Efficacy of Dipeptide-Coated Magnetic Nanoparticles in Lung Cancer Models Under Pulsed Electromagnetic Field.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths and the overall 5-year survival rate is less than 17%. Hyperthermia is an alternative approach for the treatment of lung cancer and is associated with fewer side effects. We employed ironoxide nanoparticles in inducing localized hyperthermia in lung cancer cells using a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF). We synthesized, characterized and determined the uptake of dipeptide-coated iron oxide nanoparticles. Further, their ability in inducing localized hyperthermia in PEMF on lung cancer cells was assessed. Results showed nanoparticles are non-cytotoxic and showed enhanced cellular uptake in lung cancer cells. In vivo studies in nude mice lung tumor xenografts confirmed the presence in the tumors. Lung cancer cells pretreated with dipeptide-coated magnetic nanoparticles upon PEMF exposure induced cell death.

A rare case of primary malignant pericardial mesothelioma.

Primary malignant pericardial mesothelioma (PMPM) is a rare tumor of the pericardium. The cause of this tumor is unknown and it has a very poor prognosis. Exposure to asbestos is correlated with the onset of pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma; however, the role of asbestos in pericardial mesothelioma is unclear. Here we highlight the radiological features of this rare tumor and its correlative pathological confirmation with the help of new immunohistochemical (IHC) markers.

Internal hernias: surgeons dilemma-unravelled by imaging.

Internal hernias may present as intestinal obstruction and account for 0.5 to 4.1 % of all cases. Clinical diagnosis of internal hernias is often difficult and thus imaging studies plays an important role in the early diagnosis. It is vital for the radiologist to be familiar with the various types of internal hernias and their radiological features so that prompt diagnosis and early intervention can be made.

CNS toxoplasmosis in an immunocompetent individual.

Toxoplasmosis is a serious and life-threatening disease in humans with a high prevalence in immunocompromised persons. The disease has a wide spectrum, depending on the immune status of the person. A CNS manifestation of toxoplasmosis in an immunocompetent person is very rare and often undetected. Our case of CNS toxoplasmosis in an immunocompetent person emphasizes the radiological diagnosis, which was further confirmed by advanced microbiology technique.

Assessment of swallowing and its disorders-a dynamic MRI study.

Magnetic resonance imaging overcomes the limitations of videofluoroscopy in assessing without radiation exposure. The clinical utility of dynamic MRI for swallowing disorders is not well documented. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using dynamic MRI in assessment of swallowing disorders. Ten normal and three brainstem lesion patients participated in this study. GE Signa HDxt 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner with head-and-neck coil as a receiver and fast imaging employing steady state acquisition sequence was used. The swallow was analyzed in terms of symmetry and amplitude of movements of velum, faucial pillars, tongue, epiglottis and cricopharyngeous and images from the sagittal, coronal and axial planes. In sagittal plane posterior movement of tongue and its compression on velum, elevation of hyoid bone, elevation of larynx and lid action of epiglottis, in the coronal view the symmetrical movements of the faucial pillars and pharyngeal constrictor muscles and in axial plane three anatomical landmarks were targeted based on their role in swallowing, viz. velum, epiglottis and cricopharyngeous were studied. In brainstem lesion individuals, posterior movement of tongue, and elevation of larynx were not seen. Asymmetrical movements of faucial pillars and cricopharyngeous muscle were appreciated in the dynamic MRI. This demonstrates that, dynamic MRI is an efficient tool to understand the swallowing physiology and helps the speech language pathologist in modifying the swallowing maneuvers. Dynamic MRI is an effective tool in assessing swallowing and its disorders. This muscle specific information is not appreciated in videofluoroscopy and this information is necessary to modify the therapy maneuvers.

Atypical presentation of gastrointestinal stromal tumours-a case report.

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are benign mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Their clinical presentations are variable. We report a case of a 31-year-old man who presented with pain in the abdomen and vomiting. CT abdomen revealed a large exophytic mass in the epigastrium with enhancement pattern similar to hemangioma. No relationship of the mass could be made out with the adjacent structures on CT, histopathology proved it to be a GIST.

Nanomedicine: towards development of patient-friendly drug-delivery systems for oncological applications.

The focus on nanotechnology in cancer treatment and diagnosis has intensified due to the serious side effects caused by anticancer agents as a result of their cytotoxic actions on normal cells. This nonspecific action of chemotherapy has awakened a need for formulations capable of definitive targeting with enhanced tumor-killing. Nanooncology, the application of nanobiotechnology to the management of cancer, is currently the most important area of nanomedicine. Currently several nanomaterial-based drug-delivery systems are in vogue and several others are in various stages of development. Tumor-targeted drug-delivery systems are envisioned as magic bullets for cancer therapy and several groups are working globally for development of robust systems.

Role of dynamic MR imaging in obstructive sleep apnoea.

The purpose of this study is to assess the role of dynamic MR imaging in the evaluation of obstructive sleep apnea. In this prospective study, MRI was performed in 22 patients (eighteen male and four female, ranging in age from 26 to 70 years) suspected of having obstructive sleep aponea (OSA). 18 of them had a polysomnography study prior to MRI evaluation, which confirmed the presence of OSA. Positive cases were classified according to anatomic location and cause of narrowing. Patients with isolated retropalatal narrowing on MRI were advised uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). Two patients had normal findings on MRI, 8 patients had retropalatal narrowing, five had retroglossal narrowing and seven had narrowing at multiple levels. All twenty-patients had collapse of lateral pharyngeal wall. Four patient with isolated retropalatal narrowing, who underwent UPPP after MRI evaluation were found to be cured on 6 month postoperative follow up.Dynamic MR imaging can accurately diagnose the cause and level of upper airway narrowing in patients with OSA. It can characterize and anatomically classify the level of narrowing for planning reparative surgery.