Types Of Biological Agents Research Articles

Nanoparticle Fluorescence Based Technology for Biological Applications

Fluorescence is widely used in biological detection and imaging. The emerging luminescent nanoparticles or quantum dots provide a new type of biological agents that can improve these applications. The advantages of luminescent nanoparticles for biological applications include their high quantum yield, color availability, good photo-stability, large surface-to-volume ratio, surface functionality, and small size. In this review article, we first introduce quantum size confinement, photoluminescence and upconversion luminescence of nanoparticles, then describe the preparation and conjugation of water soluble nanoparticles and introduce the applications of luminescence nanoparticles for in vitro and in vivo imaging, fluorescence resonance energy based detection, and the applications of luminescence nanoparticles for photodynamic activation.

Use of biological drugs in elderly cancer patients: A sustainable reality? A mono-institutional experience

19665 Background: Several new biological anti-cancer drugs have been recently licensed, and some of them have shown impressive positive results particularly in tumors that express the targets for these agents (e.g., ERBB2 receptor in breast cancer, KIT mutations in gastrointestinal tumors, and the CD20 expression in NHL). However, the use of these drugs in elderly cancer patients is a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to quantify the use of biological drugs according to age and type of cancer. Methods: We analyzed data regarding patients diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, NSCLC or colo-rectal cancer and NHL treated with biological drugs (i.e., bevacizumab, cetuximab, rituximab, trastuzumab, erlotinib, geftinib) at the National Cancer Institute of Aviano, North-east Italy, between 2002 and 2006. Patients were stratified according to age (i.e., <=69 years or >=70 years) and type of biological agent used. Results: Overall, 687 patients were treated with biological agents (360 with rituximab, 149 with trastuzumab, 114 with geftinib, 23 with bevacizumab, 21 with erlotinib and 20 with cetuximab). Older patients (n=103) had a median age of 74 years (range: 70–86 years): they represented 17.5% of those treated with rituximab, 7.4% of those treated with trastuzumab, 20.2% of those treated with geftinib. Moreover, one elderly cancer patient in each of the three groups of drugs less frequently used (i.e., bevacizumab, erlotinib and cetuximab) was treated with biological agents. Conclusions: In our Institute, nearly 20% of cancer patients is aged 70 years or older. Our findings suggest that elderly cancer patients are not denied biological therapies because of their age. This is particularly true for NHL patients treated with rituximab (17.5%) and for patients with NSCLC treated with geftinib. The low percentage of elderly women treated with trastuzumab is likely to depend from the biological (e.g. hormonal receptors) and clinical characteristics (e.g., pre-existing cardiovascular conditions and life expectancy) of breast cancer in elderly women. The increasing number of cancer in the elderly, asks for a proper selection of patients who should have access to biological agents according to clinical studies and cost-effectiveness evaluation. No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Biologically self-assembled porous polymers

Porous materials play an important role in today's society. For a wide variety of industrial markets including filtration, aeration, sorbents, structural materials and sensors, porous materials are essential components. Therefore, there is a need to develop novel techniques that can produce improved porosity in materials at lower production costs. The use of biologically active agents during material processing can influence the structures of materials on the micro- or nano-level and could provide many potential improvements over existing porous materials processing techniques. In this paper, we report on the use of a novel technique to produce controlled porosity in polymer materials, by incorporating a biologically active agent. The biological agent chosen for demonstration of the process was a single cell fungus (a common example of which is yeast), but extension to other types of biological agents is evident from the results. Also, potential application of this technique to other materials system, including powdered metals, ceramics, and solution-derived materials (such as sol–gel systems) is discussed.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention bioterrorism preparedness and response

As the United States’ disease control and prevention agency, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been designated by the US Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate and lead the overall planning effort to upgrade national public health capabilities at the local, state, and federal levels to respond to bioterrorism—the deliberate use of biological agents to harm civilian populations. CDC’s overall program has concern for chemical terrorism as well as biological terrorism and has taken steps to include chemical laboratory and appropriate medical stockpile enhancements as part of its planning. The initial detection of a covert bioterrorist attack is likely to be made by public health workers. Complicating the problem of dealing with such a crisis, a bioterrorist attack may involve many different types of biological agents. Biological agents may range from rare viruses to commonly available bacteria. Chemical agents may range from noxious gases to airborne chemicals. Preparing the United States to address these dangers is a major challenge. The public health and health care systems in the United States must be capable of responding to threatened, suspected, or actual uses of all types of biological and chemical agents that may harm the population. We must be ready to detect, investigate, identify, and manage any bioterrorist threats. CDC INITIATIVES TO ENHANCE PUBLIC HEALTH CAPABILITIES TO RESPOND TO BIOTERRORISM