MR safety and compatibility of a noninvasively expandable total-joint endoprosthesis.

A noninvasively expandable total-joint endoprosthesis is now available for pediatric patients; the prosthesis can be lengthened by external application of a magnetic field. We investigated the risks of unintentional heating or lengthening of the prosthesis during MR imaging and evaluated the effect of the device on the diagnostic efficacy of MR imaging of surrounding tissues. We performed MR imaging at 1.

Antitumor and antimetastatic activity of ribozymes targeting the messenger RNA of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors.

Chemically stabilized hammerhead ribozymes are nuclease-resistant, RNA-based oligonucleotides that selectively bind and cleave specific target RNAs. Due to their potential for specifically inhibiting gene expression, ribozymes are being investigated for therapeutic applications as well as for the elucidation of gene function. In particular, we have investigated ribozymes that target the mRNA of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors because VEGF signaling is an important mediator of tumor angiogenesis and metastasis.

Urokinase receptor antagonists: discovery and application to in vivo models of tumor growth.

Urokinase receptor antagonists based on the growth factor domains of both human and murine urokinase which show sub-nanomolar affinities for their homologous receptors have been expressed as recombinant proteins. Further modification of these molecules by preparing fusions with the constant region of human IgG has led to molecules with high affinities and long in vivo half-lives. Smaller peptidic inhibitors have been obtained by a combination of bacteriophage display and peptide analog synthesis.