Phase II Study of Everolimus in Patients With Thymoma and Thymic Carcinoma Previously Treated With Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy.

Purpose No effective salvage treatments are available for patients with advanced/recurrent thymoma (T) or thymic carcinoma (TC) who have progressed after platinum-based chemotherapy. This study evaluated the activity of everolimus in patients with advanced/recurrent T or TC previously treated with cisplatin-containing chemotherapy. Patients and Methods This was a single-arm, single-stage, open-label, multicenter, phase II trial.

The contribution of CXCL12-expressing radial glia cells to neuro-vascular patterning during human cerebral cortex development.

This study was conducted on human developing brain by laser confocal and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to make a detailed analysis of important features of blood-brain barrier (BBB) microvessels and possible control mechanisms of vessel growth and differentiation during cerebral cortex vascularization. The BBB status of cortex microvessels was examined at a defined stage of cortex development, at the end of neuroblast waves of migration, and before cortex lamination, with BBB-endothelial cell markers, namely tight junction (TJ) proteins (occludin and claudin-5) and influx and efflux transporters (Glut-1 and P-glycoprotein), the latter supporting evidence for functional effectiveness of the fetal BBB. According to the well-known roles of astroglia cells on microvessel growth and differentiation, the early composition of astroglia/endothelial cell relationships was analyzed by detecting the appropriate astroglia, endothelial, and pericyte markers.

Phase I and pharmacodynamic study of high-dose NGR-hTNF in patients with refractory solid tumours.

Background: NGR-hTNF exploits the peptide asparagine-glycine-arginine (NGR) for selectively targeting tumour necrosis factor (TNF) to CD13-overexpressing tumour vessels. Maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) of NGR-hTNF was previously established at 45 μg m(-2) as 1-h infusion, with dose-limiting toxicity being grade 3 infusion-related reactions. We explored further dose escalation by slowing infusion rate (2-h) and using premedication (paracetamol).

Phase I pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic study of lapatinib in combination with sorafenib in patients with advanced refractory solid tumors.

Background: The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and ERBB2 (HER2) pathways and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-dependent angiogenesis have a pivotal role in cancer pathogenesis and progression. Robust experimental evidence has shown that these pathways are functionally linked and implicated in acquired resistance to targeted therapies making them attractive candidates for joined targeting. We undertook this phase I trial to assess the safety, the recommended dose for phase II trials (RPTD), pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD), and the preliminary antitumour activity of the combination of lapatinib and sorafenib in patients with advanced refractory solid tumours.