Treatment approach in patients with hyperbilirubinemia secondary to liver metastases in gastrointestinal malignancies: a case series and review of literature.

Background: Treatment of patients with severe liver dysfunction including hyperbilirubinemia secondary to liver metastases of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is challenging. Regimen of oxaliplatin and fluoropyrimidine (FP)/folinic acid (FA) ± a monoclonal antibody (moAb), represents a feasible option considering the pharmacokinetics. Clinical data on the respective dosage and tolerability are limited and no recommendations are available.

Adaptive Resistance to Immunotherapy Directed Against p53 Can be Overcome by Global Expression of Tumor-Antigens in Dendritic Cells.

Immunotherapy of cancer utilizes dendritic cells (DCs) for antigen presentation and the induction of tumor-specific immune responses. However, the therapeutic induction of anti-tumor immunity is limited by tumor escape mechanisms. In this study, immortalized dendritic D2SC/1 cells were transduced with a mutated version of the p53 tumor suppressor gene, p53M234I, or p53C132F/E168G, which are overexpressed in MethA fibrosarcoma tumor cells.

Radiotherapy for SMAD4-negative musculoskeletal lesions from pancreatic cancer: case report and review.

Background: Pancreatic cancer (PC) predominantly metastasizes to liver, lung, and peritoneum. Metastatic disease correlates with SMAD4 status. Musculoskeletal metastases (MSM) are rare in pancreatic cancer.

Omalizumab treatment of systemic mast cell activation disease: experiences from four cases.

We report on the outcome of 4 patients with therapy-resistant systemic mast cell activation disease (MCAD) treated with the anti-IgE monoclonal antibody omalizumab in compassionate use. Two patients achieved an impressive persistent clinical response to treatment with omalizumab. In the third patient symptoms gradually improved.

c-kit (CD117) expression in human tumors and its prognostic value: an immunohistochemical analysis.

c-kit functions as a tyrosine kinase receptor and represents a target for small molecule kinase inhibitors. The expression pattern for c-kit was studied in different human tumor types to their correlation with prognosis. Paraffin-embedded tumor tissues from 282 patients were analyzed immunohistochemically for c-kit expression.

Tumour Biology: tumour-associated inflammation versus antitumor immunity.

The latest research results suggest that tumour-infiltrating leukocytes and the intra-tumoural cytokine environment play a central role in both the genesis and development of cancer. Over a hundred years ago, Virchow pointed out that numerous immune cells occur in the vicinity of practically all malignant tumours and that the structure of tumour tissue closely resembles the inflamed region of a non-healing wound. With the aid of the latest molecular and cell-biological methods, we are not only able today to closely characterise tumour cells and their immediate vicinity but also the other cell types present in tumour tissue, such as infiltrating immune cells, endothelial cells, connective tissue cells and others, both in terms of phenotype and function.

DNA vaccination with a mutated p53 allele induces specific cytolytic T cells and protects against tumor cell growth and the formation of metastasis.

Purpose: Genetic vaccination by expression plasmids that encode mutant p53 was conducted to characterize exogenously induced anti-tumoral immunity in mice.

Methods: Gene transfer was evaluated by reporter gene expression assays. The efficacy of genetic immunization was addressed by analysis of solid tumor outgrowth and the formation of metastases.

IFN-y enhances T(H)1 polarisation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells matured with clinical-grade cytokines using serum-free conditions.

Using serum-free conditions, human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) tend to mature insufficiently in a T(H)1-polarizing direction under approved and standardized clinical conditions. However, for the initiation of an efficient tumour antigen-specific cytotoxic T-cell response, the induction of a distinct T(H)1 response is favourable. Therefore, to improve T(H)1 polarisation, the influence of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) on the maturation of MoDCs was investigated with clinical-grade cytokines or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in serum-free medium focusing on the viability, phenotypic characteristics, cytokine profile and restimulating capacities.

Cytotoxic efficacy and influence on cellular phospholipid metabolism of 2-hydroxy- and 2-O-acetyl-octadecylphosphocholines.

The cytotoxic efficacy and influence on phospholipid composition of the new alkylphosphocholines (APC) 2-hydroxy and 2-O-acetyl-octadecylphosphocholines both synthesised in R- and S-configuration (R/S-OH and R/S-O-acetyl) were examined in vitro using HL-60 and MDA-MB-468 cells. IC50- and LC50-values were measured by MTT- and cell count assay. All tested APC showed higher or similar cytotoxic efficacy compared to the well known APC hexadecylphosphocholine (HePC).

Treatment of anthracycline extravasation with dexrazoxane -- clinical experience.

Background: Accidental extravasation is a severe complication when administering anthracyclines. We describe 3 cases of extravasation with 3 different anthracyclines.

Patients And Methods: One patient came from another hospital for a second opinion after an epirubicin extravasation.

Regression of cutaneous tumor lesions in patients intratumorally injected with a recombinant single-chain antibody-toxin targeted to ErbB2/HER2.

ScFv(FRP5)-ETA is a recombinant single-chain antibody-toxin with binding specificity for ErbB2/HER2. Previously potent antitumoral activity of the molecule against ErbB2 overexpressing tumor cells was demonstrated in vitro and in animal models. Here we report on the first application of scFv(FRP5)-ETA in human cancer patients summarizing case reports collected in four different clinical centers.