Latest Advances in the Management of Pediatric Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors

Gastrointestinal stromal tumor is the most common mesenchymal neoplasm of the gastrointestinal tract, usually found in elderly adults. It is infrequent among pediatric patients and usually differs biologically from adult-type diseases presenting mutations of KIT and PDGFR genes. In this population, more frequent is the wild-type GIST possessing SDH, TRK, RAS, NF1 mutations, among others. Both tumor types require individualized treatment with kinase inhibitors that are still being tested in the pediatric population due to the different neoplasm biology. We review the latest updates to the management of pediatric gastrointestinal tumors with a particular focus on the advances in molecular biology of the disease that enables the definition of possible resistance. Emerging treatment with kinase inhibitors that could serve as targeted therapy is discussed, especially with multikinase inhibitors of higher generation, the effectiveness of which has already been confirmed in the adult population

Analysis of microsatellite instability and loss of heterozygosity in breast cancer with the use of a well characterized multiplex system.

Analysis of microsatellite instability (MI) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) is recommended for screening patients with sporadic and hereditary malignancies. This study shows an application of a fluorescent hexaplex PCR system for microsatellite typing on A.L.F. DNA Sequencer (Pharmacia Biotech). This technique detects changes in microsatellites providing a time-efficient, reliable and accurate method for MI and LOH analyses. The Fragment Manager software was used for automated size calculation and quantitation of DNA fragments, enabling rapid and precise measurement of allelic ratios. We examined 70 breast cancer and 70 control DNA specimens, classified all the patterns of microsatellite alterations, and set up MI and LOH assessment criteria for the automated multiplex fluorescent method

Targeting CD38 in Neoplasms and Non-Cancer Diseases

CD38 is a myeloid antigen present both on the cell membrane and in the intracellular compartment of the cell. Its occurrence is often enhanced in cancer cells, thus making it a potential target in anticancer therapy. Daratumumab and isatuximab already received FDA approval, and novel agents such as MOR202, TAK079 and TNB-738 undergo clinical trials. Also, novel therapeutics such as SAR442085 aim to outrank the older antibodies against CD38. Multiple myeloma and immunoglobulin light-chain amyloidosis may be effectively treated with anti-CD38 immunotherapy. Its role in other hematological malignancies is also important concerning both diagnostic process and potential treatment in the future. Aside from the hematological malignancies, CD38 remains a potential target in gastrointestinal, neurological and pulmonary system disorders. Due to the strong interaction of CD38 with TCR and CD16 on T cells, it may also serve as the biomarker in transplant rejection in renal transplant patients. Besides, CD38 finds its role outside oncology in systemic lupus erythematosus and collagen-induced arthritis. CD38 plays an important role in viral infections, including AIDS and COVID-19. Most of the undergoing clinical trials focus on the use of anti-CD38 antibodies in the therapy of multiple myeloma, CD19- B-cell malignancies, and NK cell lymphomas. This review focuses on targeting CD38 in cancer and non-cancerous diseases using antibodies, cell-based therapies and CD38 inhibitors. We also provide a summary of current clinical trials targeting CD38

Biological denitrification of brine: the effect of compatible solutes on enzyme activities and fatty acid degradation

The effect of the addition of compatible solutes (ectoine and trehalose) on the denitrification process of saline wastewater was studied. In saline wastewater, it was observed that the initial concentration of nitrates was 500 mg N l(−1). A fatty substance isolated from oiled bleaching earth (waste of vegetable oil refining process) was used as a source of carbon. The consortium, which was responsible for the denitrification process originated from the wastewater of the vegetable oil industry. The consortium of microorganisms was identified by the use of restriction fragment length polymorphism of 16S rRNA gene amplicons and sequencing techniques. It was noted that ectoine affects significantly the activity of lipase and nitrate reductase, and resulted in faster denitrification compared to saline wastewater with the addition of trehalose or control saline wastewater (without compatible solutes). It was observed that relative enzyme activities of lipase and nitrate reductase increased by 32 and 35%, respectively, in the presence of 1 mM ectoine. This resulted in an increase in specific nitrate reduction rate in the presence of 1 mM ectoine to 5.7 mg N g(−1) VSS h(−1), which was higher than in the absence of ectoine (3.2 mg N g(−1) VSS h(−1)). The addition of trehalose did not have an effect on nitrate removals. Moreover, it was found that trehalose was used up completely by bacteria as a source of carbon in the denitrification process. The fatty acids were biodegraded by 74% in the presence of 1 mM ectoine

Recognition of gasogeodynamic zones in the rock mass using seismic tomography in Rudna copper ore mine

In this work, the results of four seismic tomography surveys are presented. The research was conducted to identify the zones exposed to the threat of gas and rock outburst. The changes to the dolomite layer stiffness in the mining excavation roofs were analyzed. The surveys were conducted in the Rudna copper ore mine in the field of XXVIII/1. The research area was about 0.21 km2. The seismic waves were generated by a small amount of explosive material (100 - 300 g) located and installed in short blast holes (1.5 - 2.0 m). The processing and the interpretation of the measurement data did not cause serious problems due to the more favourable elastic properties of the dolomite layer compared to the adjacent anhydrite and sandstone layers. As a result, the maps of parameters like the longitudinal wave velocity (P-wave), the shear wave velocity (S-wave), and the ratio of the Pwave velocity to S-wave velocity and the dynamic Young modulus were estimated. The results showed that the changes in the seismic parameters were relatively small over most of the research area. This may be evidence of the minor effects of gas and rock outbursts