Diagnostic blocks are used to obtain information about the source of a patient's pain. As such they differ in principle and in practice from regional anaesthetic blocks. In order to be valid, diagnostic blocks must be precise and target-specific. They must be controlled in order to exclude false-positive responses. Sympathetic blocks have traditionally been performed without pharmacological controls, but studies have shown that the features of complex regional pain syndromes can be relieved equally well when normal saline is administered as when local anaesthetic is used. This warns that sympathetic blocks must be controlled in each and every case lest false conclusions be drawn about the response. Medial branch blocks of the lumbar and of the cervical dorsal rami have been extensively investigated in order to establish their validity, diagnostic utility and therapeutic utility. They provide an example and benchmark for how diagnostic blocks can and should be validated.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1053/bean.2002.0252 | DOI Listing |
Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging
January 2025
Departments of Radiology and Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
Purpose: Trophoblast cell-surface antigen 2 (Trop2) is overexpressed in various solid tumors and contributes to tumor progression, while its expression remains low in normal tissues. Trop2-targeting antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (Trodelvy), has shown efficacy in targeting this antigen. Leveraging the enhanced specificity of ADCs, we conducted the first immunoPET imaging study of Trop2 expression in gastric cancer (GC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) models using Zr-labeled Trodelvy ([Zr]Zr-DFO-Trodelvy).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Cancer Res Clin Oncol
January 2025
Department of Pathology, Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, Giza, 12411, Egypt.
Introduction: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with poor prognosis. The roles of the transcription factor special AT-rich binding protein-2 (SATB2) and β-catenin in PDAC have been a subject of controversy. We aimed to assess the diagnostic and prognostic impact of SATB2 and β-catenin in PDAC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Immunol
January 2025
Department of Immunology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Introduction: Bryostatin-1, a potent agonist of the protein kinase C, has been studied for HIV and cancer therapies. In HIV research, it has shown anti-HIV effects during acute infection and reactivation of latent HIV in chronic infection. As effective CD8+ T cell responses are essential for eliminating reactivated virus and achieving a cure, it is important to investigate how bryostatin-1 affects HIV-specific CD8+ T cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDrug Des Devel Ther
January 2025
Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis, Higher Educational Key Laboratory for Nano Biomedical Technology of Fujian Province, The School of Pharmacy, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People's Republic of China.
Purpose: The incidence of malignant melanoma (MM) has risen over the past three decades, and despite advancements in treatment, there is still a need to improve treatment modalities. This study developed a promising strategy for tumor-targeted co-delivery of Dacarbazine (DTIC) and miRNA 34a-loaded PHRD micelles (Co-PHRD) for combination treatment of MM.
Methods: To construct the dual drug-loaded delivery system Co-PHRD, poly (L-arginine)-poly (L-histidine)-polylactic acid (PLA) was employed as a building block.
Nat Commun
January 2025
Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of South Florida, 4202 E Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA.
Unraveling the signaling roles of intermediate complexes is pivotal for G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) drug development. Despite hundreds of GPCR-Gαβγ structures, these snapshots primarily capture the fully activated complex. Consequently, the functions of intermediate GPCR-G protein complexes remain elusive.
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