Effect of Previous Alkylating Agent Exposure on Follicle Numbers in Cryopreserved Prepubertal and Young Adult Ovarian Tissue after Long-Term Xenografting

Purpose and methods: To elucidate whether previous cancer treatment affects graft recovery and follicle numbers, morphology, and development in grafts, cryopreserved ovarian biopsies obtained from 18 cancer patients aged 1–24 years with and without exposure to chemotherapy were xenografted as 1 mm3 fragments to immunodeficient mice for 22 weeks with exogenous stimulation. Results: Graft recovery showed no association with chemotherapy exposure, pubertal stage, or leukemia contamination. Total follicle number per recovered graft varied between 0 and 1031 in the chemotherapy-exposed and between 0 and 502 in the non-chemotherapy-exposed group. Atretic follicles formed the largest proportion of the follicle pool in chemotherapy-exposed grafts. Increased atresia correlated with exposure to alkylating agents (mean ± SD 8866.2 ± 9316.3 mg/m2) but not with anthracyclines, pubertal stage, or leukemia contamination. Conclusion: The observation confirms the harmful effects of alkylating agents on ovarian tissue. Therapy at the median cumulative dose of 8866 mg/m2 leads to the decreased quality of cryopreserved ovarian follicles in children and young adults.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Soft Tissue Therapy in the Treatment of Disorders and Postoperative Conditions of the Knee Joint—A Systematic Review

The term “soft tissue therapy” (STT) refers to mechanical methods of treatment involving passive kneading, pressing and stretching of pathologically tense tissues in supporting the process of recovery after surgery or trauma to the musculoskeletal system. The objective of this study was to review current scientific reports evaluating the effectiveness of the use of STT in patients with diseases or after surgical procedures of the knee joint. A systematic search of the popular scientific databases PubMed, Scopus and Embase was performed from inception to 15 October 2021. Eight articles met eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Six papers were related to disorders of the knee joint, while the remaining two studies were related to dysfunctions associated with the conditions after surgical intervention. The findings presented confirmed the effectiveness of STT in orthopaedic patients who showed an increase in lower limb functional parameters. The research has shown that the use of various methods of STT has a significant impact on increasing muscle activity and flexibility as well as increasing the range of motion in the knee joint. The physiotherapeutic methods used had a significant impact on reducing pain and increasing physical function and quality of life. The techniques used reduced the time to descend stairs in patients with knee osteoarthritis. This review summarises the effectiveness of STT as an important form of treatment for orthopaedic patients with various knee joint dysfunctions.

Tissue therapy for severe trachoma

A number of antibiotics (synthomycin, chloramphenicol, biomycin, terramycin and tetracycline), as well as sulfanilamide drugs (albucid, etazole, norsulfazole, etc.) are very effective in the treatment of trachoma both in fresh cases and in later cases, when there are no severe corneal lesions

Osteosphere Model to Evaluate Cell–Surface Interactions of Implantable Biomaterials

Successful biomaterials for bone tissue therapy must present different biocompatible properties, such as the ability to stimulate the migration and proliferation of osteogenic cells on the implantable surface, to increase attachment and avoid the risks of implant movement after surgery. The present work investigates the applicability of a three-dimensional (3D) model of bone cells (osteospheres) in the evaluation of osteoconductive properties of different implant surfaces. Three different titanium surface treatments were tested: machined (MA), sandblasting and acid etching (BE), and Hydroxyapatite coating by plasma spray (PSHA). The surfaces were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), confirming that they present very distinct roughness. After seeding the osteospheres, cell–surface interactions were studied in relation to cell proliferation, migration, and spreading. The results show that BE surfaces present higher densities of cells, leaving the aggregates towards than titanium surfaces, providing more evidence of migration. The PSHA surface presented the lowest performance in all analyses. The results indicate that the 3D model allows the focal analysis of an in vitro cell/surfaces interaction of cells and surfaces. Moreover, by demonstrating the agreement with the clinical data observed in the literature, they suggest a potential use as a predictive preclinical tool for investigating osteoconductive properties of novel biomaterials for bone therapy.

Hypoparathyroidism: State of the Art on Cell and Tissue Therapies

Hypoparathyroidism is an endocrine disorder characterized by low serum calcium levels, high serum phosphorus levels, and by inappropriate or absent secretion of the parathyroid hormone (PTH). The most common therapeutic strategy to treat this condition is hormone replacement therapy with calcium and vitamin D but, unfortunately, in the long term this treatment may not be sufficient to compensate for the loss of endocrine function. Glandular autotransplantation is considered the most effective technique in place of replacement therapy. Although it leads to excellent results in most cases, autotransplantation is not always possible. Allograft is a good way to treat patients who have not been able to undergo autograft, but this technique has limited success due to side effects related to tissue rejection. This therapy is supported by systemic immunosuppression, which leads to the onset of serious side effects in patients, with a risk of endocrine toxicity. Today, research on endocrine disorders is focused on discovering alternative graft therapies that can allow optimal results with the fewest possible side effects. In this review, we will make an update on the current state of the art about the cell and tissue therapy as treatment for hypoparathyroidism, to identify which type of therapeutic strategy could be valid for a future clinical use.

Tongue stretching: technique and clinical proposal

Objectives The tongue is an organ with multiple functions, from sucking to phonation, from swallowing to postural control and equilibrium. An incorrect position or mechanics of the tongue can causes sucking problems in the newborn or atypical swallowing in the adult, with repercussions on the position of the head and neck, up to influencing upright posture and other problems. Tongue dysfunctions are quite frequent (10–15%) in the population. For the manual therapist, this frequency indicates one to two subjects every 30 patients. Exercises have been proposed to improve the tone and strength of the swallowing muscles but the results are not so clear in the literature. The aim of this study is to describe and provide a tongue muscle normalization technique that helps the manual therapist in the treatment of problems related to it. Methods The literature has been investigated through pubmed, Google scholar of the last 10 years, the keywords used and combined with the Boolean operators AND and OR, are: “tongue, tongue habits, tongue diseases, taste disorder, neck pain, posture, postural balance, atypical swallowing, muscle stretching exercise, tissue expansion, soft tissue therapy, osteopathic manipulative treatment”. Results and Conclusions The technique is possible to be executed even in a sitting position, in the case the patient is unable to assume a supine position, the subject should provides immediate feedback that allows the therapist to understand if the technique has been correctly executed. The simplicity of execution and application of the technique makes it a possible and immediate therapeutic tool in the clinical setting.

New method of salvage retinoblastoma treatment

Purpose. Elaboration of the new method of salvage retinoblastoma (RB) treatment, combining local and systemic chemotherapy. Material and methods. Salvage treatment using the new method was carried out in 71 children aged 2 months – 7 years on 102 eyes with RB in T1–T3 stages. At the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmopathology of SI «The Filatov Institute of Eye Diseases and Tissue Therapy of NAMS of Ukraine» the method of combined polychemotherapy (CPCT) was developed in 2010: primary IViC – injection of 0,01 µg (0,1 µg) Melphalan through pars plana; a course of CEV-protocol (drugs combination: Carboplatin + Etoposide Phosphate + Vincristine Sulfate) chemoreduction the next day after injection; monitoring the state of the tumor with repeated courses of SPHT every 3 weeks; addition of CPCT by focal destruction methods according to indications. In order to increase the ablasticity of IVi injections, we have developed the antireflux method of their implementation: to reduce IOP the diuretic injection is preliminarily performed in age-related dosage; puncture of the conjunctiva at the distance of 1–1,5 mm from the intended sclera puncture and its displacement above the IVi injection site; puncture of the sclera with obliquely perpendicular injection channel formation; IViC by cytostatic Melphalan in a volume of 0,1 ml in various dilutions depending on the indications; in repeated IViC – in different meridians; removing the needle with one-step tamponade of the injection site by cotton swab, antibiotic solution injecting under the conjunctiva with roller formation. Results. Ten-year experience of using the developed algorithm of salvage RB treatment by combined polychemotherapy, based on primary intravitreal melphalan chemotherapy (using the proposed antireflux injection method) with simultaneous systemic chemoreduction, proves its safety and effectivity – 77.5% regression of the tumors. Conclusion. Simultaneous action on the tumor of various cytostatics – one (melphalan) intraocular directly on the tumor and its vitreal clones, others – (carboplatin, etoposide, vincristine) – from the peripheral blood – creates the effect of «double blow» on RB cells. Key words: retinoblastoma, salvage treatment, combined polychemotherapy.

Cell and Tissue Therapy for the Treatment of Chronic Liver Disease

Liver disease is an important clinical problem, impacting 600 million people worldwide. It is the 11th-leading cause of death in the world. Despite constant improvement in treatment and diagnostics, the aging population and accumulated risk factors led to increased morbidity due to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and steatohepatitis. Liver transplantation, first established in the 1960s, is the second-most-common solid organ transplantation and is the gold standard for the treatment of liver failure. However, less than 10% of the global need for liver transplantation is met at the current rates of transplantation due to the paucity of available organs. Cell- and tissue-based therapies present an alternative to organ transplantation. This review surveys the approaches and tools that have been developed, discusses the distinctive challenges that exist for cell- and tissue-based therapies, and examines the future directions of regenerative therapies for the treatment of liver disease. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, Volume 23 is July 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Retraction Note: Esoteric Connective Tissue Therapy for chronic low back pain to reduce pain, and improve functionality and general well-being compared with physiotherapy: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05154-3.