Nanodrugs used in cancer therapy.

Cancer despite the introduction of new targeted therapy remains for many patients a fatal disease. Nanotechnology in cancer medicine has emerged as a promising approach to defeat cancer. Targeted delivery of anti-cancer drugs by different nanosystems promises enhanced drug efficacy, selectivity, better safety profile and reduced systemic toxicity.

KDM5 demethylases and their role in cancer cell chemoresistance.

Histone methylation is important in the regulation of genes expression, and thus its dysregulation has been observed in various cancers. KDM5 enzymes are capable of removing tri- and di- methyl marks from lysine 4 on histone H3 (H3K4) which makes them potential players in the downregulation of tumor suppressors, but could also suggest that their activity repress oncogenes. Depending on the methylation site, their effect on transcription can be either activating or repressing.

Paclitaxel-Loaded Polylactide/Polyethylene Glycol Fibers with Long-Term Antitumor Activity as a Potential Drug Carrier for Local Chemotherapy.

Local application of anticancer agents prolongs the presence time and increases the concentration of drug in the target place and therefore may reduce serious side effects compared to drug systemic administration. The preparation of fibrous materials of polylactide (PLA) and polyethylene glycol (PEG) loaded with paclitaxel (PTX, 1 or 10 wt%) is presented. Scanning electron microscopy proves that PTX is homogeneously incorporated into the fibers.

Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors as Anticancer Drugs.

Carcinogenesis cannot be explained only by genetic alterations, but also involves epigenetic processes. Modification of histones by acetylation plays a key role in epigenetic regulation of gene expression and is controlled by the balance between histone deacetylases (HDAC) and histone acetyltransferases (HAT). HDAC inhibitors induce cancer cell cycle arrest, differentiation and cell death, reduce angiogenesis and modulate immune response.

Study of awareness of tick-borne diseases among children and young people in the Czech Republic.

In the 2000 and 2001 years, there was performed a study which has given some insight on the knowledge of youths about ticks and tick-borne diseases. Two thousand seven hundred and sixty-three respondents from 6 to 26 years of age took part in this investigation. More than 98% of respondents knew about the existence of ticks.

Molecular and microscopical evidence of Ehrlichia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in patients, animals and ticks in the Czech Republic.

We report moderately severe cases of human ehrlichiosis and a lethal one caused by human granulocytic Ehrlichia, the HGE agent, closely related to Ehrlichia phagocytophila and Ehrlichia equi. Their vector is the Ixodes ricinus tick, which also transmits Borrelia burgorferi sensu lato in central, west and east regions of the Czech Republic. The diagnosis was established by PCR with sequence analysis of the genes encoding 16S rRNA of Ehrlichia and with reverse hybridization by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay with different covalently coupled probes to the activated plate.

[Single-step polymerase chain reaction in the detection of Borrelia burgdorferi and the genome species in the Ixodes ricinus tick].

The objective of the work to introduce screening PCR into the diagnosis of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in the vector selection of the most suitable primer, derived from chromosomal DNA and detection of different genome species. The sensitivity of primers, described in the literature (LD, 16S, Wk, 5S-23S) was tested by different amounts of DNA strains of borrelias. The most sensitive primer--LD was used for detection of borrelias in the vector.

Incidence of Borrelia garinii and Borrelia afzelii in Ixodes ricinus ticks in an urban environment, Prague, Czech Republic, between 1995 and 1998.

The presence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato and its individual genospecies was determined using a single-step polymerase chain reaction in a total of 779 Ixodes ricinus ticks collected from an urban park in Prague, Czech Republic. The incidence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was 9.2% in 1995, 3.

Incidence of spirochetes (Borrelia sp.) in the tick Ixodes ricinus in the urban environment (capital of Prague) between 1994-1997.

A total of 12287 ticks were collected from 10 localities of the capital of Prague between 1994 and 1997 (2978 ticks in 1994, 5612 ticks in 1995-1996, 3686 ticks in 1997). The presence of Borrelia was investigated by the indirect immunofluorescence assay using hyperimmune rabbit sera. The tick infestation ranged between 3.

[Endoscopic endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy: indications, technique and results].

From 1996 till August 1998 the authors made 24 EDCRS in 23 patients aged 35 to 80 years, incl. 6 men and 17 women. All patients reported epiphora, in 19 cases a mucous purulent secretion from the lacrimal pathways was present and 9 had a history of phlegmon in the area of the lacrimal sac.

Long term follow-up study of laryngeal precancer.

The goal of this study was to determine subsequent malignancy on a discrete group of precancerous laryngeal lesions, and to assess the mortality. In a series of 227 patients, average age 51.8 years (ranging from 13 to 80 years).

Severe functional laryngeal stenoses treated by endoscopic arytenoidectomy.

During the 15-year period from 1978 to 1993 we treated 17 cannulated patients suffering from dyspnea caused by bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve palsies. The causes of palsy were struma surgery (13 cases), prolonged intubation (3 cases) and unknown (1 case). All cases were operated on by the classical endolaryngeal arytenoidectomy technique developed by Kleinsasser.

A simple instrument for endoscopic laryngeal and pharyngeal surgery.

A simple suture instrument for endoscopic microlaryngeal surgery is presented. It is made from a common sewing machine needle that is soldered in a 25 cm pipe-like holder and is slightly bent near the point. The needle tip is so threaded that the thread can pierce through both edges of a wound following placement with an endoscopic tube.