Hepatic Artery Infusion Chemotherapy

Hepatic artery chemotherapy was given to 36 patients, using totally implantable devices consisting of a port and external pump. Twenty-seven patients had inoperable liver metastases of colorectal origin. The infusion system was inserted by laparotomy into the hepatic artery via the gastroduodenal artery. There was no operative mortality. Thirteen infusion systems could not be used for chemotherapy due to dislodgement, early death and lack of follow-up. FUdR was infused every two weeks. There were minor local complications like thrombosis of the system and dislodgement of the port. Toxic effects could be managed by reducing the dose. Response to chemotherapy was evaluated by survival, clinical condition, CEA, ultrasound and CT six months after onset of arterial chemotherapy. Ten/twenty-three patients (43%) responded to therapy, eight of them died on the average 19 months after initial chemotherapy. Six patients were non-responders, seven had stable disease. Five/ten patients developed extrahepatic metastases. Mean survival time was 13.1 months, mean interval until relapse 10.6 months

Wenn Muskeln die Nerven verlieren

In Deutschland werden jährlich ca. 300 Kinder mit einer oft fatalen neuro-nalen Krankheit, der Spinalen Muskelatrophie (SMA), geboren. Klinischfallen die Patienten mit einer schlaffen Lähmung der Extremitätenmusku-latur auf, in schweren Fällen lernen sie weder sitzen noch laufen. Lebens-bedrohlich wird die autosomal rezessive Erkrankung durch die begleiten-de Lähmung der Atemmuskulatur, die schwere Atemwegsinfektionen zurFolge hat. Daran versterben die Patienten häufig bereits im Kleinkindalter

Peptide-Based Supramolecular Systems Chemistry

Peptide-based supramolecular systems chemistry seeks to mimic the ability of life forms to use conserved sets of building blocks and chemical reactions to achieve a bewildering array of functions. Building on the design principles for short peptide-based nanomaterials with properties, such as self-assembly, recognition, catalysis, and actuation, are increasingly available. Peptide-based supramolecular systems chemistry is starting to address the far greater challenge of systems-level design to access complex functions that emerge when multiple reactions and interactions are coordinated and integrated. We discuss key features relevant to systems-level design, including regulating supramolecular order and disorder, development of active and adaptive systems by considering kinetic and thermodynamic design aspects and combinatorial dynamic covalent and noncovalent interactions. Finally, we discuss how structural and dynamic design concepts, including preorganization and induced fit, are critical to the ability to develop adaptive materials with adaptive and tunable photonic, electronic, and catalytic properties. Finally, we highlight examples where multiple features are combined, resulting in chemical systems and materials that display adaptive properties that cannot be achieved without this level of integration