Does a high-throughput pharmaceutical screen identify compounds with specific toxicity against BRCA2-deficient tumors?
We generated and validated a platform for identification of compounds with specific activity against BRCA2-deficient cells that translates well to the preclinical setting. Our data call for the re-evaluation of alkylators, especially melphalan and nimustine, alone or in combination with the poly-(ADP-ribose)-polymerase inhibitors, for the treatment of breast cancers with a defective BRCA pathway.
Respiratory cycle-related variations in intra-abdominal pressure were specifically investigated, quantified and shown as linearly increasing with end-expiratory intra-abdominal pressure; this phenomenon could be explained by patients' abdominal compliance status. Supine posture should be an important consideration in specific patients affected by intra-abdominal hypertension.