Injectable alginate-based in situ self-healable transparent hydrogel as a vitreous substitute with a tamponading function.

Retinal detachment and other vision-threatening disorders often necessitate vitreous body removal and tamponade injection for retina stabilization. Current clinical tamponades such as silicone oil and expansile gases have drawbacks, including patient discomfort and the need for secondary surgery. We introduce a transparent alginate-phenylboronic acid/polyvinyl alcohol composite hydrogel (TALPPH) as a novel vitreous substitute with tamponading capabilities.

Analysis of Mutations in Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Gene in Korean Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: Summary of a Nationwide Survey.

Background: Analysis of mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR) is important for predicting response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The overall rate of EGFR mutations in Korean patients is variable. To obtain comprehensive data on the status of EGFR mutations in Korean patients with lung cancer, the Cardiopulmonary Pathology Study Group of the Korean Society of Pathologists initiated a nationwide survey.

Effect of hydroxyapatite on bone integration in a rabbit tibial defect model.

Background: The aim of the present study was to prepare hydroxyapatite (HA) and then characterize its effect on bone integration in a rabbit tibial defect model. The bone formation with different designs of HA was compared and the bony integration of several graft materials was investigated qualitatively by radiologic and histologic study.

Methods: Ten rabbits were included in this study; two holes were drilled bilaterally across the near cortex and the four holes in each rabbit were divided into four treatment groups (HAP, hydroxyapatite powder; HAC, hydroxyapatite cylinder; HA/TCP, hydroxyapatite/tri-calcium phosphate cylinder, and titanium cylinder).

Second-line treatment with a combination of continuous 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and mitomycin-C (conti-FAM) in gemcitabine-pretreated pancreatic and biliary tract cancer.

Background: Gemcitabine-based chemotherapy is a commonly used first-line treatment for patients with pancreatic and biliary tract cancer. However, a standard second-line chemotherapy regimen has yet to be developed after gemcitabine treatment. We attempted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a combination of continuous 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and mitomycin-C (conti-FAM) as a second-line treatment in pancreatic and biliary tract cancer.

Clinical significance of chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II expression in human colorectal cancer.

Chicken ovalbumin upstream promoter-transcription factor II (COUP-TFII) plays an essential role in angiogenesis and development. A previous study showed that the expression of COUP-TFII enhanced invasiveness of human lung carcinoma cells. However, no published data are available concerning the biological and clinical significance of COUP-TFII expression in colorectal cancer.

Gemcitabine versus gemcitabine combined with cisplatin treatment locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer: a retrospective analysis.

Purpose: Gemcitabine is the most active agent to treat unresectable pancreatic cancer. The superiority of combining other drugs with cisplatin is still controversial; therefore, we performed a retrospective analysis of gemcitabine versus gemcitabine combined with cisplatin to determine the treatment outcomes for patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Materials And Methods: From 2001 to 2007, we enrolled 60 patients who were treated with gemcitabine or gemcitabine combined with cisplatin for locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer.

The clinical characteristics and treatment results of ocular adnexal lymphoma.

Purpose: To assess the clinical pattern, the histopathological findings, the response to treatments, the recurrence pattern and the prognosis of malignant lymphoma in the ocular adnexa.

Methods: This study was performed on 22 total eyes from 17 patients who were diagnosed with ocular adnexal malignant lymphoma. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records for patient information including the histological classification based on age, the gender of each patient, the symptoms and signs at the initial diagnosis, the presence of binocular invasion, the findings of the surgical biopsy, the clinical stage of each patient's tumor, and the treatment methods used and their effectiveness.

Involvement of mitogen-activated protein kinases and p21Waf1 in hydroxyurea-induced G1 arrest and senescence of McA-RH7777 rat hepatoma cell line.

Hydroxyurea is commonly used to treat hematologic disorders and some type of solid tumors, but the mechanism for its therapeutic effect is not clearly known. In this study, we examined the effect of hydroxyurea on rat hepatoma McA-RH7777 cells, specifically, on the role of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase signal transduction pathways and p21(Waf1), p27(Kip1) and p53. Rat hepatoma McA-RH7777 cells treated with hydroxyurea for 7 days, caused the inhibition of cell growth in a dose-dependent manner.