tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Development and Comparison of Two Immuno-disaggregation Based Bioassays for Cell Secretome Analysis
Authors: Pawan KC, Fan Liu, Jiang Zhe, Ge Zhang
Journal: Theranostics (2017)

Cell secretome analysis has gained increasing attention towards the development of effective strategies for disease treatment. Analysis of cell secretome enables the platform to monitor the status of disease progression, facilitating therapeutic outcomes. However, cell secretome analysis is very challenging due to its versatile and dynamic composition. Here, we report the development of two immuno-disaggregation bioassays using functionalized microparticles for the quantitative analysis of the cell secretome. Methods: We evaluated the feasibility of our developed immuno-disaggregation bioassays using antibody-conjugated MPs and protein-conjugated MPs for the detection of target cell secretome protein. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-165 protein was tested as a model cell secretome protein in the serum and serum-free conditions. The status of MP aggregates was examined with a light microscopy and AccuSizerTM 780 Optical Particle Sizer. The accuracy of our bioassays measurement was compared with standard ELISA method. Results: The developed bioassays successfully detected target VEGF protein present in serum-free buffer and serum-containing complete cell culture medium with high sensitivity and specificity. Additionally, the immuno-disaggregation bioassays using antibody-conjugated MPs and protein-conjugated MPs have a wide detection range from 0.01 ng/mL to 100 ng/mL and 0.5 ng/mL to 100 ng/mL, respectively. The sensitivity of the bioassay using antibody-conjugated MPs was approximately one order of magnitude higher than the bioassay using protein-conjugated MPs. Conclusion: Our promising results indicate the potential of the developed bioassays as powerful platforms for the quantitative analysis of cell secretome.
Multifunctional Assessment of Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Lucio Calandriello, Anna Rita Larici, Lucia Leccisotti, Annemilia del Ciello, Giuliano Sica, Amato Infante, Maria Teresa Congedo, Andrea Poscia, Alessandro Giordano, Lorenzo Bonomo
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (2017)

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between whole-tumor CT perfusion and FDG PET/CT parameters in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Twenty-five patients with NSCLC were prospectively included. CT perfusion parameters calculated were blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), mean transit time, and peak enhancement intensity. SUVmax, SUVpeak, SUVmean, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were evaluated for PET/CT. Tumor diameter and volume were measured, and lesions were divided according to maximum axial diameter in more than 3 cm and 3 cm or less. The correlations between CT perfusion and PET/CT parameters were assessed in all tumors, as well as according to tumor diameter and volume.Lesion diameter and volume showed a negative correlation with BF and BV (r = -0.78, -0.78, -0.57, -0.48, respectively) and a positive correlation with mean transit time (r = 0.55, 0.65, respectively). The negative correlation between BF and lesion diameter and volume was confirmed in the subgroup of lesions of more than 3 cm (r = -0.68, -0.68, respectively). A positive correlation between SUVmax, SUVpeak, SUVmean, and lesion volume was observed (r = 0.50, 0.50, 0.46, respectively) and confirmed in lesions 3 cm or less (r = 0.81, 0.79, 0.78, respectively). Metabolic tumor volume and TLG showed a positive correlation with lesion diameter and volume in the overall population (r = 0.93, 0.87, 0.88, 0.90, respectively) and in lesions of more than 3 cm (r = 0.89, 0.84, 0.84, 0.79, respectively). Blood flow and BV showed a negative correlation with MTV and TLG (r = -0.77, -0.74, and -0.58, -0.48, respectively) in the overall population and with MTV in lesions of more than 3 cm (r = -0.69, -0.62, respectively).Perfusion and metabolic parameters seem to depend on tumor size. The bigger the tumor, the lower the BF and the BV and, conversely, the higher the SUVpeak, MTV, and TLG. This information would be useful in the clinical setting when diagnosing or treating NSCLC, especially with novel therapies and/or for radiation treatment modulation.
Systolic blood pressure and cardiovascular outcomes in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: an analysis of the TOPCAT trial
Authors: Senthil Selvaraj, Brian Claggett, Sanjiv J. Shah, Inder Anand, Jean L. Rouleau, Akshay S. Desai, Eldrin F. Lewis, Bertram Pitt, Nancy K. Sweitzer, Marc A. Pfeffer, Scott D. Solomon
Journal: European Journal of Heart Failure (2017)
The nitric oxide donor SNAP enhances breast cancer cell growth and migration
Authors: Brandi C. Brandon, Tanja L. Caldwell, Debra Ellerson, Gary M. Sanford, Tammy Wallace, Gary L. Sanford
Journal: Cancer Research (2005)

4704  Nitric oxide (NO) is a factor implicated in mediating breast cancer progression. However, studies have shown conflicting results concerning NO role in breast cancer progression. As a result, it remains unclear what the exact role of NO may be. Currently, we are investigating the hypothesis that low concentrations of NO to the breast cancer cell line, MCF-7, will enhance cell growth, adhesion and migration. In these initial studies, we assessed the effect of NO on the proliferation, adhesion and migration of the estrogen-responsive breast cancer cell line, MCF-7. Proliferation was determined by plating 1 X 105 MCF-7 cells per well in 6-well culture plates that were either uncoated or collagen-coated. The cells were treated with increasing concentrations of S-Nitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP), a nitric oxide donor, and incubated for 24-48 hr. Cultures were harvested and the numbers of viable and non-viable cells were counted using the Trypan Blue Dye Exclusion method. Cell adhesion was assessed by treating a confluent flask of MCF-7 cells with increasing concentrations of SNAP for 24 hrs. The cells were harvested and 1 X 105 cells added to uncoated, collagen-coated or collagen with fibronectin-coated 6-well culture plates. The plates were incubated for 4hr; the media removed and cells stained using 1% crystal violet. The cells were rinsed and digitally photographed. Cell migration was measured as follows: dissociated MCF-7 cells in complete medium were placed in the upper well of transwell membranes (8 μm pore size) with serum-free medium in the bottom well. After 24 hr, the upper well medium was replaced with serum-free medium containing SNAP and the bottom well medium replaced with medium containing 10% FBS. The cells on the top surface were removed 24 hr later, and the membranes were stained with 1% crystal violet. Following rinsing, the stained cells were digitally photographed and the mean cell number in 5 microscopic fields was measured. The dye was then extracted from stained cells and the absorbance at 585 nm was measured. We found a dose-dependent increase in MCF-7 proliferation after 48 hr in both uncoated and collagen-coated plates. However, fewer cells attached to coated plates compared to uncoated plates even with the addition of SNAP. We found a dose-dependent increase in cell migration with SNAP. A similar effect was seen with collagen-coated plates, however, the total number of migrating cells was decreased. These studies suggest that low concentrations of NO do promote breast cancer cell proliferation and migration which could lead to an increase in the metastatic behavior of the cells. In addition, lower concentrations of NO reduced the adhesive properties of breast cancer cells which can ultimately lead to a more metastatic cancer. These studies were support by grants MBRS/RISE NIGMS S06GM08248, NASA NCC9-112, and the Georgia Cancer Coalition.
Multilineage Constructs for Scaffold‐Based Tissue Engineering: A Review of Tissue‐Specific Challenges
Authors: Timothée Baudequin, Maryam Tabrizian
Journal: Advanced Healthcare Materials (2017)

Abstract There is a growing interest in the regeneration of tissue in interfacial regions, where biological, physical, and chemical attributes vary across tissue type. The simultaneous use of distinct cell lineages can help in developing in vitro structures, analogous to native composite tissues. This literature review gathers the recent reports that have investigated multiple cell types of various sources and lineages in a coculture system for tissue‐engineered constructs. Such studies aim at mimicking the native organization of tissues and their interfaces, and/or to improve the development of complex tissue substitutes. This paper thus distinguishes itself from those focusing on technical aspects of coculturing for a single specific tissue. The first part of this review is dedicated to variables of cocultured tissue engineering such as scaffold, cells, and in vitro culture environment. Next, tissue‐specific coculture methods and approaches are covered for the most studied tissues. Finally, cross‐analysis is performed to highlight emerging trends in coculture principles and to discuss how tissue‐specific challenges can inspire new approaches for regeneration of different interfaces to improve the outcomes of various tissue engineering strategies.
Development of a telemedicine palliative care program in a cancer center.
Authors: Youngho Paul Kim, Reggie Saldivar, Robert Sidlow
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2017)

99 Background: Inpatient palliative care (PC) teams have increased their presence over the past decade, with over 90% of hospitals having access to PC specialists. However, such growth has not been mirrored in the outpatient setting; this is relevant for patients living far from major medical centers. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) has expanded its ambulatory care footprint beyond New York City (NYC) to sites where PC is not currently available. To address the need for PC delivery to a geographically dispersed patient population, we developed a clinical initiative utilizing telemedicine technology. Methods: The Telemedicine Palliative Care Program (TPCP) was initiated after planning with multiple stakeholders, including clinical, legal, billing, compliance, ambulatory care, information systems, and scheduling departments. The TPCP provides PC consultation and management of patients via a “hub-and-spoke” model, whereby PC specialists are located at the main campus in NYC and patients are scheduled to be seen at one of six regional ambulatory cancer sites within a 50-mile radius. Regional ambulatory sites have video teleconference rooms equipped with Cisco (San Jose, CA) TelePresence MX300 hardware and Jabber software allowing for secure, high fidelity, real-time video communication with clinicians at the main campus who use iPads installed with Jabber software during their consultation sessions. Results: The TPCP is currently active at two regional sites in New York and New Jersey. Patient satisfaction, perception of quality of care, and patient outcomes will be measured. Preliminary results indicate that both patients and providers find this clinical program to be an extremely valuable experience. Conclusions: The technologic infrastructure is now available to deliver telemedicine-enabled PC for cancer patients in a geographically distributed model. Our early experience suggests that our program will help enable the convenient delivery of concurrent PC to cancer patients across a wide geographic area. This innovative clinical initiative has the potential to enable all MSK patients to access high-quality palliative care in a geography-agnostic manner, and eventually deliver such care to patients in their homes.
Childhood multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the European Union and European Economic Area: an analysis of tuberculosis surveillance data from 2007 to 2015
Authors: Csaba Ködmön, Martin van den Boom, Phillip Zucs, Marieke Johanna van der Werf
Journal: Eurosurveillance (2017)

BackgroundConfirming tuberculosis (TB) in children and obtaining information on drug susceptibility is essential to ensure adequate treatment. We assessed whether there are gaps in diagnosis and treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB in children in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA), quantified the burden of MDR TB in children and characterised cases. Methods: We analysed surveillance data from 2007 to 2015 for paediatric cases younger than 15 years. Results: In that period, 26 EU/EEA countries reported 18,826 paediatric TB cases of whom 4,129 (21.9%) were laboratory-confirmed. Drug susceptibility testing results were available for 3,378 (17.9%), representing 81.8% of the confirmed cases. The majority (n = 2,967; 87.8%) had drug-sensitive TB, 249 (7.4%) mono-resistant TB, 64 (1.9%) poly-resistant TB, 90 (2.7%) MDR TB and eight (0.2%) had extensively drug-resistant (XDR) TB. MDR TB was more frequently reported among paediatric cases with foreign background (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.73; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.12-2.67) or previous TB treatment (aOR: 6.42; 95% CI: 3.24-12.75). Successful treatment outcome was reported for 58 of 74 paediatric MDR TB cases with outcome reported from 2007 to 2013; only the group of 5-9 years-olds was significantly associated with unsuccessful treatment outcome (crude odds ratio (cOR) = 11.45; 95% CI: 1.24-106.04). Conclusions: The burden of MDR TB in children in the EU/EEA appears low, but may be underestimated owing to challenges in laboratory confirmation. Diagnostic improvements are needed for early detection and adequate treatment of MDR TB. Children previously treated for TB or of foreign origin may warrant higher attention.
Disruption or innovation? A qualitative study on the use of electronic patient-physician communication in patients with advanced cancer.
Authors: Teja Voruganti, Amna Husain, Eva Grunfeld, Fiona Webster
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2017)

64 Background: Clinical management of patients with advanced cancer is complex, involving specialized treatment and multiple healthcare providers in different settings. In this context, care coordination and sharing of contextual information is often inadequate, leading to suboptimal continuity of care. Electronic communication has the potential to address these gaps and engage patients in their own care. We studied a web-based tool which assembles the patient, their caregivers and their healthcare providers in a virtual space for team-based communication. We sought to understand participant perceptions on electronic communication in general, and the added value of the new tool in particular. Methods: We conducted a qualitative descriptive study with participants (patients with advanced cancer, caregivers, cancer physicians) who participated in a 3-month pilot trial evaluating the tool. Interviews were thematically analyzed and the perspectives from patients, caregivers and cancer physicians were triangulated. Results: We identified five themes relating participants’ perspectives on electronic communication to their experience of care: 1) apparent gaps in care; 2) uncertainty in defining the circle of care; 3) relational aspects of communication; 4) incongruence between technology and social norms of patient-physician communication; and 5) appreciation but apprehension about the role of the electronic communication tool for improving the experience of care. Conclusions: The potential of tools for electronic communication to bring together a team of healthcare providers with the patient and caregivers is significant but may pose new challenges to existing team structure and interpersonal dynamics. Patients and physicians were worried about the impact that electronic communication may have on the patient-physician relationship. Implementation approaches which build on the relationship, and integrate the team as a whole, could positively position electronic communication to enhance team-based care.
Simultaneous Care clinic (SCC): A three-year monoinstituional experience.
Authors: Silvia Stragliotto, Antonella Brunello, Sara Galuppo, Sabina Murgioni, Vincenzo Dadduzio, Evelina Lamberti, Irene Guglieri, Stefania Schiavon, Maria Teresa Nardi, Letizia Procaccio, Vittorina Zagonel
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2017)

169 Background: Early palliative care has been shown to improve outcomes in pts with advanced cancer. In accordance with ASCO and AIOM recommendations of implementing palliative care early for pts with metastatic cancer along with active cancer treatment a SCC was set up at Istituto Oncologico Veneto (IOV) in Padova since 2014; Methods: Data of pts referred to the SCC from Mar 2014 to Nov 2016 were retrieved from a prospectively maintained database. Data collected included cancer type, status of disease, PS, ongoing oncological treatment, psychological evaluation, social evaluation, nutritional evaluation, activation of home territorial services and/or Palliative Care services, use of other health services after a first visit and place of death; Results: 533 pts were evaluated by a multidisciplinary team. Overall symptom burden was low with baseline symptom scores highest for fatigue, lack of appetite and depression. Nutritional evaluation revealed 224 pts (42%) with nutritional problems, the most frequent being weight loss (n = 121). Psychological distress was present in 185 pts (35%). Social issues were present in 26 pts (5%) and were dealt with activation of social services (n = 9) or volunteer territorial services (n = 8). Patients deemed in need of home care services after the first access to the SCC were 177 (33%) and for these a formal request for Home Care services activation was sent to the Local Health Territorial Unit. After the first visit 141 patients referred to Emergency Room for intervening problems with median time of 41 days. Globally 290 pts (54%) died with 53% of deaths occurring at home. For pts who were receiving active oncological treatment median time from first-visit in the SCC and death was 126 days. We are also evaluating a score for priority for access to SCC; Conclusions: Early integrated SC may be most effective if targeted to the specific needs of each patient population
Effects of examination room computer on cancer patients perception of physician's compassion, communication skills, and professionalism: A randomized clinical trial.
Authors: Ali Haider, Kimberson Cochien Tanco, Margeaux Epner, Ahsan Azhar, Janet L. Williams, Susan Frisbee-Hume, Julio A. Allo, Diane D Liu, Eduardo Bruera
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2017)

26 Background: The use of electronic health records (EHR) continues to rise in various clinical settings. The full effects of EHR use on physician-patient interactions remain unclear. This study aims to compare patient perception of physician’s compassion, communication skills, and professionalism between a traditional face to face clinic visit with a visit where an examination room computer is used by the physician to access and document patient information. Methods: RCT was conducted at an outpatient supportive care center. 120 English speaking adults with advanced cancer were recruited. Patients were randomized to watch 2 standardized, 3-minute video vignettes depicting a routine physician-patient clinical encounter. Both videos had identical script. In one video, physician communicated face to face while in the other video physician used the examination room computer during conversation. Both actors and patients were blinded to the purpose of the study. Investigators were blinded to the sequence of videos watched by the patients. After viewing each video, patients completed validated questionnaires rating their perception of physician’s compassion (0 = best, 50 = worst), communication skills (0 = poor, 70 = excellent) and professionalism (0 = poor, 20 = very good). Patients were also asked to rate their overall physician preference. Results: After watching the first video, the face to face clinical encounter resulted in better compassion scores (median [interquartile range], 9[0-18] vs 20[6-28]; P = .0003), communication skills 65[54-70] vs 54[41-63]; P = .0001) and professionalism 19[5-20] vs 14[11-17]; P = .013). After crossover analysis, we found a significant period ( P = .004) and sequence ( P = .005) effect favoring the second video on compassion scores. After watching the second video, 86 (72%) of the patients preferred face to face communication. Conclusions: Patientsperceived physicians who communicated face to face without the use of computer as more compassionate, professional and with better communication skills. Moreover they preferred face to face physician to be their provider. Clinical trial information: NCT02957565.
Presence of monosodium urate crystal deposition by dual-energy CT in patients with gout treated with allopurinol
Authors: Nicola Dalbeth, Savvas Nicolaou, Scott Baumgartner, Jia Hu, Maple Fung, Hyon K Choi
Journal: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases (2017)

Objective Dual-energy CT (DECT) detects and quantifies monosodium urate (MSU) crystal deposition with high precision. This DECT study assessed crystal deposition in patients with gout treated with stable-dose allopurinol, and investigated potential clinical determinants for crystal deposition. Methods Patients with gout treated with allopurinol ≥300 mg daily for at least 3 months were prospectively recruited from the USA and New Zealand, using monitored enrolment to include approximately 25% patients with palpable tophi and approximately 50% with serum urate (sUA) levels &lt;6.0 mg/dL (&lt;357µmol/L). MSU crystal deposition was measured in the hands/wrists, feet/ankles/Achilles and knees bilaterally. The presence and total volume of crystals were assessed by DECT and analysed according to sUA levels and gout characteristics. Results Among 152 patients receiving allopurinol ≥300 mg/day for 5.1 years on average, 69.1% had crystal deposition on DECT, with a median total crystal volume of 0.16 cm 3 (range: 0.01–19.53 cm 3 ). The prevalence of crystal deposition ranged from 46.9% among patients with sUA &lt;6.0 mg/dL and no palpable tophi to 90.0% among those with sUA ≥6.0 mg/dL and tophi. Total volume of crystal deposition was positively associated with sUA ≥6.0 mg/dL, gout flares within the past 3 months and tophi. Total volume of crystal deposition correlated positively with Patient Global Impression of Disease Activity scores. Conclusion A substantial proportion of patients without palpable tophi have MSU crystal deposition, despite receiving allopurinol doses ≥300 mg/day for a considerable duration. Patients with higher sUA and clinical features of severe disease have a higher frequency and greater volume of MSU crystal deposition.