Immunotherapeutic Approaches for the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) originating from the cells of the colon or rectum has a high mortality rate worldwide. Numerous attempts have been made to raise the overall survival rates of CRC patients. It is well-known that the development of malignant neoplasms is accompanied by suppression of the immune system, which is likely the cause for the failure of standard treatment methods. Immune response has long been an issue of great interest in cancer therapy and anti-tumor immunity that consider the development of immunotherapeutic antitumor methods resulting in the immune system activation as an important issue. This review discusses main immunotherapeutic approaches available for the CRC treatment.

Functional Activity of Lymphocytes of Healthy Donors and Cancer Patients After Culturing with IL-2 and IL-15.

The study focused on activation of lymphocytes derived from healthy donors and cancer patients in the medium supplemented with IL-2 and IL-15 at low concentrations. We studied morphological features of cultured cells, their viability, and proliferative and functional activities during culturing for up to 14 days. In comparison with lymphocytes derived from cancer patients, white blood cells derived from healthy donors demonstrated a number of advantages under the given culturing conditions such as higher viability, greater proliferative activity, and the potency for earlier activation; moreover, during activation they secreted the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10 at greater concentrations.

Morphofunctional Characteristics of Human Lymphocytes after In Vitro Activation.

We describe a method of activation of lymphocytes isolated from the peripheral blood of patients with cutaneous melanoma and cultured in serum-free medium in the presence of IL-2 and IL-15. Viability, proliferative, cytotoxic, and functional activities of lymphocytes are evaluated. The lymphocytes actively proliferated in this nutrient medium and can be activated in vitro. The method for obtaining sufficient amount of activated lymphocytes can be recommended for adoptive cell immunotherapy of cancer patients.

[Triggering factors and pathogenesis of radiation cataract].

Cataract is one of the most common eye diseases in the world. Many factors, including genetic, metabolic, nutritional, and environmental, are involved in its formation. It is necessary to know main causal agents and cellular mechanism of cataractogenesis. The tissue of the lens is considered radiosensitive, thus, lens opacities are possible late effects of exposure to ionizing radiation. The use of medical radiation for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes grows worldwide. At the same time, there continues to be much confusion regarding the actual threshold dose of radiation exposure for cataract formation. Eye safety and the risk of cataract development are not entirely clear. However, with an ever-widening range of interventional procedures, one should take attempts to reduce the risk for radiation cataract.

[THE TECHNQUE OF FLOW CYTOMETRY IN EVALUATION OF NK-CELLS AND THEIR ACTIVITY].

The review presents main characteristics of human natural killer cells (NK-cells), their phenotype and methods of detection of functional activities using flow cytometry. The NK-cells play important role in inherent and adaptive immunity against infections and tumors. Initially these cells were characterized on the basis of capacity to lyse malignant and infected cells without preliminary sensibilization or immunization. The human NK-cells have phenotype CD3-CD56+CD16+ and can be separated in two subpopulations depending on level of expression CD56. The CD56 bright NK-cells predominantly participates immuno-regulation producing cytokines. The CD56dim NK-cells predominantly have cytolytic activity. The NK-cells mediate destruction of infected and neoplastic cells through several effector mechanisms: by means of perforins/granzyme containing granules, receptors of apoptosis, antibody-depended cellular mediated cytotoxicity. The cytotoxicicty of NK-cells and production of cytokines provide regulatory role of NK-cells as important participants of adaptive immune system. The NK-cells are fitted with various receptors stimulating and inhibiting their activity. The activation of NK-cells depends on balance between inhibiting and activating receptors. The activation of NK-cells depends on balance between inhibiting and activating receptors. "The golden standard" of detection offunctional activity of human NK-cells is a test of releasing of radioactive chrome from target cells. To apply this technique in clinical practice is not an easy task because of difficulties of utilization of radioactive waste products, short half lifetime, expensiveness and complicated standardization. The article presents cyto-fluorimetric techniques for clinical detection of activity of NK-cells. These techniques permit to avoid a number of problems related to application of radioactivity. They also are fast and can be standardized.

Formation of an antral follicle-like structure of bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes embedded individually or in groups in collagen gels.

Culture techniques of antral follicle-like structure (AFLS) derived from cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) might provide important insights into follicular development and oocyte maturation. This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of embedding bovine COCs individually (one COC) or in groups (4-5 COCs) in collagen gels on the formation of AFLS and the meiotic status of oocytes. The observations of AFLS formation were performed every second day for 14 days. The AFLS was formed at Day 2 or 4 after the start of culture (Day=0), irrespective of the culture methods. The mean diameters of AFLS during Days 4-14 using the individual culture method were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those using the group culture method. However, the AFLS formation rate in the individual culture method was significantly lower compared to that in the group culture method (26.1% vs 62.7%, p<0.01). Almost all oocytes had undergone the germinal vesicle breakdown stage, irrespective of the culture method or AFLS formation. In conclusion, comparison with the individual culture method revealed that the mean diameters of AFLS in the group culture method were smaller, but more COCs formed AFLS. The group culture method might be useful for evaluating the various hypotheses of follicular formation and interfollicular communication. However, improvement of the group culture system is necessary to prevent the meiotic resumption of oocytes, because the AFLS formation is dependent on the cumulus/granulosa cells surrounding oocytes.