Drug delivery to tumours using a novel 5-FU derivative encapsulated into lipid nanocapsules

In this work, a novel lipophilic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) derivative was synthesised and encapsulated into lipid nanocapsules (LNC). 5-FU was modified with lauric acid to give a lipophilic mono-lauroyl-derivative (5-FU-C12, MW of about 342 g/mol, yield of reaction 70%). 5-FU-C12 obtained was efficiently encapsulated into LNC (encapsulation efficiency above 90%) without altering the physico-chemical characteristics of LNC. The encapsulation of 5-FU-C12 led to an increased stability of the drug when in contact with plasma being the drug detectable until 3 h following incubation. Cytotoxicity assay carried out using MTS on 2D cell culture showed that 5-FU-C12-loaded LNC had an enhanced cytotoxic effect on glioma (9L) and human colorectal (HTC-116) cancer cell line in comparison with 5-FU or 5-FU-C12. Then, HCT-116 tumour spheroids were cultivated and the reduction of spheroid volume was measured following treatment with drug-loaded LNC and drugs alone. Similar reduction on spheroids volume was observed following the treatment with drug-loaded LNC, 5-FU-C12 and 5-FU alone, while blank LNC displayed a reduction in cell viability only at high concentration. Globally, our data suggest that the encapsulation increased the activity of the 5-FU-C12. However, in-depth evaluations of LNC permeability into spheroids are needed to disclose the potential of these nanosystems for cancer treatment

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children in Western Countries? Decreasing Incidence as the pandemic progresses?: An observational multicenter international cross-sectional study

Background: SARS-CoV-2 variations as well as immune protection after previous infections and/or vaccination may have altered the incidence of multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C). We aimed to report an international time-series analysis of the incidence of MIS-C to determine if there was a shift in the regions or countries included into the study. Methods: This is a multicenter, international, cross-sectional study. We collected the MIS-C incidence from the participant regions and countries for the period July 2020 to November 2021. We assessed the ratio between MIS-C cases and COVID-19 pediatric cases in children Transplantation and immunomodulatio

The positioning system of the ANTARES Neutrino Telescope

The ANTARES neutrino telescope, located 40km off the coast of Toulon in the Mediterranean Sea at a mooring depth of about 2475m, consists of twelve detection lines equipped typically with 25 storeys. Every storey carries three optical modules that detect Cherenkov light induced by charged secondary particles (typically muons) coming from neutrino interactions. As these lines are flexible structures fixed to the sea bed and held taut by a buoy, sea currents cause the lines to move and the storeys to rotate. The knowledge of the position of the optical modules with a precision better than 10cm is essential for a good reconstruction of particle tracks. In this paper the ANTARES positioning system is described. It consists of an acoustic positioning system, for distance triangulation, and a compass-tiltmeter system, for the measurement of the orientation and inclination of the storeys. Necessary corrections are discussed and the results of the detector alignment procedure are described

On the nitrogen-induced lattice expansion of a non-stainless austenitic steel, Invar 36®, under triode plasma nitriding

Chromium, as a strong nitride-forming element, is widely regarded to be an “essential” ingredient for the formation of a nitrogen-expanded lattice in thermochemical nitrogen diffusion treatments of austenitic (stainless) steels. In this article, a proprietary “chrome-free” austenitic iron-nickel alloy, Invar® 36 (Fe-36Ni, in wt pct), is characterized after triode plasma nitriding (TPN) treatments at 400 °C to 450 °C and compared with a “stainless” austenitic counterpart RA 330® (Fe-19Cr-35Ni, in wt pct) treated under equivalent nitriding conditions. Cr does indeed appear to play a pivotal role in colossal nitrogen supersaturation (and hence anisotropic lattice expansion and superior surface hardening) of austenitic steel under low-temperature (≤ 450 °C) nitrogen diffusion. Nevertheless, this work reveals that nitrogen-induced lattice expansion occurs below the nitride-containing surface layer in Invar 36 alloy after TPN treatment, implying that Cr is not a necessity for the nitrogen-interstitial induced lattice expansion phenomenon to occur, also suggesting another type of γN

CEMS as applied to implantation studies in FeAl 40 at.%

International audienc

FMR studies in Al2+ implanted Fe60Al40 alloy

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