Molecular alterations as target for therapy in metastatic osteosarcoma: a review of literature

Treating metastatic osteosarcoma (OS) remains a challenge in oncology. Current treatment strategies target the primary tumour rather than metastases and have a limited efficacy in the treatment of metastatic disease. Metastatic cells have specific features that render them less sensitive to therapy and targeting these features might enhance the efficacy of current treatment. A detailed study of the biological characteristics and behaviour of metastatic OS cells may provide a rational basis for innovative treatment strategies. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the biological changes in metastatic OS cells and the preclinical and clinical efforts targeting the different steps in OS metastases and how these contribute to designing a metastasis directed treatment for OS

The Athena X-ray Integral Field Unit: a consolidated design for the system requirement review of the preliminary definition phase

Instrumentatio

Fabrication of Flexible Superconducting Wiring with High Current-Carrying Capacity Indium Interconnects

The X-ray integral field unit (X-IFU) is a cryogenic spectrometer for the Advanced Telescope for High ENergy Astrophysics (ATHENA). ATHENA is a planned next-generation space-based X-ray observatory with capabilities that surpass the spectral resolution of prior missions. Proposed device designs contain up to 3840 transition edge sensors, each acting as an individual pixel on the detector, presenting a unique challenge for wiring superconducting leads in the focal plane assembly. In prototypes that require direct wiring, the edges of X-IFU focal plane have hosted aluminum wirebonding pads; however, indium (In) bumps deposited on an interface layer such as molybdenum nitride (MoN) can instead be used as an array of superconducting interconnects. We investigated bumped MoN:In structures with different process cleans and layer thicknesses. Measurements of the resistive transitions showed variation of transition temperature T(sub c) as a function of bias and generally differed from the expected bulk T(sub c) of In (3.41 K). Observed resistance of the In bump structures at temperatures below the MoN transition (at 8.0 K) also depended on the varied parameters. For our proposed X-IFU geometry (10 m of In mated to a 1-m In bump), we measured a minimum T(sub c) of 3.14 K at a bias current of 3 mA and a normal resistance of 0.59 m per interconnect. We also investigated the design and fabrication of superconducting niobium (Nb) microstrip atop flexible polyimide. We present a process for integrating In bumps with the flexible Nb leads to enable high-density wiring for the ATHENA X-IFU focal plane

Expression of the neoplastic phenotype by human thyroid carcinoma cell lines requires NF kappa B p65 protein expression RID C-5299-2009

We have investigated the role of the NF kappa B complex in the process of thyroid carcinogenesis by analysing thyroid carcinoma cell lines, A significant increase in p65 NF kappa B mRNA and protein expression, compared to normal thyroid cultures or tissue, was found in all of the cancer cell lines, Conversely, only a modest increase in the p50 NF kappa B mRNA and protein was found in most, but not all carcinoma cell lines, The block of p65 protein synthesis with specific antisense oligonucleotides greatly reduced the ability of two undifferentiated carcinoma cell lines to form colonies in agar and reduced their growth rate, On the other hand, no effect was observed in the same cell lines when treated with p50 specific antisense oligonucleotides. These inhibitory effects seem to be mediated by the suppression of c-myc gene expression, since treatment with antisense oligonucleotides for p65 gene interfered negatively with c-myc gene expression, Our results indicate that activation of the NF kappa B complex by overexpression of p65 plays a critical role in the process of thyroid cell transformation