive gold nanoparticles (MGF-AuNPs) in prostate tumor therapy: green nanotechnology for production, in vivo tumor retention and evaluation of therapeutic efficacy.

We report here an innovative feature of green nanotechnology-focused work showing that mangiferin-a glucose functionalized xanthonoid, found in abundance in mango peels-serves dual roles of chemical reduction and in situ encapsulation, to produce gold nanoparticles with optimum in vivo stability and tumor specific characteristics. The interaction of mangiferin with a Au-198 gold precursor affords MGF-AuNPs as the beta emissions of Au-198 provide unique advantages for tumor therapy while gamma rays are used for the quantitative estimation of gold within the tumors and various organs. The laminin receptor specificity of mangiferin affords specific accumulation of therapeutic payloads of this new therapeutic agent within prostate tumors (PC-3) of human prostate tumor origin induced in mice which overexpress this receptor subtype.

Bulk production and evaluation of high specific activity Re for cancer therapy using enriched WO targets in a proton beam.

Introduction: Rhenium-186g (t = 3.72 d) is a β emitting isotope suitable for theranostic applications. Current production methods rely on reactor production by way of the reaction Re(n,γ)Re, which results in low specific activities limiting its use for cancer therapy.

[Not Available].

The anatomical research of the vegetative organs of the cytoplasmatic hybrid in vitro plants containing the Brassica napus nucleus and the Lesquerella fendleri chloroplasts had been conducted in comparison to the parental forms. It was found, that the anatomical structure of the cybrid had been similar to rapeseed. Anomalous changes in the epithelial, parenchymal and connective tissue of the leaf, stalk, stem, and root of the cybrid were detected.

OBTAINING OF THE TRANSGENIC HELIANTHUS TUBEROSUS L. PLANTS, CALLUS AND "HAIRY" ROOT CULTURES ABLE TO EXPRESS THE RECOMBINANT HUMAN INTERFERON ALPHA-2b GENE.

This work is the first to our knowledge to describe the successful attempt of Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformation of topinambour in order to obtain the transgenic H. tuberosus plants, callus and "hairy" root cultures. The plasmid vectors contained the sequence of interferon gene fused with Nicotiana plumbagenifolia L.

[ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND EXAMINATION IN ELDERLY LUNG PATIENTS: OUR EXPERIENCE AT MEIR MEDICAL CENTER].

Introduction: The endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) examination is the prime choice in patients with unexplained mediastinal lymphadenopathy. We summarize our experience at Meir Medical Center with EBUS in the elderly (over 75 years of age) patients with lung cancer including indications, benefits and risks factors.

Methods: The study included 20 patients over the age of 75, 13 men and 7 women.

The incidence and clinical impact of bone metastases in non-small cell lung cancer.

Introduction: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading global cause of cancer death. While bone metastases (BM) commonly cause morbidity, bone-targeted agent (BTA) use is variable. We investigated the incidence and impact of BM among unselected NSCLC patients.

Cyp11A1 canola plants under short time heat stress conditions.

In order to investigate the high temperature tolerance of spring canola plants (Brassica napus L.) constitutively expressing cyp11A1 gene which encodes bovine cytochrome P450(scc) the growth features were analyzed under short time heat stress (42 degrees C) in growth chamber. Earlier it was documented that results of the heat tolerance test positively correlated with improvement of high temperature resistance in field trial.

Lox-dependent gene expression in transgenic plants obtained via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.

Lox sites of the Cre/lox recombination system from bacteriophage P1 were analyzed for their ability to affect on transgene expression when inserted upstream from a gene coding sequence adjacent to the right border (RB) of T-DNA. Wild and mutated types of lox sites were tested for their effect upon bar gene expression in plants obtained via Agrobacterium-mediated and biolistic transformation methods. Lox-mediated expression of bar gene, recognized by resistance of transgenic plants to PPT, occurred only in plants obtained via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.