Histological observations on Montenegro's reaction in man

The Montenegro skin test is widely used as a diagnostic method for American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) but little is known about the histological changes that occur in the skin after administration of the antigen. This report is based on histological studies of biopsied material obtained, from inoculation sites, 48 hours after individuals had been given intradermal injections with a standardized Montenegro antigen. The material examined was obtained from four distinctly different test groups: naturally infected patients with parasitologically proved ACL and with positive Montenegro's reaction; individuals without previous history of ACL and not previously tested with Montenegro antigen; participants in anti-ACL vaccine trials who developed positive reactions to Montenegro antigen after vaccination; other participants in vaccine trials who had negative Montenegro responses after vaccination or had served as controls in the trials. The histological pictures of each group are described and discussed. Histologically, the reactions of vaccinated individuals were indistinguishable from those with naturally acquired infections

MOLECULAR IMAGING WITH SPECT AND PET IN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATIONAL NEW DRUG STUDIES

Imaging- and therapeutic targets in neoplastic and musculoskeletal inflammatory diseas

MOLECULAR IMAGING WITH SPECT AND PET IN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATIONAL NEW DRUG STUDIES

The phase O microdosing concept was introduced recently by the FDA in order to shorten the timeline for drug development and to reduce the overall cost of the process. The aim of this approach is to provide drug pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data using subpharmacological doses of prospective drug candidates in a small number of human volunteers at the earliest stages of drug development. A microdose is defined as 1/100th of the pharmacological dose or a maximum of 100 mu g, which requires ultrasensitive analytical methods for measuring such a small amount of drug. Molecular imaging plays a fundamental role in this process. Radionuclide-based imaging modalities such as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) allow the noninvasive visualization and quantitative assessment of physiological and biochemical processes occurring at cellular and subcellular levels within the human body Due to the high sensitivity of such techniques it is possible to evaluate in vivo the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of drug candidates in the nano- to picomolar concentration range. This information obtained in the earlier phases of drug development might have a tremendous impact on the success rate of agents entering clinical trials and on the overall efficiency of the process. In this article we provide an overview of the basic principles of molecular imaging with SPECT and PET and explain how these techniques can be implemented in exploratory IND studies and used to accelerate new drug approvals.Imaging- and therapeutic targets in neoplastic and musculoskeletal inflammatory diseas

Therapy-induced enrichment of cancer stem-like cells in solid human tumors: Where do we stand?

Molecular tumour pathology - and tumour geneticsMTG

Sulfato de condroitina e hialuronato de sódio no tratamento da doença articular degenerativa em cães: estudo histológico da cartilagem articular e membrana sinovial Chondroitin sulfate and sodium hyaluronate in the treatment of the degenerative joint disease in dogs: histological features of articular cartilage and synovium

Quinze cães, sem raça definida, de ambos os sexos, de peso entre 18 e 25kg, foram submetidos à secção artroscópica do ligamento cruzado cranial (LCCr) para indução da doença articular degenerativa (DAD). Após três semanas de instabilidade articular, o LCCr foi substituído pela fáscia lata segundo a técnica de Schwalder (1989) e os animais foram distribuídos em três grupos de cinco. Os animais do grupo I, controle, não receberam tratamento medicamentoso; os do grupo II, 24mg/animal de sulfato de condroitina, por via IM, de cinco em cinco dias, totalizando seis aplicações; e os do grupo III foram tratados com hialuronato de sódio na dose de 20mg/animal, por via IV, de cinco em cinco dias num total de três administrações. Ao final de 90 dias, os animais foram eutanasiados e procedeu-se à colheita e ao processamento histológico da membrana sinovial e da cartilagem articular para avaliações morfológica e morfométrica. No grupo I foram observadas alterações degenerativas de DAD mais acentuadas que nos demais grupos, como redução do número de condrócitos, presença de pânus, fibrilações, fissuras, erosões e irregularidades na superfície articular. No grupo II observou-se elevação do número de condrócitos com aumento da atividade de síntese da matriz e redução das lesões na superfície da cartilagem. No grupo III houve aumento do número de condrócitos que eram, muitas vezes, morfologicamente inviáveis. Todos os grupos apresentaram proliferação da membrana sinovial e presença de infiltrado linfoplasmocitário na subíntima e na perivascular. Nos grupos I e III, a proliferação da membrana sinovial era exuberante com formação de pânus, presença de sinoviócitos achatados ou ausência de sinóvia com tecido de granulação. Os resultados sugerem que o sulfato de condroitina estimulou a cartilagem articular, diminuindo ou retardando as alterações da DAD e o hialuronato de sódio não interferiu no processo degenerativo da cartilagem articular. Não foi constatada ação favorável das drogas na membrana sinovial.Fifteen mongrel dogs, both genders, weighting from 18 to 25kg were used and Degenerative Joint Disease (DJD) was induced through cranial cruciate ligament (CCrL) artroscopical section. After three weeks, CCrL was reconstructed by Schawalder's (1989) technique. Then, dogs were distributed in three groups and the following protocols were used: group I, control, no other treatment but the CCrL reconstruction; group II received chondroitin sulfate 24mg per animal every five days, intramuscularly, in a total of six injections; and group III received sodium hyaluronate 20mg per animal every five days, intravenously, in a total of three injections. Clinical observation was done until 90 days after treatments. By that time, the articular cartilage and synovium were collected and their morphology was evaluated. In group I, the degenerative alterations of the DJD were the most intense. Thus, decrease of chondrocytes number, pannus, fibrillations, grooves, erosion, and irregular articular surface were observed on the cartilage. In group II, raise of chondrocytes number was observed, with increase of synthesis activity of matrix and decrease of lesions on the articular surface. There was an increase of chondrocytes in group III, but the cells were morphologically unviable. All the groups showed proliferation of the synovial membrane, with limpho-plasma cells infiltrated in subintim and perivascular. In groups I and III, the proliferation of synovium was abundant, with formation of pannus, flattened synoviocytes or synovium absent with granulation tissue. Those results suggest that the chondroitin sulfate stimulated the articular cartilage; decreasing or delaying the alterations of DJD, as well as, the sodium hyaluronate did not interfere on degenerative process in articular cartilage. No favorable action of these drugs in the synovial membrane was verified

IWR-1, a tankyrase inhibitor, attenuates Wnt/beta-catenin signaling in cancer stem-like cells and inhibits in vivo the growth of a subcutaneous human osteosarcoma xenograft

MTG6Molecular tumour pathology - and tumour genetic

Chemotherapy induces sternness in osteosarcoma cells through activation of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling

Molecular tumour pathology - and tumour geneticsMTG

Osteosarcoma Stem Cells Have Active Wnt/beta-catenin and Overexpress SOX2 and KLF4

Molecular tumour pathology - and tumour geneticsMTG