The human embryo as property? Cryopreservation and the challenges for law

The development of the new reproductive technologies has presented significant challenges for policy makers and law reformers. This article focuses on the particular challenges posed by cryopreservation of embryos. These issues are analysed through discussion of relevant Australian statutory provisions and United States case law. The article concludes with a consideration of whether the property model provides an appropriate framework for reproductive material.

Identification of phospholipids in human meibum by nano-electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry

Meibum is believed to be the major source of tear film lipids, which are vital in the prevention of excess evaporation of the aqueous phase. The complete lipid composition of meibum has yet to be established. While earlier studies reported the presence of phospholipids in human meibum, recent mass spectrometric studies have not detected them. In this study we use electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry to investigate the presence of phospholipids in meibum and provide comparison to the phospholipid profile of tears.Lipids were extracted from human meibum and tear samples using standard biphasic methods and analysed by nano-electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry using targeted ion scans. A total of 35 choline-containing phospholipids were identified in meibum and the profile of these was similar to that observed in tears, suggesting tear lipids are derived from meibum. The results shown here highlight the need for a combination of optimised techniques to enable the identification of the large range of lipid classes in meibum. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Synthesis of MgB2 at low temperature and autogenous pressure

High quality, micron-sized interpenetrating grains of MgB2 with high density are produced at low temperatures (~420oC < T < ~500oC) under autogenous pressure by pre-mixing Mg powder and NaBH4 and heating in an Inconel 601 alloy reactor for 5−15 hours. Optimum production of MgB2 with yields greater than 75% occurs for autogenous pressure in the range 1.0 MPa to 2.0 MPa with the reactor at ~500oC. Autogenous pressure is induced by the decomposition of NaBH4 in the presence of Mg and/or other Mg-based compounds. The morphology, transition temperature and magnetic properties of MgB2 are dependent on the heating regime. Significant improvement in physical properties accrues when the reactor temperature is held at 250oC for >20minutes prior to a hold at 500oC.

The value of respect in human research ethics: A conceptual analysis and a practical guide

In order to continue to maintain public trust and confidence in human research, participants must be treated with respect. Researchers and Human Research Ethics Committee members need to be aware that modern considerations of this value include: the need for a valid consenting process, the protection of participants who have their capacity for consent compromised; the promotion of dignity for participants; and the effects that human research may have on cultures and communities. This paper explains the prominence of respect as a value when considering the ethics of human research and provides practical advice for both researchers and Human Research Ethics Committee members in developing respectful research practices.

Automatic classification of human epithelial type 2 cell indirect immunofluorescence images using cell pyramid matching

This paper describes a novel system for automatic classification of images obtained from Anti-Nuclear Antibody (ANA) pathology tests on Human Epithelial type 2 (HEp-2) cells using the Indirect Immunofluorescence (IIF) protocol. The IIF protocol on HEp-2 cells has been the hallmark method to identify the presence of ANAs, due to its high sensitivity and the large range of antigens that can be detected. However, it suffers from numerous shortcomings, such as being subjective as well as time and labour intensive. Computer Aided Diagnostic (CAD) systems have been developed to address these problems, which automatically classify a HEp-2 cell image into one of its known patterns (eg. speckled, homogeneous). Most of the existing CAD systems use handpicked features to represent a HEp-2 cell image, which may only work in limited scenarios. We propose a novel automatic cell image classification method termed Cell Pyramid Matching (CPM), which is comprised of regional histograms of visual words coupled with the Multiple Kernel Learning framework. We present a study of several variations of generating histograms and show the efficacy of the system on two publicly available datasets: the ICPR HEp-2 cell classification contest dataset and the SNPHEp-2 dataset.

Imaging of human lens lipids by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

The lipid composition of the human lens is distinct from most other tissues in that it is high in dihydrosphingomyelin and the most abundant glycerophospholipids in the lens are unusual 1-O-alkyl-ether linked phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylserines. In this study, desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) mass spectrometry-imaging was used to determine the distribution of these lipids in the human lens along with other lipids including, ceramides, ceramide-1-phosphates, and lyso 1-O-alkyl ethers. To achieve this, 25 μm lens slices were mounted onto glass slides and analyzed using a linear ion-trap mass spectrometer equipped with a custom-built, 2-D automated DESI source. In contrast to other tissues that have been previously analyzed by DESI, the presence of a strong acid in the spray solvent was required to desorb lipids directly from lens tissue. Distinctive distributions were observed for [M + H]+ ions arising from each lipid class. Of particular interest were ionized 1-O-alkyl phosphatidylethanolamines and phosphatidylserines, PE (18:1e/18:1), and PS (18:1e/18:1), which were found in a thin ring in the outermost region of the lens. This distribution was confirmed by quantitative analysis of lenses that were sectioned into four distinct regions (outer, barrier, inner, and core), extracted and analyzed by electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. DESI-imaging also revealed a complementary distribution for the structurally-related lyso 1-O-alkyl phosphatidylethanolamine, LPE (18:1e), which was localized closer to the centre of the lens. The data obtained in this study indicate that DESI-imaging is a powerful tool for determining the spatial distribution of human lens lipids. © 2010 American Society for Mass Spectrometry.

Induction of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in PMC42-LA human breast carcinoma cells by carcinoma-associated fibroblast secreted factors

Background Breast carcinoma is accompanied by changes in the acellular and cellular components of the microenvironment, the latter typified by a switch from fibroblasts to myofibroblasts. Methods: We utilised conditioned media cultures, Western blot analysis and immunocytochemistry to investigate the differential effects of normal mammary fibroblasts (NMFs) and mammary cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) on the phenotype and behaviour of PMC42-LA breast cancer cells. NMFs were obtained from a mammary gland at reduction mammoplasty, and CAFs from a mammary carcinoma after resection. Results We found greater expression of myofibroblastic markers in CAFs than in NMFs. Medium from both CAFs and NMFs induced novel expression of α-smooth muscle actin and cytokeratin-14 in PMC42-LA organoids. However, although conditioned media from NMFs resulted in distribution of vimentin-positive cells to the periphery of PMC42-LA organoids, this was not seen with CAF-conditioned medium. Upregulation of vimentin was accompanied by a mis-localization of E-cadherin, suggesting a loss of adhesive function. This was confirmed by visualizing the change in active β-catenin, localized to the cell junctions in control cells/ cells in NMF-conditioned medium, to inactive β-catenin, localized to nuclei and cytoplasm in cells in CAF-conditioned medium. Conclusion We found no significant difference between the influences of NMFs and CAFs on PMC42-LA cell proliferation, viability, or apoptosis; significantly, we demonstrated a role for CAFs, but not for NMFs, in increasing the migratory ability of PMC42-LA cells. By concentrating NMF-conditioned media, we demonstrated the presence of factor(s) that induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition in NMF-conditioned media that are present at higher levels in CAF-conditioned media. Our in vitro results are consistent with observations in vivo showing that alterations in stroma influence the phenotype and behaviour of surrounding cells and provide evidence for a role for CAFs in stimulating cancer progression via an epithelial-mesenchymal transition. These findings have implications for our understanding of the roles of signalling between epithelial and stromal cells in the development and progression of mammary carcinoma.

Molecular and cellular analysis of basement membrane invasion by human breast cancer cells in Matrigel-based in vitro assays

In vitro analyses of basement membrane invasiveness employing Matrigel (a murine tumor extract rich in basement membrane components) have been performed on human breast cancer model systems. Constitutive invasiveness of different human breast cancer (HBC) cell lines has been examined as well as regulation by steroid hormones, growth factors, and oncogenes. Carcinoma cells exhibiting a mesenchymal-like phenotype (vimentin expression, lack of cell border associated uvomorulin) show dramatically increased motility, invasiveness, and metastatic potential in nude mice. These findings support the hypothesis that epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like events may be instrumental in the metastatic progression of human breast cancer. The MCF-7 subline MCF-7ADR appears to have undergone such a transition. The importance of such a transition may be reflected in the emergence of vimentin expression as an indicator of poor prognosis in HBC. Matrix degradation and laminin recognition are highlighted as potential targets for antimetastatic therapy, and analyses of laminin attachment and the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) family in HBC cell lines are summarized. Matrigel-based assays have proved useful in the study of the molecular mechanisms of basement membrane invasiveness, their regulation in HBC cells, and their potential as targets for antimetastatic therapy.

High and low mammographic density human breast tissues maintain histological differential in murine tissue engineering chambers

Mammographic density (MD) is the area of breast tissue that appears radiologically white on mammography. Although high MD is a strong risk factor for breast cancer, independent of BRCA1/2 mutation status, the molecular basis of high MD and its associated breast cancer risk is poorly understood. MD studies will benefit from an animal model, where hormonal, gene and drug perturbations on MD can be measured in a preclinical context. High and low MD tissues were selectively sampled by stereotactic biopsy from operative specimens of high-risk women undergoing prophylactic mastectomy. The high and low MD tissues were transferred into separate vascularised biochambers in the groins of SCID mice. Chamber material was harvested after 6 weeks for histological analyses and immunohistochemistry for cytokeratins, vimentin and a human-specific mitochondrial antigen. Within-individual analysis was performed in replicate mice, eliminating confounding by age, body mass index and process-related factors, and comparisons were made to the parental human tissue. Maintenance of differential MD post-propagation was assessed radiographically. Immunohistochemical staining confirmed the preservation of human glandular and stromal components in the murine biochambers, with maintenance of radiographic MD differential. Propagated high MD regions had higher stromal (p = 0.0002) and lower adipose (p = 0.0006) composition, reflecting the findings in the original human breast tissue, although glands appeared small and non-complex in both high and low MD groups. No significant differences were observed in glandular area (p = 0.4) or count (p = 0.4) between high and low MD biochamber tissues. Human mammary glandular and stromal tissues were viably maintained in murine biochambers, with preservation of differential radiographic density and histological features. Our study provides a murine model for future studies into the biomolecular basis of MD as a risk factor for breast cancer.

Doxycycline-inducible expression of SPARC/Osteonectin/BM40 in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells results in growth inhibition

SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine)/BM40/Osteonectin is a matricellular protein with multiple effects on cell behaviour. In vitro, its major known functions are anti-adhesive and anti-proliferative, and it is associated with tissue remodelling and cancer in vivo. SPARC is overexpressed in many cancers, including breast cancer, and the effects of SPARC seem to be cell type-specific. To study the effects of SPARC on breast cancer, we transfected SPARC into the MDA-MB-231 BAG, human breast cancer cell line using the Tet-On inducible system. By western analysis, we found low background levels in the MDA-MB-231 BAG and clone X parental cells, and prominent induction of SPARC protein expression after doxycycline treatment in SPARC transfected clones X5, X21, X24 and X75. Induction of SPARC expression did not affect cell morphology or adhesiveness to collagens type I and IV, but it slowed the rate of proliferation in adherent cultures. Cell cycle analysis showed that SPARC slowed the progression to S phase. Doxycycline induction of SPARC also slowed the rate of monolayer wound closure in the cultured wound healing assay. Thymidine inhibition of proliferation abrogated this effect, confirming that it was due to anti-proliferation rather than inhibition of migration. Consistent with this, we were unable to detect any differences in migration and Matrigel outgrowth analysis of doxycycline-stimulated cells. We conclude that SPARC is inhibitory to human breast cancer cell proliferation, and does not stimulate migration, in contrast to its stimulatory effects reported for melanoma (proliferation and migration) and glioma (migration) cells. Similar growth repression by SPARC has been reported for ovarian cancer cells, and this may be a common feature among carcinomas.

Differentiation state and invasiveness of human breast cancer cell lines

Eighteen breast cancer cell lines were examined for expression of markers of epithelial and fibroblastic differentiation: E-cadherin, desmoplakins, ZO- 1, vimentin, keratin and β1 and β4 integrins. The cell lines were distributed along a spectrum of differentiation from epithelial to fibroblastic phenotypes. The most well-differentiated, epithelioid cell lines contained proteins characteristic of desmosomal, adherens and tight junctions, were adherent to one another on plastic and in the basement membrane matrix Matrigel and were keratin-positive and vimentin-negative. These cell lines were all weakly invasive in an in vitro chemoinvasion assay. The most poorly-differentiated, fibroblastic cell lines were E-cadherin-, desmoplakin- and ZO-1-negative and formed branching structures in Matrigel. They were vimentin-positive, contained only low levels of keratins and were highly invasive in the in vitro chemoinvasion assay. Of all of the markers analyzed, vimentin expression correlated best with in vitro invasive ability and fibroblastic differentiation. In a cell line with unstable expression of vimentin, T47D(CO), the cells that were invasive were of the fibroblastic type. The differentiation markers described here may be useful for analysis of clinical specimens and could potentially provide a more precise measure of differentiation grade yielding more power for predicting prognosis.

Sphingosine-1-phosphate, a novel second messenger involved in cell growth regulation and signal transduction, affects growth and invasiveness of human breast cancer cells

This review will focus on the role of sphingosine and its phosphorylated derivative sphingosine-1-phosphate (SPP) in cell growth regulation and signal transduction. We will show that many of the effects attributed to sphingosine in quiescent Swiss 3T3 fibroblasts are mediated via its conversion to SPP. We propose that SPP has appropriate properties to function as an intracellular second messenger based on the following: it elicits diverse cellular responses; it is rapidly produced from sphingosine by a specific kinase and rapidly degraded by a specific lyase; its concentration is low in quiescent cells but increases rapidly and transiently in response to the growth factors, fetal calf serum (FCS) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF); it releases Ca2+ from internal sources in an InsP3-independent manner; and finally, it may link sphingolipid signaling pathways to cellular ras-mediated signaling pathways by elevating phosphatidic acid levels. The effects of this novel second messenger on growth, differentiation and invasion of human breast cancer cells will be discussed. © 1994 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Collagen induced MMP-2 activation in human breast cancer

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), a zymogen requiring proteolytic activation for catalytic activity, has been implicated broadly in the invasion and metastasis of many cancer model systems, including human breast cancer (HBC). MMP-2 has been immunolocalized to carcinomatous human breast, where the degree of activation of MMP-2 correlates well with tumor grade and patient prognosis. Using Matrigel assays, we have stratified HBC cell lines for invasiveness in vitro, and compared this to their potential for metastatic spread in nude mice. HBC cell lines expressing the mesenchymal marker protein vimentin were found to be highly invasive in vitro, and tended to form metastases in nude mice. We have further discovered that culture on collagen-I gels (Vitrogen(TM): Vg) induces MMP-2-activator in highly invasive but not poorly invasive HBC cell lines. As seen for other MMP-2-activator inducing regimens, this induction requires protein synthesis and an intact MMP-2 hemopexin-like domain, appears to be mediated by a cell surface activity, and can be inhibited by metalloproteinase inhibitors. The induction is highly specific to collagen I, and is not seen with thin coatings of collagen I, collagen IV, laminin, or fibronectin, or with 3-dimensional gels of laminin, Matrigel, or gelatin. This review focuses on collagen I and MMP- 2, their localization and source in HBC, and their relationship(s) to MMP-2 activation and HBC metastasis. The relevance of collagen I in activation of MMP-2 in vivo is discussed in terms of stromal cell: tumor cell interaction for collagen I deposition, MMP-2 production and MMP-2-activation. Such cooperativity may exist in vivo for MMP-2 participation in HBC dissemination. A more complete understanding of the regulation of MMP-2-activator by type I collagen may provide new avenues for improved diagnosis and prognosis of human breast cancer.

Collagen-induced activation of the Mr. 72,000 type IV collagenase in normal and malignant human fibroblastoid cells

Although the Mr. 72,000 type IV collagenase (matrix metalloproteinase 2) has been implicated in a variety of normal and pathogenic processes, its activation mechanism in vivo is unclear. We have found that fibroblasts from normal and neoplastic human breast, as well as the sarcomatous human Hs578T and HT1080 cell lines, activate endogenous matrix metalloprotease 2 when cultured on type I collagen gels, but not on plastic, fibronectin, collagen IV, gelatin, matrigel, or basement membrane-like HR9 cell matrix. This activation is monitored by the zymographic detection of Mr 59,000 and/or Mr 62,000 species, requires 2-3 days of culture on vitrogen to manifest, is cycloheximide inhibitable, and correlates with an arborized morphology. A similar activation pattern was seen in these cells in response to Concanavalin A but not transforming growth factor β or 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. The interstitial matrix may thus play an important role in regulating matrix degradation in vivo.

MCF7/LCC2: A 4-hydroxytamoxifen resistant human breast cancer variant that retains sensitivity to the steroidal antiestrogen ICI 182,780

The development of resistance to the antiestrogen tamoxifen occurs in a high percentage of initially responsive patients. We have developed a new model in which to investigate acquired resistance to triphenylethylenes. A stepwise in vitro selection of the hormone-independent human breast cancer variant MCF-7/LCC1 against 4-hydroxytamoxifen produced a stable resistant population designated MCF7/LCC2. MCF7/LCC2 cells retain levels of estrogen receptor expression comparable to the parental MCF7/LCC1 and MCF-7 cells. Progesterone receptor expression remains estrogen inducible in MCF7/LCC2 cells, although to levels significantly lower than observed in MCF-7 and MCF7/LCC1 cells. MCF7/ LCC2 cells form tumors in ovariectomized nude mice without estrogen supplementation, and these tumors are tamoxifen resistant but can be tstrogen stimulated. Significantly, MCF7/LCC2 cells have retained sensitivity to the steroidal antiestrogen ICI 182,780. These data suggest that some breast cancer patients who acquire resistance to tamoxifen may not develop cross-resistance to treatment with steroidal antiestrogens.