Electrochemical aptasensor for lung cancer-related protein detection in crude blood plasma samples

The development of an aptamer-based electrochemical sensor for lung cancer detection is presented in the work.A highly specific DNA-aptamer, LC-18, selected to postoperative lung cancer tissues was immobilized onto a gold microelectrode and electrochemical measurements were performed in a solution contaning the redox marker ferrocyanide/ferricyanide. As a result, the electrochemical aptasensor was able to detect cancer-related targets in crude blood plasma of lung cancer patients

DMD and West syndrome

Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is the most frequent muscular dystrophy in childhood, with a worldwide incidence of one in 5000 live male births. It is due to mutations in the dystrophin gene leading to absence of full-length dystrophin protein. Central nervous system involvement is well-known in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. The multiple dystrophin isoforms expressed in brain have important roles in cerebral development and functioning. The association of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy with seizures has been reported, and there is a higher prevalence of epilepsy in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients (between 6.3% and 12.3%) than in the general pediatric population (0.5-1%). Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients may present with focal seizures, generalized tonic-clonic seizures or absences. We report on two boys in whom Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is associated with epileptic spasms and hypsarrhythmia that fulfil the criteria for West syndrome, thus extending the spectrum of seizure types described in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients

Synthesis and receptor binding in trans-CD ring-fused A-CD estrogens: Comparison with the cis-fused isomers

Ligands which selectively activate only one of the estrogen receptors, ERα or ERβ, are current pharmaceutical targets. Previously, we have reported on substituted cis A-CD ligands in which the B-ring of the steroidal structure has been removed and cis refers the stereochemistry of the CD ring junction as compared to trans in estradiol. These compounds often showed good potency and selectivity for ERβ. Here we report the synthesis and binding affinities for a similar series of trans A-CD ligands, and compare them to the cis-series. Counterintuitively, trans A-CD ligands, which are structurally more closely related to the natural ligand estradiol, show weaker binding and less β-selectivity than their cis-counterparts

Development of DNA Aptamers to Native EpCAM for Isolation of Lung Circulating Tumor Cells from Human Blood

We selected DNA aptamers to the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) expressed on primary lung cancer cells isolated from the tumors of patients with non-small cell lung cancer using competitive displacement of aptamers from EpCAM by a corresponding antibody. The resulting aptamers clones showed good nanomolar affinity to EpCAM-positive lung cancer cells. Confocal microscopy imaging and spectral profiling of lung cancer tissues confirmed the same protein target for the aptamers and anti-EpCAM antibodies. Furthermore, the resulted aptamers were successfully applied for isolation and detection of circulating tumor cells in clinical samples of peripheral blood of lung cancer patients

Electrochemical aptasensor for lung cancer-related protein detection in crude blood plasma samples

The development of an aptamer-based electrochemical sensor for lung cancer detection is presented in the work.A highly specific DNA-aptamer, LC-18, selected to postoperative lung cancer tissues was immobilized onto a gold microelectrode and electrochemical measurements were performed in a solution contaning the redox marker ferrocyanide/ferricyanide. As a result, the electrochemical aptasensor was able to detect cancer-related targets in crude blood plasma of lung cancer patients

In Vivo Cancer Cells Elimination Guided by Aptamer-Functionalized Gold-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles and Controlled with Low Frequency Alternating Magnetic Field

Biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles in a magnetic field have exceeded many expectations in cancer therapy. Magnetic nanoparticles are effective heat mediators, drug nanocarriers, and contrast agents; various strategies have been suggested to selectively target tumor cancer cells but not healthy cells. Our study presents magnetodynamic nanotherapy utilizing DNA aptamer-functionalized 50 nm gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles exposed to a low frequency alternating magnetic field for precise elimination of tumor cells in vivo. The cell specific DNA aptamer AS-14 binds to fibronectin protein in Ehrlich carcinoma and delivers gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles to a mouse tumor. An alternating magnetic field of 50 Hz causesthe nanoparticles to oscillate and pull fibronectin and integrins on the surface of the cell membrane resulting in massive cell apoptosis followed by necrosis without heating the tumor, adjacent healthy cells and tissues. The aptamer-guided nanoparticles and the low frequency alternating magnetic field demonstrates a unique technology of a non-invasive nanoscalpel for precise cancer surgery at a single cell level

Baseline data from patients with myotubular myopathy enrolled in a European prospective and longitudinal natural history study

International audienc

New myotubular myopathy classification

International audienc