Individualization of cancer management requires prognostic markers and therapy-predictive markers. Prognostic markers assess risk of disease progression independent of therapy, whereas therapypredictive markers identify patients whose disease is sensitive or resistant to treatment. We show that an experimentally derived IFN-related DNA damage resistance signature (IRDS) is associated with resistance to chemotherapy and/or radiation across different cancer cell lines. The IRDS genes STAT1, ISG15, and IFIT1 all mediate experimental resistance. Clinical analyses reveal that IRDS(؉) and IRDS(؊) states exist among common human cancers. In breast cancer, a seven-gene-pair classifier predicts for efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy and for local-regional control after radiation. By providing information on treatment sensitivity or resistance, the IRDS improves outcome prediction when combined with standard markers, risk groups, or other genomic classifiers.

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Theanine is a non-protein amino acid that occurs naturally in the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and contributes to the favourable taste of tea. It is also associated with effects such as the enhancement of relaxation and the improvement of concentration and learning ability. It is also linked with health benefits including the prevention of certain cancers and cardiovascular disease, the promotion of weight loss and enhanced performance of the immune system. Thus, there has been a significant rise in the demand for theanine. While theanine has been chemically and biologically synthesised, techniques to isolate theanine from natural sources remain an important area of research. In this review article, the properties and health benefits of theanine are summarised and the synthesis and isolation of theanine are reviewed and discussed. Future perspectives for the isolation of theanine from natural sources are also outlined.

Six different factors involved in the extraction of catechins from green tea using water were examined for their impact on the yield of catechins and on the efficiency of water use. The best temperature and time combination for catechin extraction was at 80°C for 30 min. The yield of catechins was also optimal with a tea particle size of 1 mm, a brewing solution pH <6 and a tea-to-water ratio at 50:1 (mL/g). In terms of efficient use of water in a single extraction, a water-to-tea ratio of 20:1 (mL/g) gave the best results; 2.5 times less water was used per gram of green tea. At the water-to-tea ratio of 20:1 mL/g, the highest yield of catechins per gram of green tea was achieved by extracting the same sample of green tea twice. However, for the most efficient use of water, the best extraction was found to be once at a water-to-tea ratio of 12:1 (mL/g) and once at a water-to-tea ratio of 8:1 (mL/g). Therefore, all six of the factors investigated had an impact on the yield of catechins extracted from green tea using water and two had an impact on the efficiency of water use.