Web-based cheminformatics tools deployed via corporate Intranets

Web-based molecular processing tools installed on corporate Intranets bring easy to use cheminformatics and molecular modeling capabilities directly to the desks of synthetic chemists, giving them comfortable access to data and their visualization and analysis, considerably improving efficiency of the drug design and development process. User-friendly tools that use a standard Web browser as an interface allow users access to a broad range of expert molecular processing tools and techniques, without the need for extensive expertise in their use.     

Self-organizing maps for the analysis of NMR spectra

The ability of the human brain to form topological maps by self-organizing neuronal connectivity in an unsupervised manner inspired the development of a powerful computational tool, the self-organizing map (SOM). SOMs are used to cluster large amounts of data, simplifying and streamlining the laborious process of data interpretation. High-throughput screening techniques are a fixture in today's pharmaceutical industry, but mining the wealth of data afforded by such tools is an evolving process. In the past few years, SOMs have been married with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to cluster NMR spectra in an unsupervised manner, finding new relationships and greatly reducing the time scientists must spend interpreting the spectra.     

Monitor – Business

Updates on the latest news and business collaborations in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry.     

Discovery rate of dysplasia and carcinoma of the uterine cervix in an urban Medical Center serving patients at high risk

File analysis based on 98,970 Pap tests on 58,053 patients from the Martland Medical Center of CMDNJ and its clinics was performed. Discovery rates, period prevalence and incidence rates were calculated for categories of mild to moderate dysplasia through invasive carcinoma. An incidence rate of 27/100,000 for invasive carcinoma was obtained, which is lower than the national average. Period prevalence and incidence rates of dysplasias are both high and similar. This indicates that epidemiologic parameters may need to be studied further. The mean age for the mild to moderate dysplasia was 25.7 years, for moderate to severe dysplasia, 29.29 years and for CIS, 33.25 years. These data may imply that younger women, especially in the urban areas, are at much higher risk than previously expected.     

Role of upregulated miR-136-5p in lung adenocarcinoma: A study of 1242 samples utilizing bioinformatics analysis

Background

It is generally acknowledged that miRNAs play pivotal roles in the initiation and development of cancer. The aim of the current study is to investigate the clinicopathological role of miR-136-5p in lung adenocarcinoma and its underlying molecular mechanism.

Investigation of miR-136-5p key target genes and pathways in lung squamous cell cancer based on TCGA database and bioinformatics analysis

Background

Lung squamous cell cancer (LUSC) is a common but challenging malignancy. It is important to illuminate the molecular mechanism of LUSC. Thus, we aim to explore the molecular mechanism of miR-136-5p in relation to LUSC.

猪体内亚洲牛带绦虫囊尾蚴自然感染的发现

目的证实亚洲牛带绦虫的感染与生食猪肝的关系。方法对贵州都匀流行地区屠杀的猪进行调查。结果首次在猪肝上发现亚洲牛带绦虫自然感染的囊尾蚴,猪的自然感染率为8．87％（11／124）,共检获囊尾蚴17个,感染强度为1～4个。结论亚洲牛带绦虫的感染与当地村民的生活方式、饮食卫生习惯（生食猪肝等内脏）有关。     

Fruit-derived phenolic compounds and pancreatic cancer: Perspectives from Australian native fruits

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Pancreatic cancer is a devastating cancer that presents late, is rapidly progressive and has current therapeutics with only limited efficacy. Bioactive compounds are ubiquitously present in fruits and numerous studies in vitro are addressing the activity of these compounds against pancreatic cancer, thus studies of specific bioactive compounds could lead to new anti-pancreatic cancer strategies. Australian native fruits have been used as foods and medicines by Australian Aboriginals for thousands of years, and preliminary studies have found these fruits to contain rich and diversified bioactive components with high antioxidant activity. Thus, Australian native fruits may possess key components for preventing or delaying the onset of tumorigenesis, or for the treatment of existing cancers, including pancreatic cancer.

Materials and methods

Numerous databases including PubMed, SciFinder, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, and Sciencedirect were analysed for correlations between bioactive components from fruits and pancreatic cancer, as well as studies concerning Australian native fruits.

Results

In this review, we comprehensively highlight the proposed mechanisms of action of fruit bioactives as anti-cancer agents, update the potential anti-pancreatic cancer activity of various major classes of bioactive compounds derived from fruits, and discuss the existence of bioactive compounds identified from a selection Australian native fruits for future studies.

Conclusion

Bioactive compounds derived from fruits possess the potential for the discovery of new anti-pancreatic cancer strategies. Further, Australian native fruits are rich in polyphenols including some flora that contain unique phenolic compounds, thereby warranting further investigations into their anti-cancer properties.