Non-fucosylated CB CD34 cells represent a good target for enforced fucosylation to improve engraftment following cord blood transplantation.

Background Aims: Despite ethnic diversity and ready availability of cryopreserved, human leukocyte antigen-typed cord blood (CB), delayed engraftment remains a significant hurdle to successful CB transplantation. Suboptimal homing of CB hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) to the hematopoietic microenvironment (HM) is thought to be responsible and due to low levels of HSPC fucosylation. Fucosylation (decoration with sialyl-Lewis) may improve HSPC homing to HM by increasing the strength of HSPC/E-selectin interactions, where E-selectin is constitutively expressed by HM microvasculature.

Utility of postoperative CEA for surveillance of recurrence after resection of primary colorectal cancer.

Introduction: To evaluate the usefulness of postoperative CEA levels in the surveillance of colorectal cancer patients.

Methods: Over a 56 month period a total of 569 patients with measured CEA levels underwent curative resection for colorectal cancer. The median follow up was 40 months, during which period recurrence occurred in 149.

Expression of a surface antigen (MA6) by peripheral blood CD34+ cells is correlated with improved platelet engraftment and may explain delayed platelet engraftment following cord blood transplantation.

CD34(+) cell dose provides a measure of hematopoietic tissue that predicts the rate of engraftment upon transplant. It is positively correlated with multiple measures of hematopoietic recovery, including platelet engraftment. Here we identify a subpopulation of CD34(+) cells that coexpress a surface antigen--MA6, which is more positively correlated with platelet engraftment in a clinical setting than CD34(+) alone.

Radiographic evaluation of femoral torsion and correlation with computed tomographic techniques in labrador retrievers with and without cranial cruciate ligament disease.

Objectives: To (1) develop a technique to determine the anteversion angle (AA) of the femur on a single radiograph; (2) determine the correlation between this technique and other published radiographic and computed tomographic (CT) methods; and (3) compare the diagnostic outcome of these methods in determining the level at which femoral torsion occurred in Labrador Retrievers with cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) deficiency.

Study Design: Cross-sectional clinical study.

Animals: Mature pure-bred Labrador Retrievers (n = 30).

Fucosylation with fucosyltransferase VI or fucosyltransferase VII improves cord blood engraftment.

Background Aims: Advantages associated with the use of cord blood (CB) transplantation include the availability of cryopreserved units, ethnic diversity and lower incidence of graft-versus-host disease compared with bone marrow or mobilized peripheral blood. However, poor engraftment remains a major obstacle. We and others have found that ex vivo fucosylation can enhance engraftment in murine models, and now ex vivo treatment of CB with fucosyltransferase (FT) VI before transplantation is under clinical evaluation (NCT01471067).

Multifaceted actions of 8-amino-adenosine kill BCR-ABL positive cells.

Survival of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) cells is dependent on BCR-ABL kinase, the activity of which is contingent on the level of BCR-ABL protein and the availability of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). We hypothesized that 8-amino-adenosine (8-amino-Ado)-mediated reduction in cellular ATP level and inhibition of mRNA synthesis leading to a decrease in protein level would result in a multifaceted targeting of BCR-ABL. Using K562 cells, we demonstrated that there was a dose- and time-dependent increase in 8-amino-ATP accompanied by a > 95% decline in the endogenous ATP pool.

Ex vivo fucosylation improves human cord blood engraftment in NOD-SCID IL-2Rγ(null) mice.

Delayed engraftment remains a major hurdle after cord blood (CB) transplantation. It may be due, at least in part, to low fucosylation of cell surface molecules important for homing to the bone marrow microenvironment. Because fucosylation of specific cell surface ligands is required before effective interaction with selectins expressed by the bone marrow microvasculature can occur, a simple 30-minute ex vivo incubation of CB hematopoietic progenitor cells with fucosyltransferase-VI and its substrate (GDP-fucose) was performed to increase levels of fucosylation.

Imaging long-term fate of intramyocardially implanted mesenchymal stem cells in a porcine myocardial infarction model.

The long-term fate of stem cells after intramyocardial delivery is unknown. We used noninvasive, repetitive PET/CT imaging with [(18)F]FEAU to monitor the long-term (up to 5 months) spatial-temporal dynamics of MSCs retrovirally transduced with the sr39HSV1-tk gene (sr39HSV1-tk-MSC) and implanted intramyocardially in pigs with induced acute myocardial infarction. Repetitive [(18)F]FEAU PET/CT revealed a biphasic pattern of sr39HSV1-tk-MSC dynamics; cell proliferation peaked at 33-35 days after injection, in periinfarct regions and the major cardiac lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes.

Ex vivo graft purging and expansion of autologous blood progenitor cell products from patients with multiple myeloma.

Autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplantation is the treatment of choice for selected myeloma patients. However, tumor cells contaminating the apheresis product are a potential source of relapse. Here we report a sequential purging strategy targeting mature and immature clonogenic myeloma cell populations in the autograft.

A public health academic-practice partnership to develop capacity for exercise evaluation and improvement planning.

In December 2006, Congress passed the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act to improve the nation's public health preparedness and response capabilities. It includes the role of Centers for Public Health Preparedness (CPHPs) to establish a competency-based core curriculum and perform evaluation of impact on newly developed materials. The Heartland Center for Public Health Preparedness (HCPHP) at the Saint Louis University School of Public Health is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention national CPHP network and is engaged with state and regional partners in workforce development, preparedness planning, evaluation, and multi-year exercise and training cycles.

Morphometric characteristics of the pelvic limb musculature of Labrador Retrievers with and without cranial cruciate ligament deficiency.

Objective: To identify morphometric characteristics of the pelvic limb musculature associated with the development of cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) deficiency in Labrador Retrievers.

Study Design: Cross-sectional clinical study.

Animals: Pure-bred female (n=18) and male (n=12) Labrador Retrievers with (n=16) and without (n=14) CCL deficiency.

Morphometric characteristics of the pelvic limbs of Labrador Retrievers with and without cranial cruciate ligament deficiency.

OBJECTIVE-To evaluate skeletal characteristics of pelvic limbs with and without cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) deficiency in Labrador Retrievers. ANIMALS-30 adult purebred Labrador Retrievers. PROCEDURES-Pelvic limbs (n = 28) of 14 dogs without CCL deficiency were classified as control limbs, whereas the limbs of 16 dogs with CCL deficiency were considered affected by (18 limbs) or predisposed to (10 contralateral limbs of dogs with 1 affected limb) CCL deficiency.

Clinical applications of demineralized bone matrix: a retrospective and case-matched study of seventy-five dogs.

Objectives: To evaluate the outcome in dogs treated with demineralized bone matrix (DBM) as an adjunct to orthopedic procedures.

Study Design: Retrospective and case-match study.

Animals: Dogs (n=75).

Comparison of cold GP/sealer and resin bonded obturation techniques in canine teeth in dogs.

An in vitro study compared two obturation materials in the canine teeth in dogs. The teeth were instrumented with rotary instruments and obturated with either gutta percha and a sealer or resin-based materials, utilizing the gutta percha apical plug/master cone technique. Radiographs were used for evaluation of the overall appearance of the finalfill.

Proximodistal alignment of the canine patella: radiographic evaluation and association with medial and lateral patellar luxation.

Objectives: To evaluate the contribution of proximodistal alignment of the patella to patellar luxation, and to evaluate the structures contributing to proximodistal alignment of the patella relative to the femoral trochlea.

Study Design: Retrospective study using a convenience sample.

Animals: Medium to giant breed dogs (n=106).

Pre- and postoperative radiographic and computed tomographic evaluation of dogs with medial patellar luxation.

Objective: To quantify, using radiographic and computed tomographic (CT) techniques, the effects of surgical procedures most commonly combined to treat dogs with medial patellar luxation (MPL).

Study Design: Prospective study.

Methods: Six dogs with 8 MPL were studied.