Vegetable-derived compound effective in treating triple-negative breast cancer, research suggests

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2012) — A new compound created from a rich source in vegetables including broccoli and brussel sprouts has been developed to combat triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This research is being presented at the 2012 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition, the world's largest pharmaceutical sciences meeting, in Chicago, Ill., on Oct. 14 -- 18, during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

TNBC accounts for approximately 15-20 percent of all breast cancer cases in the U.S. It is one of the most aggressive forms of breast cancer; it grows faster, spreads to other parts of the body earlier, is harder to detect on a mammogram and recurs more often.

Mandip Sachdeva, Ph.D. and Chandraiah Godugu, P.h.D. from Florida A&M University, in collaboration with Stephen Safe, Ph.D., from Texas A&M University, have evaluated the activity of novel C-substituted diindolylmethane (C-DIM) derivatives and demonstrated that they have superior anticancer activities. Sachdeva's study reveals that these synthetic compounds derived from diindolylmethane (DIM), commonly found in various types of cruciferous vegetables, can be used to treat several types of cancer, including triple-negative breast cancer. C-DIMs are also being investigated for their cancer prevention activity.

"Targeted treatment options for TNBC are limited; current treatments, such as infusions, result in poor patient compliance and increased toxicity," said Sachdeva. "We are confident that the compounds we are currently working with are an effective treatment for triple-negative breast cancer. These compounds are safer for the patient than current treatments available."

In contrast to existing anticancer drugs, the diindolylmethane compounds are orally active, so they could be available to patients in pill form and safe to take daily. When taken in combination with existing anticancer drugs, the diindolylmethane compounds can effectively decrease the number of treatments a patient receives.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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New technique for sorting live cells may expedite biomedical research

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2012) — Researchers from North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a new technique that uses sound waves to rapidly separate selected collections of cells for use in biomedical research.

"We think this is important because it will make it faster and easier for researchers to sort out the live cells they need for research ranging from disease study to drug development," says Dr. Xiaoning Jiang, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper on the work.

Biomedical research often focuses on how specific cell types respond to various chemicals or environmental factors. These cells are often grown in a liquid medium and on top of a collection of "micropallets," which are essentially small plastic platforms that sit on the substrate at the bottom of the container. Researchers then select the cells they want and detach the relevant micropallets, which can be removed for additional experimentation or analysis.

Current techniques for removing these micropallets rely on lasers or physical manipulation to separate the pallets from the substrate. But each approach has its drawbacks. Physical manipulation is a slow process, while the energy produced by lasers to release larger micropallets (e.g., a micropallet 500 micrometers in diameter) can inadvertently kill a significant number of the cells. Neither technique is efficient at detaching a significant number of large micropallets quickly.

The new technique from NC State uses ultrasound technology to release the micropallets. Specifically, it uses focused, relatively high-frequency sound waves that are translated into a wave of pressure within the substrate itself. When that wave of force hits a targeted micropallet, the pallet is lifted off the substrate and can be removed, together with its attached cells, for further study.

Using this technique, micropallets can be selectively released in less than a millisecond. This is not as fast as laser-based techniques, but is much faster than physical manipulation. However, the ultrasound technique has a viability rate of better than 90 percent, meaning that more than 90 percent of live cells survive the process. This is significantly better than existing techniques for the release of large-sized pallets, which can have viability rates of less than 50 percent.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVIeabhU1OY

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Journal Reference:

Sijia Guo, Yuli Wang, Nancy Allbritton and Xiaoning Jiang. Ultrasound-induced release of micropallets with cells. Applied Physics Letters, Volume 101 / Issue 16 (2012) DOI: 10.1063/1.4757648

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