Upper airway obstruction by a fragmented tracheostomy tube: Case report and review of the literature

Introduction: Many objects were described in the literature as causes of upper airway obstruction including seeds, nuts and household particles but fragmented tracheostomy tube is a rarely reported cause of airway obstruction. We report a case of foreign body aspiration in the tracheobronchial tree due to a fragmented and migrated tracheostomy tube. Presentation of case: We report a 4.5 year old female patient who had upper airway obstruction due to a fragmented and migrated tracheostomy tube. She was diagnosed by chest X-ray and the tube was removed by rigid bronchoscopy. Discussion: Several factors contribute to fragmentation of the tracheostomy tube including repeated removal and reinsertion, cleaning, boiling or chemicals. Early breakage is most often due to manufacturing defects. The occurrence of a fractured tracheostomy tube in children is rare. Nevertheless, tracheobronchial foreign bodies in children can be life threatening and pose a dire emergency. Conclusion: Based on our experience, the doctors and other staff should check for any manufacturing defects before the first use of a tracheostomy tube, which should reduce the occurrence of this rare, but life threatening

Proteomic profiling of human cancer pseudopodia for the identification of anti-metastatic drug candidates

Abstract Cancer metastasis causes approximately 90% of all cancer-related death and independent of the advancement of cancer therapy, a majority of late stage patients suffers from metastatic cancer. Metastasis implies cancer cell migration and invasion throughout the body. Migration requires the formation of pseudopodia in the direction of movement, but a detailed understanding of this process and accordingly strategies of prevention remain elusive. Here, we use quantitative proteomic profiling of human cancer pseudopodia to examine this mechanisms essential to metastasis formation, and identify potential candidates for pharmacological interference with the process. We demonstrate that Prohibitins (PHBs) are significantly enriched in the pseudopodia fraction derived from cancer cells, and knockdown of PHBs, as well as their chemical inhibition through Rocaglamide (Roc-A), efficiently reduces cancer cell migration

Adaptation of a Commonly Used, Chemically Defined Medium for Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Stable Isotope Labeling with Amino Acids in Cell Culture

Metabolic labeling with stable isotopes is a prominent technique for comparative quantitative proteomics, and stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) is the most commonly used approach. SILAC is, however, traditionally limited to simple tissue culture regimens and only rarely employed in the context of complex culturing conditions as those required for human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Classic hESC culture is based on the use of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) as a feeder layer, and as a result, possible xenogeneic contamination, contribution of unlabeled amino acids by the feeders, interlaboratory variability of MEF preparation, and the overall complexity of the culture system are all of concern in conjunction with SILAC. We demonstrate a feeder-free SILAC culture system based on a customized version of a commonly used, chemically defined hESC medium developed by Ludwig et al. and commercially available as mTeSR1 [mTeSR1 is a trade mark of WiCell (Madison, WI) licensed to STEMCELL Technologies (Vancouver, Canada)]. This medium, together with adjustments to the culturing protocol, facilitates reproducible labeling that is easily scalable to the protein amounts required by proteomic work flows. It greatly enhances the usability of quantitative proteomics as a tool for the study of mechanisms underlying hESCs differentiation and self-renewal. Associated data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD000151

Adaptation of a Commonly Used, Chemically Defined Medium for Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Stable Isotope Labeling with Amino Acids in Cell Culture

Metabolic labeling with stable isotopes is a prominent technique for comparative quantitative proteomics, and stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) is the most commonly used approach. SILAC is, however, traditionally limited to simple tissue culture regimens and only rarely employed in the context of complex culturing conditions as those required for human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Classic hESC culture is based on the use of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) as a feeder layer, and as a result, possible xenogeneic contamination, contribution of unlabeled amino acids by the feeders, interlaboratory variability of MEF preparation, and the overall complexity of the culture system are all of concern in conjunction with SILAC. We demonstrate a feeder-free SILAC culture system based on a customized version of a commonly used, chemically defined hESC medium developed by Ludwig et al. and commercially available as mTeSR1 [mTeSR1 is a trade mark of WiCell (Madison, WI) licensed to STEMCELL Technologies (Vancouver, Canada)]. This medium, together with adjustments to the culturing protocol, facilitates reproducible labeling that is easily scalable to the protein amounts required by proteomic work flows. It greatly enhances the usability of quantitative proteomics as a tool for the study of mechanisms underlying hESCs differentiation and self-renewal. Associated data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD000151