A combined antitumor strategy of separately transduced mesenchymal stem cells with soluble TRAIL and IFNβ produces a synergistic activity in the reduction of lymphoma and mice survival enlargement

As the understanding of cancer grows, new therapies have been proposed to improve the well-known limitations of current therapies, whose efficiency relies mostly on early detection, surgery and chemotherapy. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been introduced as a promissory and effective therapy. This fact is due to several useful features of MSCs, such as their accessibility and easy culture and expansion in vitro, and their remarkable ability for ‘homing’ towards tumors, allowing MSCs to exert their anticancer effects directly into tumors. Additionally, MSCs offer the practicability of being genetically engineered to carry anticancer genes, increasing their specificity and efficacy for fighting tumors. In the present study, the antitumoral efficacy and post-implant survival of mice bearing lymphomas implanted intratumorally were determined using mouse bone marrow-derived (BM)-MSCs transduced with soluble TRAIL (sTRAIL), full length TRAIL (flTRAIL), or interferon β (IFNβ), naïve BM-MSCs, or combinations of these. The percentage of surviving mice was determined once all not-implanted mice succumbed. It was found that the percentage of surviving mice implanted with the combination of MSCs-sTRAIL and MSCs-IFN-β was 62.5%. Lymphoma model achieved 100% fatality in the non-treated group by day 41. On the other hand, the percentage of surviving mice implanted with MSCs-sTRAIL was 50% and with MSCs-INFβ 25%. All the aforementioned differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). In conclusion, all implants exhibited tumor size reduction, growth delay, or apparent tumor clearance. MSCs proved to be effective anti-lymphoma agents; additionally, the combination of soluble TRAIL and IFN-β resulted in the most effective antitumor and life enlarging treatment, showing an additive antitumoral effect compared with individual treatments.

A New Gene Expression Signature for Triple Negative Breast Cancer Using Frozen Fresh Tissue before Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer tumors. Comparisons between TNBC and non-triple negative breast cancer (nTNBC) may help to differentiate key components involved in TNBC neoplasms. The purpose of the study was to analyze the expression profile of TNBC versus nTNBC tumors in a homogeneous population from northeastern Mexico. A prospective study of 50 patients was conducted (25 TNBC and 25 nTNBC). Clinic parameters were equally distributed for TNBC and nTNBC: age at diagnosis (51 vs 47 years, p=0.1), glucose levels (107 mg/dl vs 104 mg/dl, p=0.64), and body mass index (28 vs 29, p=0.14), respectively. Core biopsies were collected for histopathological diagnosis and gene expression analyses. Total RNA was isolated and expression profiling was performed. 40 genes showed differential expression pattern in TNBC tumors. Among these, 9 over-expressed genes (PRKX/PRKY, UGT8, HMGA1, LPIN1, HAPLN3, and ANKRD11), and one under-expressed (ANX9) gene are involved in general metabolism. Based on this biochemical peculiarity, and the over-expression of BCL11A and FOXC1 (involved in tumor growth and metastasis, respectively) we validated by qPCR the expression profile of 7 genes out of the signature. In this report, a new gene signature for TNBC is proposed. To our knowledge, this is the first TNBC signature which describes genes involved in general metabolism. The findings may be pertinent for Mexican patients and require to be evaluated in further ethnic groups and populations.

Effect of three pFSH doses on superovulation and embryo quality in goats during two breeding seasons in north-eastern mexico

The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of three pFSH doses (80 mg; 145 mg and 215 mg) on ovarian response and on quantity and quality of transferable embryos of goats during the breeding and the non-breeding seasons. Ovary structures were exposed (laparatomy under general anaesthesia) and numbers of follicles and corpora lutea were registered. Surgical embryo flushing was conducted to count and classify embryos. There were more follicles (3.4 ± 1.1) in does administered 80 mg of pFSH (p < 0.05) than in goats administered 145 mg of pFSH (2.2 ± 1.1) and 215 mg of pFSH (0.9 ± 0.6). Numbers of corpora lutea, blastocysts, and recovered and transferable embryos of goats administered 145 mg pFSH (13.4 ± 3.7, 2.42 ± 1.0, 3.4 ± 1.2 and 3.2 ± 1.1, respectively) and those of goats administered 215 mg pFSH (11.6 ± 2.6, 3.2 ± 0.9, 5.7 ± 1.5, and 5.6 ± 1.5) were greater (p < 0.05) than values obtained from goats administered 80 mg pFSH (4.0 ± 1.5, 0.5 ± 0.3, 1.0 ± 0.5, and 0.8 ± 0.5). Numbers of morula of does administered 80 and 145 mg pFSH (0.4 ± 0.4 and 0.8 ± 0.3) were lower (p < 0.05) than those obtained from animals treated with 215 mg pFSH (2.4 ± 0.9). There was no effect of season upon the analyzed variables. In conclusion, under the prevalent conditions in north-eastern Mexico, administration of 145 or 215 mg pFSH in a decreasing dose schedule over 3.5 days to bred goats provided a satisfactory superovulatory result.

A population-based study of first and second-line drug-resistant tuberculosis in a high-burden area of the Mexico/United States border

The resistance of 139 Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) isolates from the city of Monterrey, Northeast Mexico, to first and second-line anti-TB drugs was analysed. A total of 73 isolates were susceptible and 66 were resistant to anti-TB drugs. Monoresistance to streptomycin, isoniazid (INH) and ethambutol was observed in 29 cases. Resistance to INH was found in 52 cases and in 29 cases INH resistance was combined with resistance to two or three drugs. A total of 24 isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) resistant to at least INH and rifampicin and 11 MDR cases were resistant to five drugs. The proportion of MDR-TB among new TB cases in our target population was 0.72% (1/139 cases). The proportion of MDR-TB among previously treated cases was 25.18% (35/139 cases). The 13 polyresistant and 24 MDR isolates were assayed against the following seven second-line drugs: amikacin (AMK), kanamycin (KAN), capreomycin (CAP), clofazimine (CLF), ethionamide (ETH), ofloxacin (OFL) and cycloserine (CLS). Resistance to CLF, OFL or CLS was not observed. Resistance was detected to ETH (10.80%) and to AMK (2.70%), KAN (2.70%) and CAP (2.70%). One isolate of MDR with primary resistance was also resistant to three second-line drugs. Monterrey has a high prevalence of MDR-TB among previously treated cases and extensively drug-resistant-MTB strains may soon appear.

Treatment of vitiligo with a melanocyte-keratinocyte cell suspension versus dermabrasion only: a pilot study with a 12-month follow up

BACKGROUND

Dermabrasion is a surgical procedure that has been used for repigmentation; however, autologous transplantation of uncultured melanocytes in a suspension combined with the use of adjunct treatment provides better results.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of dermoabrasion (DA) and melanocyte-keratinocyte cell suspension transplantation (DA+MKT) vs. dermabrasion with no adjunct treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We selected 11 patients (six women and five men) with stable vitiligo. From these, two achromic maculae of similar size were selected. One macule was treated with DA+MKT and the other with DA only. The main parameter of treatment efficacy was the percentage of repigmentation in the area treated, three and 12 months after implantation.

RESULTS

In seven of the 11 patients, slightly better pigmentation occurred with DA+MKT. Two of these patients had a repigmentation greater than 50 percent and in two other patients, the result was similar for both techniques, although slightly better with MKT. Two more patients showed less than 20 percent repigmentation, but only in the area treated with DA+MKT. One patient showed pigmentation initially after DA+MKT only, and subsequent depigmentation.

CONCLUSION

DA+MKT produced slightly better repigmentation than DA only when given without adjunct treatment in a 12-month follow-up period.