Long-term platinum retention after treatment with cisplatin and oxaliplatin

Background  

The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term platinum retention in patients treated with cisplatin and oxaliplatin.     

Breast MRI in nonpalpable breast lesions: a randomized trial with diagnostic and therapeutic outcome – MONET – study

Background

In orthodontic treatment, anchorage control is a fundamental aspect. Usually conventional mechanism for orthodontic anchorage control can be either extraoral or intraoral that is headgear or intermaxillary elastics. Their use are combined with various side effects such as tipping of occlusal plane or undesirable movements of teeth. Especially in cases, where key-teeth are missing, conventional anchorage defined as tooth-borne anchorage will meet limitations. Therefore, the use of endosseous implants for anchorage purposes are increasingly used to achieve positional stability and maximum anchorage.

Methods/Design

The intended study is designed as a prospective, multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT), comparing and contrasting the effect of early loading of palatal implant therapy versus implant loading after 12 weeks post implantation using the new ortho-implant type II anchor system device (Orthosystem Straumann, Basel, Switzerland). 124 participants, mainly adult males or females, whose diagnoses require temporary stationary implant-based anchorage treatment will be randomized 1:1 to one of two treatment groups: group 1 will receive a loading of implant standard therapy after a healing period of 12 week (gold standard), whereas group 2 will receive an early loading of orthodontic implants within 1 week after implant insertion. Participants will be at least followed for 12 months after implant placement. The primary endpoint is to investigate the behavior of early loaded palatal implants in order to find out if shorter healing periods might be justified to accelerate active orthodontic treatment. Secondary outcomes will focus e.g. on achievement of orthodontic treatment goals and quantity of direct implant-bone interface of removed bone specimens. As tertiary objective, a histologic and microtomography evaluation of all retrieved implants will be performed to obtain data on the performance of the SLA surface in human bone evaluation of all retrieved implants. Additionally, resonance frequency analysis (RFA, Osstell? mentor) will be used at different times for clinically monitoring the implant stability and for histological comparison in order to measure the reliability of the resonance frequency measuring device.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN97142521.     

The mechanical power requirements of avian flight

A major goal of flight research has been to establish the relationship between the mechanical power requirements of flight and flight speed. This relationship is central to our understanding of the ecology and evolution of bird flight behaviour. Current approaches to determining flight power have relied on a variety of indirect measurements and led to a controversy over the shape of the power-speed relationship and a lack of quantitative agreement between the different techniques. We have used a new approach to determine flight power at a range of speeds based on the performance of the pectoralis muscles. As such, our measurements provide a unique dataset for comparison with other methods. Here we show that in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) and zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata) power is modulated with flight speed, resulting in U-shaped power-speed relationship. Our measured muscle powers agreed well with a range of powers predicted using an aerodynamic model. Assessing the accuracy of mechanical power calculated using such models is essential as they are the basis for determining flight efficiency when compared to measurements of flight metabolic rate and for predicting minimum power and maximum range speeds, key determinants of optimal flight behaviour in the field.     

APAP, a sequence-pattern recognition approach identifies substance P as a potential apoptotic peptide

We have previously described a novel cancer chemotherapeutic approach based on the induction of apoptosis in targeted cells by homing pro-apoptotic peptides. In order to improve this approach we developed a computational method (approach for detecting potential apoptotic peptides, APAP) to detect short PAPs, based on the prediction of the helical content of peptides, the hydrophobic moment, and the isoelectric point. PAPs are toxic against bacteria and mitochondria, but not against mammalian cells when applied extracellularly. Among other peptides, substance P was identified as a PAP and subsequently demonstrated to be a pro-apoptotic peptide experimentally. APAP thus provides a method to detect and ultimately improve pro-apoptotic peptides for chemotherapy.     

An artificially designed pore-forming protein with anti-tumor effects

Protein engineering is an emerging area that has expanded our understanding of protein folding and laid the groundwork for the creation of unprecedented structures with unique functions. We previously designed the first native-like pore-forming protein, small globular protein (SGP). We show here that this artificially engineered protein has membrane-disrupting properties and anti-tumor activity in several cancer animal models. We propose and validate a mechanism for the selectivity of SGP toward cell membranes in tumors. SGP is the prototype for a new class of artificial proteins designed for therapeutic applications.     

Hunting for excitement: NMDA receptors in Huntington's disease

Excitotoxic cell death stimulated by quinolinic acid injection into the striatum has a long history of "mimicking" many aspects of motor, behavioral, and neurochemical changes observed in Huntington's disease patients. In this issue of Neuron, provide insight into the role of NMDA receptors in the cell-specific excitotoxic death observed in Huntington's disease (HD) using a HD mouse model expressing full-length mutant huntingtin (htt).     

Successful immunotherapy with matrix metalloproteinase-derived peptides in adjuvant arthritis depends on the timing of peptide administration

We have recently found that matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are targets for T-cell and B-cell reactivity in experimental arthritis. In the present article, we investigate whether modulation of MMP-specific T-cell responses could influence the course of adjuvant arthritis (AA). Lewis rats were treated nasally with MMP peptides prior to or after AA induction. Administration of the MMP-10 or the MMP-16 peptide prior to AA induction reduced the arthritic symptoms. In contrast, administration of the MMP-10 peptide after AA induction aggravated the arthritic symptoms. The present study shows the possible usefulness of MMP peptides for immunotherapy. However, a clear understanding of proper timing of peptide administration is crucial for the development of such therapies.     

A second cytotoxic proteolytic peptide derived from amyloid beta-protein precursor

The amyloid beta-protein precursor gives rise to the amyloid beta-protein, the principal constituent of senile plaques and a cytotoxic fragment involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer disease. Here we show that amyloid beta-protein precursor was proteolytically cleaved by caspases in the C terminus to generate a second unrelated peptide, called C31. The resultant C31 peptide was a potent inducer of apoptosis. Both caspase-cleaved amyloid beta-protein precursor and activated caspase-9 were present in brains of Alzheimer disease patients but not in control brains. These findings indicate the possibility that caspase cleavage of amyloid beta-protein precursor with the generation of C31 may be involved in the neuronal death associated with Alzheimer disease.