Milk derived colloid as a novel drug delivery carrier for breast cancer

Triple negative breast cancer has an extremely poor prognosis when chemotherapy is no longer effective. To overcome drug resistance, novel drug delivery systems based on nanoparticles have had remarkable success. We produced a novel nanoparticle component ‘MDC’ from milk-derived colloid. In order to evaluate the anti-cancer effect of MDC, we conducted in vitro and in vivo experiments on cancer cell lines and a primary tumor derived breast xenograft. Doxorubicin (Dox) conjugated to MDC (MDC-Dox) showed higher cancer cell growth inhibition than MDC alone especially in cell lines with high EGFR expression. In a mouse melanoma model, MDC-Dox significantly suppressed tumor growth when compared with free Dox. Moreover, in a primary tumor derived breast xenograft, one of the mice treated with MDC-Dox showed partial regression, while mice treated with free Dox failed to show any suppression of tumor growth. We have shown that a novel nanoparticle compound made of simple milk-derived colloid has the capability for drug conjugation, and serves as a tumor-specific carrier of anti-cancer drugs. Further research on its safety and ability to carry various anti-cancer drugs into multiple drug-resistant primary breast models is warranted.     

Prevalence of depressive symptoms and its associated factors in older adults: a cross-sectional study in Kathmandu,Nepal

Objective: Globally, depression is one of the most prevalent and burdensome conditions in older adults. However, there are few population-based studies of depression in older adults in developing countries. In this paper, we examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms and explore possible contributory risk factors in older adults living in Nepal.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two semi-urban communities in Kathmandu, Nepal. Depression was assessed using the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale in 303 participants, aged 60 years and over. Multivariate logistic regression was then used to assess associations between potential risk factors and depression.

Results: More than half of the participants (n = 175, 60.6%) had significant depressive symptomatology, with 27.7% having scores suggesting mild depression. Illiteracy (aOR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.08–3.75), physical immobility (aOR = 5.62, 95% CI: 1.76–17.99), the presence of physical health problems (aOR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.03–3.77), not having any time spent with family members (aOR = 3.55, 95% CI: 1.29–9.76) and not being considered in family decision-making (aOR = 4.02, 95% CI: 2.01–8.04) were significantly associated with depression in older adults.

Conclusion: The prevalence of depression was significant in older adults. There are clear associations of depression with demographic, social support and physical well-being factors in this population. Strategies that increase awareness in the community along with the health and social care interventions are needed to address the likely drivers of depression in older adults.     

Pediatric Laser Therapy in Pigmented Conditions

Advances in laser therapy have led to novel therapeutic approaches to common pediatric skin conditions. As a non-invasive alternative to surgical options, laser therapy is efficacious in treating a broad range of conditions, from vascular and pigmented lesions to tattoo and hair removal. This paper reviews the basic mechanics of laser therapy, its role in common pigmented pediatric dermatoses, and special considerations for this unique age group.

     

Functional EGFR germline polymorphisms may confer risk for EGFR somatic mutations in non-small cell lung cancer, with a predominant effect on exon 19 microdeletions

Somatic mutations in the EGFR tyrosine kinase domain play a critical role in the development and treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Strong genetic influence on susceptibility to these mutations has been suggested. To identify the genetic factors conferring risk for the EGFR tyrosine kinase mutations in NSCLC, a case-control study was conducted in 141 Taiwanese NSCLC patients by focusing on three functional polymorphisms in the EGFR gene [-216G/T, intron 1 (CA)n, and R497K]. Allelic imbalance of the EGFR -216G/T polymorphism was also tested in the heterozygous patients and in the NCI-60 cancer cell lines to further verify its function. We found that the frequencies of the alleles -216T and CA-19 are significantly higher in the patients with any mutation (P = 0.032 and 0.01, respectively), in particular in those with exon 19 microdeletions (P = 0.006 and 0.033, respectively), but not in the patients with L858R mutation. The -216T allele is favored to be amplified in both tumor DNA of lung cancer patients and cancer cell lines. We conclude that the local haplotype structures across the EGFR gene may favor the development of cellular malignancies and thus significantly confer risk to the occurrence of EGFR mutations in NSCLC, particularly the exon 19 microdeletions.