(C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. Radiotherapy and

Oncology 99 (2011) 1-5″
“Aberrant angiogenesis is common Cell Cycle inhibitor to a variety of diseases in which alterations in tissue mechanical properties also occur. A fundamental understanding of the interdependence of angiogenesis and tissue structural properties may enhance the development of therapeutic strategies. We previously established that increasing extracellular matrix density inhibits capillary morphogenesis in three-dimensional tissues in vitro, and that addition of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) partially rescues a healthy angiogenic phenotype. This study’s goal was to investigate if these effects can be recapitulated in vivo. Mocetinostat Human umbilical vein endothelial cells, MSCs, or a mixture of both was suspended in fibrin gel precursor solutions of 5, 10, and 15 mg/mL concentrations and injected subcutaneously into SCID mice. Neovascularization was assessed in tissue constructs retrieved at 3, 7, and 21 days by quantifying vessel numbers, perfusion, thickness, maturity, and perivascular collagen deposition. The data show that changing extracellular matrix density

inhibits capillary morphogenesis in vivo in a manner consistent with that observed in vitro. Delivery of both human umbilical vein endothelial cells and MSCs produced more robust and mature vessels than delivery of either cell type alone in all tissue concentrations.”
“In the setting of liver transplantation, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) may be used as an adjuvant therapy for immunosuppression to

prevent graft rejection; however, its use may be limited due to severe gastrointestinal (GI) side effects. In contrast, enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium (EC-MPS) may be associated with less severe side effects and hence better tolerability. We compared the side effects of EC-MPS to MMF in liver transplant patients in a de novo study (Study I-randomized, prospective, double-blinded) and a conversion study (Study II). In both studies, the severity of GI symptoms was assessed at various time points using the Gastrointestinal Symptoms Rating Scale (GSRS) survey, a validated survey of GI symptoms (abdominal pain, reflux, indigestion, diarrhea, and constipation). ACY-738 In Study I, the symptoms of 30 recipients receiving EC-MPS (n = 15) were compared to 15 recipients receiving MMF. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) of the total GSRS scores and symptom syndrome subscores revealed no significant difference (p bigger than 0.05) between the two medications over time. A conversion study (Study II) with 29 participants, however, showed that over time, all GI symptoms improved significantly (p smaller than 0.001) when the patients were treated with EC-MPS instead of MMF.