PEGylated Fluorescent Anti-carcinoembryonic Antigen Antibody Labels Colorectal Cancer Tumors in Orthotopic Mouse Models.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients often develop liver metastasis. However, curative resection of liver metastasis is not always possible due to poor visualization of tumor margins. The present study reports the characterization of a humanized anti-carcinoembryonic antigen monoclonal antibody conjugated to a PEGylated near-infrared dye, that targets and brightly labels human CRC tumors in metastatic orthotopic mouse models.

Specific Targeting and Labeling of Colonic Polyps in Mice with Mucin 5AC Fluorescent Antibodies: A Model for Detection of Early Colon Cancer.

Poor visualization of polyps can limit colorectal cancer screening. Fluorescent antibodies to mucin5AC (MUC5AC), a glycoprotein upregulated in adenomas and colorectal cancer, could improve screening colonoscopy polyp detection rate. Adenomatous polyposis coli flox mice with a transgene () develop colonic polyps that contain both dysplastic and malignant tissue.

Anti-mucin 4 fluorescent antibody brightly targets colon cancer in patient-derived orthotopic xenograft mouse models: A proof-of-concept study for future clinical applications.

Background: There is a high rate of positive surgical margins with resection of liver metastases in colorectal cancer (CRC). The present study reports using a fluorescent anti-mucin 4 (MUC4) antibodies to label primary CRC and liver metastases to better visualize tumor margins in mouse models.

Methods: Western blotting for MUC4 protein expression of normal colon and CRC tumor lysates was performed.

The impact of a medical improv curriculum on wellbeing and professional development among pre-clinical medical students.

Medical students experience rising rates of burnout throughout their training. Efforts have been made to not only mitigate its negative effects, but also prevent its development. Medical improv takes the basic ideas of improvisational theatre and applies them to clinical situations.

Interferon-Inducible MicroRNA miR-128 Modulates HIV-1 Replication by Targeting TNPO3 mRNA.

The HIV/AIDS pandemic remains an important threat to human health. We have recently demonstrated that a novel microRNA (miR), miR-128, represses retrotransposon long interspaced element 1 (L1) by a dual mechanism, namely, by directly targeting the coding region of the L1 RNA and by repressing a required nuclear import factor (TNPO1). We have further determined that miR-128 represses the expression of all three TNPO proteins (transportins TNPO1, TNPO2, and TNPO3).

Impact of donor age and weaning status on pancreatic exocrine and endocrine tissue maturation in pigs.

Background: During the process of islet isolation, pancreatic enzymes are activated and released, adversely affecting islet survival and function. We hypothesize that the exocrine component of pancreases harvested from pre-weaned juvenile pigs is immature and hence pancreatic tissue from these donors is protected from injury during isolation and prolonged tissue culture.

Methods: Biopsy specimens taken from pancreases harvested from neonatal (5-10 days), pre-weaned juvenile (18-22 days), weaned juvenile (45-60 days), and young adult pigs (>90 days) were fixed and stained with hematoxylin and eosin.