Photodynamic Therapy and Adaptive Immunity Induced by Reactive Oxygen Species: Recent Reports.

Cancer is one of the most significant causes of death worldwide. Despite the rapid development of modern forms of therapy, results are still unsatisfactory. The prognosis is further worsened by the ability of cancer cells to metastasize. Thus, more effective forms of therapy, such as photodynamic therapy, are constantly being developed. The photodynamic therapeutic regimen involves administering a photosensitizer that selectively accumulates in tumor cells or is present in tumor vasculature prior to irradiation with light at a wavelength corresponding to the photosensitizer absorbance, leading to the generation of reactive oxygen species. Reactive oxygen species are responsible for the direct and indirect destruction of cancer cells. Photodynamically induced local inflammation has been shown to have the ability to activate an adaptive immune system response resulting in the destruction of tumor lesions and the creation of an immune memory. This paper focuses on presenting the latest scientific reports on the specific immune response activated by photodynamic therapy. We present newly discovered mechanisms for the induction of the adaptive response by analyzing its various stages, and the possible difficulties in generating it. We also present the results of research over the past 10 years that have focused on improving the immunological efficacy of photodynamic therapy for improved cancer therapy.

Photosensitizers for Photodynamic Therapy of Brain Cancers-A Review.

On average, there are about 300,000 new cases of brain cancer each year. Studies have shown that brain and central nervous system tumors are among the top ten causes of death. Due to the extent of this problem and the percentage of patients suffering from brain tumors, innovative therapeutic treatment methods are constantly being sought. One such innovative therapeutic method is photodynamic therapy (PDT). Photodynamic therapy is an alternative and unique technique widely used in dermatology and other fields of medicine for the treatment of oncological and nononcological lesions. Photodynamic therapy consists of the destruction of cancer cells and inducing inflammatory changes by using laser light of a specific wavelength in combination with the application of a photosensitizer. The most commonly used photosensitizers include 5-aminolevulinic acid for the enzymatic generation of protoporphyrin IX, Temoporfin-THPC, Photofrin, Hypericin and Talaporfin. This paper reviews the photosensitizers commonly used in photodynamic therapy for brain tumors. An overview of all three generations of photosensitizers is presented. Along with an indication of the limitations of the treatment of brain tumors, intraoperative photodynamic therapy and its possibilities are described as an alternative therapeutic method.

Photodynamic Therapy and Immunological View in Gastrointestinal Tumors.

Gastrointestinal cancers are a specific group of oncological diseases in which the location and nature of growth are of key importance for clinical symptoms and prognosis. At the same time, as research shows, they pose a serious threat to a patient's life, especially at an advanced stage of development. The type of therapy used depends on the anatomical location of the cancer, its type, and the degree of progression. One of the modern forms of therapy used to treat gastrointestinal cancers is PDT, which has been approved for the treatment of esophageal cancer in the United States. Despite the increasingly rapid clinical use of this treatment method, the exact immunological mechanisms it induces in cancer cells has not yet been fully elucidated. This article presents a review of the current understanding of the mode of action of photodynamic therapy on cells of various gastrointestinal cancers with an emphasis on colorectal cancer. The types of cell death induced by PDT include apoptosis, necrosis, and pyroptosis. Anticancer effects are also a result of the destruction of tumor vasculature and activation of the immune system. Many reports exist that concern the mechanism of apoptosis induction, of which the mitochondrial pathway is most often emphasized. Photodynamic therapy may also have a beneficial effect on such aspects of cancer as the ability to develop metastases or contribute to reducing resistance to known pharmacological agents.

Trends in Lakeshore Zone Development: A Comparison of Polish and Hungarian Lakes over 30-Year Period.

(1) Background: This paper presents the land use and land cover change processes in the lakeshore zone in Poland and Hungary during 30 years. (2) Methods: Land use and land cover (LU/LC) maps were prepared using topographic maps and orthophotograph maps scaled 1:10,000. The study based on GIS data and field research. (3) Results: A significant increase in the area occupied by tourist and recreational infrastructure and forests in the lake shore zone was found in both countries. In Poland, this increase occurred mainly at the expense of arable land, which was a positive phenomenon. In Hungary, however, the main threat to the lakeshore zone was the increase of built-up area at the expense of semi-natural area. While the decrease in arable land was positive from an environmental point of view, the main threat to the Hungarian lake shore zone was the increase in built-up areas at the expense of semi-natural land. The results showed a positive correlation between the area of urbanized land and the area occupied by tourist and recreational buildings on the Polish lakes. There was no such correlation at the Hungarian lakes. (4) Conclusions: The most beneficial change in land cover for the lakes was the increase in forest area in the lake shore zone in both countries studied. Taking into account the results of previous studies, three main trends of changes in land cover and land use in the lakeshore zone were identified. These results shed new light on the problem of land use around lakeshores.

Pd-catalyzed intramolecular addition of active methylene compounds to alkynes with subsequent cross-coupling with (hetero)aryl halides.

We report an efficient protocol for tandem Pd-catalyzed intramolecular addition of active methylene compounds to alkynes, followed by subsequent cross-coupling with (hetero)aryl bromides and chlorides. The reaction proceeds under mild conditions, providing excellent functional group tolerance, including unprotected OH, NH2 groups, enolizable ketones, or a variety of heterocycles. Mechanistic studies point towards a catalytic cycle involving oxidative addition, intramolecular nucleophilic addition to the Pd(ii)-activated alkyne, and reductive elimination, with 5-exo-dig cyclization being the rate limiting step.

Intramolecular Nucleophilic Substitution of ω-Haloalkylphosphine Derivatives.

ω-Haloalkylphosphine derivatives undergo the intramolecular nucleophilic substitution reaction upon treatment with a strong base, yielding either cycloalkylphosphine derivatives or heterocyclic phosphine derivatives. The selectivity of the cyclization of (ω-haloalkyl)alkylarylphosphine derivatives depends strongly on the distance between the electrophilic and nucleophilic carbon atoms and the structure of the phosphorus moiety. The desymmetrization of dimethylphenylphosphine sulfide followed by haloalkylation and cyclization led to the enantiomerically enriched tertiary phosphine sulfide, possessing a cyclohexyl fragment at the phosphorus.

Cytogenetic characterization of the Zebra Mussel Dreissena polymorpha (Pallas) from Miedwie Lake, Poland.

Cytogenetic characterization of D. polymorpha was carried out using banding techniques such as C-banding, fluorochrome CMA3 and silver nitrate treatment. The diploid chromosome number of both investigated D. polymorpha forms (typical and albinotic) was the same 2n = 32 (NF = 56). The karyotype consisted of 5 pairs of metacentric, 7 pairs of submetacentric and four pairs of subtelo-acrocentric chromosomes. Ag-NORs were located in the telomeric position on the largest subtelo-acrocentric chromosome pair. C banding patterns indicate many sites of constitutive heterochromatin mainly located in the telomeric regions and interstitially in some chromosomes. CMA3-sites were observed in almost all chromosomes; apart from the Ag-NORs sites, they were located terminally on the chromosome arms and interstitially on three chromosome pairs. Sixteen chromosomes could be counted at the diakinesis stage of meiosis. No differences in banding chromosome patterns were found neither between both analyzed forms of D. polymorpha nor between males and females.

Chromosome study of Anodonta anatina (L., 1758) (Bivalvia, Unionidae).

The chromosome complement of the freshwater mussel Anodonta anatina was studied using Giemsa, Ag-NOR and chromomycin A3 staining. The diploid chromosome number of this species is 2n=38 and the arm number (NF) = 76. The nucleolar organizer region (NOR) was found on one chromosome pair and it was connected to GC rich chromatin as visualized by CMA3 staining.

Chromosome study of Lithobius forficatus (Lithobiomorpha, Chilopoda).

The diploid number 2n = 46 and the chromosome arm number NF = 74 are described in Lithobius forficatus from Olsztyn (Poland). Analyses of silver and CMA3-stained mitotic chromosomes suggest that a single chromosome pair has active NORs which correspond to G-C-rich (CMA3-positive) chromatin. Heteromorphism of the largest metacentric chromosome pair was observed. The sex chromosomes were not identified. Size polymorphism of the first chromosome pair was found.