http://hdl.handle.net/10027/8706 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:59 GMT 2013-06-19T17:00:59Z http://hdl.handle.net/10027/8718 PKCα and ERβ Are Associated with Triple-Negative Breast Cancers in African American and Caucasian Patients Tonetti, Debra A.; Gao, Weihua; Escarzaga, Diana; Walters, Kelly; Szafran, April; Coon, John S. Although the incidence of breast cancer in the United States is higher in Caucasian women compared with African American women, African-American patients have more aggressive disease as characterized by a higher percentage of triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs), high-grade tumors, and a higher mortality rate. PKCα is a biomarker associated with endocrine resistance and poor prognosis and ERβ is emerging as a protective biomarker. Immunohistochemical analysis of ERβ and PKCα expression was performed on 198 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded primary infiltrating ductal carcinomas from 105 African-American and 93 Caucasian patients. PKCα is positively correlated with TNBC in patients of both races and with high tumor grade in African- American patients. Patients with TNBC express less nuclear ERβ compared with all other subtypes. We find no difference in frequency or intensity of PKCα or ERβ expression between African-American and Caucasian patients. PKCα and ERβ are discussed as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of patients with TNBC. Copyright © 2012 Debra A. Tonetti et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. DOI: 10.1155/2012/740353 Sun, 01 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10027/8718 2012-01-01T06:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10027/8552 Self-assembling process of flash nanoprecipitation in a multi-inlet vortex mixer to produce drug-loaded polymeric nanoparticles Shen, Hao; Hong, Seungpyo; Prud'homme, Robert; Liu, Ying We present an experimental study of self-assembled polymeric nanoparticles in the process of flash nanoprecipitation using a multi-inlet vortex mixer (MIVM). beta-Carotene and polyethyleneimine (PEI) are used as a model drug and a macromolecule, respectively, and encapsulated in diblock copolymers. Flow patterns in the MIVM are microscopically visualized by mixing iron nitrate (Fe(NO(3))(3)) and potassium thiocyanate (KSCN) to precipitate Fe(SCN) (x) ((3-x)+) . Effects of physical parameters, including Reynolds number, supersaturation rate, interaction force, and drug-loading rate, on size distribution of the nanoparticle suspensions are investigated. It is critical for the nanoprecipitation process to have a short mixing time, so that the solvent replacement starts homogeneously in the reactor. The properties of the nanoparticles depend on the competitive kinetics of polymer aggregation and organic solute nucleation and growth. We report the existence of a threshold Reynolds number over which nanoparticle sizes become independent of mixing. A similar value of the threshold Reynolds number is confirmed by independent measurements of particle size, flow-pattern visualization, and our previous numerical simulation along with experimental study of competitive reactions in the MIVM. Post print version of article may differ from published version. The original publication is available at springerlink.com; DOI: 10.1007/s11051-011-0354-7. Thu, 01 Sep 2011 05:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10027/8552 2011-09-01T05:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10027/8464 Decellularized Human Cornea for Reconstructing the Corneal Epithelium and Anterior Stroma A. Shafiq, Maryam; A. Gemeinhart, Richard; Y.J.T. Yue, Beatrice; R. Djalilian, Ali In this project, we strived to develop a decellularized human cornea to use as a scaffold for reconstructing the corneal epithelium and anterior stroma. Human cadaver corneas were decellularized by five different methods, including detergent- and nondetergent-based approaches. The success of each method on the removal of cells from the cornea was investigated. The structural integrity of decellularized corneas was compared with the native cornea by electron microscopy. The integrity of the basement membrane of the epithelium was analyzed by histology and by the expression of collagen type IV, laminin, and fibronectin. Finally, the ability of the decellularized corneas to support the growth of human corneal epithelial cells and fibroblasts was assessed in vitro. Corneas processed using Triton X-100, liquid nitrogen, and poly(ethylene glycol) resulted in incomplete removal of cellular material. Corneas processed with the use of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or with sodium chloride (NaCl) plus nucleases successfully removed all cellular material; however, only the NaCl plus nuclease treatment kept the epithelial basement membrane completely intact. Corneas processed with NaCl plus nuclease supported both fibroblast and epithelial cell growth in vitro, while corneas treated with SDS supported the growth of only fibroblasts and not epithelial cells. Decellularized human corneas provide a scaffold that can support the growth of corneal epithelial cells and stromal fibroblasts. This approach may be useful for reconstructing the anterior cornea and limbus using autologous cells. This is a copy of an article published in the Tissue Engineering Part C Methods © 2011 Mary Ann Liebert DOI: 10.1089/ten.TEC.2011.0072 Sat, 01 Jan 2011 06:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10027/8464 2011-01-01T06:00:00Z