scholarly journals Evolution of the Experimental Models of Cholangiocarcinoma

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 2308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annamaria Massa ◽  
Chiara Varamo ◽  
Francesca Vita ◽  
Simona Tavolari ◽  
Caterina Peraldo-Neia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Models ◽  
Transgenic Mouse Models ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Poor Overall Survival ◽  
The Past ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Consistent Increase ◽  
Molecular Aberrations

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a rare, aggressive disease with poor overall survival. In advanced cases, surgery is often not possible or fails; in addition, there is a lack of effective and specific therapies. Multidisciplinary approaches and advanced technologies have improved the knowledge of CCA molecular pathogenesis, highlighting its extreme heterogeneity and high frequency of genetic and molecular aberrations. Effective preclinical models, therefore, should be based on a comparable level of complexity. In the past years, there has been a consistent increase in the number of available CCA models. The exploitation of even more complex CCA models is rising. Examples are the use of CRISPR/Cas9 or stabilized organoids for in vitro studies, as well as patient-derived xenografts or transgenic mouse models for in vivo applications. Here, we examine the available preclinical CCA models exploited to investigate: (i) carcinogenesis processes from initiation to progression; and (ii) tools for personalized therapy and innovative therapeutic approaches, including chemotherapy and immune/targeted therapies. For each model, we describe the potential applications, highlighting both its advantages and limits.

Mapping the Decadal (2009–2018) Research Landscape of Nanotoxicity: Insights from a Bibliometric Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1327-1337
Author(s):  
Xin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Development ◽  
Reproductive Toxicity ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Imaging Diagnosis ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
The Past ◽  
Institutional Impact

Nanomaterials (NMs) have wide applications in industrial and household areas, and possibilities of exposure to NMs are increasing, prompting considerable concerns about safety issues related to them. This paper describes the research landscape of nanotoxicity over the past ten years by adopting bibliometric methods. Annual, regional, and institutional distributions, as well as regional/institutional impact of literature on nanotoxicity were analyzed. Both quantitative and citation-based analyses were carried out to reveal the research hotspots. Results showed that cytotoxicity was the most concerned issue in the application of NMs, especially in imaging, diagnosis, and therapy. There were also a large number of studies on ecotoxicity, oxidative stress, apoptosis, genotoxicity, inflammation, and reproductive toxicity caused by NMs. NMs such as Ag, Au, graphene-based materials (GBMs), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), TiO2, SiO2, etc. were the most studied materials. Moreover, a growing number of both in vivo and in vitro studies involving NMs have been carried out in the past ten years. Mammalian models, such as mouse, human and rat, were the most studied models. A Sankey diagram between study types and experimental models showed that in vivo studies exceeded in vitro studies for some well-established animal models. Yet in-depth in vivo studies regarding interactions of NMs within human systems were still essential. With rapid development of nanotechnology, toxic and safety issues on NMs need to be addressed more specifically in future research.

Malignancy and the Haemostatic System; Introductory Remarks

1979 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Benedetta Donati
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Models ◽  
Leukemic Cells ◽  
Metastasis Formation ◽  
Invasive Potential ◽  
Induce Platelet Aggregation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Indirect Treatment ◽  
Tumor Growth And Metastasis

The haemostatic system, with the complexity of its various components, comprises a number of activities which may play a role in tumor growth and metastasis formation. In particular, the ability of some cancer and/or leukemic cells to adhere to and cross the vascular endothelium, to induce platelet aggregation, to release procoagulant and/or fibrinolytic activities, to adhere to polymerizing fibrin and other substrates (such as collagen) could influence their invasive potential. In vitro observations on such properties of cancer and/or transformed cells have received over the past 20 years, some experimental in vivo support, although indirect. Treatment with drugs active on the haemostatic system has proved effective in reducing metastatic growth in some instances. However, both the suitability of the models used and the mode of action of the drugs employed have been questioned. As a paradigmatic example, the mechanism where by warfarin reduces metastasis formation in a number of experimental models is still a matter of discussion. Finally the shift from experimental work to possible clinical application presents a number of difficultures. Nevertheless, some preliminary information is available which could orient future efforts in this puzzling field.Supported by CNR (Italy) and NIH, NCI (USA).

Neutralization of a Low Molecular Weight Heparin (LHN-1) and Conventional Heparin by Protamine Sulfate in Rats

1986 ◽  
Vol 56 (03) ◽  
pp. 318-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Diness ◽  
P B Østergaard
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Low Molecular Weight Heparin ◽  
Thrombus Formation ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Protamine Sulfate ◽  
Low Molecular Weight ◽  
Antithrombotic Effect ◽  
Higher Doses

SummaryThe neutralization of a low molecular weight heparin (LHN-1) and conventional heparin (CH) by protamine sulfate has been studied in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, the APTT activity of CH was completely neutralized in parallel with the anti-Xa activity. The APTT activity of LHN-1 was almost completely neutralized in a way similar to the APTT activity of CH, whereas the anti-Xa activity of LHN-1 was only partially neutralized.In vivo, CH 3 mg/kg and LHN-1 7.2 mg/kg was given intravenously in rats. The APTT and anti-Xa activities, after neutralization by protamine sulfate in vivo, were similar to the results in vitro. In CH treated rats no haemorrhagic effect in the rat tail bleeding test and no antithrombotic effect in the rat stasis model was found at a protamine sulfate to heparin ratio of about 1, which neutralized APTT and anti-Xa activities. In LHN-1 treated rats the haemorrhagic effect was neutralized when APTT was close to normal whereas higher doses of protamine sulfate were required for neutralization of the antithrombotic effect. This probably reflects the fact that in most experimental models higher doses of heparin are needed to induce bleeding than to prevent thrombus formation. Our results demonstrate that even if complete neutralization of APTT and anti-Xa activities were not seen in LHN-1 treated rats, the in vivo effects of LHN-1 could be neutralized as efficiently as those of conventional heparin. The large fall in blood pressure caused by high doses of protamine sulfate alone was prevented by the prior injection of LHN-1.

Antimicrobial peptides for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, allies or foes?

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1138-1147
Author(s):  
Bruno Rivas-Santiago ◽  
Flor Torres-Juarez
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Tuberculosis ◽  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Drug Resistant Strains

Tuberculosis is an ancient disease that has become a serious public health issue in recent years, although increasing incidence has been controlled, deaths caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis have been accentuated due to the emerging of multi-drug resistant strains and the comorbidity with diabetes mellitus and HIV. This situation is threatening the goals of World Health Organization (WHO) to eradicate tuberculosis in 2035. WHO has called for the creation of new drugs as an alternative for the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis, among the plausible molecules that can be used are the Antimicrobial Peptides (AMPs). These peptides have demonstrated remarkable efficacy to kill mycobacteria in vitro and in vivo in experimental models, nevertheless, these peptides not only have antimicrobial activity but also have a wide variety of functions such as angiogenesis, wound healing, immunomodulation and other well-described roles into the human physiology. Therapeutic strategies for tuberculosis using AMPs must be well thought prior to their clinical use; evaluating comorbidities, family history and risk factors to other diseases, since the wide function of AMPs, they could lead to collateral undesirable effects.

Epithelial Organotypic Cultures: A Viable Model to Address Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis by Epitheliotropic Viruses

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 246-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Termini ◽  
Enrique Boccardo
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cell Types ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Biological Research ◽  
Specific Gene ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Organotypic Cultures ◽  
Skin Physiology

In vitro culture of primary or established cell lines is one of the leading techniques in many areas of basic biological research. The use of pure or highly enriched cultures of specific cell types obtained from different tissues and genetics backgrounds has greatly contributed to our current understanding of normal and pathological cellular processes. Cells in culture are easily propagated generating an almost endless source of material for experimentation. Besides, they can be manipulated to achieve gene silencing, gene overexpression and genome editing turning possible the dissection of specific gene functions and signaling pathways. However, monolayer and suspension cultures of cells do not reproduce the cell type diversity, cell-cell contacts, cell-matrix interactions and differentiation pathways typical of the three-dimensional environment of tissues and organs from where they were originated. Therefore, different experimental animal models have been developed and applied to address these and other complex issues in vivo. However, these systems are costly and time consuming. Most importantly the use of animals in scientific research poses moral and ethical concerns facing a steadily increasing opposition from different sectors of the society. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of alternative in vitro experimental models that accurately reproduce the events observed in vivo to reduce the use of animals. Organotypic cultures combine the flexibility of traditional culture systems with the possibility of culturing different cell types in a 3D environment that reproduces both the structure and the physiology of the parental organ. Here we present a summarized description of the use of epithelial organotypic for the study of skin physiology, human papillomavirus biology and associated tumorigenesis.

Novel Findings of Anti-cancer Property of Propofol

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiaqiang Wang ◽  
Chien-shan Cheng ◽  
Yan Lu ◽  
Xiaowei Ding ◽  
Minmin Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Anesthesia ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Intravenous Anesthetic ◽  
The Past ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Recent Attention

Background: Propofol, a widely used intravenous anesthetic agent, is traditionally applied for sedation and general anesthesia. Explanation: Recent attention has been drawn to explore the effect and mechanisms of propofol against cancer progression in vitro and in vivo. Specifically, the proliferation-inhibiting and apoptosis-inducing properties of propofol in cancer have been studied. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Conclusion: This review focused on the findings within the past ten years and aimed to provide a general overview of propofol's malignance-modulating properties and the potential molecular mechanisms.

scholarly journals HDAC4 promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression and serves as a therapeutic target

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Cheng ◽  
Jun Yang ◽  
Si-Wei Li ◽  
Guofu Huang ◽  
Chenxi Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ◽  
Tumor Growth ◽  
Therapeutic Target ◽  
Histone Deacetylases ◽  
Migration And Invasion ◽  
Poor Overall Survival ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
E Cadherin

AbstractHistone deacetylases (HDACs) are involved in tumor progression, and some have been successfully targeted for cancer therapy. The expression of histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4), a class IIa HDAC, was upregulated in our previous microarray screen. However, the role of HDAC4 dysregulation and mechanisms underlying tumor growth and metastasis in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remain elusive. Here, we first confirmed that the HDAC4 levels in primary and metastatic NPC tissues were significantly increased compared with those in normal nasopharyngeal epithelial tissues and found that high HDAC4 expression predicted a poor overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Functionally, HDAC4 accelerated cell cycle G1/S transition and induced the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition to promote NPC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro, as well as tumor growth and lung metastasis in vivo. Intriguingly, knockdown of N-CoR abolished the effects of HDAC4 on the invasion and migration abilities of NPC cells. Mechanistically, HDAC3/4 binds to the E-cadherin promoter to repress E-cadherin transcription. We also showed that the HDAC4 inhibitor tasquinimod suppresses tumor growth in NPC. Thus, HDAC4 may be a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target in patients with NPC.

scholarly journals Survival and Proliferation under Severely Hypoxic Microenvironments Using Cell-Laden Oxygenating Hydrogels

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Shabir Hassan ◽  
Berivan Cecen ◽  
Ramon Peña-Garcia ◽  
Fernanda Roberta Marciano ◽  
Amir K. Miri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prolonged Release ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Encapsulated Cells ◽  
Hypoxic Conditions ◽  
Skeletal Myoblasts ◽  
Artificial Tissue ◽  
Delivery Platform ◽  
Living Tissues

Different strategies have been employed to provide adequate nutrients for engineered living tissues. These have mainly revolved around providing oxygen to alleviate the effects of chronic hypoxia or anoxia that result in necrosis or weak neovascularization, leading to failure of artificial tissue implants and hence poor clinical outcome. While different biomaterials have been used as oxygen generators for in vitro as well as in vivo applications, certain problems have hampered their wide application. Among these are the generation and the rate at which oxygen is produced together with the production of the reaction intermediates in the form of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Both these factors can be detrimental for cell survival and can severely affect the outcome of such studies. Here we present calcium peroxide (CPO) encapsulated in polycaprolactone as oxygen releasing microparticles (OMPs). While CPO releases oxygen upon hydrolysis, PCL encapsulation ensures that hydrolysis takes place slowly, thereby sustaining prolonged release of oxygen without the stress the bulk release can endow on the encapsulated cells. We used gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels containing these OMPs to stimulate survival and proliferation of encapsulated skeletal myoblasts and optimized the OMP concentration for sustained oxygen delivery over more than a week. The oxygen releasing and delivery platform described in this study opens up opportunities for cell-based therapeutic approaches to treat diseases resulting from ischemic conditions and enhance survival of implants under severe hypoxic conditions for successful clinical translation.

scholarly journals MBRS-48. IDENTIFICATION OF NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES FOR MYC-DRIVEN MEDULLOBLASTOMA

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii406-iii406
Author(s):  
Kübra Taban ◽  
David Pauck ◽  
Mara Maue ◽  
Viktoria Marquardt ◽  
Hua Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Drugs ◽  
Current Therapy ◽  
Cancer Drug ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Cell Models ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Group 3 ◽  
Novel Therapeutic

Abstract Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common malignant brain tumor in children and is frequently metastatic at diagnosis. Treatment with surgery, radiation and multi-agent chemotherapy may leave survivors of these brain tumors with long-term deficits as a consequence. One of the four consensus molecular subgroups of MB is the MYC-driven group 3 MB, which is the most malignant type and has a poor prognosis under current therapy. Thus, it is important to discover more effective targeted therapeutic approaches. We conducted a high-throughput drug screening to identify novel compounds showing efficiency in group 3 MB using both clinically established inhibitors (n=196) and clinically-applicable compounds (n=464). More than 20 compounds demonstrated a significantly higher anti-tumoral effect in MYChigh (n=7) compared to MYClow (n=4) MB cell models. Among these compounds, Navitoclax and Clofarabine showed the strongest effect in inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in MYChigh MB models. Furthermore, we show that Navitoclax, an orally bioavailable and blood-brain barrier passing anti-cancer drug, inhibits specifically Bcl-xL proteins. In line, we found a significant correlation between BCL-xL and MYC mRNA levels in 763 primary MB patient samples (Data source: “R2 https://hgserver1.amc.nl”). In addition, Navitoclax and Clofarabine have been tested in cells obtained from MB patient-derived-xenografts, which confirmed their specific efficacy in MYChigh versus MYClow MB. In summary, our approach has identified promising new drugs that significantly reduce cell viability in MYChigh compared to MYClow MB cell models. Our findings point to novel therapeutic vulnerabilities for MB that need to be further validated in vitro and in vivo.

scholarly journals Interfacing cells with organic transistors: a review of in vitro and in vivo applications

Lab on a Chip ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 795-820
Author(s):  
Andrea Spanu ◽  
Laura Martines ◽  
Annalisa Bonfiglio
Keyword(s):  
Organic Transistors ◽  
Future Perspectives ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Future

This review focuses on the applications of organic transistors in cellular interfacing. It offers a comprehensive retrospective of the past, an overview of the latest innovations, and a glance on the future perspectives of this fast-evolving field.

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