Lung cancer immunotherapy: progress, pitfalls, and promises.

Lung cancer is the primary cause of mortality in the United States and around the globe. Therapeutic options for lung cancer treatment include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted drug therapy. Medical management is often associated with the development of treatment resistance leading to relapse.

Gelatin-polycaprolactone-nanohydroxyapatite electrospun nanocomposite scaffold for bone tissue engineering.

Bone injuries and fractures generally take a long period to heal itself. To address this problem, bone tissue engineering (BTE) has gained significant research impetus. Among the several techniques used for scaffold fabrication, electrospinning ought to be the most promising technique for the development of the nanostructured scaffolds.

Fabrication and characterization of novel nano-biocomposite scaffold of chitosan-gelatin-alginate-hydroxyapatite for bone tissue engineering.

A novel nano-biocomposite scaffold was fabricated in bead form by applying simple foaming method, using a combination of natural polymers-chitosan, gelatin, alginate and a bioceramic-nano-hydroxyapatite (nHAp). This approach of combining nHAp with natural polymers to fabricate the composite scaffold, can provide good mechanical strength and biological property mimicking natural bone. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) images of the nano-biocomposite scaffold revealed the presence of interconnected pores, mostly spread over the whole surface of the scaffold.

Human dental pulp stem cells: Applications in future regenerative medicine.

Stem cells are pluripotent cells, having a property of differentiating into various types of cells of human body. Several studies have developed mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from various human tissues, peripheral blood and body fluids. These cells are then characterized by cellular and molecular markers to understand their specific phenotypes.

Surface modification of nanofibrous polycaprolactone/gelatin composite scaffold by collagen type I grafting for skin tissue engineering.

In the present study, a tri-polymer polycaprolactone (PCL)/gelatin/collagen type I composite nanofibrous scaffold has been fabricated by electrospinning for skin tissue engineering and wound healing applications. Firstly, PCL/gelatin nanofibrous scaffold was fabricated by electrospinning using a low cost solvent mixture [chloroform/methanol for PCL and acetic acid (80% v/v) for gelatin], and then the nanofibrous PCL/gelatin scaffold was modified by collagen type I (0.2-1.

Fabrication and characterization of scaffold from cadaver goat-lung tissue for skin tissue engineering applications.

The present study aims to fabricate scaffold from cadaver goat-lung tissue and evaluate it for skin tissue engineering applications. Decellularized goat-lung scaffold was fabricated by removing cells from cadaver goat-lung tissue enzymatically, to have cell-free 3D-architecture of natural extracellular matrix. DNA quantification assay and Hematoxylin and eosin staining confirmed the absence of cellular material in the decellularized lung-tissue.

Modification of decellularized goat-lung scaffold with chitosan/nanohydroxyapatite composite for bone tissue engineering applications.

Decellularized goat-lung scaffold was fabricated by removing cells from cadaver goat-lung tissue, and the scaffold was modified with chitosan/nanohydroxyapatite composite for the purpose of bone tissue engineering applications. MTT assay with osteoblasts, seeded over the chitosan/nanohydroxyapatite-modified decellularized scaffold, demonstrated significantly higher cell growth as compared to the decellularized scaffold without modification. SEM analysis of cell-seeded scaffold, after incubation for 7 days, represented a good cell adhesion, and the cells spread over the chitosan/nanohydroxyapatite-modified decellularized scaffold.

Isolation of Oct4+, Nanog+ and SOX2- mesenchymal cells from peripheral blood of a diabetes mellitus patient.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that affects millions of people worldwide. The most common form is type 2 diabetes mellitus, which results in impaired beta cell function combined with insulin resistance in peripheral organs. One recently proposed treatment approach is the use of adult stem cells derived from bone marrow in autologous stem cell transplantation.

Defining Molecular Phenotypes of Mesenchymal and hematopoietic Stem Cells derived from Peripheral blood of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia patients for regenerative stem cell therapy.

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) is a clonal myeloid disorder affecting all age groups, characterized by accumulation of immature blast cells in bone marrow and in peripheral blood. Autologous Bone Marrow Transplantation is a present treatment for cure of ALL patients, which is very expensive, invasive process and may have possibility of transplantation of malignant stem cells to patients. In the present study, we hypothesized to isolate large number of normal Mesenchymal & Hematopoietic stem cells from peripheral blood of ALL patients, which will be further characterized for their normal phenotypes by using specific molecular stem cell markers.

Ascorbic acid induces in vitro proliferation of human subcutaneous adipose tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells with upregulation of embryonic stem cell pluripotency markers Oct4 and SOX 2.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have immense therapeutic potential because of their ability to self-renew and differentiate into various connective tissue lineages. The in vitro proliferation and expansion of these cells is necessary for their use in stem cell therapy. Recently our group has developed and characterized mesenchymal stem cells from subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue.

Establishment and molecular characterization of mesenchymal stem cell lines derived from human visceral & subcutaneous adipose tissues.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into osteoblasts, chondrocytes, myocytes and adipocytes. We utilized adipose tissue as our primary source, since it is a rich source of MSCs as well as it can be harvested using a minimally invasive surgical procedure. Both visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VSAT, SCAT respectively) samples were cultured using growth medium without using any substratum for their attachment.

Immunological effects and membrane interactions of chitosan nanoparticles.

The objective of this study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo effects of blank chitosan nanoparticles on various molecular markers such as nitric oxide (NO) production, IL-6 gene expression, and lymphocyte proliferation involved in the wound healing process. In addition, the membrane effects of chitosan nanoparticles were evaluated using phospholipid vesicles as a model membrane. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were treated with blank chitosan nanoparticles, and the effect on NO production, IL-6 gene expression, and lymphocyte proliferation was evaluated.

Effects of an aqueous extract of processed bidi tobacco on the growth of hamster tracheal epithelial cells.

Inhalation of tobacco dust is responsible for elevated genotoxicity and pulmonary ailments in workers engaged in processing tobacco for the manufacture of bidis, the Indian version of cigarettes. Tracheal tissue being the major site of interaction with tobacco dust, the effects of different concentrations of an aqueous extract of bidi tobacco (ATE) on the growth of a hamster tracheal epithelial cell line (HTE) were investigated. Colony forming efficiency assay revealed that ATE was cytotoxic only at the highest concentration of 5.

KPL1, which encodes a novel PH domain-containing protein, is induced during ciliated cell differentiation of rat tracheal epithelial cells.

Using differential display, we have identified a novel gene, KPL1, induced in rat tracheal epithelial (RTE) cells grown under conditions which stimulate ciliogenesis. The KPL1 protein is predicted to contain a pleckstrin homology (PH) domain, which has been found in numerous signal transduction and cytoskeletal proteins. These domains are thought to function by recruiting proteins to cellular membranes, and they have been shown to bind phosphoinositols and the beta/gamma subunit of G proteins.

Establishment and characterization of normal and initiated hamster tracheal epithelial cell system.

The development and characterization of normal hamster tracheal epithelial (HTE) cell system and its initiated subline is described in the present study. Normal HTE cells grew in a monolayer, had a stable diploid karyotype, were anchorage dependent and non-tumorigenic. The presence of desmosomal attachments and keratin filaments confirmed the epithelial nature of these cells.

Expression and regulation of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase-related enzyme in tracheal cells.

Glutathione plays an essential role in protecting the pulmonary system from toxic insults. gamma-Glutamyl transpeptidase-related enzyme (GGT-rel) is a novel protein capable of cleaving the gamma-glutamyl peptide bond of glutathione and of converting leukotriene C4 to leukotriene D4. A rat homologue of GGT-rel was identified and was found to be highly expressed in cultures of differentiating rat tracheal epithelial (RTE) cells.

Modulation by vitamin C of tumour incidence and inhibition in oral carcinogenesis.

This study reports the mechanism of involvement of vitamin C in the pathogenesis of induced oral carcinogenesis in the hamster cheek pouch epithelium. This site was exposed to either DMBA singly or in combination with vitamin C or DMBA for 7 weeks followed by only vitamin C till tumour induction. Macroscopically, vitamin C reduces the epithelial tumour incidence in the hamster cheek pouch.

Light and electron microscopic study of hamster cheek pouch treated with 9,10 dimethyl 1,2 benzanthracene and retinoic acid.

The present study reports light and electron microscopic observations of hamster cheek pouch epithelium exposed to 25 micrograms DMBA (DMBA = 9,10 Dimethyl, 1,2 Benz(a)-nthracene, RA = Retinoic Acid) and 25 micrograms DMBA along with 25 micrograms, 50 micrograms and 100 micrograms retinoic acid. Significant delay in tumour induction was observed in the animals treated with DMBA + retinoic acid. DMBA + retinoic acid treated cheek pouch developed papillary epidermoid carcinomas which were less invasive and less keratinized than only DMBA treated animals.

Dose response effect of retinyl acetate on DMBA induced carcinogenesis in the hamster cheek pouch.

The role of vitamin A in the induction and growth of chemically induced tumors is still controversial. While in some studies vitamin A influenced inhibition of chemically induced tumors was observed, other studies report on an enhancing influence of this substance on tumor induction. The cheek pouch epithelium of sixty five Syrian golden hamsters was exposed to DMBA and different doses of retinyl acetate, singly and in combination with DMBA.

Serum bile acids in women taking combination contraceptives.

A longitudinal study in 60 women was undertaken to observe the changes, if any, in serum bile acids after taking oral combination pills containing either 50 or 30 microgram of ethinyl estradiol. The women were followed up to 12 months. Serum bile acids (cholyglycine conjugates) were estimated by radioimmunoassay.