The Signaling Pathways Controlling the Efficacy of Glioblastoma Therapy.

The resistance of glioblastoma to existing therapies puts limits on quality-of-life improvements and patient survival with a glioblastoma diagnosis. The development of new effective glioblastoma therapies is based on knowledge about the mechanisms governing tumor resistance to therapeutic agents. Virotherapy is one of the most actively developing approaches to the treatment of malignant neoplasms: glioblastoma in particular. Previously, we demonstrated that the recombinant vaccinia virus VV-GMCSF-Lact exhibits in vitro cytotoxic activity and in vivo antitumor efficacy against human glioblastoma. However, the studied glioblastoma cell cultures had different sensitivities to the oncotoxic effect of the virus. In this study, we investigated cancer stem cell (CSC) surface markers in glioblastoma cells with different sensitivities to VV-GMCSFLact using flow cytometry and we assessed the levels of proteins affecting viral entry into cells and virus infection efficiency by western blotting. We showed that cell cultures more sensitive to VV-GMCSF-Lact are characterized by a greater number of cells with CSC markers and a lower level of activated Akt kinase. Akt probably inhibits lactaptin-induced apoptosis in virus-resistant cells. Hence, we suggest that the sensitivity of glioblastoma cells to the oncotoxic effect of VV-GMCSF-Lact is determined by the nature and extent of the disturbances in cell death regulation in various cultures. Further investigation of the factors affecting glioblastoma resistance to virotherapy will test this hypothesis and identify targets for antitumor therapy, combined with VV-GMCSF-Lact.

Oral medical dissolution of gallstones in patients with gallstone disease

Being the main treatment for cholelithiasis, laparoscopic cholecystectomy does not always solve the problem. It often entails postcholecystectomy syndrome (PCS). Oral medication to dissolve gallstones with bile acids is alternative therapy for some patients. However, lack of efficacy and limited medical indications make it necessary to apply combination treatment tactics. This study was conducted to investigate the dissolution of gallstones during the combined effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and rosuvastatin as well as to assess the results of eradication therapy in the presence of H. pylory as a measure to prevent cholelithiasis in the course of treatment.

Polycondensation reactions of certain biologically essential molecules on mineral surfaces.

Methods of detecting extraterrestrial forms of organic matter should take into account the results of research in the effects of irradiation on the synthesis of biopolymers. Processes occurring on clay mineral surfaces and on the surfaces of minerals of different kinds are illustrated and the possible role of clays in prebiological evolution is discussed.