Immune capture and protein profiling of small extracellular vesicles from human plasma

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), the key players in inter-cellular communication, are produced by all cell types and are present in all body fluids. Analysis of the proteome content is an important approach in structural and functional studies of these vesicles. EVs circulating in human plasma are heterogeneous in size, cellular origin, and functions. This heterogeneity and the potential presence of contamination with plasma components such as lipoprotein particles and soluble plasma proteins represent a challenge in profiling the proteome of EV subsets by mass spectrometry. An immunocapture strategy prior to mass spectrometry may be used to isolate a homogeneous subpopulation of small EVs (sEV) with a specific endocytic origin from plasma or other biofluids. Immunocapture selectively separates EV subpopulations in biofluids based on the presence of a unique protein carried on the vesicle surface. The advantages and disadvantages of EV immune capture as a preparative step for mass spectrometry are discussed.

Live Impedance Measurements and Time-lapse Microscopy Observations of Cellular Adhesion, Proliferation and Migration after Ionizing Radiation

BACKGROUND

Changes in the cellular behavior depend on environmental and intracellular interactions. Cancer treatments force the changes, first on the molecular level, but the main visible changes are macroscopic. During radiotherapy, cancer cell's adhesion, proliferation and migration should be well monitored. In over 60% of diagnosed cancers cases, patients are given treatments with different protocols of radiotherapy, which result in possible metastasis and acute whole body response to toxic radiation.

OBJECTIVE

Effectiveness of the therapy used depends on the sensitivity/resistance of irradiated cancer cells. Cellular mechanisms of cancer protection, such as the activation of DNA damage and repair pathways, antioxidants production and oxidative stress suppression during treatments are not desirable. Cancer cells monitoring require the development of novel techniques, and the best techniques are non-invasive and long-term live observation methods, which are shown in this study.

METHODS

In cancers, invasive and metastatic phenotypes could be enhanced by stimulation of proliferation rate, decreased adhesion with simultaneous increase of motility and migration potential. For such reasons, the Ionizing Radiation (IR) stimulated proliferation; migration with lowered adhesiveness of cancer Me45 and normal fibroblasts NHDF were studied. Using impedance measurements technique for live cells, the adhesion of cells after IR exposition was assessed. Additionally proliferation and migration potential, based on standard Wound Healing assay were evaluated by timelapse microscopic observations.

RESULTS

We found simulative IR dose-ranges (0.2-2 Gy) for Me45 and NHDF cells, with higher proliferation and adhesion rates. On the other hand, lethal impact of IR (10-12 Gy) on both the cell lines was indicated.

CONCLUSION

Over-confluence cell populations, characterized with high crowd and contact inhibition could modulate invasiveness of individual cells, convert them to display migration phenotype and advance motility, especially after radiotherapy treatments.

Identifying nursing research priorities in a pediatric clinical trials cooperative group: the Pediatric Oncology Group experience

If nurses involved in pediatric oncology clinical trials are to use resources and manpower most effectively, nursing research priorities must be set that meet the nursing care issues of nurses at the bedside. Using a Delphi technique, nurses from the Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) were surveyed in Round 1 to discover patient care concerns or other issues in pediatric oncology nursing related to clinical trials. The 87 research ideas generated were reviewed by a panel of nurse experts, and a total of 57 unique research topics were delineated. These topics were then used for Round 2 of the Delphi study, which identified the top 10 nursing research priorities of the POG nurses participating in the study.

Follow-up care for survivors of childhood cancer

The number of survivors of childhood cancer is steadily increasing as the long-term prognosis for cancer in children improves. As these patients reach adulthood, the need for continued follow-up related to the late effects of their cancer therapy is necessary. Such effects can occur in many body systems, although the cardiac effects of anthracyclines (doxorubicin and daunomycin Astra, USA Inc, West Borough, MA) are the most life threatening. It is important that survivors are educated about the treatments they received and that they and their health care providers are alert to the potential late effects.

Conscious sedation: a quality management project

Conscious sedation provides effective pain control and can relieve anxiety associated with procedures. The increased use of this modality has prompted the American Academy of Pediatrics to develop national guidelines that emphasize the need for patient monitoring to ensure patient safety. A policy was developed that incorporated continuous monitoring of patients and frequent documentation of physiological measures before, during, and after procedures. All procedures over a 2-month period in the outpatient (n = 19) and inpatient (n = 24) pediatric oncology units that required midazolam and fentanyl were retrospectively analyzed. A nonrandom sample of one third of the inpatient procedures (n = 8) was also observed to assess the dynamics of monitoring and recording. Procedures, including recovery time, lasted an average of 69 minutes, with longer recovery periods recorded for the outpatient unit. Nurses, particularly on the inpatient unit, were not always able to provide continuous monitoring through recovery because of the demands of other patient assignments. This study suggests that to realistically meet the needs of the patients and the institution's responsibility, the current guidelines may need to be reconsidered to allow more nursing discretion in patient monitoring and/or the nurse's patient care assignment must be more flexible to allow for changing demands.

Psychosocial aspects of pediatric leukemia: from diagnosis through the first six months of treatment

Newly diagnosed children with leukemia and their families were subjects of a longitudinal study to describe coping behaviors, to determine adequacy of coping, and to discover predictors of healthy coping with leukemia. Families were followed for six months during which time they were interviewed, completed tests and scales, and were rated by physicians, nurses, and psychosocial staff. Families showed a wide variety of reactions and coping behaviors. The data supported the hypothesis that most families cope well despite the stresses of the first six months post-diagnosis. Based on physicians' ratings, psychosocial intervention appeared to be effective for mothers during the early outpatient phase of treatment. Age of child, previous coping, coping of other family members, a good support system, and lack of additional stresses were significantly correlated with healthy coping. The need for longitudinal assessment of coping was stressed.

Mothers as volunteers in an oncology clinic

Mothers of children who had died of cancer were successfully utilized as volunteers in a pediatric oncology clinic to provide emotional support and practical assistance to other children afflicted with the same disease and to their families. At the start of the program these volunteers were carefully interviewed to determine their willingness and their emotional ability to participate on a consistent basis. Following an eight-week training program with a psychiatrist, a social worker, and a nurse, they began working in a large pediatric oncology clinic one day a week. Over an 18-month period they have become valuable members of the oncology team by helping to improve communications, to alleviate frustrations, and in giving additional emotional support to the children and their families.