Array comparative genomic hybridization identifies novel potential therapeutic targets in cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CC) is a rare tumour with a dismal prognosis. As conventional medical management offers minimal survival benefit, surgery currently represents the only chance of cure. We evaluated DNA copy number (CN) alterations in CC to identify novel therapeutic targets.

Integrating research on thyroid cancer after Chernobyl--the Chernobyl Tissue Bank.

The only unequivocal radiological effect of the Chernobyl accident on human health is the increase in thyroid cancer in those exposed in childhood or early adolescence. In response to the scientific interest in studying the molecular biology of thyroid cancer after Chernobyl, the Chernobyl Tissue Bank was established. The project is supported by the governments of Ukraine and Russia, and financially supported (in total around US$3 million) by the European Commission, the National Cancer Institute of the USA and the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation of Japan.

DNA copy number alterations in radiation-induced thyroid cancer.

For many years, gene alterations of the mitogen activated protein kinase pathway have been investigated in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) and the radiation-specific induction of Ret/PTC rearrangements has been discussed in the published literature. According to recent studies, these alterations are now considered as age-related changes rather than radiation-specific changes in PTC. Thus, there is a strong motivation to search for novel alterations that might represent radiation-specific markers in PTC.

CyberKnife for hilar lung tumors: report of clinical response and toxicity.

Objective: To report clinical efficacy and toxicity of fractionated CyberKnife radiosurgery for the treatment of hilar lung tumors.

Methods: Patients presenting with primary and metastatic hilar lung tumors, treated using the CyberKnife system with Synchrony fiducial tracking technology, were retrospectively reviewed. Hilar location was defined as abutting or invading a mainstem bronchus.

Preoperative chemoradiation for rectal cancer using capecitabine and celecoxib correlated with posttreatment assessment of thymidylate synthase and thymidine phosphorylase expression.

Purpose: Thymidylate synthase (TS) and thymidine phosphorylase (TP) expression have been shown to be predictors of response to therapy. The toxicity, efficacy, surgical morbidity, and immunohistochemical TS and TP expression were assessed in surgical resection specimens after preoperative chemoradiation.

Methods And Materials: Twenty patients with clinical stage I to III rectal adenocarcinoma received preoperative chemoradiation and underwent surgical resection 6 weeks later.

Liquid chromatography--its development and key role in life science applications.

Liquid chromatographic methods cover the broadest range of applications imaginable today. Nowhere is this more evident and relevant than in the life sciences, where identification of target substances relevant in disease mechanisms is performed down to the femtomole level. On the other hand, purification of therapeutic drugs on a multi-ton scale is performed by process LC.

Neuropsychological profiles in MCI and in depression: Differential cognitive dysfunction patterns or similar final common pathway disorder?

The concept of "mild cognitive impairment" (MCI) refers to alterations in cognition in the transition between normal aging and dementia. However, from a neuropsychological point of view the conventional diagnostic criteria appear not sufficiently valid. In particular, it is still difficult to differentiate between subjects with MCI and subjects with depression plus cognitive deficits on the basis of their neuropsychological profiles.

Fractionated stereotactic radiosurgery for reirradiation of head-and-neck cancer.

Purpose: Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an appealing treatment option after previous radiotherapy because of its precision, conformality, and reduced treatment duration. We report our experience with reirradiation using fractionated SRS for head-and-neck cancer.

Methods And Materials: From 2002 to 2008, 65 patients received SRS to the oropharynx (n = 13), hypopharynx (n = 8), nasopharynx (n = 7), paranasal sinus (n = 7), neck (n = 7), and other sites (n = 23).

[Chronic osteitis of the lower extremities. An interdisciplinary treatment concept].

Introduction: The purpose of this investigation was the retrospective analysis of patients with delayed infections, chronic posttraumatic osteitis of the lower extremities and free-flap coverage after radical debridement of bone and soft tissue.

Methods: From the time period 1994-2003 a total of 22 patients including 4 females and 18 males were investigated. In 16 patients treatment was carried out on the lower leg and in 6 patients the foot was treated with subsequent free-flap coverage.

Chromosomal aberrations in thyroid follicular-cell neoplasia: in the search of novel oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes.

Thyroid cancer derived from the follicular cell is characterised by specific gene alterations that are closely linked to the various pathological types comprising papillary, follicular and anaplastic thyroid cancer. However, the correlation between molecular biology and pathology is not absolute, since about 30% of cases do not harbour the typical gene alterations. This situation, coupled with the demonstration of genetic heterogeneity in thyroid cancer, is a strong motivation for the search of novel gene alterations.

Molecular rearrangements in papillary thyroid carcinomas.

Papillary thyroid cancer is unusual among epithelial malignancies in that it is associated with a number of chromosomal rearrangements. The most common of these is the Ret oncogene, normally silent in the follicular cell, but which has been shown to be rearranged to the promoter region of a variety of different genes, all of which are constituently expressed in the thyroid follicular cell. It has been suggested that chromosomes in the thyroid cell are arranged within the nucleus in such a way as to predispose the cell to inappropriate fusion in the advent of DNA double-strand breakage.

Novel gene rearrangements in transformed breast cells identified by high-resolution breakpoint analysis of chromosomal aberrations.

Chromosomal copy number alterations and chromosomal rearrangements are frequent mutations in human cancer. Unlike copy number alterations, little is known about the role and occurrence of chromosomal rearrangements in breast cancer. This may be due to the fact that chromosome-based breakpoint analysis is widely restricted to cultured cells.

Profiling of endogenous peptides by multidimensional liquid chromatography: On-line automated sample cleanup for biomarker discovery in human urine.

A simple and flexible system, employing a column switching technique, has been designed to allow the analysis of peptides and proteins smaller than 15 kDa by molecular weight in filtered urine samples by performing a direct on-column injection utilising simultaneous sample clean-up and trace enrichment. The positively charged peptides and small proteins in the sample are attracted to the inner, negatively charged pore structure of the RAM-SCX column while the larger proteins and uncharged or negatively charged compounds are excluded. After preconditioning with the biological sample, large amounts of sample can be injected.

Statistical quality assessment and outlier detection for liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry experiments.

Background: Quality assessment methods, that are common place in engineering and industrial production, are not widely spread in large-scale proteomics experiments. But modern technologies such as Multi-Dimensional Liquid Chromatography coupled to Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) produce large quantities of proteomic data. These data are prone to measurement errors and reproducibility problems such that an automatic quality assessment and control become increasingly important.

Flow-through pore characteristics of monolithic silicas and their impact on column performance in high-performance liquid chromatography.

In order to elucidate the role of the flow-through characteristics with regard to the column performance in high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) native and n-octadecyl bonded monolithic silica rods and columns, respectively of 100 mm length and 4.6 mm ID with mesopores in the range between 10 and 25 nm and macropores in the range between 0.7 and 6.

Synergistic effect of immobilized laminin and nerve growth factor on PC12 neurite outgrowth.

Immobilized extracellular matrix proteins and neurotrophins have been extensively studied to enhance neuronal adhesion and proliferation on surfaces for applications in nerve tissue engineering and neuroprosthetic devices. This article describes how the coimmobilization of laminin, an extracellular matrix protein and nerve growth factor (NGF), a neurotrophin can enhance neurite outgrowth observed separately with each type of molecule. In the absence of immobilized NGF, PC12 neurite outgrowth is influenced strongly by the presence of NGF in solution and unaffected by significant increases in laminin surface density (18.

RET/PTC rearrangement occurring in primary peritoneal carcinoma.

RET/PTC rearrangements are initiating events in the development of a significant proportion of papillary thyroid carcinomas. Activated RET/PTC mutations are thought to be restricted to thyroid disease, but this study proposes that these events may also occur in nonthyroid tumors. A total of 57 nonthyroid papillary tumors were examined for RET/PTC rearrangements using interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization, Taqman reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemistry.

Chromosomal changes characterize head and neck cancer with poor prognosis.

It is well established that genetic alterations may be associated to prognosis in tumor patients. This study investigates chromosomal changes that predict the clinical outcome of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and correlate to characteristic clinicopathological parameters. We applied comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) to tissue samples from 117 HNSCC patients scheduled for radiotherapy.

Textural characterization of native and n-alky-bonded silica monoliths by mercury intrusion/extrusion, inverse size exclusion chromatography and nitrogen adsorption.

Native and n-alkyl-bonded (n-octadecyl) monolithic silica rods with mesopores in the range between 10 and 25 nm and macropores in the range between 1.8 and 6.0 microm were examined by mercury intrusion/extrusion, inverse size exclusion chromatography (ISEC) and nitrogen sorption.

Array CGH demonstrates characteristic aberration signatures in human papillary thyroid carcinomas governed by RET/PTC.

The aim of this study is to investigate additional genetic alterations in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) with known RET/PTC rearrangements. We applied array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH) to 33 PTC (20 PTC from adults, 13 post-Chernobyl PTC from children) with known RET/PTC status. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis identified cases with similar aberration patterns.

Particle packed columns and monolithic columns in high-performance liquid chromatography-comparison and critical appraisal.

The review highlights the fundamentals and the most prominent achievements in the field of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column development over a period of nearly 50 years. After a short introduction on the structure and function of HPLC columns, the first part treats the major steps and processes in the manufacture of a particle packed column: synthesis and control of particle morphology, sizing and size analysis, packing procedures and performance characterization. The next section is devoted to three subjects, which reflect the recent development and the main future directions of packed columns: minimum particle size of packing, totally porous vs.

Pore structural characteristics, size exclusion properties and column performance of two mesoporous amorphous silicas and their pseudomorphically transformed MCM-41 type derivatives.

Highly ordered mesoporous silicas such as, mobile composition of matter, MCM-41, MCM-48, and the SBA-types of materials have helped to a large extent to understand the formation mechanisms of the pore structure of adsorbents and to improve the methods of pore structural characterization. It still remains an open question whether the high order, the regularity of the pore system, and the narrow pore size distribution of the materials will lead to a substantial benefit when these materials are employed in liquid phase separation processes. MCM-41 type 10 microm beads are synthesized following the route of pseudomorphic transformation of highly porous amorphous silicas.