NASA Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports

develop a gene therapy protocol using AIM2 as a therapeutic gene for breast cancer.
DTIC
Cancer; Gene Therapy; Mammary Glands; Therapy
20040111534 Columbia Univ., New York, NY
Treatment of Humeral Nonunions With Cancellous Allograft, Demineralized Bone Matrix, and Plate Fixation
Taylor, Nathan L.; Raia, Frank J.; Heyworth, Benton E.; Rosenwasser, Melvin P.; Jul. 21, 2004; 22 pp.; In English
Report No.(s): AD-A425546; CI04-505; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy
Autologous iliac crest bone graft is routinely recommended in the treatment of humeral nonunions. Due to the risks
inherent in autograft harvest, we evaluated 11 patients (mean age 62 years; 5 males and 6 females) with humeral nonunions
who were treated with allograft, demineralized bone matrix, and plate fixation to determine their clinical outcome. The mean
duration of the nonunion was 24 months (range, 4 - 120 months). At a mean follow-up of 33 months (range, 25-42 months;
minimum 2 years) 10 of the 11 nonunions (91%) had healed. One patient required a second operation to gain union. The
nonunion that failed to heal eventually required a hemiarthroplasty, secondary to blade plate cut out of the humeral head.
Patient outcomes were evaluated with the D.A.S.H. questionnaire demonstrating 4 excellent, 5 good, 2 fair, and no poor results
at follow-up. All patients had functional shoulder and elbow motion. These results show that allograft and demineralized bone
matrix can be a useful adjunct to plate fixation in the treatment of humeral nonunions.
DTIC
Bone Mineral Content; Bones; Demineralizing; Fractures (Materials); Grafting; Healing; Humerus; Transplantation
20040111543 Columbia Univ., New York, NY
Model and Expansion Based Methods of Detection of Small Masses in Radiographs of Dense Breasts
Laine, Andrew F.; Dec. 2003; 46 pp.; In English; Original contains color illustrations
Contract(s)/Grant(s): DAMD17-99-1-9154
Report No.(s): AD-A425569; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy
Our goal is to identify representations to assist in the detection masses in dense mammograms having a diameter less than
1 Cm. The central idea of this project is to detect subtle masses by tuning the central frequency and width of a basis function
used in an overcomplete expansion. By modeling the shape of a mass through this flexibility we hope to detect small and subtle
masses in dense breasts and improve the chances of early detection in screening mammography. During this final year of the
project we implemented a level-set method of segmentation that made use of a local homogeneity operator for the detection
of subtle masses in digital mammography. These methods are currently integrated into our previously described multi-scale
expansion framework and will be tested using an existing public database of mammograms with ground truth of known
disease.
DTIC
Cancer; Digital Systems; Mammary Glands; Radiography
20040111544 Burnham Inst., La Jolla, CA
Cloning Egr-1 Regulated Genes in Breast Cells
Adamson, Eileen D.; Mar. 2004; 62 pp.; In English; Original contains color illustrations
Contract(s)/Grant(s): DAMD17-01-1-0005
Report No.(s): AD-A425570; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A04, Hardcopy
Egr1 transcription factor is an immediate early gene that is induced in response to many stimuli including stimuli that
cause genotoxic stress and DNA damage. Egr1 plays a key role in stress responses that follow chemotherapy or irradiation
treatments for breast cancer, by stimulating apoptosis. in addition, Egr1 and p53 both play roles in cell cycle arrest and DNA
repair stress responses that can allow the cell to repair DNA damage before proliferating. We developed a protocol to
determine which genes are regulated by Egr1 during these activities by subjecting cells to irradiation and a technique called
chromatin immunoprecipitation (Chip). We collect the promoter sequences that were bound to Egr1 protein at the time of
fixation, process the DNA to amplify and then label with %fluorescent dyes for hybridization on a microarray of identified
promoter DNAs. Scanning and special software that normalizes and calculates the signal to control ratios followed by
bioinformatic analyses indicates the regulated genes. Many genes important to breast cancer were revealed such as PTEN, p53
and the GADD45 which are all are transactivated by Egr1. With further work we can determine if any new genes are targets
for cancer therapy.
DTIC
Cancer; Cells (Biology); Cloning (Biology); Deoxyribonucleic Acid; Genes; Mammary Glands; Toxicity
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