Improving Evidence-Based Oral Health of Nursing Home Residents Through Coaching by Dental Hygienists.

Good oral hygiene has an impact on the overall health of residents in long-term care; however, significant improvement is needed in nursing homes. A "boots on the ground" project was developed that incorporates Mouth Care without a Battle, an evidence-based approach to person-centered daily mouth care, into 22 New York State nursing homes using a coaching model with part-time dental hygienists. This report discusses implementation of the quality improvement project, which improved the quality of daily mouth care provided to nursing home residents, as well as changed the knowledge and attitudes of the staff providing their care, all supported by regional dental hygienist coaches.

Synergy of nab-paclitaxel and bevacizumab in eradicating large orthotopic breast tumors and preexisting metastases.

Introduction: Patients with metastatic disease are considered incurable. We previously showed that nabpaclitaxel (nanoparticle albumin-embedded paclitaxel) combined with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) antibody, bevacizumab, eradicates orthotopic small-sized breast tumors and metastasis. Here, we assessed this therapy in two models of advanced (450-600 mm(3)) breast tumors and delineated VEGF-A-dependent mechanisms of tumor resistance.

Characterization of Prox1 and VEGFR-3 expression and lymphatic phenotype in normal organs of mice lacking p50 subunit of NF-κB.

Objective: Inflammation and NF-κB are highly associated with lymphangiogenesis but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We recently established that activated NF-κB p50 subunit increases expression of the main lymphangiogenic mediators, VEGFR-3 and its transcriptional activator, Prox1. To elucidate the role of p50 in lymphatic vasculature, we compared LVD and phenotype in p50 KO and WT mice.

Lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic metastasis in breast cancer.

Lymphatic metastasis is the main prognostic factor for survival of patients with breast cancer and other epithelial malignancies. Mounting clinical and experimental data suggest that migration of tumor cells into the lymph nodes is greatly facilitated by lymphangiogenesis, a process that generates new lymphatic vessels from pre-existing lymphatics with the aid of circulating lymphatic endothelial progenitor cells. The key protein that induces lymphangiogenesis is vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-3 (VEGFR-3), which is activated by vascular endothelial growth factor-C and -D (VEGF-C and VEGF-D).

Tumor suppressor function of Rab25 in triple-negative breast cancer.

Rab proteins are a group of ubiquitously expressed proteins that are responsible for intracellular transport of vesicles. Recent evidence has shown that certain Rab proteins are involved in the pathogenesis of cancer. We have recently shown that Rab25 is lost in a large fraction of breast cancer samples, particularly those derived from hormonally insensitive tumors.

Nab-paclitaxel efficacy in the orthotopic model of human breast cancer is significantly enhanced by concurrent anti-vascular endothelial growth factor A therapy.

Nab-paclitaxel is an albumin-bound 130-nm particle form of paclitaxel that has shown an improved efficacy in experimental tumor models and clinical studies compared with solvent-based paclitaxel. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) antibody bevacizumab is known to enhance antitumor activity of cytotoxic drugs. This study evaluated the effects of combined nab-paclitaxel and bevacizumab therapy on growth and metastatic spread of orthotopic breast tumors.

Anti-VEGF-A therapy reduces lymphatic vessel density and expression of VEGFR-3 in an orthotopic breast tumor model.

Because metastasis contributes significantly to cancer mortality, understanding its mechanisms is crucial to developing effective therapy. Metastasis is facilitated by lymphangiogenesis, the growth of new intratumoral or peritumoral lymphatic vessels from pre-existing vessels. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) is a well-known angiogenic factor.