During chemotherapy, structural and mechanical changes in malignant cells have been observed in several cancers, including leukaemia, pancreatic and prostate cancer. Such cellular changes may act as physical biomarkers for chemoresistance and cancer recurrence. This study aimed to determine how exposure to paclitaxel affects the intracellular stiffness of human oesophageal cancer of South African origin in vitro. A human oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell line WHCO1 was cultured on glass substrates (2D) and in collagen gels (3D) and exposed to paclitaxel for up to 48 hours. Cellular morphology and stiffness were assessed with confocal microscopy, visually aided morpho-phenotyping image recognition, and mitochondrial particle tracking microrheology at 24 and 48 hours. In the 2D environment, the intracellular stiffness was higher for the paclitaxel-treated than for untreated cells at 24 and 48 hours. In the 3D environment, the paclitaxel-treated cells were stiffer than the untreated cells at 24 hours, but no statistically significant differences in stiffness were observed at 48 hours. In 2D, paclitaxel-treated cells were significantly larger at 24 and 48 hours and more circular at 24 but not at 48 hours than the untreated controls. In 3D, there were no significant morphological differences between treated and untreated cells. The shape heterogeneity was lower for paclitaxel-treated than untreated cells in 3D and similar for the treated and untreated groups in 2D. Future studies with patient-derived primary cancer cells and prolonged drug exposure will help identify physical cellular biomarkers to detect chemoresistance onset and assess therapy effectiveness in oesophageal cancer patients.InsightMechanical changes in cancer cells brought on by chemotherapeutic drug exposure offer possible physical biomarkers to detect chemoresistance and cancer recurrence. This first study on human oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma of South African origin indicated that in vitro paclitaxel treatment induced stiffening and enlarging of the malignant cells in two-dimensional environments at 24 and 48 hours. In physiologically more relevant three-dimensional collagen matrices, however, the paclitaxel treatment led to cellular stiffening at 24 hours but softening after that, without significant changes in cellular size at any time. The in vitro environment’s influence on experimental outcomes needs to be considered in further studies with prolonged drug exposure and patient-derived primary cancer cells.
Timely intervention for atonic postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) significantly reduces the incidence of death from PPH. However, technological solutions geared towards this have not received substantial adoption by the health community in sub-Saharan Africa due to limiting factors such as; cumbersome application, being costly, requiring skilled personnel, needing cold chain storage, and the associated side effects. This pilot study aimed to assess the usability, acceptability, and performance of the Maternal PPH Wrap, a first-aid device designed to control atonic PPH after childbirth. Forty subjects were recruited for the study. Twenty of these were women who sought maternity care at Kawempe National Referral Hospital (KNRH). The women wore the device for 120 minutes while their vitals were recorded every 20 minutes. The device’s acceptability and performance were evaluated on the women. The remaining twenty were licensed midwives working at KNRH. The device’s usability was assessed on all the midwives recruited for the pilot study using a usability questionnaire. There was a reduction in blood loss associated with the use of the Maternal PPH Wrap alongside the standard of care as opposed to the standard of care alone. This reduction in blood loss was detected between the 80th and 120th minute of the device application onto the mothers. The acceptability and usability scores from the study participants also scored favorably. The Maternal PPH Wrap demonstrated potential to control PPH and product satisfaction, and these results will support the device’s redesign leading into a Phase I clinical trial.
Students in Biomaterials BBE3102 at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda were assigned semester long group projects in the first semester of the 2014-15 academic year to determine the biomaterials type and usage in Mulago National Referral Hospital, which is emblematic of large public hospitals across East Africa. Information gathering was conducted through student interviews with Mulago physicians because there were no archival records. The students divided themselves into seven project groups covering biomaterials use in the areas of wound closure, dental and oral surgery, cardiology, burn care, bone repair, ophthalmology and total joint replacement. As in the developed world, the majority of biomaterials used in Mulago are basic wound closure materials, dental materials, and bone fixation materials, all of which are comparatively inexpensive, easy to store, and readily available from either the government or local suppliers; however, there were significant issues with the implant supply chain, affordability, and patient compliance and follow-up in cases where specialty expertise and expensive implants were employed.
Timely intervention for atonic postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) significantly reduces the incidence of death from PPH. However, technological solutions geared towards this have not received substantial adoption by the health community in sub-Saharan Africa due to limiting factors such as; cumbersome application, being costly, requiring skilled personnel, needing cold chain storage, and the associated side effects. This pilot study aimed to assess the usability, acceptability, and performance of the Maternal PPH Wrap, a first-aid device designed to control atonic PPH after childbirth. Forty subjects were recruited for the study. Twenty of these were women who sought maternity care at Kawempe National Referral Hospital (KNRH). The women wore the device for 120 minutes while their vitals were recorded every 20 minutes. The device's acceptability and performance were evaluated on the women. The remaining twenty were licensed midwives working at KNRH. The device's usability was assessed on all the midwives recruited for the pilot study using a usability questionnaire. There was a reduction in blood loss associated with the use of the Maternal PPH Wrap alongside the standard of care as opposed to the standard of care alone. This reduction in blood loss was detected between the 80 th and 120 th minute of the device application onto the mothers. The acceptability and usability scores from the study participants also scored favorably. The Maternal PPH Wrap demonstrated potential to control PPH and product satisfaction, and these results will support the device's redesign leading into a Phase I clinical trial.
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