Phase 2 Randomized Controlled Trial of Radiation Therapy Plus Concurrent Interferon-Alpha and Retinoic Acid Versus Cisplatin for Stage III Cervical Carcinoma.

Purpose: Because a combination of retinoic acid, interferon-alpha, and radiation therapy demonstrated synergistic action and effectiveness to treat advanced cervical cancers in earlier studies, we designed this randomized phase 2 open-label trial to assess efficacy and safety of interferon alpha-2b (IFN) and 13-cis-retinoic acid (RA) administered concomitantly with radiation therapy (IFN-RA-radiation) to treat stage III cervical cancer.

Methods And Materials: Stage III cervical cancer patients were randomized to study and control groups in a 1:1 ratio. All patients were treated with radiation therapy; study arm patients received IFN (3 × 10(6) IU subcutaneously) 3 times a week for 4 weeks and daily RA (40 mg orally) for 30 days starting on day 1 of radiation, whereas control arm patients received weekly cisplatinum (40 mg/m(2)) for 5 weeks during radiation.

Generation of fluorescent adducts of malondialdehyde and amino acids: toward an understanding of lipofuscin.

Lipofuscin is a yellow-brown, highly fluorescent pigment that undergoes an age-related progressive accumulation in animal cells, mainly in postmitotic cells. It is a heterogeneous, high-molecular weight material associated with proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. Lipofuscin is implicated in many aspects of human health, including aging, oxidative stress, macular degeneration, lipid peroxidation, atherosclerosis, dementia (Alzheimer's Disease) and diseases associated with prions.

Synthesis of puraquinonic acid ethyl ester and deliquinone via a common intermediate.

Both compounds were prepared via a common intermediate. The key features included the direct synthesis of the indan skeleton and the radical addition to a quinone.

Phosphonate aldehyde annulation. A one-pot synthesis of delta-hydroxy cyclopentenoic esters.

[reaction: see text] The reaction of ketone enolates with phosphonate aldehyde 2 afforded cyclopentenols 3 or keto esters 4 in a one-pot procedure.