This paper reviews the best known techniques using circular dichroism spectroscopy such as conventional circular dichroism (i.e. electronic circular dichroism), magnetic circular dichroisms (magnetic vibrational circular dichroism, x-ray magnetic circular dichroism), fluorescence detected circular dichroism, near-infrared circular dichroism, vibrational circular dichroism, Fourier transform infrared circular dichroism, high pressure liquid chromatography circular dichroism, stopped-flow circular dichroism, and synchrotron radiation circular dichroism. Also, we have described here the most important applications of circular dichroism spectroscopy in structural biochemistry and nanoscience.

Nucleic acid amplification technologies are used in the field of molecular biology and recombinant DNA technologies. These techniques are used as leading methods in detecting and analyzing a small quantity of nucleic acids. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is the most widely used method for DNA amplification for detection and identification of infectious diseases, genetic disorders and other research purposes. However, it requires a thermocycling machine to separate two DNA strands and then amplify the required fragment. Novel developments in molecular biology of DNA synthesis in vivo demonstrate the possibility of amplifying DNA in isothermal conditions without the need of a thermocycling apparatus. DNA polymerase replicates DNA with the aid of various accessory proteins. Recent identification of these proteins has enabled development of new in vitro isothermal DNA amplification methods, mimicking these in vivo mechanisms. There are several types of isothermal nucleic acid amplification methods such as transcription mediated amplification, nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, signal mediated amplification of RNA technology, strand displacement amplification, rolling circle amplification, loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA, isothermal multiple displacement amplification, helicase-dependent amplification, single primer isothermal amplification, and circular helicase-dependent amplification. In this article, we review these isothermal nucleic acid amplification technologies and their applications in molecular biological studies.

Purpose Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) represents the eighth most common malignancy worldwide. Standard of care treatments for HNSCC patients include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Additionally, the anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody cetuximab is often used in combination with these treatment modalities. Despite clinical success with these therapeutics, HNSCC remains a difficult to treat malignancy. Thus, identification of new molecular targets is critical. Experimental Design In the current study, the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL was investigated as a molecular target in HNSCC using established cell lines, HNSCC patient derived xenografts (PDXs), and human tumors. HNSCC dependency on AXL was evaluated with both anti-AXL siRNAs and the small molecule AXL inhibitor R428. Furthermore, AXL inhibition was evaluated with standard of care treatment regimes used in HNSCC. Results AXL was found to be highly overexpressed in several models of HNSCC, where AXL was significantly associated with higher pathologic grade, presence of distant metastases and shorter relapse free survival in patients with HNSCC. Further investigations indicated that HNSCC cells were reliant on AXL for cellular proliferation, migration, and invasion. Additionally, targeting AXL increased HNSCC cell line sensitivity to chemotherapy, cetuximab, and radiation. Moreover, radiation resistant HNSCC cell line xenografts and PDXs expressed elevated levels of both total and activated AXL, indicating a role for AXL in radiation resistance. Conclusion Collectively, this study provides evidence for the role of AXL in HNSCC pathogenesis and supports further pre-clinical and clinical evaluation of anti-AXL therapeutics for the treatment of patients with HNSCC.

BackgroundThe overarching goal of this project is to establish a patient-derived bladder cancer xenograft (PDX) platform, annotated with deep sequencing and patient clinical information, to accelerate the development of new treatment options for bladder cancer patients. Herein, we describe the creation, initial characterization and use of the platform for this purpose.Methods and FindingsTwenty-two PDXs with annotated clinical information were established from uncultured unselected clinical bladder cancer specimens in immunodeficient NSG mice. The morphological fidelity was maintained in PDXs. Whole exome sequencing revealed that PDXs and parental patient cancers shared 92–97% of genetic aberrations, including multiple druggable targets. For drug repurposing, an EGFR/HER2 dual inhibitor lapatinib was effective in PDX BL0440 (progression-free survival or PFS of 25.4 days versus 18.4 days in the control, p = 0.007), but not in PDX BL0269 (12 days versus 13 days in the control, p = 0.16) although both expressed HER2. To screen for the most effective MTT, we evaluated three drugs (lapatinib, ponatinib, and BEZ235) matched with aberrations in PDX BL0269; but only a PIK3CA inhibitor BEZ235 was effective (p<0.0001). To study the mechanisms of secondary resistance, a fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 inhibitor BGJ398 prolonged PFS of PDX BL0293 from 9.5 days of the control to 18.5 days (p<0.0001), and serial biopsies revealed that the MAPK/ERK and PIK3CA-AKT pathways were activated upon resistance. Inhibition of these pathways significantly prolonged PFS from 12 day of the control to 22 days (p = 0.001). To screen for effective chemotherapeutic drugs, four of the first six PDXs were sensitive to the cisplatin/gemcitabine combination, and chemoresistance to one drug could be overcome by the other drug.ConclusionThe PDX models described here show good correlation with the patient at the genomic level and known patient response to treatment. This supports further evaluation of the PDXs for their ability to accurately predict a patient’s response to new targeted and combination strategies for bladder cancer.

Identical twins of young adult Hodgkin lymphoma case subjects are much more likely to develop the disease compared with fraternal twins of case subjects, suggesting a genetic determinant. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels are increased in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma and are correlated with a poor prognosis. We hypothesized that a heritable abnormality in IL-6 regulation may predispose to young adult Hodgkin lymphoma. We obtained blood specimens from 88 young adult Hodgkin lymphoma case subjects and their twins as well as from 87 matched control subjects. IL-6 was measured from unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) supernatant with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and compared by using analysis of covariance. Unaffected identical twins of case subjects (surrogate case subjects) had a 87.8% higher IL-6 level compared with matched control subjects (mean difference, ؉483.7 pg/mL, P ‫؍‬ .04). Analysis of the IL-6 174G>C promoter polymorphism genotypes showed that risk decreased with an increasing number of C alleles (P ‫؍‬ .01). The CC (low secreting) genotype was associated with a decreased risk of young adult Hodgkin lymphoma relative to the GG (high secreting) genotype (odds ratio [ IntroductionHodgkin lymphoma is characterized clinically by symptoms resembling those of a chronic infectious disease and pathologically by a rare neoplastic giant cell (Hodgkin or Reed-Sternberg cell) surrounded by a mixed inflammatory and benign small lymphocytic infiltrate that varies by histologic type. 1 In developed countries, the age-specific incidence curve is bimodal, 2 with a peak among young adults aged 15 to 34 years (young adult Hodgkin lymphoma), consisting mostly of the nodular sclerosis type, and a second peak among older adults (older than 50 years), consisting mainly of the mixed cellularity type. 3 Risk factors (small sibship size, high socioeconomic status, and growing up in a single-family dwelling) strongly suggest that it results from delayed exposure to a common childhood virus. 4,5 Epstein-Barr virus has been suggested as an etiologic agent on the basis of a higher frequency of past infectious mononucleosis in patients, 6,7 higher Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) titers in prospective serologic studies 8,9 and demonstration of the Epstein-Barr viral genome in some Hodgkin lymphoma tumors, (demonstrated more commonly in mixed cellularity tumors occurring in young children and the elderly than in nodular sclerosis tumors in young adults 10 ).Genetic factors also contribute to susceptibility. A 3-to 7-fold higher risk of childhood and young adult Hodgkin lymphoma is reported in siblings of case subjects. 11,12 We also reported that identical (monozygotic) twins of case subjects have a 100-fold higher risk of developing this lymphoma than that expected on the basis of population incidence, whereas no increased risk was observed among fraternal (dizygotic) twins of case subjects. 13 We hypothesized that an inherited immune phenotype was responsible for the development of young adult Hodgkin lymphoma,...

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