Bioremediation of a polymetallic, arsenic-dominated reverse osmosis reject stream.

The treatment of metal-laden industrial effluents by reverse osmosis is gaining in popularity worldwide due to its high performance. However, this process generates a polymetallic concentrate (retentate) stream in need of efficient post-treatment prior to environmental discharge. This paper presents results on the bioremediation (in batch mode) of a metal-laden, arsenic-dominated retentate using Shewanella sp. O23S as inoculum. The incubation of the retentate for 14 days under anoxic conditions resulted in the following removal yields: As (8%), Co (11%), Mo (3%), Se (62%), Sb (30%) and Zn (40%). The addition of 1 mmol l-1 cysteine increased the removal rate as follows: As (27%), Co (80%), Mo (78%), Se (88%), Sb (83%) and Zn (90%). The contribution of cysteine as a source of H2 S to enhancing the removal yield was confirmed by its addition after 7 days of incubations initially lacking it. Additionally, the cysteine-sourced H2 S was confirmed by its capture onto headspace-mounted Pb-acetate test strips that were analysed by X-ray diffraction. We show that real metal-laden industrial effluents can be treated to medium-to-high efficiency using a biological system (naturally sourced inocula) and inexpensive reagents (yeast extract, lactate and cysteine).

The Use of Silica Microparticles to Improve the Efficiency of Optical Hyperthermia (OH).

Although optical hyperthermia could be a promising anticancer therapy, the need for high concentrations of light-absorbing metal nanoparticles and high-intensity lasers, or large exposure times, could discourage its use due to the toxicity that they could imply. In this article, we explore a possible role of silica microparticles that have high biocompatibility and that scatter light, when used in combination with conventional nanoparticles, to reduce those high concentrations of particles and/or those intense laser beams, in order to improve the biocompatibility of the overall procedure. Our underlying hypothesis is that the scattering of light caused by the microparticles would increase the optical density of the irradiated volume due to the production of multiple reflections of the incident light: the nanoparticles present in the same volume would absorb more energy from the laser than without the presence of silica particles, resulting either in higher heat production or in the need for less laser power or absorbing particles for the same required temperature rise. Testing this new optical hyperthermia procedure, based on the use of a mixture of silica and metallic particles, we have measured cell mortality in vitro experiments with murine glioma (CT-2A) and mouse osteoblastic (MC3T3-E1) cell lines. We have used gold nanorods (GNRs) that absorb light with a wavelength of 808 nm, which are conventional in optical hyperthermia, and silica microparticles spheres (hereinafter referred to as SMSs) with a diameter size to scatter the light of this wavelength. The obtained results confirm our initial hypothesis, because a high mortality rate is achieved with reduced concentrations of GNR. We found a difference in mortality between CT2A cancer cells and cells considered non-cancer MC3T3, maintaining the same conditions, which gives indications that this technique possibly improves the efficiency in the cell survival. This might be related with differences in the proliferation rate. Since the experiments were carried out in the 2D dimensions of the Petri dishes, due to sedimentation of the silica particles at the bottom, whilst light scattering is a 3D phenomenon, a large amount of the energy provided by the laser escapes outside the medium. Therefore, better results might be expected when applying this methodology in tissues, which are 3D structures, where the multiple reflections of light we believe will produce higher optical density in comparison to the conventional case of no using scattering particles. Accordingly, further studies deserve to be carried out in this line of work in order to improve the optical hyperthermia technique.

Phase I clinical trial of nintedanib plus paclitaxel in early HER-2-negative breast cancer (CNIO-BR-01-2010/GEICAM-2010-10 study).

INTRODUCTION: Previous small-molecule antiangiogenics have compromised chemotherapy dose intensity in breast cancer. We present a phase I trial of a novel selective agent, nintedanib, plus standard chemotherapy in early breast cancer. METHODS: Her-2-negative breast cancer patients with tumours larger than 2 cm were eligible for dose-escalation trial (classic 3+3 method). RESULTS: The recommended phase II dose (RP2D) was 150 mg BID of nintedanib combined with standard dose of weekly paclitaxel followed by adriamycin plus cyclophosphamide. The dose-limiting toxicity was transaminase elevation. At the RP2D, the dose intensity was ∼100%. The pathologic complete response was 50%. CONCLUSIONS: The combination allows the delivery of full-dose intensity, while efficacy seems promising.

Pancreatic glucagonoma presenting as a pulmonary mass.

Glucagonoma is an uncommon disease, a neuroendocrine tumour that develops from glucagon-producing pancreatic cells. They are usually slow-growing, but generally advanced at diagnosis, and metastatic disease is virtually incurable. Liver is the most common site of metastatic disease. We present the case of a 48-year-old man with a glucagonoma being diagnosed from a pulmonary mass. This case had no liver affection in the whole evolution of the disease, and showed a particularly aggressive course, with very little response to all therapies administered, and a survival from diagnosis of just 16 months.

EGFR and colon cancer: a clinical view.

Signalling pathways that emerge from EGFR activation are critical in colon cancer (CC) biology. Its targeting with specific drugs has opened a new window in the treatment of this disease. In this regard, monoclonal antibodies (mAb) have evidenced a high degree of efficiency opposed to the uselessness of tyrosine-kinase inhibitors. Cetuximab is the mAb that has evidenced most activity in CC. After its initial approval as an irinotecan-resistance reversal agent, cetuximab has demonstrated its efficiency from the first line to heavily pretreated patients. In the first line, its addition may increase response rate to chemotherapy, improving liver metastases resection rate. Another promising approach has been suggested from combination schedules with bevacizumab. Panitumumab has been recently approved for CC. Although there is limited clinical experience, the latest data have confirmed its activity in heavily pretreated patients resulting in a clinical benefit vs. best support care. In spite of the clinical benefits, adverse events and the high sanitary cost derived from these drugs force the selection of patients with the highest probability of benefit. At the moment, when EGFR expression evidenced by immunohistochemistry has no value, skin toxicity and, fundamentally, K-Ras mutations may hint at critical information for confirmatory prospective studies.