Molecular Characterization and Xenotransplantation of Pancreatic Cancer Using Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration (EUS-FNA).

Pancreatic cancer has one of the worst prognoses among all malignancies and few available treatment options. Patient-derived xenografts can be used to develop personalized therapy for pancreatic cancer. Endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) may provide a powerful alternative to surgery for obtaining sufficient tissue for the establishment of patient-derived xenografts.

Impact of Cisplatin Dosing Regimens on Mammary Tumor Growth in an Animal Model.

Background: We have recently introduced a modification of the seminal Simeoni model for tumor growth, the modification entailing the incorporation of delay differential equations into its formulation. We found that the modification was competitive with the Simeoni construct in modeling mammary tumor growth under cisplatin treatment in an animal model.

Methods: In our original study, we had two cohorts of animals: untreated, and treatment with bolus injection of cisplatin on day 0.

Different ODE models of tumor growth can deliver similar results.

Background: Simeoni and colleagues introduced a compartmental model for tumor growth that has proved quite successful in modeling experimental therapeutic regimens in oncology. The model is based on a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), and accommodates a lag in therapeutic action through delay compartments. There is some ambiguity in the appropriate number of delay compartments, which we examine in this note.

In vivo characterization of [F]AVT-011 as a radiotracer for PET imaging of multidrug resistance.

Purpose: Multidrug resistance (MDR) impedes cancer treatment. Two efflux transporters from the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) family, ABCB1 and ABCG2, may contribute to MDR by restricting the entry of therapeutic drugs into tumor cells. Although a higher expression of these transporters has been correlated with an unfavorable response to chemotherapy, transporter expression does not necessarily correlate with function.

Neoadjuvant oncolytic virotherapy before surgery sensitizes triple-negative breast cancer to immune checkpoint therapy.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive disease for which treatment options are limited and associated with severe toxicities. Immunotherapeutic approaches like immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are a potential strategy, but clinical trials have demonstrated limited success in this patient cohort. Clinical studies using ICIs have revealed that patients with preexisting anticancer immunity are the most responsive.