This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Pancreatic cancer remains extremely deadly despite advances in detection and treatment, largely because the cancer microenvironment protects the cancer cells from therapies. This microenvironment consists of various cell types, connective material, and secreted factors such as small extracellular vesicles (sEVs). sEVs carry proteins, nucleic acids, and other bioactive substances and are important vehicles for cell–cell communication, including pro-metastasis communication. For example, sEVs derived from pancreatic cancer cells can recruit pancreatic stellate cells, major components of the tumor stroma, to tumor sites. They can also promote inflammation and fibrosis. In turn, sEVs derived from pancreatic stellate cells can stimulate cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. Furthermore, sEVs from tumor sites can transport proangiogenic factors to distant organs to form pre-metastatic niches..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, and metastatic breast cancer remains highly lethal. During metastasis, cancer cells migrate from the breast to areas called pre-metastatic niches, which are favorable for cancer growth. These niches are created with the help of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) released by breast cancer cells. Via their protein and RNA cargoes, sEVs encourage inflammation in the niches and suppress immunity, allowing arriving cancer cells to escape immune detection. By promoting new blood vessel formation and leakage of existing blood vessels, sEVs ensure a supply of nutrients for cancer growth in the niches. They can also transform certain cell types in the niches into cancer-supporting cells called cancer-associated fibroblasts. The expression patterns of proteins called integrins in sEVs help determine exactly where metastatic cancer cells will settle, such as in the lungs, liver, or brain..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Diabetic wounds are a growing problem worldwide. One solution could lie in a hormone secreted by the parathyroid. PTH is critical for re-growing bone. But evidence suggests that it could also help regenerate skin and blood vessels. Researchers recently tested this hypothesis on rats. Applying a synthetic version of PTH to diabetic wounds significantly improved wound healing. But not as they believed it would. Synthetic PTH did not appear to directly activate the cells it repaired. Instead, separate experiments showed that the PTH derivative indirectly led to repair, using exosomes, tiny sacs ejected by cells to communicate with other cells. If replicated in more realistic models of diabetes, these findings could lead to a powerful new way to accelerate wound healing..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Heterotopic ossification (HO) is the growth of bone where it doesn’t belong, such as in muscle tissue HO is most often observed after joint surgery in patients with severe trauma and can cause swelling, pain, nerve compression, and other complications While effective treatment and prevention strategies are currently lacking researchers are beginning to zero in on the molecular pathways that trigger HO It all starts with hypoxia, a state of oxygen deprivation that accompanies tissue damage Hypoxia activates the protein HIF-1α In certain patients, HIF-1α acts as a gateway to HO in at least three ways By stimulating proteins that lay the groundwork for new bone and cartilage By promoting blood vessel formation And by suppressing a protein that normally limits bone growth Drugs that reduce hypoxia or block HIF-1α could therefore prove powerful helping to stop HO early in its development.."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Tumor pathophysiology plays a central role in the growth, invasion, metastasis and treatment of solid tumors. This class applies principles of transport phenomena to develop a systems-level, quantitative understanding of angiogenesis, blood flow and microcirculation, metabolism and microenvironment, transport and binding of small and large molecules, movement of cancer and immune cells, metastatic process, and treatment response. 
Additional Faculty 
Dr. Pat D'Amore
Dr. Dan Duda
Dr. Robert Langer
Prof. Robert Weinberg
Dr. Marsha Moses
Dr. Raghu Kalluri
Dr. Lance Munn

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Prostate cancer is one of the most common and deadliest cancers among men. Reducing the levels of male hormones is the first-line treatment, but many cases become resistant to this “chemical castration”. Immunotherapies that leverage or improve the tumor-killing abilities of immune cells called macrophages might be viable alternatives but so far, there is limited preclinical or clinical evidence as to whether these therapies are effective. Researchers recently used a mouse model to explore whether a macrophage-activating drug called VSSP can successfully treat castration-resistant prostate cancer. VSSP inhibited tumor growth in surgically castrated mice with less-aggressive prostate cancer, but not in those with castration-resistant prostate cancer. The scientists next treated macrophages with VSSP in the laboratory and administered them to mice with castration-resistant cancer. They found that the VSSP-treated macrophages reduced tumor growth in the mice..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Blood vessel formation is a combination of the following three processes: Vasculogenesis: the formation of blood vessels from endothelial progenitor cells; Angiogenesis: the sprouting of new capillaries from pre-existing vessels; and Arteriogenesis: the remodelling of newly formed or pre-existing vascular channels into larger and more muscular arterioles.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Physicians may soon be able to get a detailed look at blood vessels surrounding breast tumors quickly, painlessly, and without radiation, thanks to the work of a team of Japanese researchers. One application of the technology is earlier and more accurate tracking of when cancer has turned deadly. The formation of new blood vessels around a tumor is a key sign that cancer is getting ready to spread. But getting a clear look at these blood vessels can be tricky. Approaches like MRI or computed tomography often come with a hefty price tag, and exposure to contrast agent or radiation may pose health risks. To sidestep these issues, the researchers optimized a way to perform photoacoustic imaging. This type of imaging utilizes the light-absorbing properties of hemoglobin to show where blood is flowing in the body. When hemoglobin is exposed to pulses of laser light, it produces small vibrations. These vibrations are picked up by scanners and used to generate a detailed map of blood vessel architecture..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.