Fluorescence Diagnostics of Colon Malignant and Premalignant Lesions Using 5-Aminolevulinic Acid

Improvement of colon cancer diagnosis is a very important medical problem. Methods of fluorescence diagnosis (FD) with 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) have been used in detection of early cancer on the surface of mucosa. The objective of the study was to estimate the effectiveness of FD with 5-ALA in the detection of malignant lesions in the colon. From 2008 to 2010 full examinations have been performed in 78 patients suffering from colon polyps. For the study we used drug Alasens based on 5-ALA. Fluorescence colonoscopy with Alasens was made using the visual assessment of fluorescence images in combination with local fluorescence spectroscopy. The results of FD were compared with those of final histopathological study. The application of the method during colonoscopy allows specifying diagnosis, identifying areas of colon tumors transformation, and also showing a place for targeted biopsy. Sensitivity and specificity of FD with Alasens were 94.9% and 62.5%, respectively. The application of local fluorescence spectroscopy as a step of the combined approach allows increasing the specificity of fluorescence colonoscopy from 62.5% up to 93.7%

Gene-Activated Materials in Regenerative Dentistry: Narrative Review of Technology and Study Results

Treatment of a wide variety of defects in the oral and maxillofacial regions requires the use of innovative approaches to achieve best outcomes. One of the promising directions is the use of gene-activated materials (GAMs) that represent a combination of tissue engineering and gene therapy. This approach implies that biocompatible materials will be enriched with gene-carrying vectors and implanted into the defect site resulting in transfection of the recipient’s cells and secretion of encoded therapeutic protein in situ. GAMs may be presented in various designs depending on the type of material, encoded protein, vector, and way of connecting the vector and the material. Thus, it is possible to choose the most suitable GAM design for the treatment of a particular pathology. The use of plasmids for delivery of therapeutic genes is of particular interest. In the present review, we aimed to delineate the principle of work and various designs of plasmid-based GAMs and to highlight results of experimental and clinical studies devoted to the treatment of periodontitis, jaw bone defects, teeth avulsion, and other pathologies in the oral and maxillofacial regions

Refinement of Animal Experiments: Replacing Traumatic Methods of Laboratory Animal Marking with Non-Invasive Alternatives

Reliable methods for identifying rodents play an important role in ensuring the success of preclinical studies. However, animal identification remains a trivial laboratory routine that is not often discussed, despite the fact that more than 6 million rodents are used in animal studies each year. Currently, there are extensive regulations in place to ensure adequate anesthesia and to reduce animal suffering during experiments. At the same time, not enough attention is paid to the comfort of rodents during routine identification procedures, which can be painful and cause some complications. In order to achieve the highest ethical standards in laboratory research, we must minimize animal discomfort during the identification phase. In this article, we discuss traumatic methods of identification and describe several painless methods for marking in long-term experimental studies. The use of non-traumatic and non-invasive methods requires the renewal of marks as they fade and additional handling of the rodents. Laboratory personnel must be trained in stress-minimizing handling techniques to make mark renewal less stressful

The World’s First Implantation of a Personalized Microporous Titanium Sternum with Motile Costal Clip Connections: A Case Report

Extensive chest wall defects occur in 28% of all sternal resection cases and are a major challenge in thoracic surgery. These cases are generally considered “critical defects” requiring primary or secondary reconstruction using various types of flaps, mesh repairs, bone autografts, or endoprosthesis. The past decade witnessed rapid advances in the application of personalized endoprostheses in thoracic surgery. Surgeons began to use carbon or titanium grafts for personalized sternum replacement. The main advantages of these implants are superior cosmetic effect, biocompatibility, and low risk of infection. Herein, we present a case of a 55-year-old patient with an indication for extended sternum resection due to metastatic thyroid cancer. The patient underwent extended sternum resection, followed by the implantation of a personalized microporous titanium sternum equipped with graspers for atraumatic rib fixation

Post-Implantation Inflammatory Responses to Xenogeneic Tissue-Engineered Cartilage Implanted in Rabbit Trachea: The Role of Cultured Chondrocytes in the Modification of Inflammation

Immune responses to tissue-engineered grafts made of xenogeneic materials remain poorly studied. The scope of current investigations is limited by the lack of information on orthotopically implanted grafts. A deeper understanding of these processes is of great importance since innovative surgical approaches include the implantation of xenogeneic decellularized scaffolds seeded by cells. The purpose of our work is to study the immunological features of tracheal repair during the implantation of tissue-engineered constructs based on human xenogeneic scaffolds modified via laser radiation in rabbits. The samples were stained with hematoxylin and Safranin O, and they were immunostained with antibodies against tryptase, collagen II, vimentin, and CD34. Immunological and inflammatory responses were studied by counting immune cells and evaluating blood vessels and collagen. Leukocyte-based inflammation prevailed during the implantation of decellularized unseeded scaffolds; meanwhile, plasma cells were significantly more abundant in tissue-engineered constructs. Mast cells were insignificantly more abundant in tissue-engineered construct samples. Conclusions: The seeding of decellularized xenogeneic cartilage with chondrocytes resulted in a change in immunological reactions upon implantation, and it was associated with plasma cell infiltration. Tissue-engineered grafts widely differed in design, including the type of used cells. The question of immunological response depending on the tissue-engineered graft composition requires further investigation

The Dysregulation of Polyamine Metabolism in Colorectal Cancer Is Associated with Overexpression of c-Myc and C/EBP β

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. It is well known that the chronic inflammation can promote the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). Recently, a number of studies revealed a potential association between colorectal inflammation, cancer progression, and infection caused by enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF). Bacterial enterotoxin activates spermine oxidase (SMO), which produces spermidine and H2O2 as byproducts of polyamine catabolism, which, in turn, enhances inflammation and tissue injury. Using qPCR analysis, we estimated the expression of SMOX gene and ETBF colonization in CRC patients. We found no statistically significant associations between them. Then we selected genes involved in polyamine metabolism, metabolic reprogramming, and inflammation regulation and estimated their expression in CRC. We observed overexpression of SMOX, ODC1, SRM, SMS, MTAP, c-Myc, C/EBPβ (CREBP), and other genes. We found that two mediators of metabolic reprogramming, inflammation, and cell proliferation c-Myc and C/EBPβ may serve as regulators of polyamine metabolism genes (SMOX, AZIN1, MTAP, SRM, ODC1, AMD1, and AGMAT) as they are overexpressed in tumors, have binding site according to ENCODE ChIP-Seq data, and demonstrate strong coexpression with their targets. Thus, increased polyamine metabolism in CRC could be driven by c-Myc and C/EBPβ rather than ETBF infection

Оценка влияния однонуклеотидного полиморфизма val158met гена катехол-О-метилтрансферазы (СОМТ) на эффективность спинальной аналгезии в 1 сутки после лапароскопических операций по поводу колоректального рака (пилотное исследование)

The aim: To assess the effect of COMT G1947A genetic polymorphism (val158met) on the efficacy of spinal analgesia on day 1 after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer.Material and methods. In a pilot study involving 100 patients with colorectal cancer, operated through laparoscopic access, using spinal analgesia (10.0–12.5 mg of bupivacaine + 200 mcg of morphine), the frequency of COMT gene G1947A (val158met) polymorphism, the intensity of pain on day 1 after surgery, the frequency and severity of nausea, vomiting, skin itching, the need for additional analgesia have been assessed.Results. The frequency distribution of alleles val/val (25%), val/met (45%) and met/met (30%) was consisted with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (χ2=0.96; P>0.05) and was not significantly different from the healthy donor group. In the groups of patients with various COMT alleles of val158met polymorphism, the studied parameters also did not differ significantly.Conclusion. Study did not find significant link between spinal analgesia efficacy on day 1 after laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer and COMT rs4680 G1947A (val158met) polymorphism. Further research to enhance the power of the study is warranted to reach the final conclusions.Цель: оценка влияния SNP val158met гена COMT на эффективность спинальной аналгезии в 1 сутки после лапароскопических операций по поводу колоректального рака.Материал и методы. В пилотном исследовании, включавшем 100 пациентов c колоректальным раком, оперированных лапароскопическим доступом, с использованием в комплексе анестезиологического пособия спинальной аналгезии (10–12,5 мг бупивакаина + 200 мкг морфина), оценили частоту полиморфизма val158met гена COMT, интенсивность боли в 1 сутки после операции, частоту и выраженность тошноты, рвоты, кожного зуда, потребность в дополнительном обезболивании.Результаты. Распределение частот аллелей val/val (25%), val/met (45%) и met/met (30%) подчинялось закону Харди-Вайнберга (χ2=0,96; р>0,05) и статистически значимо не отличалось от группы здоровых доноров. В группах носителей различных аллелей SNP val158met исследуемые показатели статистически значимо не отличались.Заключение. Зависимости эффективности спинальной аналгезии в 1 сутки после лапароскопических операций по поводу колоректального рака от SNP val158met гена СОМТ не выявили. Для получения окончательных выводов необходимо проведение дальнейших исследований

Morbidity dynamics in proton–photon or photon radiation therapy for locally advanced prostate cancer

AimThis study evaluated the frequency and long-term dynamics of early and late post irradiation damage after proton–photon or photon therapy for locally advanced prostate cancer.BackgroundThe results of a randomized study of proton–photon or photon therapy using several fractionation regimes were analyzed in 272 patients with high and intermediate risk of progression.Materials and methodsThree variants of proton boost fractionation were studied sequentially: 3.0 (8 daily fractions), 4.0 (5 fractions, 3 or 5 fractions/week), and 5.5 (3 fractions, 3 fractions/week) Gy(RBE).ResultsA significant decrease in the severity of both acute and late gastrointestinal injuries is achievable with a proton beam. The dynamics of late gastrointestinal and genitourinary toxicity over a 10-year period were generally characterized by a decrease in severity of morbidity by 30% and 15%, respectively.ConclusionsLocal irradiation with a fractional dose of 3.0–5.5[[ce:hsp sp="0.25"/]]Gy(RBE) and a cumulative dose of 28.0–28.8[[ce:hsp sp="0.25"/]]Gy(RBE) for protons significantly reduces the early and late rectitis severity, but does not reduce the risk of lower urinary tract injuries. Fractionation regimens do not significantly differ in toxicity levels

Assessment of Immunological Responses - A Novel Challenge in Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine

The number of articles on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine has increased dramatically in the last decade; however, the number of clinically implemented techniques remains small. Possible reasons include insufficient investigation of immune reactions on implanted tissue-engineered grafts and cells or a lack of consensus regarding which immunological tests must be performed to evaluate immunological responses. To provide an example of insufficiency in the assessment of immunological reactions, we analyzed three papers published between 2020 and 2021 and discussed the possibility of creating a standardized assay palette for the assessment of immunological responses in different types of implants