No abstract

Chemotherapy in cancer treatment is associated with serious side effects and as a result there is great interest in research aimed at bringing down the level of systemic cytotoxicity. With advances in material science, magnetic drug targeting has emerged as one of the viable ways of attaining this. In this study, we used self assembled PVP/PVA magnetic hydrogel microspheres to deliver pingyangmycin (Bleomycin A5) to rabbit auricular VX2 tumours in the presence of a 0.5 T permanent magnet both during and 24 h after perfusion. A total of 22 New Zealand white rabbits ranging from 13 to 16 weeks and weighing 2.5-3.0 kg (2.46 +/- 0.2) successfully implanted with tumours 200-300 mm2 in size were used. In group D (1 mg pingyangmycin in 50 mg ferrofluid without a magnet) 2 weeks post treatment, there was statistically significant difference compared to the control (p = 0.05) in favor of group D. However, when compared to the group with 1 mg pingyangmycin(BLM) in 50 mg of ferrofluid and 0.5 mg (BLM) in 50 mg ferrofluid both with a permanent magnet in place for 24 h, the statistically significant difference was in favor of combined treatment, i.e. ferrofluid carrying drug in presence of a permanent magnet (p = 0.01). The microspheres in conjunction with the magnet did deliver pingyangmycin to the tumour and hence may be of use in future as far as magnetic drug targeting is concerned. However, more studies are still required to establish biodistribution and biostability not to forget drug release of ferrofluid of different chemotherapeutic agents available.

Osteomas are slowly growing lesions that are amenable to surgical excision when they interfere with esthetics, function or cause symptoms due to compression of vital structures. Due to their location facial bone osteoma demand minimally invasive surgery to avoid iatrogenic injury, functional interference and scarring, hence the need to perform intraoral endoscopic surgical intervention. The case presented is that of osteomas on the left mandibular body and condyle that were successfully treated via an intraoral endoscopic surgical approach.

A triblock polymer of LPLA and PEG 1000 and 3400 at 3% and 9% was formed by ring opening under nitrogen atmosphere at 120°C and then, in one group, bFGF was added, while in the other both bFGF and BMP were added, leaving one group as a control. Gross, radiographic, histological and scanning electronic microscope observations were done. With the help of motic images advanced 3.0 new bone formed, calculated as a percentage of total selected area and, using SAS6.12, results were analyzed. Statistical analysis between groups showed that, at 2 weeks, the PLA-PEG-PLA + bFGF + BMP group had the highest amount of new bone formation, as a percentage of new bone over total surface area, at 48% followed by the PLA-PEG-PLA + bFGF group at 39%, then the PLA-PEG-PLA=BMP group at 29%. The PLA-PEGPLA group trailed in at 18% (statistical significance, p <0.05=0.0001). After 4 weeks, the experimental groups B and D had almost equal new bone formation (62% and 64% respectively), but still significantly different from the control group and BMP2 group, with 43% and 38% respectively (p <0.05=0.0001). After 8 weeks, there was no difference in the amount of bone regeneration (p >0.05=0.87). Within the groups, the control group exhibited steady incremental new bone formation at 2, 4 and 8 weeks, starting out at 18%, followed by 42% and lastly 65%. Interestingly this phenomenon also applied to group C (BMP2 group) but not to the B group (bFGF group). The differences at the respective consecutive time of examination were statistically significant (p <0.05=0.0001). However, in both experimental groups B and D there was statistically significant difference between new bone formed at 2 weeks compared to that at 4 weeks, but thereafter the increment was negligible.

We reviewed the case notes of 203 patients who were treated for sarcomas of the oral and maxillofacial region over a period of 5 years. There were 98 male cases (mean age 31.4 ± 12.8 years) and 105 female cases (mean age 29.3 ± 10.4). Kaposi’s sarcoma accounted for 82.8% cases, and rhabdomyosarcoma 6.9% followed by osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma at 2.5% each. Except for Kaposi’s sarcoma, surgery in combination with radiotherapy and/or chemothe- rapy was the main stay of treatment. Survival data was not available for most of our patients