Hyperthermia treatment of tumors by mesenchymal stem cell-delivered superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles.

Magnetic hyperthermia - a potential cancer treatment in which superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are made to resonantly respond to an alternating magnetic field (AMF) and thereby produce heat - is of significant current interest. We have previously shown that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be labeled with SPIONs with no effect on cell proliferation or survival and that within an hour of systemic administration, they migrate to and integrate into tumors in vivo. Here, we report on some longer term (up to 3 weeks) post-integration characteristics of magnetically labeled human MSCs in an immunocompromized mouse model.

Improved patient education facilitates adherence to preoperative fasting guidelines.

Preoperative fasting is recognised as an important factor in perioperative patient care. Implementation of guidelines on preoperative fasting remains sub-optimal. We audited perioperative fasting in a district general hospital, implemented changes to the preoperative information leaflet and improved fasting practices.

FDG-PET/CT findings during immune reconstitution in an HIV-1 patient infected with visceral leishmaniasis.

Visceral leishmaniasis can rarely be unmasked by immune reconstitution in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected patients. We report the first case of immune reconstitution associated with leishmaniasis in an HIV patient to be imaged with [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG/PET), at both baseline and after therapy.

Planar images reprojected from SPECT V/Q data perform similarly to traditional planar V/Q scans in the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism.

Objective: To compare the diagnostic interpretation of traditional ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) planar images with that of planar-like images reprojected from single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) data sets.

Methods: Retrospective data from patients who had undergone both planar and SPECT imaging were used to generate anonymized reprojected planar images, which were compared with traditional planar V/Q images. Two consultants interpreted both sets of images for 81 patients following a proforma.

Lipid peptide nanocomplexes for gene delivery and magnetic resonance imaging in the brain.

Gadolinium-labelled nanocomplexes offer prospects for the development of real-time, non-invasive imaging strategies to visualise the location of gene delivery by MRI. In this study, targeted nanoparticle formulations were prepared comprising a cationic liposome (L) containing a Gd-chelated lipid at 10, 15 and 20% by weight of total lipid, a receptor-targeted, DNA-binding peptide (P) and plasmid DNA (D), which electrostatically self-assembled into LPD nanocomplexes. The LPD formulation containing the liposome with 15% Gd-chelated lipid displayed optimal peptide-targeted, transfection efficiency.