Recent Patents on Biomarkers (Discontinued) - Volume 4, Issue 3, 2014

Only in the last year, over 100 reports were published focusing on innovative dressing for hard to heal wounds. Complex technologies were developed to tackle the intricate mechanisms of wound healing and moreover to overcome the chronic status of the wound. The essential wound management recommendations include compression and moist wound environment maintanance. In clinical practice semi-occlusive/occlusive, antimicrobial, and advanced wound matrix dressings are already implemented. In the last 10 years, several patents disclosing materials, new approaches and technologies for biomarkers detection were published. Moreover patents that can indicate the stage of wound healing were also disclosed. The criteria for choosing the primary dressings should be patient-oriented meeting both patient’s characteristics and wound peculiarities, while not ignoring healthcare costs.

The prevalence of cancer in our days remains at high level all over the world. Implementing and improving tools for better diagnostics and prognostics is a very active field of research aimed towards giving the patients the best possible management of their disease. Since the discovery of the presence of cell-free circulating DNA (ccfDNA) in the blood of cancer patients, it has been proposed as a tool for tumor diagnosis, follow-up of treatment and prognosis assessment. In fact, the strong link with molecular alterations found in the tumor has demonstrated effective as a prognostic tool specially regarding invasive types of cancers. Today, the circulating plasma tumor DNA (cptDNA), also known as liquid biopsy, promises an outstanding clinical test in routine cancer patient management, which is currently used in numerous clinical trials as a secondary parameter to follow outcome of the treatments being investigated. Besides describing patents covering specific markers, several patents have been recently filed for methods of cptDNA analysis. In this review, we aim to provide with a succinct summary of the current application of cptDNA as a tool for clinical management of the cancer patient.

Objectives: Pronounced wound healing responses induced by phenytoin in inflamed gingivae have potential for matrix regeneration in this context. It enhances matrix formation in tissues and impairs their breakdown. The matrixregenerative responses of human periosteal fibroblasts to phenytoin and histamine were studied using the metabolite 5 alpha- dihydrotestosterone (DHT) as a marker of inflammatory wound repair; derived from 14C-testosterone and 14C-4- androstenedione as independent substrates in order to ascertain metabolic responses. Methods: Confluent monolayer cultures of human periosteal fibroblasts of the 5th-9th passage from eight subjects were incubated individually in 24-well multiwell plates in Eagle’s MEM. Independent incubations were performed with each of the substrates 14C-T and 14C-4- A, with optimal concentrations of histamine (H; 8μg/ml) and phenytoin at 1(Ph1) and 5μg/ml (Ph5) alone and in combination (H+Ph1; H+Ph5). Following 24h incubation the eluent was prepared for TLC in a benzene. Acetone solvent system (4:1) for the separation of metabolites. They were quantified using a radioisotope scanner. Results: The substrates a.14CT and b.14C-4A were metabolized to DHT, diol and 4-A or T respectively. With each substrate, yields of DHT were significantly increased over controls in response to H (a.74%; b.2.3-fold), Ph1, 5 (a.70%, 2-fold;b. 2.8-,1.9-fold) and the combinations (a.60%; b.2-fold and 73%), respectively (n = 8; p < 0.01/0.001). There were also significant increases in the yields of diol and T respectively in response to agents tested. Conclusion: Significant increases in yields of DHT in response to Ph and H with both substrates indicate their anabolic potential in periosteal fibroblasts. This has implications for diverse applications in tissue repair in an inflammatory environment. Patents relevant to matrix synthesis and its modulation by microRNAs during inflammatory healing responses have been discussed.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) is a phenomenon that may occur when an electronic device is exposed to an electromagnetic (EM) field. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the CC could be interfered by exposure to the 900MHz cell phones in the laboratory. In addition, a review of the recent patents in electromagnetic interference is also presented. Human whole blood samples were collected from 20 healthy donors and each sample was divided to four aliquots and was placed into four batches for in vitro quantitative determination of human whole blood components. During CC reading of the first, second and third batches, the CC (Technicon H3 RTCTM, Bayer Diagnostics GmbH, München, Germany) was exposed to 1.90, 0.69 and 0.38 W/kg exposure of 900MHz radiation, respectively. For the fourth batch (control group), no radiation was applied. The final scores in the exposed batches I, II and III were statistically significant relative to the control batch (P = 0.03). The EMI caused profound changes on the CC reading of whole blood valid and macro cells in the exposed batches compared to the control batch (P = 0.001). This study showed that CC can be interfered by mobile phone RF radiation at a closed contact (less than 5cm distance). More accurate follow-up studies are needed for the evaluation of the electromagnetic interference due to radiofrequency radiation from external sources such as mobile phones in medical environments.

Previously, preliminary results of our researches showed that, mobile phone radiofrequency radiation does not affect human serum in an in vitro immunoenzymometric assay. However, we stated that the results should be confirmed in a larger series and employing different exposure doses on a specific hormone. Considering this statement, the aim of this study was to investigate whether the exposure from a 900MHz cell phone can affect the thyroid Triiodothronine (T3) levels in human serum. In addition, a review of the recent patents in radiation and immunoenzymometric assays is also presented. Human serum samples from 63 healthy donors were placed into two groups, and the well heads in the first group were exposed to 900MHz exposure emitted from a GSM mobile phone (Nokia, Model 1202, India) with 1.09Watt per kilogram (W/kg) of the tissue locally in the head specific absorption rate for 30 minute. Unexposed group was served as the control sample under identical conditions and was compared with the exposed one in quantitative determination of T3 using the Wilcoxon test with criterion level of P = 0.050. There was no significant difference in serum T3 in the exposed group compared to the control group (P > 0.05). According to this study, mobile phone radiation at frequency of 900MHz does not affect human T3 hormone in an in vitro immunoassay under the conditions used.