1. Long-term survival in glioblastoma : methyl guanine methyl transferase (MGMT) promoter methylation as independent favourable prognostic factorUroš Smrdel, Mara Popović, Matjaž Zwitter, Emanuela Boštjančič, Andrej Zupan, Viljem Kovač, Damjan Glavač, Drago Bokal, Janja Jerebic, 2016, original scientific article Abstract: In spite of significant improvement after multi-modality treatment, prognosis of most patients with glioblastoma remains poor. Standard clinical prognostic factors (age, gender, extent of surgery and performance status) do not clearly predict long-term survival. The aim of this case-control study was to evaluate immuno-histochemical and genetic characteristics of the tumour as additional prognostic factors in glioblastoma. Long-term survivor group were 40 patients with glioblastoma with survival longer than 30 months. Control group were 40 patients with shorter survival and matched to the long-term survivor group according to the clinical prognostic factors. All patients underwent multimodality treatment with surgery, postoperative conformal radiotherapy and temozolomide during and after radiotherapy. Biopsy samples were tested for the methylation of MGMT promoter (with methylation specific polymerase chain reaction), IDH1 (with immunohistochemistry), IDH2, CDKN2A and CDKN2B (with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification), and 1p and 19q mutations (with fluorescent in situ hybridization). Methylation of MGMT promoter was found in 95% and in 36% in the long-term survivor and control groups, respectively (p < 0.001). IDH1 R132H mutated patients had a non-significant lower risk of dying from glioblastoma (p= 0.437), in comparison to patients without this mutation. Other mutations were rare, with no significant difference between the two groups. Molecular and genetic testing offers additional prognostic and predictive information for patients with glioblastoma. The most important finding of our analysis is that in the absence of MGMT promoter methylation, longterm survival is very rare. For patients without this mutation, alternative treatments should be explored.
Keywords: glioblastoma, long-term survival, methyl guanine methyl transferase, MGMT, prognostic factor
Published in DiRROS: 30.04.2024; Views: 37; Downloads: 11
 Full text (530,79 KB)
This document has many files! More... |
2. Structural and degradation studies of a biocompatible Zn-L-tartrate metal-organic frameworkAna Palčić, Andreas Puškarić, Matjaž Mazaj, Emanuela Žunkovič, Nataša Zabukovec Logar, Josip Bronić, 2015, original scientific article Abstract: New anhydrous Zn-l-tratrate was synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Crystal structure which was solved by powder X-ray diffraction data from monoclinic unit cell (I2, a=11.7557(1), b=9.0319(1), c=5.0750(1), β=91.920(1)) consists of the three-dimensional framework where each Zn atom coordinates four tartrate ligands in distorted octahedral geometry. Due to its biocompatible components, the degradation of material was studied in aqueous media under different pH values (pH=1–7) and in the simulated body fluid (pH=7.4) performed by the measurement of the released Zn2+ concentrations at thermostatic conditions (37 °C). The results showed that under acidic conditions approximately 60% of Zn2+ is released from the investigated material after 6 h of degradation process. With the increase of the solution’s pH, the rate of degradation gradually decreases. XRD and SEM analyses indicate that in aqueous media the compound slowly disintegrates and does not undergo hydrolysis process regardless of pH. Biocompatibility of the compound and its controllable rate of degradation even in acid conditions open its potential use in the fields of bio-applications.
Graphical abstract
The degradation kinetics of Zn-l-tar MOF material in aqueous media at different pH conditions.
Full-size image (24 K)
Keywords: Zn-tartrate, coordination polymers, hydrothermal synthesis, biomedical application, food supplement
Published in DiRROS: 26.01.2015; Views: 4999; Downloads: 475
 Link to file |
