Aripiprazole sensitizes head and neck cancer cells to ionizing radiation by enhancing the production of reactive oxygen species.

Drug repositioning is an alternative process for drug development in cancer. Specifically, it is a strategy for the discovery of new antitumor drugs by screening previously approved clinical drugs. On the basis of this strategy, aripiprazole, an antipsychotic drug, was found to have anticancer activity. In this study, we investigated the radiosensitizing effects of aripiprazole on head and neck cancer cells at sublethal doses of ionizing radiation (IR) in vitro and in vivo. Treatment with aripiprazole suppressed the growth of head and neck cancer cells in a concentration-dependent manner, as evidenced by the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Intriguingly, aripiprazole significantly enhanced the sensitivity of these cells to the IC50 dose of IR. The combination of aripiprazole with IR synergistically increased annexin and propidium iodide double-positive and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling-positive cell populations, and induced cleaved poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and caspase-3 expression, indicating the induction of apoptosis in these cells. Aripiprazole and IR-induced apoptosis were accompanied by an increase in reactive oxygen species and was almost completely suppressed by the addition of the antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine. Finally, aripiprazole greatly sensitized xenograft tumors to IR at doses that did not affect tumor growth. Taken together, these results suggest that aripiprazole could be considered a potent radiosensitizer for head and neck cancer.

Sensitive immunoassay-based detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus using capture and labeling particles in a stationary liquid phase lab-on-a-chip.

In the present study, a method was developed for detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus based on a stationary liquid phase lab-on-a-chip (SLP LOC). The present SLP LOC comprises a sample chamber, washing chamber, and detection chamber connected by two channels. The method utilizes two types of particles: capture particles (CPs), which are magnetic nanoparticles functionalized with antibody; and labeling particles (LPs), which are silica nanoparticles functionalized with horseradish peroxidase and antibody. Samples were added to the sample chamber with CPs and LPs, forming a CP-bacteria-LP complex, and the complex was transported to the detection chamber containing chromogenic substrate solution. The method allowed the detection of V. parahaemolyticus in the range of 101-105cfu within 45min. Additionally, contamination of oyster samples with V. parahaemolyticus was detected within 2.5h, including 2h of culturing. The present method has the advantage of being highly rapid and facile, and enabling the detection of bacteria with high sensitivity. Moreover, the LOC and LOC processing device used in this method possess simple structures, making the detection process economical and allowing miniaturization. Therefore, the present SLP LOC detection method is potentially useful for in situ determination of food safety.

Fas, Fas-associated death domain-like interleukin 1beta-converting enzyme-like inhibitory protein, and apoptotic features of elderly acute myeloid leukemia based on response to induction chemotherapy.

A study was performed to examine the clinical outcome of triple-combination induction chemotherapy in 26 elderly Korean acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients and to investigate apoptotic responses during and after treatment to determine whether the responses can be used as prognostic markers. Patients who had Western blot or polymerase chain reaction analysis findings of higher expression levels of Fas-associated death domain-like interleukin 1beta-converting enzyme-like inhibitory protein (FLIP) on day 7 after chemotherapy were more likely to have complete remission, but there was less or no correlation with Fas or a proapoptosis/apoptosis reaction. Expression of FLIP molecules may be, at least in part, an early prognostic indicator in the treatment of elderly AML patients.