Long-Term Health Effects of Curative Therapies on Heart, Lungs, and Kidneys for Individuals with Sickle Cell Disease Compared to Those with Hematologic Malignancies

The goal of curing children and adults with sickle cell disease (SCD) is to maximize benefits and minimize intermediate and long-term adverse outcomes so that individuals can live an average life span with a high quality of life. While greater than 2000 individuals with SCD have been treated with curative therapy, systematic studies have not been performed to evaluate the long-term health effects of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) in this population. Individuals with SCD suffer progressive heart, lung, and kidney disease prior to curative therapy. In adults, these sequalae are associated with earlier death. In comparison, individuals who undergo HSCT for cancer are heavily pretreated with chemotherapy, resulting in potential acute and chronic heart, lung, and kidney disease. The long-term health effects on the heart, lung, and kidney for children and adults undergoing HSCT for cancer have been extensively investigated. These studies provide the best available data to extrapolate the possible late health effects after curative therapy for SCD. Future research is needed to evaluate whether HSCT abates, stabilizes, or exacerbates heart, lung, kidney, and other diseases in children and adults with SCD receiving myeloablative and non-myeloablative conditioning regimens for curative therapy

Toxicity of Organic Fluorophores Used in Molecular Imaging: Literature Review

Fluorophores are potentially useful for in vivo cancer diagnosis. Using relatively inexpensive and portable equipment, optical imaging with fluorophores permits real-time detection of cancer. However, fluorophores can be toxic and must be investigated before they can be administered safely to patients. A review of published literature on the toxicity of 19 widely used fluorophores was conducted by searching 26 comprehensive biomedical and chemical literature databases and analyzing the retrieved material. These fluorophores included Alexa Fluor 488 and 514, BODIPY FL, BODIPY R6G, Cy 5.5, Cy 7, cypate, fluorescein, indocyanine green, Oregon green, 8-phenyl BODIPY, rhodamine 110, rhodamine 6G, rhodamine X, rhodol, TAMRA, Texas red, and Tokyo green. Information regarding cytotoxicity, tissue toxicity, in vivo toxicity, and mutagenicity was included. Considerable toxicity-related information was available for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds indocyanine green and fluorescein, but published information on many of the non-FDA-approved fluorophores was limited. The information located was encouraging because the amounts of fluorophore used in molecular imaging probes are typically much lower than the toxic doses described in the literature. Ultimately, the most effective and appropriate probes for use in patients will be determined by their fluorescent characteristics and the safety of the conjugates

Toxicity of Organic Fluorophores Used in Molecular Imaging: Literature Review

Fluorophores are potentially useful for in vivo cancer diagnosis. Using relatively inexpensive and portable equipment, optical imaging with fluorophores permits real-time detection of cancer. However, fluorophores can be toxic and must be investigated before they can be administered safely to patients. A review of published literature on the toxicity of 19 widely used fluorophores was conducted by searching 26 comprehensive biomedical and chemical literature databases and analyzing the retrieved material. These fluorophores included Alexa Fluor 488 and 514, BODIPY FL, BODIPY R6G, Cy 5.5, Cy 7, cypate, fluorescein, indocyanine green, Oregon green, 8-phenyl BODIPY, rhodamine 110, rhodamine 6G, rhodamine X, rhodol, TAMRA, Texas red, and Tokyo green. Information regarding cytotoxicity, tissue toxicity, in vivo toxicity, and mutagenicity was included. Considerable toxicity-related information was available for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved compounds indocyanine green and fluorescein, but published information on many of the non-FDA-approved fluorophores was limited. The information located was encouraging because the amounts of fluorophore used in molecular imaging probes are typically much lower than the toxic doses described in the literature. Ultimately, the most effective and appropriate probes for use in patients will be determined by their fluorescent characteristics and the safety of the conjugates