Optimal vaccine scheduling in cancer immunotherapy

Cancer immunotherapy aims at stimulating the immune system to react against cancer stealth capabilities. It consists of repeatedly injecting small doses of a tumor-associated molecule one wants the immune system to recognize, until a consistent immune response directed against the tumor cells is observed.

We have applied the theory of optimal control to the problem of finding the optimal schedule of injections of an immunotherapeutic agent against cancer. The method employed works for a general ODE system and can be applied to find the optimal protocol in a variety of clinical problems where the kinetics of the drug or treatment and its influence on the normal physiologic functions have been described by a mathematical model.

We show that the choice of the cost function has dramatic effects on the kind of solution the optimization algorithm is able to find. This provides evidence that a careful ODE model and optimization schema must be designed by mathematicians and clinicians using their proper different perspectives.     

Synthesis and antibody conjugation of magnetic nanoparticles with improved specific power absorption rates for alternating magnetic field cancer therapy

Bionized nanoferrite (BNF) particles with high specific power absorption rates were synthesized in the size range of 20–100 nm by high-pressure homogenization for targeted cancer therapy with alternating magnetic fields. Several strategies were used to conjugate antibodies to the BNF particles. These strategies were compared using an immunoassay to find optimal conditions to reach a high immunoreactivity of the final antibody–particle conjugate.     

Synthesis of 5‐Radioiodoarabinosyl Uridine Analog for Probing the HSV‐1 Thymidine Kinase Gene

Tumor cells transduced with herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene have been intensively applied to the field of positron emission tomography via imaging of its substrate. As a pilot synthesis approach, a facile preparation of 5‐[¹²⁵I] iodoarabinosyl uridine starting from commercially available uridine is reported herein.     

Study of urinary nucleosides as biological marker in cancer patients analyzed by micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography

Thirteen normal and modified nucleosides, primarily degradation products of transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA), were evaluated as potential tumor markers for cancer patients. Their urinary concentrations were determined by means of micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) in the urine from 54 healthy adults and 70 cancer patients, then quantitatively expressed as a function of creatinine excretion. It was found that urinary nucleosides for cancer patients were on the average significantly higher than those for healthy controls, however, no significant differences were found between male and female or between different ages. Based on 13 urinary nucleoside concentrations, principal component analysis (PCA) could be used to classify 72% of cancer patients from the healthy controls. The present study shows that the precise measurement of urinary nucleosides by MEKC in combining with PCA technique may provide a clinically useful approach for diagnosis of cancer.     

211At标记蛋白质或多肽的方法研究

α核素211At具有良好的辐射生物学性质,以对肿瘤细胞具有高亲和性的单克隆抗体或多肽类配体为载体则是实现211At肿瘤靶向治疗的最理想方式之一。本文介绍了211At标记蛋白质或多肽的方法的现状与进展,对存在的一些问题及今后的发展方向进行了讨论。     

DNA-mediated coordinative assembly of upconversion hetero-nanostructures for targeted dual-modality imaging of cancer cells

We reported a simple and universal strategy for DNA-mediated assembly of CdTe quantum dots (QDs) and lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs). Such DNA-QD/UCNPs heterostructures not only maintains both fluorescent properties of QDs and upconversion luminescence behaviors of UCNPs, but also offers a polyvalent DNA surface, allowing for targeted dual-modality imaging of cancer cells using an aptamer     

血清中Mo、Se、Mn、Cu、Zn与食管癌的关系探讨

通过对１８例食管癌患者以及８０例对照组血清中Ｍｏ、Ｓｅ、Ｍｎ、Ｃｕ、Ｚｎ的测定分析，发现食管瘤患者血硒含量明显低于对照组，二者之间有极显著性差异（Ｐ＜０．０１）。而血铜、铜／锌比值食管癌组明显高于对照组，差异有显著性（Ｐ＜０．０５）。Ｍｏ、Ｍｎ、Ｚｎ元素的含量在二组之间无显著性差异（Ｐ＞０．０５）．提示血清硒铜与食管癌有关。     

The Role of Chemistry in the Development of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy of Cancer

A therapeutic method that selectively destroys malignant cells in the presence of normal cells is a highly valued goal of oncologists and the possible salvation of cancer patients afflicted with some incurable forms of the disease. Selective cell destruction is, in principle, possible with a binary therapeutic strategy based upon the neutron capture reaction observed with the ¹⁰B nucleus and a neutron of low kinetic energy (thermal neutron). This nuclear fission reaction produces both ⁴He and ⁷Li⁺ nuclei along with about 2.4 MeV of kinetic energy and weak γ-radiation. Since the energetic and cytotoxic product ions travel only about one cell diameter in tissue one may specify the cell type to be destroyed by placing innocent ¹⁰B nuclei on or within only the doomed cells. This article describes the current status of chemical research aimed at the eventual adoption of this therapeutic method (boron neutron capture therapy or BNCT). The multidisciplinary nature of this research effort involves chemistry, biology, nuclear physics, medicine, and related specialties. Methods devised for bringing ¹⁰B nuclei to tumor cells in therapeutic amounts are correlated with the structure of a generalized cell and the various cellular compartments available for boron localization. The synthesis methods employed for the creation of boron-containing biomolecules and drugs are presented along with representative data concerning their efficacy in tumor localization. The outlook for BNCT is especially bright at this time because of rapid developments in the fields of bioorganometallic chemistry, microbiology, immunology, and nuclear science, to name but a few. Very effective boron delivery vehicles have been demonstrated, and through the interaction of chemistry and biology these species are undergoing further improvement and evaluation of their suitability for BNCT.     

硒与消化系统癌关系的探讨

据不同地貌、地质条件在30个县市按剖面、同步、随机取土壤样品372份．测定硒等微量元素含量．作等级相关分析显示。土壤硒含量与消化系统癌呈负相关关系．作相对危险度、剂量-效应及多因素分析,认为此负相关关系并非偶然现象．