THE HDAC INHIBITOR SODIUM PHENYLBUTYRATE ENHANCES THE CYTOTOXICITY INDUCED BY 5-FLUOROURACIL, OXALIPLATIN, AND IRINOTECAN IN COLORECTAL CANCER CELL LINES

Objective: The main objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of sodium phenylbutyrate (NaPB) to enhance the cytotoxicity of 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan against colorectal cancer cell lines expressing wild-type and mutant p53.Methods: The antiproliferative effect of NaPB alone or in combination with 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, or irinotecan in HCT-116 and HT-29 colorectal cancer cell lines was investigated using the MTT cell proliferation assay. IC50 values were calculated using Compusyn Software 1.0 (Combosyn Inc.). Synergy values (R) were calculated using the ratio of IC50 of each primary drug alone divided by combination IC50s. For each two pairs of experiments, student's t-test was used for analysis. In combination studies, one-way ANOVA test; Tukey post-hoc testing was performed using R 3.3.2 software. P-value<0.05 was considered significant.Results: NaPB inhibited the growth of HCT-116 and HT-29 cell lines in a dose-dependent manner (IC50s 4.7 mmol, and 10.1 mmol, respectively). HT-29 cell lines (mutant p53) were more sensitive to NaPB at low concentrations (<4 mmol). Moreover, the addition of NaPB to HCT-116 and HT-29 with 5-fluorouracil, oxaliplatin, or irinotecan synergistically induced the antiproliferative effect (R>1.6, p-value<0.05).Conclusion: NaPB enhanced the cytotoxicity of conventional chemotherapy against colorectal cancer cell lines harboring wild-type or mutant p53. Thus NaPB is a promising potential adjuvant chemotherapy in colorectal cancer

Nanocomposites in Controlled & Targeted Drug Delivery Systems

In recent years, development of different types of nanocomposites have increased their utilization in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences. The nanometer size range and unique composition make nanocomposites a beneficial alternative to any single conventional material. The present chapter provides a general overview of nanocomposites, discusses different types of nanocomposites such as metal, ceramic and polymer nanocomposites. The discussion is further focused on different nanocomposite based controlled and targeted systems developed for delivery of various drugs including anti-cancer, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and cardiovascular drugs

Emerging trends in the novel drug delivery approaches for the treatment of lung cancer

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. Cancer is one of the major diseases that cause a high number of deaths globally. Of the major types of cancers, lung cancer is known to be the most chronic form of cancer in the world. The conventional management of lung cancer includes different medical interventions like chemotherapy, surgical removal, and radiation therapy. However, this type of approach lacks specificity and also harms the adjacent normal cells. Lately, nanotechnology has emerged as a promising intervention in the management and treatment of lung cancers. Nanotechnology has revolutionized the existing modalities and focuses primarily on reducing toxicity and improving the bioavailability of anticancer drugs to the target tumor cells. Nanocarrier systems are being currently used extensively to exploit and to overcome the obstructions induced by cancers in the lungs. The nano-carrier-loaded therapeutic drug delivery methods have shown promising potential in treating lung cancer as its target is to control the growth of tumor cells. In this review, various modes of nano drug delivery options like liposomes, dendrimers, quantum dots, carbon nanotubes and metallic nanoparticles have been discussed. Nano-carrier drug delivery systems emerge as a promising approach and thus is expected to provide newer and advanced avenues in cancer therapeutics

Development of Word Associations in a Second Language

Proceedings of the Ninth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society (1983), pp. 202-21

Bioinspired Precision Engineering of Three‐Dimensional Epithelial Stem Cell Microniches

Maintenance of the epithelium relies on stem cells residing within specialized microenvironments, known as epithelial crypts. Two‐photon polymerization (2PP) is a valuable tool for fabricating 3D micro/nanostructures for stem cell niche engineering applications. Herein, biomimetic gelatin methacrylate‐based constructs, replicating the precise geometry of the limbal epithelial crypt structures (limbal stem cell “microniches”) as an exemplar epithelial niche, are fabricated using 2PP. Human limbal epithelial stem cells (hLESCs) are seeded within the microniches in xeno‐free conditions to investigate their ability to repopulate the crypts and the expression of various differentiation markers. Cell proliferation and a zonation in cell phenotype along the z‐axis are observed without the use of exogenous signaling molecules. Significant differences in cell phenotype between cells located at the base of the microniche and those situated towards the rim are observed, demonstrating that stem cell fate is strongly influenced by its location within a niche and the geometrical details of where it resides. This study provides insight into the influence of the niche’s spatial geometry on hLESCs and demonstrates a flexible approach for the fabrication of biomimetic crypt‐like structures in epithelial tissues. This has significant implications for regenerative medicine applications and can ultimately lead to implantable synthetic “niche‐based” treatments

Living with semantic dementia: a case study of one family's experience

Semantic dementia is a variant of frontotemporal dementia and is a recently recognized diagnostic condition. There has been some research quantitatively examining care partner stress and burden in frontotemporal dementia. There are, however, few studies exploring the subjective experiences of family members caring for those with frontotemporal dementia. Increased knowledge of such experiences would allow service providers to tailor intervention, support, and information better. We used a case study design, with thematic narrative analysis applied to interview data, to describe the experiences of a wife and son caring for a husband/father with semantic dementia. Using this approach, we identified four themes: (a) living with routines, (b) policing and protecting, (c) making connections, and (d) being adaptive and flexible. Each of these themes were shared and extended, with the importance of routines in everyday life highlighted. The implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed. Keywords : case studies, dementia, families, caregiving, interviews, semistructured, narrative inquir