Novel chemotherapeutics with marked and selective antitumor activity are essential to develop, particularly those that can overcome resistance to established therapies. Iron (Fe) is critical for cell-cycle progression and DNA synthesis and potentially represents a novel molecular target for the design of new anticancer agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antitumor activity and Fe chelation efficacy of a new class of Fe chelators using human tumors. In this investigation, the ligands showed broad antitumor activity and could overcome resistance to established antitumor agents. The in vivo efficacy of the most effective chelator identified, di-2-pyridylketone-4,4,-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (Dp44mT), was assessed by using a panel of human xenografts in nude mice. After 7 weeks, net growth of a melanoma xenograft in Dp44mT-treated mice was only 8% of that in mice treated with vehicle. In addition, no differences in these latter animals were found in hematological indices between Dp44mT-treated mice and controls. No marked systemic Fe depletion was observed comparing Dp44mT-and vehicletreated mice, probably because of the very low doses required to induce anticancer activity. Dp44mT caused up-regulation of the Fe-responsive tumor growth and metastasis suppressor Ndrg1 in the tumor but not in the liver, indicating a potential mechanism of selective anticancer activity. These results indicate that the novel Fe chelators have potent and broad antitumor activity and can overcome resistance to established chemotherapeutics because of their unique mechanism of action.cancer ͉ di-2-pyridylketone-4,4-dimethyl-3-thiosemicarbazone ͉ Ndrg1

Stillbirth has multiple etiologies. However, the detection of CMV DNA in 15% of fetal tissues or placentae suggests a strong association between CMV infection in pregnancy and stillbirth. Molecular testing during postmortem investigation has an important role to determine the contribution of CMV infection.

Objectives: To report on the burden of disease in Australian infants with congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection in the era of neonatal hearing screening and improved diagnostic techniques. Design, setting and participants: National data were collected from across Australia via the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Unit (APSU) with monthly reporting by > 1000 clinicians between January 1999 and February 2009. For each reported case, data on investigations and epidemiological and clinical features were analysed. Detailed clinical reviews were performed on 42 infants in two Sydney tertiary paediatric infectious diseases clinics. Results: There were 195 infants with cCMV identified, including 126 definite and 69 probable cases. Of these, 175 (90%) were symptomatic and only 15 were treated with antiviral agents. Identification was delayed beyond 60 days of age in 30 cases (15%). During the period of study, neonatal hearing screening was introduced for most Australian infants. Detection of hearing loss increased from 19% of cCMV cases in 1999–2003 to 31% in 2004–2009. Of 42 infants whose cases were reviewed in detail, 33 (79%) had symptomatic disease. DNA detection of CMV, using polymerase chain reaction testing of newborn screening cards, was useful in retrospective identification, and was strongly correlated with the presence of clinical sequelae (15/18; 83%). Conclusions: Congenital CMV is underdiagnosed, infrequently treated, and often manifests as isolated hearing loss. Delayed diagnoses both before and after the introduction of neonatal hearing screening represent missed treatment and management opportunities and are likely to lead to poorer, life‐long outcomes for these children. Retrospective analysis of newborn screening cards for CMV should be undertaken for infants with sensorineural hearing loss, to identify unrecognised cCMV.

No abstract

Heat shock protein (HSP) expression in lymphocytes isolated from 20 patients with HIV disease and 15 age-matched controls was determined. Fold increases in lymphocyte hsp70 expression after heat shock were 4.52 +/- 2.97 in HIV-positive individuals compared with 2.60 +/- 1.29 for HIV-negative controls (P= 0.001). Given clear roles for HSP in the cross-presentation of antigens, alpha-defensin internalization and pro-inflammatory cytokine production, a further investigation of HSP in HIV patients is merited.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract