Genomic landscape of liposarcoma.

Liposarcoma (LPS) is the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma accounting for 20% of all adult sarcomas. Due to absence of clinically effective treatment options in inoperable situations and resistance to chemotherapeutics, a critical need exists to identify novel therapeutic targets. We analyzed LPS genomic landscape using SNP arrays, whole exome sequencing and targeted exome sequencing to uncover the genomic information for development of specific anti-cancer targets.

Overexpression of miR-26a-2 in human liposarcoma is correlated with poor patient survival.

Approximately 90% of well-differentiated/de-differentiated liposarcomas (WDLPS/DDLPS), the most common LPS subtype, have chromosomal amplification at 12q13-q22. Many protein-coding genes in the region, such as MDM2 and , have been studied as potential therapeutic targets for LPS treatment, with minimal success. In the amplified region near the MDM2 gene, our single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analysis of 75 LPS samples identified frequent amplification of miR-26a-2.

Synergistic effect of low-dose cucurbitacin B and low-dose methotrexate for treatment of human osteosarcoma.

We investigated the use of cucurbitacin B, a plant-derived tetracyclic triterpenoid, as a single agent or in combination with methotrexate (MTX) for human osteosarcoma (OS) treatment. Cucurbitacin B showed antiproliferative activity against seven human OS cell lines in vitro accompanying G2/M cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and inhibition of ERK, Akt, and mTOR proteins. Cucurbitacin B in combination with MTX synergistically inhibited OS cell growth in vitro.

Widespread use of fluoroquinolones versus emerging resistance in pneumococci.

During the past decade, respiratory-tract pathogens have shown an increase in resistance to all classes of antimicrobial agents. Although the increasing prevalence of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae has resulted in an increased reliance on newer classes of agents, such as the fluoroquinolones, the broad use of these agents has contributed to increasing prevalence of strains with in vitro fluoroquinolone resistance, which are associated with treatment failures, nosocomial outbreaks, and patient fatalities. Strategies to limit this emerging dilemma and preserve the clinical utility of these agents are needed.

In vitro activities of Garenoxacin (BMS 284756) against 108 clinical isolates of Gardnerella vaginalis.

Garenoxacin (BMS 284756) was active against 105 of 108 (97%) recent clinical Gardnerella vaginalis isolates at < or =2 micro g/ml by using the reference agar dilution method for anaerobes. Twenty-eight percent of isolates (31 of 108) were resistant to metronidazole, and 44% were resistant to doxycycline. All were susceptible to clindamycin and ampicillin-sulbactam.