Fibroblast Activation Protein α-Directed Imaging and Therapy of Solitary Fibrous Tumor.

Fibroblast activation protein α (FAPα) is expressed at high levels in several types of tumors. Here, we report the expression pattern of FAPα in solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) and its potential use as a radiotheranostic target. Methods: We analyzed FAPα messenger RNA and protein expression in biopsy samples from SFT patients using immunohistochemistry and multiplexed immunofluorescence. Tracer uptake and detection efficacy were assessed in patients undergoing clinical 68Ga-FAPα inhibitor (FAPI)-46 PET,18F-FDG PET, and contrast-enhanced CT. 90Y-FAPI-46 radioligand therapy was offered to eligible patients with progressive SFT. Results: Among 813 patients and 126 tumor entities analyzed from the prospective observational MASTER program of the German Cancer Consortium, SFT (n = 34) had the highest median FAPα messenger RNA expression. Protein expression was confirmed in tumor biopsies from 29 of 38 SFT patients (76%) in an independent cohort. Most cases showed intermediate to high FAPα expression by immunohistochemistry (24/38 samples, 63%), which was located primarily on the tumor cell surface. Nineteen patients who underwent 68Ga-FAPI-46 PET imaging demonstrated significantly increased tumor uptake, with an SUVmax of 13.2 (interquartile range [IQR], 10.2), and an improved mean detection efficacy of 94.5% (SEM, 4.2%), as compared with 18F-FDG PET (SUVmax, 3.2 [IQR, 3.1]; detection efficacy, 77.3% [SEM, 5.5%]). Eleven patients received a total of 34 cycles (median, 3 cycles [IQR, 2 cycles]) of 90Y-FAPI-46 radioligand therapy, which resulted in disease control in 9 patients (82%). Median progression-free survival was 227 d (IQR, 220 d). Conclusion: FAPα is highly expressed by SFT and may serve as a target for imaging and therapy. Further studies are warranted to define the role of FAPα-directed theranostics in the care of SFT patients.

Effect of milk and whey on proliferation and differentiation of placental stromal cells.

Fetal bovine serum (FBS), which is widely used in cell culture media, has the potential to cause medical and ethical problems. Here, an experimental study using milk or whey proteins containing essential nutrients and growth factors is presented to limit the use of FBS in cell culture media produced for cell and tissue regeneration. Study groups were formed by culturing human placenta mesenchymal stem cells, known to have high proliferation and differentiation capacity, with milk or whey solution at increasing concentrations, alone or in combination with FBS. Osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation capacities of proliferating cells were observed in FBS, milk or whey groups. Milk, whey or FBS groups obtained in P3 and after differentiation were separately analyzed for protein mRNA expression by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 (FGF2), Octamer-binding Transcription Factor 4 (OCT4), Bone Morphogenetic Protein 6 (BMP6), and adipogenic differentiation marker Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPARG) were analysed by RT-qPCR. Proliferation was more pronounced in FBS alone and in its combinations with milk-whey compared to the groups in which only milk and whey were used. OCT4 mRNA and FGF2 mRNA expression decreased in differentiated cells. BMP6 mRNA expression increased with osteogenic and adipogenic stimuli. As expected, PPRG expression also increased with adipogenic stimulation. With this experimental study, evidence has been obtained that milk or whey can provide nutritional support to the culture media of repair cells and preserve the functional capacity of the cells, with a slightly more limited capacity than FBS. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10616-023-00585-z.

Effects of global pandemics on hygiene-based contactless logistics in COVID-19 process and the eighth right of logistics: "right hygiene".

This study aims to realise hygienic contactless logistic activities to ensure more secure sustainability of logistic movements, in order to protect global logistics from pandemics such as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which was first seen in Wuhan, China in the first quarter of 2020. The Industry 4.0 and hygienic contactless logistics has been examined and defined for hygiene-based contactless logistics, a concept that is considered new in logistics literature. During the COVID-19 pandemic, contactless logistics and the eighth right of logistics called "right hygiene" practices will reduce the risk of human-induced diseases and support the sustainability of logistics activities with physical distance between machine and human as the concept of social distance. In the study, the terms of hygiene-based contactless logistics has been introduced into the literature and in addition to the accepted '7 Right Principles of Logistics', an eighth right one called "right hygiene" has been proposed.