A Phase Ib/II,open-label,multicenter study of INC280 (capmatinib) alone and in combination with buparlisib (BKM120) in adult patients with recurrent glioblastoma

Journal of Neuro-Oncology - To estimate the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or identify the recommended Phase II dose (RP2D) for combined INC280 and buparlisib in patients with recurrent...     

cMyc and ERK activity are associated with resistance to ALK inhibitory treatment in glioblastoma

Journal of Neuro-Oncology - Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) is expressed in?~?60% of glioblastomas and conveys tumorigenic functions. Therefore, ALK inhibitory strategies with...     

Mycelia-Assisted Isolation of Non-Host Bacteria Able to Co-Transport Phages

Recent studies have demonstrated that phages can be co-transported with motile non-host bacteria, thereby enabling their invasion of biofilms and control of biofilm composition. Here, we developed a novel approach to isolate non-host bacteria able to co-transport phages from soil. It is based on the capability of phage-carrying non-host bacteria to move along mycelia out of soil and form colonies in plaques of their co-transported phages. The approach was tested using two model phages of differing surface hydrophobicity, i.e., hydrophobic Escherichia virus T4 (T4) and hydrophilic Pseudoalteromonas phage HS2 (HS2). The phages were mixed into soil and allowed to be transported by soil bacteria along the mycelia of Pythium ultimum. Five phage-carrying bacterial species were isolated (Viridibacillus sp., Enterobacter sp., Serratia sp., Bacillus sp., Janthinobacterium sp.). These bacteria exhibited phage adsorption efficiencies of ≈90–95% for hydrophobic T4 and 30–95% for hydrophilic HS2. The phage adsorption efficiency of Viridibacillus sp. was ≈95% for both phages and twofold higher than T4-or HS2-adsorption to their respective hosts, qualifying Viridibacillus sp. as a potential super carrier for phages. Our approach offers an effective and target-specific way to identify and isolate phage-carrying bacteria in natural and man-made environments.     

Congenital adrenal hypoplasia and selective absence of pituitary luteinizing hormone: a new autosomal recessive syndrome

Congenital hypoplasia of the adrenal glands (CHA) is a rare condition, particularly in the absence of a central nervous system (CNS) anomaly. Two major types of CHA have been described in the setting of an apparently normal CNS and pituitary: a cytomegalic type usually with X-linked recessive inheritance and a miniature adult type that, when hereditary, is an autosomal recessive trait. Glycerol kinase deficiency (GKD) is an X-linked recessive trait, and it may be associated with CHA and adrenal insufficiency, presumably because of deletion of adjacent X-linked loci. We report on three sibling infants, one male and two females, with normal CNS and lethal CHA of the miniature adult type, selective absence of pituitary LH; two of the infants also had glycerol kinase (GK) activity that was decreased but not in the GKD range. Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of X chromosome markers located at Xp21-p22 was carried out on the maternal grandfather, both parents, two of three affected infants, and a living normal brother. The results excluded the X-linked type of this disorder associated with GKD in this family. Autosomal recessive inheritance is most likely.     

Characterization of antisera against bovine prolactin for in vivo studies on prolactin function in the rat.

The IgG fraction of rabbit antisera to bovine prolactin (PRL), intended for in vivo studies on the role of PRL in the rat, was prepared and characterized in vitro and in vivo. The antibodies showed a strong reaction with bovine PRL in double diffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, radioimmunoassay and passive haemagglutination using bovine PRL-coated erythrocytes. In indirect immunofluorescence on paraffin sections of bovine pituitary glands the antibodies could be used for the detection of PRL-producing cells. Cross-reaction with rat PRL was observed in passive haemagglutination with rat PRL-coated erythrocytes and in indirect immunofluorescence on rat pituitary gland, but not in any of the other test systems. The ability of the antibodies to neutralize homologous, i.e. bovine, PRL was tested in lactating rats depleted of endogenous PRL by bromergocriptin treatment. The impaired lactation performance of such animals can be restored by substitution with bovine PRL. If the bovine PRL used for substitution was complexed with anti-bovine PRL-IgG, it lost its biological activity. On the other hand, injections of even high amounts of the antibodies into lactating rats failed to reveal any effect on lactation. It is concluded that either the antibodies do not cross-react with circulating rat PRL in contrast to pituitary PRL (preprolactin?) or that the cross-reacting antibody-populations(s) lack(s) the ability to neutralize the biological function of rat PRL.     

Ileocecal Tuberculosis

Three cases of ileocecal tuberculosis are presented with a review of pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy.
Emphasis is placed upon preoperative suspicion and the indications for resectional surgery in combination with antituberculous drugs in the management of the patients.     

Blood transfusion and postoperative infection in orthopedic patients

Adverse effects of the transfusion of homologous blood on tumor recurrence and resistance to bacterial infection have been reported previously, but the findings are inconclusive. A retrospective review of patients undergoing orthopedic surgery was conducted, and the rate of the postoperative infectious complications was compared among those receiving homologous blood, autologous blood, both types, or no transfusion support. An overall postoperative infection rate of 6.1 percent was observed: 6.9 percent among persons receiving homologous blood, 5.0 percent among those receiving autologous blood, 11.9 percent among those receiving both homologous and autologous blood, and 4.9 percent among those not receiving transfusions (p = 0.37). Among patients receiving homologous blood, a subset of 15 patients received homologous whole blood and had an infection rate of 20 percent. Significant predictors of postoperative infection included increasing age, spinal surgery, high admission hematocrit, and greater time in surgery. Of factors relating to transfusion, only the use of homologous whole blood was a significant predictor of postoperative infection, which suggests a detrimental effect of homologous plasma. It can be concluded that, in this group of patients undergoing relatively nontraumatic surgery, several variables that are not related to transfusion, as well as the use of homologous whole blood, were significant predictors of postoperative infection.