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Biomedical subjects

D Braun

Publications and source records attributed to D Braun.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Levamisole as an immunoadjuvant: phase I study and application in breast cancer.

A phase I study of levamisole in patients with cancer was undertaken to determine its therapeutic dose range, side effects, limiting toxicity, and influence on immune function. Simultaneously, a group of patients receiving adjuvant combination chemotherapy for carcinoma of the breast were entered in a randomized study to observe whether levamisole was capable of overcoming the immunodepressive effects of cytotoxic drugs. In the phase I trial the doses used ranged from 65 to 410 mg/m2. The maximum tolerated dose was 358 mg/m2. Side effects were generally low in intensity and related to the gastrointestinal and central nervous systems; the limiting toxic effect was intractable nausea. Significant changes in immune test values were noted in both acute and chronic trials. Alterations in immunoglobulin levels, complemented values, and numbers and types of lymphocytes and mitogenic responses to concanavalin A as well as specific mitogens were observed. In the randomized trial there was no difference between the chemoimmunotherapy and chemotherapy-alone groups.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Clonal growth of bovine vascular endothelial cells: fibroblast growth factor as a survival agent.

Bovine vascular endothelial cells do not grow when cultured at low density unless fibroblast growth factor is included in the culture medium. When endothelial cells obtained from the intimal surface of fetal and adult aortas were seeded at low density (8 cells per cm2), they formed small colonies of large, irregular, vacuolated cells. At very low density (0.3 cells per cm2) they did not survive. The addition of fibroblast growth factor to endothelial cells maintained at such low densities resulted in the formation of vigorously growing colonies of small, uniform cells. Electron microscopy showed that the cultured endothelial cells had the fine structure characteristics of endothelial cells. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed antihemophilic factor (Factor VIII) antigen in the cells. Our results demonstrated that fibroblast growth factor permits the survival of endothelial cells plated at extremely low cell density. With the use of fibroblast growth factor, endothelial cell clones are easily produced.

Animals↗