Distinct Expression of Surface and Genetic Biomarkers in Prostate Cancer Cell Lines.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Surface biomarkers, such as CD44 and CD133, have been demonstrated to be expressed in prostate cancer cells, and our previous study has shown that prostate cancer cell lines could be divided into three groups according to the single and combined expression pattern of CD44 and 133. In order to refine prognostication in prostate cancer cells, we further investigated genetic biomarkers, prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3), kallikrein 4 (KLK4), and KLK9 in different prostate cancer cell lines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CWR22Rv1, PC3, and DU145 cell lines were cultured until 95% confluence. The single expression of CD44 or CD133 and their combined expression were analyzed by flow cytometry, and gene expression of b-actin, PCA3, KLK4, and KLK9 was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The single expression of CD133 was less than 4% in all cell lines examined. PC3 and DU145 cells displayed a high expression of CD44 (>91%), whereas CWR22Rv1 was the only cell line that demonstrated a high co-expression of both CD44 and CD133 (>91%). In addition, PC3 and DU145 displayed low expression of PCA3, KLK4, and KLK9 when compared with their own b-actin expression. In contrast, CWR22Rva showed high expression of PCA3 and KLK4 although KLK9 expression was also low. CONCLUSION: Both surface and genetic biomarkers should be validated for a more accurate prognosis in prostate cancer.

Influence of Antibiotic-Loaded Acrylic Bone Cement Composition on Drug Release Behavior and Mechanism.

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication after total joint replacement with considerable morbidity and large economic burdens. Antibiotic-Loaded Bone Cement (ALBC) has been developed as a valuable tool for local administration and is becoming one of the most effective methods for the prevention and treatment of orthopedic infections. Controlling antibiotic release from ALBC is critical to achieve effective infection control, however, the antibiotic elution rates are generally low, and the mechanisms are poorly understood. Thus, the present study aims to investigate the effects of the basic acrylic bone cement components, including liquid/powder (monomer-to-polymer) ratios, radiopacifier, initiator, and doses of antibiotics on the porosity, antibiotic elution rates and mechanical properties of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) based ALBC. The obtained results from the in vitro studies suggested that a reduction in the liquid/powder ratio and an increase in the radiopacifier ratio and gentamicin doses led to increased porosity and release of antibiotic, while the initiator ratio exerted no effect on elution rates. In conclusion, we hope that by varying the composition of ALBC, we could considerably enhance the antibiotic elution rates by increasing porosity, while maintaining an adequate mechanical strength of the bone cements. This finding might provide insights into controlling antibiotic release from ALBC to achieve effective infection control after total joint replacement surgery.

Analyzing the Expression of Biomarkers in Prostate Cancer Cell Lines.

BACKGROUND/AIM: CD44 and CD133 have been implicated as biomarkers of cancer cells and their expression could be analyzed to identify circulating tumor cells. Although CD44 and CD133 have been shown to be expressed in prostate cancer cells, a differential expression pattern has been reported depending on the tumor stage and cell line examined. We further investigated CD44 and CD133 expression in different prostate cancer cell lines to confirm whether their expression is distinguishable among patients with various tumor stages. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CWR22Rv1, PC3, LNCaP, and DU145 cell lines were cultured and the cell morphology was observed for three days. The single expression of CD44 or CD133 and their combined expression were analyzed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: We report that the single expression of CD133 was less than 5% in all cell lines examined here. PC3 and DU145 cells displayed a high expression of CD44 (>93%), while the expression of CD44 was less than 4% in CWR22Rv1 and LNCaP cells. CWR22Rv1 was the only cell line that demonstrated a high co-expression of both CD44 and CD133. CONCLUSION: Both single and combined expression of CD44 and CD133 should be considered when validating the detection of prostate cancer cells in circulating tumor cells.

Establishment of surface marker expression profiles for colorectal cancer stem cells under different conditions.

BACKGROUND: Positive expression of CD44 and CD133 and high expression levels of an epithelial cell adhesion molecule are reliable markers for colorectal cancer stem cells in tumors or among circulating tumor cells. However, the heterogeneity of circulating tumor cells makes it very difficult to detect these stem cells. In this study, we investigated the expression of CD44 and CD133 of colorectal cancer stem cells under different treatments in order to understand the expression profile of these markers when cancer cells grow in different conditions. METHODS: Cells from a colorectal cancer stem cell line, Caco-2, were seeded at four different initial concentrations and cultured for 3 days. We observed for changes in cell morphology and analyzed the expression of CD44 and CD133 by flow cytometry. In addition, Caco-2 cells were treated with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) for 3 days followed by flow cytometry analysis. RESULTS: We demonstrated that the single and combined expression of CD44 and CD133 decreased when the initial seeding concentration was reduced. The expression of both CD44 and CD133 was reduced dramatically when Caco-2 cells were treated with EPA, DMSO, or EDTA. The single expression of CD44 or CD133 was not affected dramatically when cells were treated with DMSO or EDTA, but there was no expression of either markers when treated with EPA. CONCLUSIONS: Both single and combined expressions of CD44 and CD133 were critical for establishing the profiles of colorectal cancer stem cells under different conditions.

A novel infusible botanically-derived drug, PG2, for cancer-related fatigue: a phase II double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled study.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the efficacy of the botanical-derived drug, PG2, a partially purified extract of Astragalus membranaceus, as a complementary and palliative medicine for managing cancer-related fatigue (CRF). METHODS: Patients with advanced cancer and moderate to severe CRF were randomized to receive either PG2 or a placebo (normal saline, NS) in the first treatment cycle (four weeks) in a double-blind manner; thereafter, on the next cycle (four weeks), all patients received open-label treatment with PG2. RESULTS: PG2 significantly improved CRF in the NS-primed group. In the first four week cycle, PG2 administration resulted in a greater fatigue-improvement response rate than seen with NS alone. In addition, approximately 82% of patients who reported an improvement of fatigue symptoms following the first cycle of PG2 experienced sustained benefits after administration of the second treatment cycle. Among patients treated with PG2 who did not report an improvement in symptoms throughout the first treatment cycle, approximately 71% showed significant improvement after the second treatment cycle. No major or irreversible toxicities were observed with PG2 treatment. CONCLUSION: PG2 might be an effective and safe treatment for relieving CRF among advanced cancer patients.

Development of vitreous haemorrhage during treatment with bevacizumab for metastatic rectal cancer.

Bevacizumab is a recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody with activity against vascular endothelial growth factor used in the treatment of various cancers. This case report describes a 68-year-old [corrected] male with rectal cancer who developed a vitreous haemorrhage during treatment with bevacizumab. After vitrectomy the vitreous haemorrhage subsided and visual acuity was restored. The patient had evidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which may have induced the development of vitreous haemorrhage. This implies that AMD might serve as a risk factor for vitreous haemorrhage in cancer patients treated with systemic bevacizumab. Ophthalmological examination to identify AMD lesions may be necessary prior to administration of bevacizumab. Vitrectomy could serve as a management tool for bevacizumab-associated vitreous haemorrhage.