In vivo Laser-induced Fluorescence Imaging of a Rat Pancreatic Cancer with Pheophorbide-a

Glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta is a ubiquitously and constitutively expressed molecule with pleiotropic function. It acts as a protooncogene in the development of several solid tumors including pancreatic cancer through its involvement in various cellular processes including cell proliferation, survival, invasion and metastasis, as well as autophagy. Furthermore, the level of aberrant glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta expression in the nucleus is inversely correlated with tumor differentiation and survival in both in vitro and in vivo models of pancreatic cancer. Small molecule inhibitors of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta have demonstrated therapeutic potential in pre-clinical models and are currently being evaluated in early phase clinical trials involving pancreatic cancer patients with interim results showing favorable results. Moreover, recent studies support a rationale for the combination of glycogen synthase kinase-3 beta inhibitors with chemotherapy and immunotherapy, warranting the evaluation of novel combination regimens in the future.

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The Revolutionary Roads to Study Cell–Cell Interactions in 3D In Vitro Pancreatic Cancer Models

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13040930 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 930

Author(s):

Donatella Delle Cave ◽

Riccardo Rizzo ◽

Bruno Sainz ◽

Giuseppe Gigli ◽

Loretta L. del Mercato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pancreatic Cancer ◽

Therapeutic Response ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Cellular Models ◽

Common Cancer ◽

Cancer Models ◽

Anti Cancer ◽

Tumor Environment

Pancreatic cancer, the fourth most common cancer worldwide, shows a highly unsuccessful therapeutic response. In the last 10 years, neither important advancements nor new therapeutic strategies have significantly impacted patient survival, highlighting the need to pursue new avenues for drug development discovery and design. Advanced cellular models, resembling as much as possible the original in vivo tumor environment, may be more successful in predicting the efficacy of future anti-cancer candidates in clinical trials. In this review, we discuss novel bioengineered platforms for anticancer drug discovery in pancreatic cancer, from traditional two-dimensional models to innovative three-dimensional ones.

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Gram-scale synthesis of a neodymium chelate as a spectral CT and second near-infrared window imaging agent for visualizing the gastrointestinal tract in vivo

Journal of Materials Chemistry B ◽

10.1039/d0tb02276d ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Pengrui Zhuang ◽

Ke Xiang ◽

Xiangxi Meng ◽

Guohe Wang ◽

Ziyuan Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gastrointestinal Tract ◽

Fluorescence Imaging ◽

Large Scale ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Imaging Agent ◽

Spectral Ct ◽

Green Method ◽

Infrared Window

A facile and green method was developed to fabricate Nd-DTPA on a large scale without byproducts for CT/spectral CT and NIR II fluorescence imaging of the gastrointestinal tract in vivo.

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