Photophysicals and photochemicals studies of zinc(II) phthalocyanine in long time circulation micelles for photodynamic therapy use.

Long time circulation systems, such as polymeric micelles, represent a growing area in biomedical research. These microparticles can be used in many biological systems to provide appropriate drug levels with a specific biodistribution. Long time circulation micelles (LTCM) were routinely prepared using PEG-5000-DSPE (polyethyleneglycol-5000-distearoil-phosphatidyl-ethanolamine) and zinc(II) phthalocyanine (ZnPc) as a photosensitizer and fluorescent probe.

Human endogenous retroviruses: expression in various organs in vivo and its regulation in vitro.

To evaluate the role of human endogenous retroviruses in vivo, we examined their expressions in various organs from autopsy cases by Northern blot and RT-PCR. ERV3 (HERV-R) mRNA was expressed in many organs, and the level of expression in individuals and organs considerably differed. However, expression in the adrenal gland showed consistently high levels in every individual.