The effectiveness of chemoradiotherapy of malignant tumors using platidiam

The effectiveness of polychemotherapy (platidiam + chemoradiation treatment) for extensive cancer of the esophagus, stomach and lung was studied in 71 patients. Response rate in esophageal cancer patients after platidiam, methotrexate and prospidin was 31%, which increased to 65% after irradiation. In stomach cancer patients treated with platidiam, 5-fluorouracil and vincristine, antitumor effect was registered in 30% and a 50% regression of tumor following radiotherapy--in 37%. In small cell lung cancer group, chemotherapy (platidiam + cyclophosphamide + vincristine) was effective in 37.5% and in 83% when combined with radiotherapy.     

Metabolic Imbalance Associated with Methylation Dysregulation and Oxidative Damage in Children with Autism

Oxidative stress and abnormal DNA methylation have been implicated in the pathophysiology of autism. We investigated the dynamics of an integrated metabolic pathway essential for cellular antioxidant and methylation capacity in 68 children with autism, 54 age-matched control children and 40 unaffected siblings. The metabolic profile of unaffected siblings differed significantly from case siblings but not from controls. Oxidative protein/DNA damage and DNA hypomethylation (epigenetic alteration) were found in autistic children but not paired siblings or controls. These data indicate that the deficit in antioxidant and methylation capacity is specific for autism and may promote cellular damage and altered epigenetic gene expression. Further, these results suggest a plausible mechanism by which pro-oxidant environmental stressors may modulate genetic predisposition to autism.     

Epilepsy and the dental management of the epileptic patient

AIM: The aim of this article is to educate oral healthcare providers on the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy and seizure disorders. It also shows the impact of epilepsy on the oral cavity and provides suggestions on the dental management of epileptic patients. REVIEW: Epilepsy and seizure disorders affect 1.5 million Americans. The disease is caused by a number of genetic, physiologic, and infectious disorders as well as trauma. Treatment is primarily pharmaceutical but can also be surgical. The disease itself and the pharmaceutical management often have an impact on the oral cavity. Primary management considerations are the provision of good periodontal care and the restoration of the teeth with stable, strong restorations. CONCLUSIONS: With proper understanding of patients with epilepsy and seizure disorders and their medical treatment, the dental care team can safely and effectively render dental care that will benefit the patient and minimize the risk of oral health problems in the future.     

Broad-spectrum anti-tumor and anti-metastatic DNA vaccine based on p62-encoding vector

Autophagy plays an important role in neoplastic transformation of cells and in resistance of cancer cells to radio- and chemotherapy. p62 (SQSTM1) is a key component of autophagic machinery which is also involved in signal transduction. Although recent empirical observations demonstrated that p62 is overexpressed in variety of human tumors, a mechanism of p62 overexpression is not known. Here we report that the transformation of normal human mammary epithelial cells with diverse oncogenes (RAS, PIK3CA and Her2) causes marked accumulation of p62. Based on this result, we hypothesized that p62 may be a feasible candidate to be an anti-cancer DNA vaccine. Here we performed a preclinical study of a novel DNA vaccine encoding p62. Intramuscularly administered p62-encoding plasmid induced anti-p62 antibodies and exhibited strong antitumor activity in four models of allogeneic mouse tumors – B16 melanoma, Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC), S37 sarcoma, and Ca755 breast carcinoma. In mice challenged with Ca755 cells, p62 treatment had dual effect: inhibited tumor growth in some mice and prolonged life in those mice which developed tumor size similar to control. P62-encoding plasmid has demonstrated its potency both as a preventive and therapeutic vaccine. Importantly, p62 vaccination drastically suppressed metastasis formation: in B16 melanoma where tumor cells where injected intravenously, and in LLC and S37 sarcoma with spontaneous metastasis. Overall, we conclude that a p62-encoding vector(s) constitute(s) a novel, effective broad-spectrum antitumor and anti-metastatic vaccine feasible for further development and clinical trials.     

TREC/KREC levels in children with ataxia-telangiectasia

Immunologic Research - The aim of the study was to determine the TREC/KREC levels in the patients diagnosed with ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) and to establish their informative value for early...