An exploratory comparative analysis of tyrosine kinase inhibitors or docetaxel in second-line treatment of EGFR wild-type non-small-cell lung cancer: a retrospective real-world practice review at a single tertiary care centre

BACKGROUND

Treatment for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (nsclc), especially in patients with wild-type EGFR, remains limited. Recently, erlotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (tki) targeting EGFR mutation, was approved as second-line treatment in EGFR wild-type nsclc. Despite evidence of better overall survival (os) with chemotherapy than with tki in second-line treatment, data on the use of tki in the real-life clinical setting remain limited. The present practice review of tki use for second- and third-line treatment in EGFR wild-type nsclc also compares clinical outcomes for tki and single-agent docetaxel as second-line treatment.

METHODS

Our retrospective cohort study included patients with EGFR wild-type nsclc treated at the Jewish General Hospital (Montreal, QC) between 2003 and 2013. Patients received a tki (erlotinib or gefitinib) in the second and third line or docetaxel in the second line. For each group, we determined os, disease control rate, progression-free survival (pfs), and event-free survival (efs).

RESULTS

The tki group included 145 patients, with 92 receiving second-line treatment. In the control group, 53 patients received docetaxel as second-line therapy. In the tki group, os was 6.0 months; pfs, 2.7 months; and efs, 3.0 months. Comparing second-line treatments, os was 5.3 and 5.0 months respectively (p = 0.88), pfs was 2.5 and 1.8 months respectively (p = 0.041), and efs was 3.0 and 1.7 months respectively (p = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

In our study cohort, second-line therapy for EGFR wild-type nsclc with tki (compared with docetaxel) was associated with statistically better pfs and efs and noninferior os. Those findings raise the question of whether efs should also be considered when choosing second-line treatment in this patient population.

Microarray analysis of differentially expressed genes in preeclamptic and normal placental tissues

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION

To detect the candidate genes for preeclampsia (PE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The gene expression profiles in preeclamptic and normal placental tissues were analyzed using cDNA microarray approach and the altered expression of important genes were further confirmed by real-time RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) technique. Total RNA was extracted from placental tissues of three cases with severe PE and from three cases with normal pregnancy. After scanning, differentially expressed genes were detected by software.

RESULTS

In two experiments (the fluorescent labels were exchanged), a total of 111 differentially expressed genes were detected. In placental tissue ofpreeclamptic pregnancy, 68 differentially expressed genes were up-regulated, and 44 differentially expressed genes were down-regulated. Of these genes, 16 highly differentially expressed genes were confirmed by real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR, and the result showed that the ratio of gene expression differences was comparable to that detected by cDNA microarray.

CONCLUSION

The results of bioinformatic analysis showed that encoding products of differentially expressed genes were correlated to infiltration of placenta trophoblastic cells, immunomodulatory factors, pregnancy-associated plasma protein, signal transduction pathway, and cell adhesion. Further studies on the biological function and regulating mechanism of these genes will provide new clues for better understanding of etiology and pathogenesis of PE.

Abstract P3-08-11: Pregnancy after breast cancer and recurrence risk

Background: Several retrospective studies report an improved overall (and possibly disease-free) survival of women who become pregnant following breast cancer diagnosis compared to women who choose not to or are unable to become pregnant. The objective of the current study is to evaluate associations with breast cancer biologic and stage characteristics from the baseline tumor with different recurrence outcomes in women with and without a pregnancy subsequent to their cancer diagnosis.

Methods: From a population-based cohort study of all women aged 20-44 diagnosed with invasive breast cancer in the three county Seattle-Puget Sound metropolitan area, we conducted a secondary recontact interview. Recontact information included cancer recurrence and obstetric history, including all pregnancies occurring after breast cancer diagnosis. Univariate associations were evaluated using chi square. A time-to-event analysis was conducted, evaluating the relationship between pregnancy and recurrence, with consideration of stage and tumor type (triple negative tumor or not) as confounders.

Results: At this interim, an approximately 70% response rate for the re-contact study was achieved, yielding data from 458 women overall. Excluding 8 women who were pregnant at the time of their breast cancer diagnosis, 450 were available for analysis. Of these, 13 (2.9%) became pregnant at least once after their breast cancer diagnosis. Among women with complete pathologic information available (n = 274), those with a pregnancy subsequent to their cancer diagnosis had triple negative tumor types more often than those who did not have a subsequent pregnancy (4/8, 50% vs. 44/266, 17%, p = 0.03). Tumor stage did not differ between women with and without a subsequent pregnancy. Overall, 30 total cancer recurrences were captured in the re-contacted cohort; none of these occurred among women with subsequent pregnancy (0/13, 0% vs. 30/437, 6.9% among women without subsequent pregnancy), p = 0.3. For 448/450 women with complete information on timing of recurrence, a time-to-event analysis adjusting for tumor type did not show a significant association between subsequent pregnancy and recurrence risk, p = 0.14 by Likelihood Ratio test.

Conclusions: In this population, breast cancer recurrence risk was not increased among women with a pregnancy subsequent to their cancer diagnosis. Despite the more common triple negative tumor type among the group of women with subsequent pregnancy, none of these women experienced a cancer recurrence. Our study adds to a substantial literature suggesting that pregnancy after breast cancer does not appear to have a detrimental effect on disease recurrence. The relationship between tumor type and its potential influence on both decision-making regarding pregnancy and the biology of pregnancy as it relates to breast cancer recurrence merits further investigation.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P3-08-11.

Effects of pulmonary artery perfusion with urinary trypsin inhibitor as a lung protective strategy under hypothermic low-flow cardiopulmonary bypass in an infant piglet model

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pulmonary artery perfusion with a urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI) as a lung protective strategy in order to provide an experimental basis for immature lung clinical protective strategies on deep hypothermia with low-flow (DHLF) cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)-induced pulmonary injury in an infant piglet model.

METHODS

The piglets (n=15), aged 18.7±0.3 days, weight 4.48±0.21kg, were randomly divided into 3 groups, with 5 piglets in each group: the control group, the pulmonary artery perfusion without UTI group (Group P) and the pulmonary artery perfusion with UTI group (Group U). The levels of the cytokines tumour necrosis factor-α, myeloperoxidase, malondialdehyde and interleukin-10 (TNF-α, MPO, MDA and IL-10) in pulmonary venous serum and lung tissue and the activity of NF-kappa B in lung tissue were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and electrophoresis mobility shift assay (EMSA), respectively.

RESULTS

After DHLF-CPB, all of the piglets demonstrated a state of lung injury as a deterioration of lung function indices, lung injury scores, pulmonary ultrastructure changes, expression of TNF-α, MPO, MDA and IL-10 and the activities of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), while pulmonary artery perfusion with UTI significantly ameliorated lung function and histopathological changes, with greatly decreased serum levels of TNF-α and MPO compared to the other two groups. Also, we found an increase in the level of IL-10 in Group U lungs compared with that in Group P lungs, which correlated with a strong inhibition in the activity of NF-κB.

CONCLUSION

Pulmonary artery perfusion with UTI ameliorated the DHLF-induced immature pulmonary injury in the lungs via a reduction of pro-inflammatory cytokine expression and up-regulated levels of IL-10 by inhibiting the activity of NF-κB.

Directed flow of charged particles at midrapidity relative to the spectator plane in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV

The directed flow of charged particles at midrapidity is measured in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV relative to the collision symmetry plane defined by the spectator nucleons. A negative slope of the rapidity-odd directed flow component with approximately 3 times smaller magnitude than found at the highest RHIC energy is observed. This suggests a smaller longitudinal tilt of the initial system and disfavors the strong fireball rotation predicted for the LHC energies. The rapidity-even directed flow component is measured for the first time with spectators and found to be independent of pseudorapidity with a sign change at transverse momenta p(T) between 1.2 and 1.7  GeV/c. Combined with the observation of a vanishing rapidity-even p(T) shift along the spectator deflection this is strong evidence for dipolelike initial density fluctuations in the overlap zone of the nuclei. Similar trends in the rapidity-even directed flow and the estimate from two-particle correlations at midrapidity, which is larger by about a factor of 40, indicate a weak correlation between fluctuating participant and spectator symmetry planes. These observations open new possibilities for investigation of the initial conditions in heavy-ion collisions with spectator nucleons.

Charmonium and e+e- pair photoproduction at mid-rapidity in ultra-peripheral Pb-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text]

The ALICE Collaboration at the LHC has measured the J/ψ and ψ' photoproduction at mid-rapidity in ultra-peripheral Pb-Pb collisions at [Formula: see text]. The charmonium is identified via its leptonic decay for events where the hadronic activity is required to be minimal. The analysis is based on an event sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 23 μb-1. The cross section for coherent and incoherent J/ψ production in the rapidity interval -0.9 Collapse

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Ganglioside GM3 inhibits hepatoma cell motility via down-regulating activity of EGFR and PI3K/AKT signaling pathway

Two related sublines derived from murine ascites hepatoma cell lines Hca-F25, which were selected for their markedly different metastatic potential to lymph nodes, were found to be distinct in their ganglioside patterns. The low metastatic cell line (HcaP) contained a major ganglioside GM3, whereas the high metastatic cell line (HcaF) contained a major ganglioside GM2. Suppression of GM3 by P4 enhanced the mobility and migration of the low metastatic HcaP cells in vitro. Increase in GM3 content in high metastatic HcaF cells by addition of exogenous GM3 inhibited the mobility and migration. These results suggested that the differences in lymphatic metastasis potential between these two cell lines could be attributed to the differences in their ganglioside compositions, and GM3 could suppress the motility and migration of these cells. Further, we investigated the mechanism by which GM3 suppressed the cell mobility and migration. The results showed that suppression of GM3 synthesis by P4 in low metastatic HcaP cells promoted PKB/Akt phosphorylation at Ser473 and Thr308, and phosphorylation of EGFR at the Tyr1173. In contrast, increase in GM3 content in high metastatic HcaF cells by addition of exogenous GM3 into the culture medium suppressed phosphorylation of PKB/Akt and EGFR at the same residues. Taken together, these results suggested that the mechanism of GM3-suppressed cell motility and migration may involve the inhibition of phosphorylation of EGFR and the activity of PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

J/ψ elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV

We report on the first measurement of inclusive J/ψ elliptic flow v2 in heavy-ion collisions at the LHC. The measurement is performed with the ALICE detector in Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV in the rapidity range 2.5<y<4.0. The dependence of the J/ψ v2 on the collision centrality and on the J/ψ transverse momentum is studied in the range 0≤p(T)<10 GeV/c. For semicentral Pb-Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=2.76 TeV, an indication of nonzero v2 is observed with a largest measured value of v2=0.116±0.046(stat)±0.029(syst) for J/ψ in the transverse momentum range 2≤p(T)<4 GeV/c. The elliptic flow measurement complements the previously reported ALICE results on the inclusive J/ψ nuclear modification factor and favors the scenario of a significant fraction of J/ψ production from charm quarks in a deconfined partonic phase.

D meson elliptic flow in noncentral Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[sNN]=2.76 Tev

Azimuthally anisotropic distributions of D0, D+, and D*+ mesons were studied in the central rapidity region (|y|<0.8) in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy sqrt[sNN]=2.76  TeV per nucleon-nucleon collision, with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The second Fourier coefficient v2 (commonly denoted elliptic flow) was measured in the centrality class 30%-50% as a function of the D meson transverse momentum pT, in the range 2-16  GeV/c. The measured v2 of D mesons is comparable in magnitude to that of light-flavor hadrons. It is positive in the range 2<pT<6  GeV/c with 5.7σ significance, based on the combination of statistical and systematic uncertainties.

Multispecies coexistence of trees in tropical forests: spatial signals of topographic niche differentiation increase with environmental heterogeneity

Neutral and niche theories give contrasting explanations for the maintenance of tropical tree species diversity. Both have some empirical support, but methods to disentangle their effects have not yet been developed. We applied a statistical measure of spatial structure to data from 14 large tropical forest plots to test a prediction of niche theory that is incompatible with neutral theory: that species in heterogeneous environments should separate out in space according to their niche preferences. We chose plots across a range of topographic heterogeneity, and tested whether pairwise spatial associations among species were more variable in more heterogeneous sites. We found strong support for this prediction, based on a strong positive relationship between variance in the spatial structure of species pairs and topographic heterogeneity across sites. We interpret this pattern as evidence of pervasive niche differentiation, which increases in importance with increasing environmental heterogeneity.

Measurement of inelastic, single- and double-diffraction cross sections in proton-proton collisions at the LHC with ALICE

Measurements of cross sections of inelastic and diffractive processes in proton-proton collisions at LHC energies were carried out with the ALICE detector. The fractions of diffractive processes in inelastic collisions were determined from a study of gaps in charged particle pseudorapidity distributions: for single diffraction (diffractive mass MX <200 GeV/c2) [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], respectively at centre-of-mass energies [Formula: see text]; for double diffraction (for a pseudorapidity gap Δη>3) σDD/σINEL=0.11±0.03,0.12±0.05, and [Formula: see text], respectively at [Formula: see text]. To measure the inelastic cross section, beam properties were determined with van der Meer scans, and, using a simulation of diffraction adjusted to data, the following values were obtained: [Formula: see text] mb at [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] at [Formula: see text]. The single- and double-diffractive cross sections were calculated combining relative rates of diffraction with inelastic cross sections. The results are compared to previous measurements at proton-antiproton and proton-proton colliders at lower energies, to measurements by other experiments at the LHC, and to theoretical models.

Net-charge fluctuations in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[sNN]=2.76 TeV

We report the first measurement of the net-charge fluctuations in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[sNN]=2.76  TeV, measured with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The dynamical fluctuations per unit entropy are observed to decrease when going from peripheral to central collisions. An additional reduction in the amount of fluctuations is seen in comparison to the results from lower energies. We examine the dependence of fluctuations on the pseudorapidity interval, which may account for the dilution of fluctuations during the evolution of the system. We find that the fluctuations at the LHC are smaller compared to the measurements at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, and as such, closer to what has been theoretically predicted for the formation of a quark-gluon plasma.

Polyelectrolyte capsules packaging BSA gels for pH-controlled drug loading and release and their antitumor activity

Polyelectrolyte multilayer capsules, promising candidates for multifunctional drug delivery systems, have recently received increased interest. However, the low encapsulation efficiency of drugs and the lack of reports about animal experiments have greatly slowed down their development for drug delivery. Here, a polyelectrolyte multilayer capsule filled with bovine serum albumin gel (BSA-gel-capsule) was constructed by a layer-by-layer assembly technique and thermally induced gelation of BSA. Owing to the charge variability of BSA with change in pH, BSA-gel-capsules not only showed a pronounced accumulation effect of drugs into capsules, but also displayed excellent pH-controlled loading and release properties. Moreover, a remarkable targeting action to the lung was discovered after intravenous injection of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled BSA-gel-capsules into mice. After treatment with doxorubicin-loaded BSA-gel-capsules, effective cytotoxicity against B16-F10 cells and inhibition of the pulmonary melanoma growth were revealed. This paper introduces a new type of smart microstructure with notable pH-responsive ability. This material renders feasible the intravenous administration of polyelectrolyte microcapsules, which will be a big step towards their application as drug delivery vehicles.

Transverse momentum distribution and nuclear modification factor of charged particles in p+Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 5.02 TeV

The transverse momentum (p(T)) distribution of primary charged particles is measured in minimum bias (non-single-diffractive) p+Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=5.02 TeV with the ALICE detector at the LHC. The p(T) spectra measured near central rapidity in the range 0.5<p(T) <20 GeV/c exhibit a weak pseudorapidity dependence. The nuclear modification factor R(pPb) is consistent with unity for p(T) above 2 GeV/c. This measurement indicates that the strong suppression of hadron production at high p(T) observed in Pb+Pb collisions at the LHC is not due to an initial-state effect. The measurement is compared to theoretical calculations.

Targeted cell reprogramming produces analgesic chromaffin-like cells from human mesenchymal stem cells

Transplantation of allogeneic adrenal chromaffin cells demonstrated the promise of favorable outcomes for pain relief in patients. However, there is a very limited availability of suitable human adrenal gland tissues, genetically well-matched donors in particular, to serve as grafts. Xenogeneic materials, such as porcine and bovine adrenal chromaffin cells, present problems; for instance, immune rejection and possible pathogenic contamination are potential issues. To overcome these challenges, we have tested the novel approach of cell reprogramming to reprogram human bone marrow (BM)-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) using cellular extracts of porcine chromaffin cells. We produced a new type of cell, chromaffin-like cells, generated from the reprogrammed hMSCs, which displayed a significant increase in expression of human preproenkephalin (hPPE), a precursor for enkephalin opioid peptides, compared to the inherent expression of hPPE in naive hMSCs. The resultant chromaffin-like cells not only expressed the key molecular markers of adrenal chromaffin cells, such as tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and methionine enkephalin (Met-enkephalin), but also secreted opioid peptide Met-enkephalin in culture. In addition, intrathecal injection of chromaffin-like cells in rats produced significant analgesic effects without using immunosuppressants. These results suggest that analgesic chromaffin-like cells can be produced from an individual's own tissue-derived stem cells by targeted cell reprogramming and also that these chromaffin-like cells may serve as potential autografts for chronic pain management.

Effect of a synthetic link N peptide nanofiber scaffold on the matrix deposition of aggrecan and type II collagen in rabbit notochordal cells

Self-assembling peptide nanofiber scaffolds have been studied extensively as biological materials for 3-dimensional cell culture and repairing tissue defects in animals. However, few studies have applied peptide nanofiber scaffolds in the tissue engineering of intervertebral discs (IVDs). In this study, a novel functionalized peptide scaffold was specifically designed for IVD tissue engineering, and notochordal cells (NCs) as an alternative cell source for IVD degeneration were selected to investigate the bioactive scaffold material. The novel RADA16-Link N self-assembling peptide scaffold material was designed by direct coupling to a bioactive motif link N. The link N nanofiber scaffold (LN-NS) material was obtained by mixing pure RADA16-I and RADA16-Link N (1:1) designer peptide solutions. Although live/dead cell assays showed that LN-NS and RADA16-I scaffold materials were both biocompatible with NCs, the LN-NS material significantly promoted NC adhesion compared with that of the pure RADA16-I SAP scaffold material. The depositions of aggrecan and type II collagen, which are significant markers for IVD cells, were remarkably increased. Furthermore, the results indicated that the link N motif, the matrix analog of the nucleus pulposus, significantly promoted the accumulation of other extracellular matrices in vitro. We conclude that the novel LN-NS material is a promising biological scaffold material, and may have a broad range of applications in IVD tissue engineering.

Pseudorapidity density of charged particles in p+Pb collisions at √(s(NN))=5.02 TeV

The charged-particle pseudorapidity density measured over four units of pseudorapidity in nonsingle-diffractive p+Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair √(s(NN))=5.02 TeV is presented. The average value at midrapidity is measured to be 16.81±0.71 (syst), which corresponds to 2.14±0.17 (syst) per participating nucleon, calculated with the Glauber model. This is 16% lower than in nonsingle-diffractive pp collisions interpolated to the same collision energy and 84% higher than in d+Au collisions at s√(s(NN))=0.2 TeV. The measured pseudorapidity density in p+Pb collisions is compared to model predictions and provides new constraints on the description of particle production in high-energy nuclear collisions.

Charge separation relative to the reaction plane in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV

Measurements of charge-dependent azimuthal correlations with the ALICE detector at the LHC are reported for Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV. Two- and three-particle charge-dependent azimuthal correlations in the pseudorapidity range |η| < 0.8 are presented as a function of the collision centrality, particle separation in pseudorapidity, and transverse momentum. A clear signal compatible with a charge-dependent separation relative to the reaction plane is observed, which shows little or no collision energy dependence when compared to measurements at RHIC energies. This provides a new insight for understanding the nature of the charge-dependent azimuthal correlations observed at RHIC and LHC energies.

Pion, kaon, and proton production in central Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV

In this Letter we report the first results on π(±), K(±), p, and p production at midrapidity (|y|<0.5) in central Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV, measured by the ALICE experiment at the LHC. The p(T) distributions and yields are compared to previous results at sqrt[s(NN)] = 200 GeV and expectations from hydrodynamic and thermal models. The spectral shapes indicate a strong increase of the radial flow velocity with sqrt[s(NN)], which in hydrodynamic models is expected as a consequence of the increasing particle density. While the K/π ratio is in line with predictions from the thermal model, the p/π ratio is found to be lower by a factor of about 1.5. This deviation from thermal model expectations is still to be understood.

Optimization of culture of mesenchymal stem cells: a comparison of conventional plate and microcarrier cultures

OBJECTIVES

There has been increasing interest in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) because of their potential use for regenerative therapy; however, there is no well-defined protocol for MSCs culture. This study compares techniques of conventional plate and microcarrier culturing of MSCs.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Here, different conditions for isolation and expansion of rat MSCs have been examined and it was found that plating density and plating time in primary culture played important roles for culture of these rat MSCs. When plated at 10(8) /cm(2) density for 72 h, in primary culture, recycling stem cells (RS cells) predominated, and characteristics of rat MSCs (including morphology, growth rate, phenotype and differentiation potentials) remained stable during expansion until passage 14. For subculture of the cells, it was found that their growth rate when incubated at 33 °C was higher than those incubated at 37 °C, and maximal increase was 10- and 6-fold respectively. When cultured using microcarriers, at a density of 1 × 10(5) /mg beads, growth kinetics, phenotype and differentiation potentials also remained constant for cells between passage 2nd and 14th; their maximal number increased 16-fold.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to conventional plate culture, culture using gelatine porous microcarrier Cultispher-S was superior for large-scale production of rat MSCs.

Production of muons from heavy flavor decays at forward rapidity in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=2.76 TeV

The ALICE Collaboration has measured the inclusive production of muons from heavy-flavor decays at forward rapidity, 2.5<y<4, in pp and Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)]=2.76  TeV. The p(t)-differential inclusive cross section of muons from heavy-flavor decays in pp collisions is compared to perturbative QCD calculations. The nuclear modification factor is studied as a function of p(t) and collision centrality. A weak suppression is measured in peripheral collisions. In the most central collisions, a suppression of a factor of about 3-4 is observed in 6<p(t)<10  GeV/c. The suppression shows no significant p(t) dependence.

Generation of neural stem cell-like cells from bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells

Under appropriate culture conditions, bone marrow (BM)-derived mesenchymal stem cells are capable of differentiating into diverse cell types unrelated to their phenotypical embryonic origin, including neural cells. Here, we report the successful generation of neural stem cell (NSC)-like cells from BM-derived human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Initially, hMSCs were cultivated in a conditioned medium of human neural stem cells. In this culture system, hMSCs were induced to become NSC-like cells, which proliferate in neurosphere-like structures and express early NSC markers. Like central nervous system-derived NSCs, these BM-derived NSC-like cells were able to differentiate into cells expressing neural markers for neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Whole-cell patch clamp recording revealed that neuron-like cells, differentiated from NSC-like cells, exhibited electrophysiological properties of neurons, including action potentials. Transplantation of NSC-like cells into mouse brain confirmed that these NSC-like cells retained their capability to differentiate into neuronal and glial cells in vivo. Our data show that multipotent NSC-like cells can be efficiently produced from BM-derived hMSCs in culture and that these cells may serve as a useful alternative to human neural stem cells for potential clinical applications such as autologous neuroreplacement therapies.

J/ψ suppression at forward rapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at √s(NN) = 2.76 TeV

The ALICE experiment has measured the inclusive J/ψ production in Pb-Pb collisions at √s(NN) = 2.76 TeV down to zero transverse momentum in the rapidity range 2.5 < y < 4. A suppression of the inclusive J/ψ yield in Pb-Pb is observed with respect to the one measured in pp collisions scaled by the number of binary nucleon-nucleon collisions. The nuclear modification factor, integrated over the 0%-80% most central collisions, is 0.545 ± 0.032(stat) ± 0.083(syst) and does not exhibit a significant dependence on the collision centrality. These features appear significantly different from measurements at lower collision energies. Models including J/ψ production from charm quarks in a deconfined partonic phase can describe our data.

Progress on ‘pico’ air vehicles

As the characteristic size of a flying robot decreases, the challenges for successful flight revert to basic questions of fabrication, actuation, fluid mechanics, stabilization, and power, whereas such questions have in general been answered for larger aircraft. When developing a flying robot on the scale of a common housefly, all hardware must be developed from scratch as there is nothing ‘off-the-shelf’ which can be used for mechanisms, sensors, or computation that would satisfy the extreme mass and power limitations. This technology void also applies to techniques available for fabrication and assembly of the aeromechanical components: the scale and complexity of the mechanical features requires new ways to design and prototype at scales between macro and microeletromechanical systems, but with rich topologies and material choices one would expect when designing human-scale vehicles. With these challenges in mind, we present progress in the essential technologies for insect-scale robots, or ‘pico’ air vehicles.

Class A scavenger receptor promotes cerebral ischemic injury by pivoting microglia/macrophage polarization

Class A scavenger receptor (SR-A) is primarily expressed in microglia/macrophages and plays an important role in immune responses. However, whether SR-A can influence microglia/macrophage polarization in cerebral ischemic injury is not known. To this end we monitored the phenotypic alteration of microglia/macrophages in an animal model of cerebral ischemia injury. SR-A was up-regulated in mouse brains 24h after permanent occlusion of middle cerebral artery (MCAO). SR-A-deficient mice displayed reduced infarct size and improved neurological function compared with wild-type mice littermate controls. Furthermore, a decrease in inflammatory F4/80(+)CD11b(+)CD45(high)CD11c(+) microglia/macrophages and attenuated nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) activation was found in ischemic brains in the SR-A null mice. This was accompanied by alleviation of classically activated M1 macrophage markers and preservation of alternatively activated M2 macrophage markers. These data suggest that SR-A contributes to cerebral ischemic injury by pivoting the phenotype of microglia/macrophages to a skewed M1 polarization.

Direct conversion of dermal fibroblasts into neural progenitor cells by a novel cocktail of defined factors

The generation of functional neural progenitor cells (NPCs) independent of donor brain tissue and embryonic tissues is of great therapeutic interest with regard to regenerative medicine and the possible treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. Traditionally, NPCs are derived through the differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). However, the induction of NPCs from ESCs and iPSCs is a complicated process that increases the risk of neoplasia and undesired cell types. This process can be circumvented through the direct conversion of somatic cells from one cell type to another by ectopic expression of specifically defined transcription factors. Using gene expression profiling and parental cells from E/Nestin:EGFP transgenic mice as a monitoring system, we tested nine factors with the potential to directly convert fibroblasts into NPCs. We found that five of these factors can directly convert adult dermal fibroblasts into NPC-like cells (iNPCs), and the resulting iNPCs possessed similar properties as primary NPCs including proliferation, self-renewal and differentiation. Significantly, iNPCs also exhibit chemotactic properties similar to those of primary NPCs. These provide an important alternative strategy to generate iNPCs for cell replacement therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.

[Promotion effect of notochordal cells conditioned medium on proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effect of notochordal cells (NCs) conditioned medium (NCCM) on the proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs).

METHODS

NCs and BMSCs were isolated from the thoracolumbar intervertebral disc and the femurs of 4-week-old Japanese white rabbits, respectively. NCs were cultured with DMEM/F12 medium containing 15% FBS for 5 days to prepare NCCM. The experiment consisted of 2 groups: BMSCs were cultured with NCCM in experimental group and with DMEM/F12 medium containing 15% FBS in control group. The proliferation of BMSCs was assessed by cell counting kit-8 at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 14 days after culture; the expression of proteoglycan and collagen type II were determined by immunofluorescence and real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR at 7 and 14 days after culture.

RESULTS

NCs and BMSCs were successfully isloated. At 5, 7, 9, and 14 days, the number of BMSCs in the experimental group was significantly more than those in the control group (P < 0.05). At 7 and 14 days, there was no expression or less expression of proteoglycan and collagen type II in the control group; however, there was a lot of expression of proteoglycan and collagen type II in the experimental group, and the expressions were higher at 14 days than at 7 days. At 7 and 14 days after culture, the mRNA expressions of proteoglycan and collagen type II were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group (P < 0.05), and at 14 days than at 7 days in the experimental group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

NCCM can promote the proliferation and the differentiation of BMSCs into chondroyte-like cells, which provides the basis for NCs and BMSCs as seed cells in the treatment of degenerative disc disease.

J/ψ polarization in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV

The ALICE Collaboration has studied J/ψ production in pp collisions at √s=7 TeV at the LHC through its muon pair decay. The polar and azimuthal angle distributions of the decay muons were measured, and results on the J/ψ polarization parameters λ(θ) and λ(φ) were obtained. The study was performed in the kinematic region 2.5<y<4, 2<p(t)<8 GeV/c, in the helicity and Collins-Soper reference frames. In both frames, the polarization parameters are compatible with zero, within uncertainties.

P2-11-09: EGFR Overexpression in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) and Its Association with the Prognosis

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate EGFR expression in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC), and to find the relationship between EGFR overexpression and prognosis of TNBC, further to clarify the significance of EGFR in TNBC and provide valuable information for TNBC therapy.

Methods: 42 triple ***negandection ***ssitive breast cancer patients(studying group) and 40 HER2(3+) breast cancer patients(controling group) who underwent surgery from January 2000 to December 2005 were analyzed. 82 cases of paraffin-embedded specimens were detected by Immunohistochemistry(IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH) and polymerase chain reaction(PCR) to investigate the overexpression, amplification and mutation of EGFR gene. The distant-free survival(DFS) and overall survival(OS) of these patients were used to investigate the relationship between EGFR overexpression and the prognosis of TNBC.

Results: 34(43.9%) EGFR overexpression was observed in all cases, while gene amplification was only 7(9.1%) cases. No EGFR gene mutation was found in all cases. Overexpression of EGFR occurring in 57.1% patients in TNBC group and 25.0% patients in HER2 group, and we didn't found any correlation between EGFR overexpression and clinicopathology. 50(61.0%) patients relapsed (TNBC 28,HER2 22) and 27(32.9%) patients died(TNBC 18,HER2 9) were observed during the more than 5 years follow-up. The 5-year DFS was 57.1% and 77.5% respectively, the 5-year OS was 71.4% and 87.5% in TNBC and HER2 groups. In TNBC group, the survival of the EGFR-overexpressing group patients was significantly lower than that of the non-EGFR-overexpressing group patients (p=0.018 for DFS, p=0.026 for OS); In HER2 group, no statistical difference was found (p=0.079 for DFS, p=0.055 for OS).

Conclusions: This study showed that EGFR overexpression increased significantly in TNBC patients, which was no correlation with their clinico-pathological data. EGFR gene amplification was much less frequent than its overexpression. It suggested that EGFR gene amplification may not be the unique mechanism of EGFR overexpression in TNBC. There may be other possible mechanisms and pathways that cause EGFR overexpression. In addition, it may suggest that gefitinib therapy is useless in TNBC patients because we did not find any mutations in the tested exons of TNBC. EGFR overexpression may associate with a poor outcome of TNBC patients which suggest it could be a significant prognostic factor for TNBC patients. EGFR may play important role for molecular-targeting therapy of TNBC.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-11-09.

Increased number of Purkinje cell dendritic swellings in essential tremor

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Essential Tremor (ET) is among the most prevalent neurologic disorders. Growing clinical and neuro-imaging evidence implicates cerebellar dysfunction in the pathogenesis of ET and emerging postmortem studies have identified structural changes in the cerebellum, particularly in Purkinje cells. In this study we systematically quantified focal Purkinje cell dendritic swellings (DS) in 20 ET vs. 19 control brains.

METHODS

In each brain, a standard parasagittal neocerebellar tissue block was harvested. DS were quantified in one 7-μm thick section stained with Luxol Fast Blue/Hematoxylin and Eosin (LH&E) and one section stained with Bielschowsky method.

RESULTS

The number of DS were higher in cases than controls by LH&E (1.50 ± 1.79 vs. 0.05 ± 0.23, P = 0.002) and Bielschowsky methods (2.70 ± 3.10 vs. 0.37 ± 0.50, P = 0.002). The number of DS was correlated with the number of torpedoes and marginally inversely correlated with the number of Purkinje cells.

CONCLUSION

The current study documents and quantifies an additional structural abnormality in the ET cerebellum, adding to the growing list of such changes in this disease. The mechanisms that underlie this and other structural changes observed in ET are currently unknown, and they deserve additional exploration.

Relative LWS cone opsin expression determines optomotor thresholds in Malawi cichlid fish

Associating quantitative genetic traits with quantitative behaviors is a relatively unexplored region of sensory neurobiology. The visual system is an ideal place to test models associating these levels of sensory perception. In this study, we reared cichlid fish from Lake Malawi in different ambient light environments. We then tested the visual sensitivities of these fish using the optomotor response (OMR) behavioral paradigm and measured the relative expression of cone opsin genes. We found that the light environment experienced by fish during development can alter gene expression, particularly as it applies to the long wavelength-sensitive (LWS) opsin gene. Also, fish from different rearing conditions exhibited different behavioral sensitivities. We combined these data with predictions of opsin pigment absorption by the different OMR stimuli to determine which cone types are most likely to influence the OMR behavior. While we hypothesized that this behavior would be controlled by a random-wiring model reflecting the expression of both medium wavelength-sensitive (MWS) and LWS opsins, our models suggest that only the LWS pigment is required to predict behavior. Furthermore, analyses show that LWS expression variation accounts for ~20% of the observed behavioral variance. This work confirms that sensory gene expression influences behavior in a predictable fashion. It also suggests that the neural wiring of basal visual pathways in cichlid fish may differ from that observed in mammals and zebrafish, but is similar to that described in goldfish. This finding has important implications for the evolution of the magnocellular neural pathway in teleosts.

Higher harmonic anisotropic flow measurements of charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt(s(NN)) = 2.76 TeV

We report on the first measurement of the triangular v3, quadrangular v4, and pentagonal v5 charged particle flow in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt(s(NN)) = 2.76  TeV measured with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. We show that the triangular flow can be described in terms of the initial spatial anisotropy and its fluctuations, which provides strong constraints on its origin. In the most central events, where the elliptic flow v2 and v3 have similar magnitude, a double peaked structure in the two-particle azimuthal correlations is observed, which is often interpreted as a Mach cone response to fast partons. We show that this structure can be naturally explained from the measured anisotropic flow Fourier coefficients.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitor sitagliptin reduces local inflammation in adipose tissue and in pancreatic islets of obese mice

Adipose tissue inflammation and reduced pancreatic β-cell function are key issues in the development of cardiovascular disease and progressive metabolic dysfunction in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the DPP IV inhibitor sitagliptin on adipose tissue and pancreatic islet inflammation in a diet-induced obesity model. C57Bl/6J mice were placed on a high-fat (60% kcal fat) diet for 12 wk, with or without sitagliptin (4 g/kg) as a food admix. Sitagliptin significantly reduced fasting blood glucose by 21% as well as insulin by ∼25%. Sitagliptin treatment reduced body weight without changes in overall body mass index or in the epididymal and retroperitoneal fat mass. However, sitagliptin treatment led to triple the number of small adipocytes despite reducing the number of the very large adipocytes. Sitagliptin significantly reduced inflammation in the adipose tissue and pancreatic islet. Macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue evaluated by immunostaining for Mac2 was reduced by sitagliptin (P < 0.01), as was the percentage of CD11b+/F4/80+ cells in the stromal vascular fraction (P < 0.02). Sitagliptin also reduced adipocyte mRNA expression of inflammatory genes, including IL-6, TNFα, IL-12(p35), and IL-12(p40), 2.5- to fivefold as well as 12-lipoxygenase protein expression. Pancreatic islets were isolated from animals after treatments. Sitagliptin significantly reduced mRNA expression of the following inflammatory cytokines: MCP-1 (3.3-fold), IL-6 (2-fold), IL-12(p40) (2.2-fold), IL-12(p35) (5-fold, P < 0.01), and IP-10 (2-fold). Collectively, the results indicate that sitagliptin has anti-inflammatory effects in adipose tissue and in pancreatic islets that accompany the insulinotropic effect.

Centrality dependence of the charged-particle multiplicity density at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s(NN)] = 2.76 TeV

The centrality dependence of the charged-particle multiplicity density at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[s_{NN}]=2.76  TeV is presented. The charged-particle density normalized per participating nucleon pair increases by about a factor of 2 from peripheral (70%-80%) to central (0%-5%) collisions. The centrality dependence is found to be similar to that observed at lower collision energies. The data are compared with models based on different mechanisms for particle production in nuclear collisions.

Randomized clinical trial of splenic radiofrequency ablation versus splenectomy for severe hypersplenism

BACKGROUND

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a relatively new treatment for hypersplenism. The results of a randomized clinical trial comparing RFA and splenectomy with 5 years of follow-up are reported.

METHODS

Fifty-seven patients with hypersplenism due to liver cirrhosis were assigned randomly (in a 1 : 2 ratio) to splenectomy (19 patients) or RFA (38). The RFA group was subdivided according to the percentage of the spleen ablated: less than 50 per cent (9 patients), 50-70 per cent (18) or over 70 per cent (11). Routine blood tests were performed before and after operation, and total spleen volume and ablated volume were measured by contrast-enhanced computed tomography. The primary endpoint of the trial was recurrence of hypersplenism, assessed as platelet and white cell counts, at 5 years after surgery.

RESULTS

White cell and platelet counts increased rapidly after intervention in both groups. By 36 months after operation peripheral platelet and white cell counts had decreased significantly in the RFA group compared with the splenectomy group, and declined to baseline levels by 48 months. Hypersplenism recurred after 6 months in patients with less than 50 per cent of the spleen ablated. Blood cell count in the splenectomy group and in patients with more than 50 per cent of the spleen ablated decreased with time after operation, but to levels that remained significantly higher than those before operation (P < 0·050). Splenic volume reached its nadir 12 months after RFA and then increased with time.

CONCLUSION

Splenic RFA represents an attractive alternative treatment for hypersplenism induced by liver cirrhosis, particularly when more than 50 per cent of the spleen is ablated.

Elliptic flow of charged particles in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[S(NN)] = 2.76 TeV

We report the first measurement of charged particle elliptic flow in Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[S(NN)] =2.76 TeV with the ALICE detector at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is performed in the central pseudorapidity region (|η|<0.8) and transverse momentum range 0.2<p t<5.0 GeV/c. The elliptic flow signal v₂, measured using the 4-particle correlation method, averaged over transverse momentum and pseudorapidity is 0.087 ± 0.002(stat) ± 0.003(syst) in the 40%-50% centrality class. The differential elliptic flow v₂ p t reaches a maximum of 0.2 near p t =3 GeV/c. Compared to RHIC Au-Au collisions at sqrt[S(NN)] 200 GeV, the elliptic flow increases by about 30%. Some hydrodynamic model predictions which include viscous corrections are in agreement with the observed increase.

Charged-particle multiplicity density at midrapidity in central Pb-Pb collisions at sqrt[S(NN)] = 2.76 TeV

The first measurement of the charged-particle multiplicity density at midrapidity in Pb-Pb collisions at a center-of-mass energy per nucleon pair √ S NN = 2.76 TeV is presented. For an event sample corresponding to the most central 5% of the hadronic cross section, the pseudorapidity density of primary charged particles at midrapidity is 1584 ± 4(stat) ± 76(syst), which corresponds to 8.3 ± 0.4(syst) per participating nucleon pair. This represents an increase of about a factor 1.9 relative to pp collisions at similar collision energies, and about a factor 2.2 to central Au-Au collisions at √ S NN = 2.76 TeV. This measurement provides the first experimental constraint for models of nucleus-nucleus collisions at LHC energies.