A noninvasive assay for monitoring renal allograft status

Transplant rejection is a serious complication, sometimes threatening life of the patient. Although recent development of the new generation of immunosuppressive drugs reduced the incidence of acute rejection in kidney transplantation, the absence of noninvasive biomarkers of the rejection does not allow often the optimization of a prompt antirejection therapy. Serum creatinine is the most widely used marker for allograft function, however, it is not sensitive and specific enough to detect acute rejection. Other biomarkers are even less valuable for this purpose. Histological examination of renal allograft biopsy still remains the golden standard for diagnosing acute renal allograft rejection. Therefore, there is a high demand for reliable biomarkers for noninvasive monitoring of renal allograft status. Examination of urine in renal transplant recipients provides a logical and readily accessible approach for this monitoring. The high potency biomarkers for kidney allograft monitoring are fragments of DNA in recipient urine that originated from renal allograft cells. Because of the difference in the genetic origin these DNA can be distinguished from recipient DNA. Quantitative analysis of donor’s DNA, derived from cells of renal allograft, in recipient’s urine might be a reliable predictive tool for the kidney transplant rejection. We developed an assay to quantitate donor DNA content in recipient urine. Application of the technique—coamplification at lower denaturation temperature-PCR (COLD-PCR) increased the abundance of donor DNA that usually presents in recipient urine in quantities that are out of the detection range. This assay has a potential for routine application in clinical practice after statistical validation and additional modifications.

Supplemental mineral ions for bone regeneration and osteoporosis treatment

Mineral ions play a crucial role in various biological processes in the human body, particularly in bone repair and regeneration. Supplementation with mineral ions offers several advantages over other therapies or treatments for bone repair and regeneration, such as higher biosafety, universal applicability, and compatibility with the immune system. Additionally, supplementation with mineral ions may avoid the need for invasive surgical procedures. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the functions of potentially beneficial mineral ions and their effects on bone regeneration and osteoporosis treatment. By examining previous studies, including in vitro cellular experiments, in vivo animal models, and clinical trials, this review compares the benefits and potential adverse effects of these mineral ions. Moreover, the review provides guidelines for suggested daily supplementation of these mineral ions to assist future preclinical and clinical studies in bone regeneration and osteoporosis treatment

Circular STAG2 RNA Modulates Bladder Cancer Progression via miR-145-5p/TAGLN2 and Is Considered as a Biomarker for Recurrence

The current study aimed to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of the circRNA hsa_circ_0139697 (circSTAG2(16–25)) in BCa and to consider the opportunity of using circSTAG2(16–25) isolated from BCa patient urine as a marker for disease development prediction. The selection of this circRNA was determined by the special role of its parental gene STAG2 in BCa biology. The circRNA hsa_circ_0139697 was chosen from 25 STAG2 circRNAs due to its differential expression in the urine of BCa patients and healthy volunteers. Higher levels of circSTAG2(16–25) were detected in urine samples obtained from patients with recurrent tumors. A higher expression of circSTAG2(16–25) was also detected in more tumorigenic BCa cell lines. The overexpression of circSTAG2(16–25) in BCa cells induced the elevation of proliferation, motility, and invasion. To study the mechanisms of circSTAG2(16–25) activity, we confirmed that circSTAG2(16–25) can bind miR-145-5p in vitro as was predicted by bioinformatic search. miR-145-5p was shown to suppress some genes that promoted BCa progression. One of these genes, TAGLN2, encodes the protein Transgelin 2, which plays a role in BCa cell motility and invasion. Therefore, the possible mechanism of action of circSTAG2(16–25) could be sponging the tumor suppressor miR-145-5p, which results in activation of TAGLN2. In addition, circSTAG2(16–25) might be considered as a potential biomarker for recurrence prediction

Metachronous Malignant Solitary Fibrous Tumor of Kidney: Case Report and Review of Literature

Solitary fibrous tumors are well described in the pleura, but rare extra-pleural neoplasms have been reported. We describe a patient with a solitary left renal fibrous tumor who after undergoing a nephrectomy, presented 8 years later with a contralateral metachronous solitary fibrous tumor. Malignant metastatic extra-pleural solitary fibrous tumors are extremely rare, and to our knowledge, this is the first case of contralateral recurrence of solitary renal fibrous tumor. The patient underwent a robotic assisted partial nephrectomy of the right renal mass. Both tumors showed overlapping histopathology