Neurovista

The AANS Executive Committee approved the Sympathectomy for Hyperhidrosis Position Statement written by Curtis Dickman, MD, on February 2, 2007. [AANS Current News]

Adult human neural stem cells for autologous cell replacement therapies for neurodegenerative disorders..
A Review…[PubMed: neural stem cell]

Encephalopathy, stroke, and myocardial infarction with DMSO use in stem cell transplantation.
“Stem cell transplants are established therapy for hematologic and solid tumor malignancies. Known neurological complications of stem cell transplantation include CNS infection, seizures, strokes, metabolic encephalopathy, and hemorrhage. We report two cases of autologous stem cell transplantation complicated by cerebral infarction and myocardial injury. We postulate that the cryopreservative dimethyl sulfoxide may be responsible.”
[Neurology current issue]

Sex as a predictor of outcomes in patients treated with thrombolysis for acute stroke. Men may have differential increased benefit from thrombolysis efforts. [Neurology current issue]

Multimodality Molecular Imaging of Glioblastoma Growth Inhibition with Vasculature-Targeting Fusion Toxin VEGF121/rGel.

J Nucl Med. 2007 Mar;48(3):445-454

Authors: Hsu AR, Cai W, Veeravagu A, Mohamedali KA, Chen K, Kim S, Vogel H, Hou LC, Tse V, Rosenblum MG, Chen X

Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and its receptors, Flt-1/FLT-1 (VEGFR-1) and Flk-1/KDR (VEGFR-2), are key regulators of tumor angiogenesis and tumor growth. The purpose of this study was to determine the antiangiogenic and antitumor efficacies of a vasculature-targeting fusion toxin (VEGF(121)/rGel) composed of the VEGF-A isoform VEGF(121) linked with a G(4)S tether to recombinant plant toxin gelonin (rGel) in an orthotopic glioblastoma mouse model by use of noninvasive in vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI), MRI, and PET. METHODS: Tumor-bearing mice were randomized into 2 groups and balanced according to BLI and MRI signals. PET with (64)Cu-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododedane-N,N’,N”,N”’-tetraacetic acid (DOTA)-VEGF(121)/rGel was performed before VEGF(121)/rGel treatment. (18)F-Fluorothymidine ((18)F-FLT) scans were obtained before and after treatment to evaluate VEGF(121)/rGel therapeutic efficacy. In vivo results were confirmed with ex vivo histologic and immunohistochemical analyses. RESULTS: Logarithmic transformation of peak BLI tumor signal intensity revealed a strong correlation with MRI tumor volume (r = 0.89, n = 14). PET with (64)Cu-DOTA-VEGF(121)/rGel before treatment revealed a tumor accumulation (mean +/- SD) of 11.8 +/- 2.3 percentage injected dose per gram at 18 h after injection, and the receptor specificity of the tumor accumulation was confirmed by successful blocking of the uptake in the presence of an excess amount of VEGF(121). PET with (18)F-FLT revealed significant a decrease in tumor proliferation in VEGF(121)/rGel-treated mice compared with control mice. Histologic analysis revealed specific tumor neovasculature damage after treatment with 4 doses of VEGF(121)/rGel; this damage was accompanied by a significant decrease in peak BLI tumor signal intensity. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that future clinical multimodality imaging and therapy with VEGF(121)/rGel may provide an effective means to prospectively identify patients who will benefit from VEGF(121)/rGel therapy and then stratify, personalize, and monitor treatment to obtain optimal survival outcomes.

Fatal outcome related to carmustine implants in glioblastoma multiforme.

Acta Neurochir (Wien). 2007 Mar;149(3):261-5

Authors: Gallego JM, Barcia JA, Barcia-Mariño C

Following the resection of newly diagnosed or recurrent glioblastomas, local implantation of carmustine-impregnated biodegradable wafers (Gliadel((R))) in the resection cavity constitutes an adjuvant therapy that can improve the possibilities of survival. However, some precautions should be taken regarding Gliadel implantation. We report three cases in whom patients with glioblastoma multiforme were implanted with fibrin glue-secured Gliadel after the lateral ventricles had been opened, and who later developed severe hydrocephalus leading to death. Although Gliadel may be an important adjunct to treatment, opening of the ventricles during surgery as part of its application should be considered a contra-indication.

The ABC2 foundation announces 2007 applications.

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