Patient-derived solitary fibrous tumour xenografts predict high sensitivity to doxorubicin/dacarbazine combination confirmed in the clinic and highlight the potential effectiveness of trabectedin or eribulin against this tumour

Abstract Background Preclinical models that mimic pathological and molecular features of solitary fibrous tumour (SFT) represent an important tool to select effective regimes and novel compounds to be tested in the clinic. This study was aimed at developing two preclinical models of SFT, assessing their predictive value in the clinic and selecting potential novel effective treatments. Material and methods Two dedifferentiated-SFT (D-SFT) models obtained from patients' biopsies were grown in immunodeficient mice. The antitumour activity on these models of doxorubicin, dacarbazine (DTIC), ifosfamide (monotherapy or combination), trabectedin and eribulin was tested. Twelve SFT patients were tr…

Platelet count does not predict bleeding in cirrhotic patients: Results from the PRO-LIVER Study

OBJECTIVES: Thrombocytopenia is a hallmark for patients with cirrhosis and it is perceived as a risk factor for bleeding events. However, the relationship between platelet count and bleeding is still unclear. METHODS: We investigated the relationship between platelet count and major or clinical relevant nonmajor bleedings during a follow-up of ∼4 years. RESULTS: A total of 280 cirrhotic patients with different degrees of liver disease (67% males; age 64±37 years; 47% Child–Pugh B and C) were followed up for a median of 1,129 (interquartile range: 800–1,498) days yielding 953.12 patient-year of observation. The annual rate of any significant bleeding was 5.45%/year (3.57%/year and 1.8…

The role of research nurse in translational studies: LUCAS experience

Challenges in Image Matching for Cultural Heritage: An Overview and Perspective

Image matching, as the task of finding correspondences in images, is the upstream component of vision and photogrammetric applications aiming at the reconstruction of 3D scenes, their understanding and comparison. Such applications are of special importance in the context of cultural heritage, as they can support archaeologists to digitally preserve, restore and analyze antiquities, but also to compare their changes over time. The success of deep learning, now firmly established, paired with the evolution of computer hardware, has led to many advances in image processing, including image matching. Despite this progress, image matching still offers challenges, in terms of the matching proces…

Blood N-3 fatty acids increase after consumption of an enriched yoghurt

The effects of a n-3 fatty acid (FA) enriched yoghurt on blood FA were investigated in 23 females and 23 males, who consumed 2 yoghurts/day for 6 weeks, providing 64 mg EPA and 74 mg DHA. Blood samples were collected before treatment, at the beginning, end, and after wash out. Yoghurt intakes increased blood EPA (35%) and DHA (11%) with different trends of changes in women versus men. In conclusion, the daily consumption of a yoghurt containing small amounts of n-3 FA significantly increases blood n-3 FA, providing a useful approach to reach the recommended intakes in populations.