Sentinel lymph node biopsy as guidance for radical trachelectomy in young patients with early stage cervical cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and accuracy of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) detection using 99mTc phytate in predicting pelvic lymph nodes status for radical abdominal trachelectomy (RAT) in patients with early stage cervical cancer.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Sixty-eight women with stage IA2-IB1 cervical cancer and scheduled to undergo fertility-sparing surgery enrolled in this study. 99mTc-labeled phytate was injected before surgery. Intraoperatively, SLNs were identified, excised, and submitted to fast frozen section. Systematic bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy and/or para-aortic lymph node dissection was performed. Then RAT was performed in patients with negative SLNs. All nodes were sent for routine pathological examination and immunostained with anti-cytokeratin antibody to detect micrometastases. Outcomes of follow up and fertility were observed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>SLNs were identified in 64 of 68 patients (94.1%). Of these, SLNs of 8 patients (11.8%) were positive on frozen sections and proved to be metastasis by final pathologic examination. The sensitivity, accuracy, and false negative rates were 100%, 100%, and 0%, respectively. All 60 patients with negative SLN underwent RAT successfully. Two relapses occurred and no one died of tumor progression during follow-up. Five of the 15 patients with procreative desire conceived 8 pregnancies (3 term delivery, 2 premature birth, 1 spontaneous abortion, and 2 were still in the duration of pregnancy) after surgery.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The identification of SLN using 99mTc-labeled phytate is accurate and safe to assess pelvic nodes status in patients with early cervical cancer. SLNs biopsy guided RAT is feasible for patients who desire to have fertility preservation.</p

Oct-4 Expression Maintained Cancer Stem-Like Properties in Lung Cancer-Derived CD133-Positive Cells

CD133 (prominin-1), a 5-transmembrane glycoprotein, has recently been considered to be an important marker that represents the subset population of cancer stem-like cells. Herein we report the isolation of CD133-positive cells (LC-CD133+) and CD133-negative cells (LC-CD133−) from tissue samples of ten patients with non-small cell lung cancer (LC) and five LC cell lines. LC-CD133+ displayed higher Oct-4 expressions with the ability to self-renew and may represent a reservoir with proliferative potential for generating lung cancer cells. Furthermore, LC-CD133+, unlike LC-CD133−, highly co-expressed the multiple drug-resistant marker ABCG2 and showed significant resistance to chemotherapy agents (i.e., cisplatin, etoposide, doxorubicin, and paclitaxel) and radiotherapy. The treatment of Oct-4 siRNA with lentiviral vector can specifically block the capability of LC-CD133+ to form spheres and can further facilitate LC-CD133+ to differentiate into LC-CD133−. In addition, knock-down of Oct-4 expression in LC-CD133+ can significantly inhibit the abilities of tumor invasion and colony formation, and increase apoptotic activities of caspase 3 and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP). Finally, in vitro and in vivo studies further confirm that the treatment effect of chemoradiotherapy for LC-CD133+ can be improved by the treatment of Oct-4 siRNA. In conclusion, we demonstrated that Oct-4 expression plays a crucial role in maintaining the self-renewing, cancer stem-like, and chemoradioresistant properties of LC-CD133+. Future research is warranted regarding the up-regulated expression of Oct-4 in LC-CD133+ and malignant lung cancer

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Stress modulation as a means to improve yeasts for lignocellulose bioconversion

The second-generation (2G) fermentation environment for lignocellulose conversion presents unique challenges to the fermentative organism that do not necessarily exist in other industrial fermentations. While extreme osmotic, heat, and nutrient starvation stresses are observed in sugar- and starch-based fermentation environments, additional pre-treatment-derived inhibitor stress, potentially exacerbated by stresses such as pH and product tolerance, exist in the 2G environment. Furthermore, in a consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) context, the organism is also challenged to secrete enzymes that may themselves lead to unfolded protein response and other stresses. This review will discuss responses of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to 2G-specific stresses and stress modulation strategies that can be followed to improve yeasts for this application. We also explore published –omics data and discuss relevant rational engineering, reverse engineering, and adaptation strategies, with the view of identifying genes or alleles that will make positive contributions to the overall robustness of 2G industrial strains

Oklahoma Labor Unit

Weekly newspaper from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma that includes news and advertising of interest to labor unions and organizations in the state. The paper was "not an official organ of any particular branch of organized labor," but was "owned by officers and members of the State Federation of Labor, the State Farmers Union and the different central and local unions throughout Oklahoma." (Vol. 1, No. 1