We report on a pilot study showing a proof of concept for the passive delivery of nanoshells to an orthotopic tumor where they induce a local, confined therapeutic response distinct from that of normal brain resulting in the photothermal ablation of canine transmissible venereal tumor (cTVT) in a canine brain model. cTVT fragments grown in severe combined immunodeficient mice were successfully inoculated in the parietal lobe of immunosuppressed, mixed-breed hound dogs. A single dose of near-IR (NIR)-absorbing, 150-nm nanoshells was infused i.v. and allowed time to passively accumulate in the intracranial tumors, which served as a proxy for an orthotopic brain metastasis. The nanoshells accumulated within the intracranial cTVT, suggesting that its neovasculature represented an interruption of the normal blood-brain barrier.

SUMMARY Hormone suppression given before or after cytotoxic treatment stimulates recovery of spermatogenesis from endogenous and transplanted spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) and restores fertility in rodents. To test whether the combination of hormone suppression and transplantation could enhance the recovery of spermatogenesis in primates, we irradiated (7 Gy) the testes of 12 adult cynomolgus monkeys and treated 6 of them with GnRH-antagonist (GnRH-ant) for 8 weeks. At the end of this treatment, we transfected cryopreserved testicular cells with GFP-lentivirus and autologously transplanted them back into one of the testes. The only significant effect of GnRH-ant treatment on endogenous spermatogenesis was an increase in the percentage of tubules containing differentiated germ cells (tubule differentiation index; TDI) in the sham-transplanted testes of GnRH-ant-treated monkeys compared to radiation-only monkeys at 24 weeks after irradiation. Although transplantation alone after irradiation did not significantly increase the TDI, detection of lentiviral DNA in the sperm of one radiation-only monkey indicated that some transplanted cells colonized the testis. However, the combination of transplantation and GnRH-ant clearly stimulated spermatogenic recovery as evidenced by several observations in the GnRH-ant-treated monkeys receiving transplantation: (a) significant increases (~20%) in the volume and weight of the testes compared to the contralateral sham-transplanted testes and/or to the transplanted testes of the radiation-only monkeys; (b) increases in TDI compared to the transplanted testes of radiation-only monkeys at 24 weeks (9.6% vs. 2.9%; P=0.05) and 44 weeks (16.5% vs. 6.1%, P=0.055); (c) detection of lentiviral sequences in the sperm or testes of five of the GnRH-ant–treated monkeys; and (d) significantly higher sperm counts than in the radiation-only monkeys. Thus hormone suppression enhances spermatogenic recovery from transplanted SSC in primates and may be a useful tool in conjunction with spermatogonial transplantation to restore fertility in men after cancer treatment.

Epigenetic modifications mediated by histone deacetylases (HDACs) play important roles in the mechanisms of different neurologic diseases and HDAC inhibitors (HDACIs) have shown promise in therapy. However, pharmacodynamic profiles of many HDACIs in the brain remain largely unknown due to the lack of validated methods for noninvasive imaging of HDACs expression-activity. In this study, dynamic PET/CT imaging was performed in 4 rhesus macaques using [18F]FAHA, a novel HDAC substrate, and [18F]fluoroacetate, the major radio-metabolite of [18F]FAHA, and fused with corresponding MR images of the brain. Quantification of [18F]FAHA accumulation in the brain was performed using a customized dual-tracer pharmacokinetic model. Immunohistochemical analyses of brain tissue revealed the heterogeneity of expression of individual HDACs in different brain structures and cell types and confirmed that PET/CT/MRI with [18F]FAHA reflects the level of expression-activity of HDAC class IIa enzymes. Furthermore, PET/CT/MRI with [18F]FAHA enabled non-invasive, quantitative assessment of pharmacodynamics of HDACs inhibitor SAHA in the brain.

Urinary catheters are widely used for hospitalized patients and are often associated with high rates of urinary tract infection. We evaluated in vitro the antiadherence activity of a novel antiseptic Gendine-coated urinary catheter against several multidrug-resistant bacteria. Gendine-coated urinary catheters were compared to silver hydrogel-coated Foley catheters and uncoated catheters. Bacterial biofilm formation was assessed by quantitative culture and scanning electron microscopy. These data were further correlated to an in vivo rabbit model. We challenged 31 rabbits daily for 4 days by inoculating the urethral meatus with 1.0 ؋ 10 9 CFU streptomycin-resistant Escherichia coli per day. In vitro, Gendine-coated urinary catheters reduced the CFU of all organisms tested for biofilm adherence compared with uncoated and silver hydrogel-coated catheters (P < 0.004). Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that a thick biofilm overlaid the control catheter and the silver hydrogel-coated catheters but not the Gendine-coated urinary catheter. Similar results were found with the rabbit model. Bacteriuria was present in 60% of rabbits with uncoated catheters and 71% of those with silver hydrogel-coated catheters (P < 0.01) but not in those with Gendine-coated urinary catheters. No rabbits with Gendine-coated urinary catheters had invasive bladder infections. Histopathologic assessment revealed no differences in toxicity or staining. Gendine-coated urinary catheters were more efficacious in preventing catheter-associated colonization and urinary tract infections than were silver hydrogelcoated Foley catheters and uncoated catheters.In the United States, nosocomial catheter-related urinary tract infections (UTIs) account for almost 1 million cases (24) and approximately 31% of nosocomial infections seen in the intensive care unit each year (16). Approximately 10% to 30% of patients with indwelling bladder catheters develop bacteruria or UTI (24). This contributes not only to increased morbidity and mortality but also to longer hospital stays and increased medical costs (13). Microbiologic cultures of catheter-related UTIs in the intensive care unit reveal several common pathogens. Of these, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa account for over 39%.Several different methods have been used to prevent nosocomial UTIs. Of these, the most common and longest-used method is the sterile closed drainage system, which has substantially reduced the prevalence of catheter-associated UTIs (11). More recently, other preventive methods involving the use of antimicrobial devices, including urinary catheters impregnated with silver, nitrofurazone, and a combination of minocycline and rifampin (rifampicin), have led to a reduced incidence of bacteruria; however, they were not significant at preventing catheter-related UTIs compared to results with uncoated controls (4,12,22).The use of antibiotic (minocycline and rifampin)-impregnated catheters has led to a reduced incidence of gram-positive bacteruria (4). However, given the ...

The combinatorial effects of TGF-β1 and hydrostatic pressure (HP) were investigated on meniscus cell-seeded PLLA constructs using a two-phase sequential study. The objective was to identify potentially synergistic effects of these stimuli toward enhancing the biomechanical and compositional characteristics of the engineered constructs. In Phase I, the effects of TGF-β1 were examined on the ability of meniscus cells to produce ECM. In Phase II, meniscus cell-seeded PLLA constructs were cultured for 4 wks with a combination of TGF-β1 and HP (10 MPa, 0 Hz or 10 MPa, 0.1 Hz). TGF-β1 was found to increase collagen and GAG deposition in the scaffolds 15-fold and 8-fold, respectively, in Phase I. In Phase II, the combination of TGF-β1 and 10 MPa, 0 Hz HP resulted in 4-fold higher collagen deposition (additive increase), 3-fold higher GAG deposition and enhanced compressive properties (additive and synergistic increases), when compared to the unpressurized no growth factor culture control. Though significant correlations were observed between the compressive properties (moduli and viscosity), and the GAG and collagen content of the constructs, the correlations were stronger with collagen. This study provides robust evidence that growth factors and HP can be used successfully in combination to enhance the functional properties of in vitro engineered knee meniscus constructs.