Where do we stand On Organ Printing

Abstract Attitude towards organ donation and the risks associated with organ transplantation drive the search for alternatives. One such alternative, albeit a conceptual level, could be the generation of an organ replacement in a controlled setting. For instance, growing suitable cells onto a printed matrix under appropriate conditions would then lead to the formation of a functional organ. How about the practical issues surrounding either duplication or de novo generation of an organ with, say, a device to print a suitable matrix and grow and differentiate cells on it? Here, we wish to outline selected safety-related questions arising from the ex vivo growth, differentiation and maintenance of cells or cell systems

Improving the bioavailability of pharmacologically active substances in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations

One and the same active ingredient can be used in different pharmaceutical applications to treat and cure diseases. Furthermore, the active ingredient can be used also in cosmetic formulations to care or aid the healing process. When applied topically via creams or lotions, they are referred as cosmeceuticals. In general, one aims to improve the bioavailability through tailored formulations and careful selection of components. An example is the use of latanoprost in ophthalmology for lowering the intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients with side effects including stimulated growth of eyelashes. Does this open up the possibility of using latanoprost for the local treatment for hair loss? Latanoprost, when applied topically, shows a stimulating effect on the growth of eyelashes [1] and could serve as an agent against extensive hair loss. Hyaluronic acid is an active component which is selectively used against early skin aging [2]. The objective of this work was to establish surfactant stabilized cosmetic formulations and create galenicals based on latanoprost and creams based on hyaluronic acid. Tococpherol was incorporated into lecithin based liposomes. Tocopherol served as a model substance for a lipophilic pharmacologically active ingredient. Using standard methods, such as thin-film hydration method, followed by and ultrasound-assisted formation of liposomes [3], we created particles of the desired size range. Hyaluronic acid was incorporated into various cream bases and viscosities were measured at varying temperatures. Latanoprost based foam preparations were established and investigated with regard to foam stability. Aside from liposomes, charged polymers that are able to bind and/or “complex” a drug are suitable for improving drug delivery systems as well as for the generation of new pharmaceuticals and cosmeceuticals

Medulloblastoma Down Under 2013: a report from the third annual meeting of the International Medulloblastoma Working Group

Medulloblastoma is curable in approximately 70 % of patients. Over the past decade, progress in improving survival using conventional therapies has stalled, resulting in reduced quality of life due to treatment-related side effects, which are a major concern in survivors. The vast amount of genomic and molecular data generated over the last 5-10 years encourages optimism that improved risk stratification and new molecular targets will improve outcomes. It is now clear that medulloblastoma is not a single-disease entity, but instead consists of at least four distinct molecular subgroups: WNT/Wingless, Sonic Hedgehog, Group 3, and Group 4. The Medulloblastoma Down Under 2013 meeting, which convened at Bunker Bay, Australia, brought together 50 leading clinicians and scientists. The 2-day agenda included focused sessions on pathology and molecular stratification, genomics and mouse models, high-throughput drug screening, and clinical trial design. The meeting established a global action plan to translate novel biologic insights and drug targeting into treatment regimens to improve outcomes. A consensus was reached in several key areas, with the most important being that a novel classification scheme for medulloblastoma based on the four molecular subgroups, as well as histopathologic features, should be presented for consideration in the upcoming fifth edition of the World Health Organization's classification of tumours of the central nervous system. Three other notable areas of agreement were as follows: (1) to establish a central repository of annotated mouse models that are readily accessible and freely available to the international research community; (2) to institute common eligibility criteria between the Children's Oncology Group and the International Society of Paediatric Oncology Europe and initiate joint or parallel clinical trials; (3) to share preliminary high-throughput screening data across discovery labs to hasten the development of novel therapeutics. Medulloblastoma Down Under 2013 was an effective forum for meaningful discussion, which resulted in enhancing international collaborative clinical and translational research of this rare disease. This template could be applied to other fields to devise global action plans addressing all aspects of a disease, from improved disease classification, treatment stratification, and drug targeting to superior treatment regimens to be assessed in cooperative international clinical trials