Behavior of Transplanted Multipotent Cells after in Vitro Transplantation into the Damaged Retina.

The use of stem cell technologies in retinal defect reparation therapy has produced beneficial results. Nowadays, numerous protocols exist which provide a neural differentiation of the stem cells transplanted into the retina. However, questions concerning the functional replacement of the missing retinal neurons by transplanted cells thus far remain unanswered. The organotypic culture protocol was used in this study in order to prove the possibility of transdifferentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (MMSCs) and neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) from EGFP-positive mice and the functional integration of these cells. This technique enables a detailed characterization of cell behavior post-transplantation. Using atomic force microscopy, we reliably demonstrated the difference (p < 0.01) between the thickness of the outgrowths formed by glial and endothelial retina cells and the thickness of neurites and neuro-like transplanted MMSC outgrowths. MMSCs are also shown to form synapses up to 2.5 ± 0.06 µm in diameter on day 4 after the transplantation. Following electrical stimulation (20V, 0.5Hz, 200ms), clear depolarization of retinal neurons and their outgrowths is detected. It is shown that some of these GFP+ MMSCs, which changed their morphology after the transplantation in retinal explants to neuro-like MMSCs, are capable of depolarizing after exogenous stimulation.

Cell technology employing femtosecond laser pulses.

Practical advantages of using femtosecond laser pulses for manipulations in cell surgery were demonstrated. The use of femtosecond laser pulses enables precision punching of the zona pellucida of the embryo without damaging its cells. With the help of femtosecond laser tweezers/scalpel, auxillary laser hatching was performed and a technique of optical biopsy of mammalian embryo was developed, which enabled non-contact sampling of embryonic material for preimplantation diagnostics. Our findings suggest that about 90% embryos retained the ability to develop at least to the blastula stage after this manipulation.

Identification of proteins overexpressed in papillary thyroid tumors.

A modified method of proteome comparative analysis based on preliminary removal of cell structural proteins by extraction using salt buffer and subsequent separation of extracts by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was developed. Identification of differentially expressed proteins by mass spectrometry has revealed three proteins with noticeably increased level of synthesis in most samples of papillary thyroid tumors compared to normal tissues. An increase in ubiquitin content was found for the first time. Oncomarker search efficiencies by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and bioinformatic search were compared.

[Errors in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer]. / Oshibki v diagnostike i lechenii raka shchitovidnoi zhelezy.

The analysis of the data on 744 patients with thyroid tumors showed inadequate examination to be the main cause of untimely diagnosis of cancer of the organ. Cytologic examination of tumor punctate proved most effective for diagnosis since it confirmed cancer in 92.3% of cases. Adequate examination and extrafascial surgical procedure with intraoperative contrasting of the thyroid assured five-year survival rate of 95.9% and a decrease in the risk of injury to n. recurrens by 23%.

[Value of thyroid lymphography in diagnosing thyroid cancer]. / Znachenie tireoidolimfografii v diagnostike raka shchitovidnoi zhelezy.

The results of thyroidlymphography carried out in 122 patients with thyroid cancer and 82 cases of benign tumor were analysed. Reliable thyroidlymphographic criteria of malignancy were established on the basis of a comparison of roentgenomorphologic and statistical findings. The significance of the said criteria for making timely diagnosis of cancer with concomitant adenomatosis and chronic thyroiditis is discussed.

[Current diagnostic and treatment problems in thyroid cancer]. / Aktual'nye voprosy diagnostiki i lecheniia raka shchitovidnoi zhelezy.

The paper deals with a 10-year experience (1971-1980) of treating tumors of head and neck at the Institute. Different aspects of early diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma, its adequate therapy and organisational measures required for its prevention are discussed on the basis of 1,304 case histories of thyroid cancer. Up-to-date methods of early diagnosis of thyroid cancer (diagnostic puncture and thyroidlymphography), which can be integrated with general medical practice, are recommended. Causes of errors leading to failure to remove the whole malignancy are discussed. Recommendations how to obviate this difficulty are given and measures aimed at ensuring a 5-year survival in 98% of cases and adapted to different groups of cancer patients are suggested.

[Early thyroid gland cancer]. / Rannii rak shchitovidnoi zhelezy.

Among 338 patients operated upon for "nodes" in the thyroid in 31.4% of cases there was found small cancer (up to 1 cm in diameter), determined microscopically and visually. A clinico-morphological definition of early thyroid cancer is suggested. It is emphasized that for the recognition of early thyroid cancer being successful a complex diagnostic method is essential, which comprises clinical, roentgenological, thyroidolymphographic, radioisotope, cytological and histological studies. The method concerned makes it possible to increase considerably (up to 77.4%) the rate of recognition of early thyroid cancer, while the operations, performed after the extrafascial technic, would provide for an adequate therapy in due course and a favourable prognosis.