Salt stress mitigation by calcium chloride in Phyllanthus amarus

A pot culture experiment was carried out in Phyllanthus amarus plants in order to study the effect of calcium chloride (CaCl2) as an agent ameliorating sodium chloride (NaCl) stress. The plants were raised in pots and salinity stress was imposed by 80 mM of NaCl. The ameliorating effect of CaCl2 was studied by giving 5mMCaCl2 to the stressed plants. NaCl-stressed plants showed decreased proteins, total sugars, polyphenol oxidase and catalase activity with increased free amino acids, proline and peroxidase activities. When CaCl2 was combined with NaCl, the CaCl2 altered overall plant metabolism and paved the way for partial amelioration of the oxidative stress caused by salinity

Effect of visceral metastases on the efficacy and safety of everolimus in postmenopausal women with advanced breast cancer: Subgroup analysis from the BOLERO-2 study

AbstractBackgroundEverolimus (EVE; an inhibitor of mammalian target of rapamycin [mTOR]) enhances treatment options for postmenopausal women with hormone-receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative (HER2–) advanced breast cancer (ABC) who progress on a non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor (NSAI). This is especially true for patients with visceral disease, which is associated with poor prognosis. The BOLERO-2 (Breast cancer trial of OraL EveROlimus-2) trial showed that combination treatment with EVE and exemestane (EXE) versus placebo (PBO)+EXE prolonged progression-free survival (PFS) by both investigator (7.8 versus 3.2months, respectively) and independent (11.0 versus 4.1months, respectively) central assessment in postmenopausal women with HR+, HER2– ABC recurring/progressing during/after NSAI therapy. The BOLERO-2 trial included a substantial proportion of patients with visceral metastases (56%).MethodsPrespecified exploratory subgroup analysis conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of EVE+EXE versus PBO+EXE in a prospectively defined subgroup of patients with visceral metastases.FindingsAt a median follow-up of 18months, EVE+EXE significantly prolonged median PFS compared with PBO+EXE both in patients with visceral metastases (N=406; 6.8 versus 2.8months) and in those without visceral metastases (N=318; 9.9 versus 4.2months). Improvements in PFS with EVE+EXE versus PBO+EXE were also observed in patients with visceral metastases regardless of Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS). Patients with visceral metastases and ECOG PS 0 had a median PFS of 6.8months with EVE+EXE versus 2.8months with PBO+EXE. Among patients with visceral metastases and ECOG PS ⩾1, EVE+EXE treatment more than tripled median PFS compared with PBO+EXE (6.8 versus 1.5months).InterpretationAdding EVE to EXE markedly extended PFS by ⩾4months among patients with HR+ HER2– ABC regardless of the presence of visceral metastases.FundingNovartis

Topical Application of Activity-based Probes for Visualization of Brain Tumor Tissue

Several investigators have shown the utility of systemically delivered optical imaging probes to image tumors in small animal models of cancer. Here we demonstrate an innovative method for imaging tumors and tumor margins during surgery. Specifically, we show that optical imaging probes topically applied to tumors and surrounding normal tissue rapidly differentiate between tissues. In contrast to systemic delivery of optical imaging probes which label tumors uniformly over time, topical probe application results in rapid and robust probe activation that is detectable as early as 5 minutes following application. Importantly, labeling is primarily associated with peri-tumor spaces. This methodology provides a means for rapid visualization of tumor and potentially infiltrating tumor cells and has potential applications for directed surgical excision of tumor tissues. Furthermore, this technology could find use in surgical resections for any tumors having differential regulation of cysteine cathepsin activity