miir partners with International Biosciences to develop potential drugs against cancer

miir partners with International Biosciences to develop potential drugs against cancer -

announced the Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (MIIR) and Joan C. Edwards Marshall University School of medicine today they will partner with an international company Biosciences to develop potential drugs against cancer.

under agreement with Shanghai HD Biosciences Co. Ltd., the three partners will share the costs and risks of discovery and development of these new drugs. They will also jointly own all intellectual property and product marketing rights resulting from the collaboration.

According to Dr. Zijian Xie, director of MIIR, of new drugs research laboratory in which tests clinical, it is determined whether the treatment is safe and effective for humans-is a costly and takes time.

"Normally it would take tens of millions of dollars and as long as a decade to translate MIIR of Technology and School of Medicine has developed in recent years in drugs viable candidates, "he said. "This joint effort with HD Biosciences will reduce significantly the process because of their expertise in drug discovery, and ultimately will reduce the risk for all partners.

"In short, this is a bold approach that will not only advance the mission of MIIR innovation, discovery, business and promotion, but also to create new business opportunities and add value to all of us. "

Dr. Joseph I. Shapiro, dean of the medical school, said the partnership was formed in order to bring new treatments for patients of cancer as soon as possible.

"We could not be happier to work with HD Biosciences. Our company allows scientists based laboratory and clinical researchers to share ideas, to advance at a faster pace and ultimately offer better patient care, "he said

Dr. Xuehai Tan, President and CEO of HD Biosciences, added." We are very pleased to have established this collaboration with Marshall University. this agreement is another example of the strategy and the commitment of our company for long term growth. We will contribute with our extensive capabilities in preclinical drug discovery and drug development in the Chinese market, and our ability to create value for the company and our partners, while the university is well versed in translational medicine, clinical trials and US Food and drug administration Principles ".

Dr. John Maher, vice president for research Marshall said the company has a significant economic development potential for Marshall and the whole region.

He added, "working together to examine the commercial viability targets and treatments for diseases being developed to MIIR and medical school, we will be able to accelerate the translation search our discoveries in laboratories that will both help improve human health and to stimulate economic development in the region. "

Babies born to mothers who immigrated from other countries have lower rates of cerebral palsy [

Babies born to mothers who immigrated from other countries have lower rates of cerebral palsy [ -

Babies born to mothers who immigrated to Ontario from to other countries have significantly lower rates of cerebral palsy than those of Canadian-born mothers, especially those of the Caribbean Asia and east, new research has found.

"Predicting which is the greatest risk of having a child with CP remains an international priority," said lead author Dr. Joel Ray, who notes that the CP rate has not declined over the last decade.

CP is the most common motor disability in childhood and occurs at the age of four. The underlying brain injury with CP is thought to occur before birth, rather than at birth. Most of the damage is to the neurons of the brain that affects motor coordination and muscle strength.

Dr. Ray, a physician and researcher at St. Michael's Hospital, examined data from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences on all single births in Ontario from 02 to 08. Each child was evaluated up to four years.

In an article published today in the online journal PLoS One , he reported that there were 1346 cases of CP between 744.058 singleton live births. For immigrants, there were 1.45 cases of CP per 1000 births, a lower risk by 23 percent than non-immigrants who had diagnoses of CP 1.92 per 1,000 births.

However, immigrants living in high-income areas were less likely to CP than their non-immigrant counterparts. Dr. Ray, also a researcher at ICES, said this may be because the wealthier immigrants who have lived in Canada longer, lose the "effect of the healthy immigrant" where immigrants are generally in healthier than those born in Canada.

Dr. Ray noted that we still have a poor understanding of how CP arises, so more scientists can understand the risk factors underlying that predispose a person to CP plus they may come the development of interventions to prevent CP. Why immigrants are at low risk of having a child with CP offers clues to discover how to prevent CP among all Canadians.

About 80 percent of cases of CP are caused by prenatal brain injury and only 10 percent of adverse events after birth. The most common risk factors are low weight and high birth and premature birth - although half of all children who develop CP were born at term and most cases occur in children with a seemingly simple pregnancy

Dr .. Ray said he also thought that the CP and stillbirths share many common risk factors, including the placental vascular disease in mothers things such as preeclampsia, gestational hypertension , placental abruption and placental infarction. Yet even after adjusting for these conditions, the risk of prostate cancer was even lower among immigrant mothers.

Advanced Cell Diagnostics "in situ hybridization technology achieved two important milestones

Advanced Cell Diagnostics "in situ hybridization technology achieved two important milestones -

Advanced Cell Diagnostics Inc. (ACD), a leader in the field of molecular pathology and developer of cells and tissue-based analysis tools, announced that its RNAscope ^® RNA in situ hybridization technology has reached two important milestones. in just three years more than 100 peer reviewed articles featuring technology have been published, and with the significant increase in the use of RNAscope, ACD has now built a library of more than 4000 target probes for many species. the probes are designed to operate in less than two weeks, and in just six months, the library has increased over 1500, reflecting the great interest in the advanced technology of the ACD.

Expression Gli1 and ApoE mRNA in the brains of mice FFPE tissue using RNAscope® 2-plex chromogenic reagent kit

RNAscope only has the sensitivity to allow researchers to detect in situ single RNA molecules and provide a quantitative analysis of gene expression at the single cell level. In addition, the technology provides a context showing morphological and spatial specific expression in the cell, while maintaining tissue architecture. RNAscope ability to unlock the full potential of RNA biomarkers, as well as its highly reproducible and easy to use technology, resulting in an average of more than 6 items per month published to date in 2014 - a rate that doubles every year. Now widely used throughout academia and industry, newspapers range from basic research in developmental biology, neuroscience and stem cells in clinical research, such as cancer biomarkers, infectious diseases and ophthalmology in reputable journals such as Nature, Science, Cell, PLoS One, PNAS and Clinical Cancer Research.

localization and quantification of RNA sequences in the context of cells and tissue is a fundamental approach to molecular biology. RNAscope makes accessible to researchers of all levels of experience, as Alexey Pronin, PhD of the University of Miami School of Medicine, which recently published in the journal PLoS One, explained. "Even though I had no previous experience of in situ hybridization assay RNAscope was easy to make and worked first time, which allows us to confirm the expression of three different genes in the eye the mice that we had previously identified via transcriptomics. Importantly, the multiplex test showed that two genes are expressed in two layers of cells separated from the blood vessels of the eyes -. The information that would be difficult to achieve using other technology "

" Publications of our customers are particularly exciting because it shows the validation and adoption of our technologies increasingly at the forefront of scientific research, "said Xiao-Jun Ma, the CSO of the ACD. "And with our 240% growth sensor catalog in the last year, targeting more than 4,000 genes in many species, it is a true testament to the demand for our technology, our time of rapid probe development and scalability of our platform. Together, these two steps are complete validation of the effectiveness of RNAscope technology. in this age of single cell transcriptome RNA in situ hybridization will prove essential in the effort to characterize many newly discovered genes, particularly the vast repertoire of genes non-coding RNA. We believe that the specific advantages of RNAscope technology will undoubtedly speed up the translation of genomic discoveries to clinical medicine, including new products therapeutic and diagnostic. "

For more information on published research on RNAscope, please visit www.acdbio.com /milestoneJuly2014.

about advanced Diagnostics cell, Inc. (ACD)

Advanced cell Diagnostics, Inc. (ACD) is a leader in the emerging field of molecular pathology, developing research tools based on cell and tissue for all areas of biomedical research, and diagnostic testing for personalized medicine. The company's products and services are based on its proprietary RNAscope ^® technology, the most sensitive method for RNA in situ hybridization, and the first quantitative platform for fully automated multiplex fluorescent and chromogenic RNA analysis biomarker. ACD partners with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to validate biomarkers for targeted therapy development in cancer and other diseases. These partnerships are the basis for the ACD to develop companion diagnostic tests in conjunction with targeted therapies partners. ACD also pursues internal programs to develop proprietary diagnostic tests in cancer management. Learn more about ACD and RNAscope ^® Technology at www.acdbio.com.

New nanoparticle self-assembly helps doctors diagnose cancer earlier

New nanoparticle self-assembly helps doctors diagnose cancer earlier -

Scientists have developed a new self-assembling nanoparticle that targets tumors to help doctors diagnose cancer earlier.

new nanoparticle developed by researchers from Imperial College London, enhances the effectiveness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by specifically searching for receptors found in cancer cells .

The nanoparticle is coated with a particular protein that resembles specific signals emitted by the tumors, and when it detects a tumor begins to interact with cancer cells. This interaction strips off the coat proteins, which causes the nanoparticles self-assemble into a much larger particle so that it is visible on the scan.

A new study published in the journal Angewandte Chemie used cancer cells and mouse models to compare the effects of the self-assembling nanoparticle MRI against the agents imaging commonly used and found that the nanoparticle produced a stronger signal and creates a sharper image MRI of the tumor.

scientists say the nanoparticle increases the sensitivity of MRI and ultimately improve a physician's ability to detect cancer cells at earlier stages of development.

Professor Nicholas Long Department of Chemistry at Imperial College London said the results show real promise to improve cancer diagnosis. "By improving the sensitivity of MRI, our goal is to help doctors spot something that might be cancerous much faster. This would allow patients to receive effective treatment earlier, which should improve the survival rate of cancer. "

" MRI scanners are found in almost all hospitals up and down the country and they are vital machines used daily to analyze the patient's body and get to the bottom of what could go wrong. But we are aware that some doctors feel that while MRI scanners are effective to detect large tumors, they are perhaps not as good at detecting smaller tumors in the early stages, "added the long teacher.

newly designed nanoparticle provides a tool for improving the sensitivity of MRI, and scientists are currently working to strengthen its effectiveness Professor Long said. "We want to improve the design to make it even easier for doctors identify tumor and for surgeons to operate on it then we'll try to add an additional optical signal so that the nanoparticle brightened. with a luminescent probe once it had found its target, in combination with the best MRI signal that will be even easier to identify tumors. "

Before testing and to inject nontoxic nanoparticle into mice, scientists had to ensure that it would not become so great when self-assembled it would cause damage. They injected . the nanoparticle in saline inside a Petri dish and follow its evolution during a four-hour period the nanoparticle from 100 to 800 nanometers - yet small enough not to cause prejudice

scientists are now improving the nanoparticle and hope to test their design in a human trial in the next three to five years [

Dr Juan Gallo Department of surgery and cancer at Imperial College London said: "We seek to refine the size of the final nanoparticle so it is even smaller, but gives a further improved MRI image if it is too low, the body. will simply secrete before imaging, but too big and it could be harmful to the body. get it is just really important before proceeding to human trials. "

Researcher finds genetic identifier that can allow clinicians to identify infants at risk for autism

Researcher finds genetic identifier that can allow clinicians to identify infants at risk for autism -

A researcher at the Hospital and Children Research Institute in Seattle found a genetic identifier of autism that includes physical characteristics that could potentially allow clinicians to identify infants at risk for autism before birth. This is the first time a genetic mutation has been linked to autism.

Dr. Raphael Bernier, clinical director of the Center for Autism Seattle Children's and associate professor at the University of Washington, who led the research in collaboration with 13 institutions worldwide, found a mutation of CHD8 gene that, in addition to significantly increase the risk of developing the child a specific subtype of autism, also causes several physical traits and symptoms that are unique to children with the same subtype autism

physical traits -. subtle facial features, such as larger and important fronts heads - are features that, combined with the confirmation of a mutation of the gene CHD8 could allow clinicians to screen babies in utero to a higher risk of developing the autism, much like the screen now clinicians and genetic indicators of physical disorders such as Down syndrome.

"This is a great leap forward in our survey on the causes of autism," said Bernier, who led the study published today in the scientific journal Cell. "It is possible that we are able to examine in utero characteristics and determine a higher risk of autism, perhaps even early detection. "

Early detection is crucial in treating the symptoms of autism, Bernier said. Behavioral therapies research studies used with younger siblings of children with autism, who are at higher risk of developing autism themselves, suggest that the intervention of three to six months may reduce or even prevent the symptoms develop. The goal, Bernier said, is to be able to use these same exercises on babies with a higher risk of autism that were identified before birth.

"We know that if we can intervene by three or six months of age instead of later in life, we can help children learn important social communication skills, such as eye contact , "he said.

The study, titled "Disruptive CHD8 mutations define a Subtype of autism early in development," followed 6176 children with autism spectrum disorders for nine months. The researchers found that 15 had a mutation CHD8 and that all these cases had similar characteristics in appearance, as well as problems with sleep disorders and gastrointestinal problems, including constipation.

Bernier and his team interviewed all 15 cases with mutations CHD8, and confirmed the results by working with scientists studying zebrafish, a tropical freshwater fish commonly used in research because of its regenerative capacity. The researchers disrupted the gene CHD8 in fish, which then developed large heads and wide eyes. They then fed the fluorescent fish balls and found that the fish were also constipated and had problems throwing food waste.

"For years, parents of children with autism have been telling us gastrointestinal symptoms are real, but science has been slow to respond. Now we have clear evidence that in a subgroup of people with autism, both symptoms of autism and constipation are the result of CHD8 disruptions, "said Bernier.

Bernier said this is the first researchers to time showed a definite cause of autism in a specific gene mutation. genetic mutations identified previously as Fragile X, which represents a greater number of cases of autism are more often associated with other disorders such as intellectual disability, autism. Although less than half a percent of children with autism have the mutation CHD8, Bernier said he is probably one of the most common genetic causes.

"it will be a game changer in how scientists are researching autism," he said. "Autistic children are incredibly diverse that we need to identify the genetic causes of different subtypes of finding effective treatments."

Scientists make breakthrough seminal in understanding molecular basis of fibroadenoma

Scientists make breakthrough seminal in understanding molecular basis of fibroadenoma -

research team

multidisciplinary discovered that a gene called MED12 is altered in nearly 60 percent of fibroadenomas

a multidisciplinary team of scientists from National Centre of Singapore cancer, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore and the Singapore General Hospital have made a decisive breakthrough in the understanding of the molecular basis of fibroadenoma, one of the most frequently diagnosed breast tumors in women. The team, led by Bin Tean Teh teachers, Patrick Tan, Tan Puay Hoon and Steve Rozen, used advanced DNA sequencing technologies to identify critical gene called MED12 was repeatedly disrupted in nearly 60 % of cases of fibroadenomas. Their results were published in the journal senior Nature Genetics .

Fibroadenomas are the most common benign breast tumors in women of childbearing age, affecting thousands of women each year in Singapore. Worldwide, it is estimated that millions of women are diagnosed with fibroadenoma annually. Frequently found in clinical workups for breast cancer diagnosis and during routine breast cancer screening, clinicians are often faced with challenges to distinguish breast fibroadenomas.

To facilitate the issue of diagnosis, the team undertook a study to determine if genetic defects are in fibroadenomas that can be used to differentiate them. By analyzing all the genes encoding proteins in a fibroadenoma panel of Singapore patients, the team identified the common mutations in a gene called MED12 in a remarkable 60% of fibroadenomas. Prof Tan Puay Hoon said: "It is surprising that these common breast tumors can be caused by such a precise break in a single gene. Our results show that even common diseases can have very precise genetic basis. It is important now that we know the cause of fibroadenoma, this research can have many potential applications. "

Prof Tan added." For example, measuring the MED12 gene in breast lumps may help clinicians distinguish fibroadenomas other types of breast cancer drugs targeting the MED12 channel may also be useful in patients with recurrent and multiple fibroadenomas, as this may help patients avoid surgery and to relieve anxiety. "

the findings of the team were also thorough conceptual understanding of how tumors can develop. Like most breast tumors, including breast, fibroadenoma consist of a mixed population of cell types, called epithelial cells and stromal cells. However, unlike the breast, where the genetic abnormalities arise from epithelial cells, scientists, using a technique called laser capture microdissection (LCM), has shown that mutations of MED12 pivot in fibroadenomas are found in stromal cells.

Assoc Prof Steve Rozen said, "stromal cells work to provide support tissue around organs, and breast cancer, are generally regarded as uninvolved or less secondary loops in training tumors. Our study shows that far away, fibroadenomas and possibly other tumors may actually result from genetic lesions in stromal cells. targeting such stromal cells may be an important means of therapy in the future. "

Given its importance, the study also highlights the cause of uterine fibroids, another common benign tumor in women where MED12 Similar mutations were observed Prof Patrick Tan said." combined with our data that MED12 mutations are shared very common and specific to fibroadenomas and uterine fibroids strongly confirms a role for abnormal responses to female hormones in the birth of these tumors. "

scientists already are planning further studies to explore this possibility by studying the role of MED12 in other categories of breast tumors.

study also involved researchers from the Institute of Singapore Cancer Science, Genome Institute of Singapore, A * STAR and National University Hospital. According to Professor Bin Tean Teh, "The success of our study was only possible through a multidisciplinary multi-institutional collaboration centered on the concept of the science team. The group, called BRGO (Breast Research Group at Outram), supports on the scientific expertise of diversity and clinicians from areas such as molecular biology, bioinformatics, pathology, breast surgery and oncology. "

Sixteen hearts better than 12 for the detection of prostate cancer

Sixteen hearts better than 12 for the detection of prostate cancer -

By Joanna Lyford first medwireNews Reporter

sixteen-core prostate biopsy has cancer detection rate slightly higher 12-core biopsy, but with a similar safety profile and no increase in the detection of clinically insignificant tumors, studying the results show.

The research was done by Yasuhide Miyoshi (Yokohama City University, Japan) and team and included 332 men with prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels in the range of 4.0 to 20.0 ng / mL.

All patients underwent a transrectal biopsy and the removal of the ultrasound-guided needle, or 12 (n = 195) or 16 (n = 137) of the cores. The decision on the number of cores to be taken was not randomized but reflects local protocols; well, men in the 16-core group were significantly younger and had higher PSA levels than those in the 12-core group.

Prostate cancer was detected in 33.8% of men who had taken 12 cores and 44.5% of those with 16 cores; this difference did not reach statistical significance. However, 16-core biopsy found much more than 12 cancer-core biopsy in two sub-groups of men - those with prostate volume greater than 30 ml (29.4 vs 15.5%) and those with PSA density less than 0.2 (34.0 vs. 6.3%).

The anatomical distribution of cancers detected did not differ between the two biopsy methods; nor the pathological tumor grade or proportion of cancers that were considered clinically significant.

Importantly, the periprocedural risks and complications were similar between the two approaches, without cases of urinary tract infection and low rates of haematuria and urinary retention.

Writing in Urology Journal , Miyoshi and the team agree that the optimal number of cores obtained prostate biopsy is uncertain and can not be definitively demonstrated in a prospective randomized trial .

Nevertheless, this study adds to previous work showing that prolonged prostate biopsies "are superior to sextant protocols" for the detection of prostate cancer.

Furthermore, this study suggests that 12-core biopsy "may be insufficient in patients with large volume of prostate or low PSA [density]," they wrote.

they conclude that "16-core prostate biopsy is safe and feasible for Japanese patients with levels of 4.0 to 20.0 ng PSA serum studies /mL."

"further in different populations with a larger sample size is needed to draw definitive conclusions"

medwireNews licensed by permission of Springer Healthcare Ltd. © Springer Healthcare Ltd. All rights reserved . None of these parties endorse or recommend any commercial products, services or equipment.

Marker identified for the population of kidney cancer cells with stem cell characteristics as

Marker identified for the population of kidney cancer cells with stem cell characteristics as -

By Afsaneh Gray, medwireNews Reporter

The researchers identified a population of clear cell renal carcinoma (ccRCC) cells positive for the marker CTR2 which have characteristics of stem-like cells and are capable of inducing an angiogenic response in vivo.

Furthermore, the targeting of renal cancer cells expressing CTR2 was shown to reduce the resistance to cisplatin.

"identifying these cancer cells in ccRCC and related markers may have a role in supporting the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with RCC and ... ... improve treatment strategies," say Giuseppe Lucarelli and co-authors from the University of Bari in Italy.

Lucarelli and team set out to characterize a population of CD133- and CD24-positive cells RCC-derivatives (CDR) in comparison with a CD133- and CD24- positive population of normal cells renal tubular progenitor adults (tARPCs)

They collected samples of the two tissue samples and healthy tumors from 40 patients with ccRCC then selected the cells were positive for CD133 and CD24.

CTR2 proteins were expressed on 98.2% of the CDR while tARPCs not express the marker at all or expressed at very low levels. the researchers note also that, in situ, CD133 was expressed in both CDR and tARPCs but CTR2 was expressed in cdr, making CD133 / CTR2 co-expression of a potential marker of the CDR.

Interestingly, pretreatment of three different clones of CDR CTR2 with a specific blocking antibody led to much greater sensitivity to cisplatin versus non CDR blocked.

CRD cells expressing CTR2 had similar stem cell properties, with the ability to differentiate into different types of cells, such as adipocytes or epithelial cells, depending on their environment. They were also able to induce angiogenesis in vivo.

The team used the activated cell sorting fluorescence analysis to show that neither CDR nor tARPCs expressed markers of mesenchymal stem cells, suggesting that they do not have a mesenchymal origin.

Further analysis of the expression of the marker indicates that CDR were less differentiated than tARPCs. CDR also able to form tumor colonies in vitro.

Lucarelli and his colleagues performed gene expression profiling of the entire genome to identify 72 genes that discriminate cdr tARPCs with the immune response, cell-mediated chemotaxis and invasion of cells tumor, and processes related to the cell cycle being among the most affected biological pathways.

"Our results indicate the presence in ccRCC, a CD133 + / CD24 + / + CTR2 population of cancer cells," they wrote in the Journal of Urology . "These cells have certain characteristics of stem-like cells, including in vitro self-maintenance and differentiation capacity, and are capable of inducing an angiogenic response in vivo ."

medwireNews licensed by permission of Springer Healthcare Ltd. © Springer Healthcare Ltd. All rights reserved. None of these parties endorse or recommend any commercial products, services or equipment.

Prognostic value of the limited visceral plural invasion solid part of the lung cancer

Prognostic value of the limited visceral plural invasion solid part of the lung cancer -

By Laura Cowen, medwireNews Reporter

Visceral invasion plural (VPI) is an important predictor of survival in patients with small tumors of the lung solid, but not in patients with solid tumors part, the results of Japanese studies indicate.

Kenji Suzuki and colleagues from Juntendo University School of Medicine in Tokyo, explained that although VPI "has long been recognized as an adverse prognostic factor" in lung cancer non-small cell ( NSCLC), its impact in tumors with ground-glass opacity (GGO) lesions, including those with a solid partial aspect, is controversial because of their nature minimally invasive.

to better understand the importance of IPV in these tumor types, Suzuki and team retrospectively reviewed CT thin section (TDM) from 446 patients (mean age 66 years, 50.4% male) with surgically resected, node-solid part NSCLC or pure-solid less than 30 mm.

a solid part nodule (n = 237) was defined as a tumor with focal nodular opacity which contained both solid and components EOG (consolidation ratio / tumor from 0 to <1 , 0), while a pure-solid nodule (n = 209) showed no consolidation EOG.

The researchers report in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery that VPI was present in 24 (10%) solid and 79 part nodules (38%) pure-solid nodules .

multivariate analysis, IPV, with the invasion of vessels, maximum tumor diameter and level of carcinoembryonic antigen, significantly and independently predicted overall survival in patients with nodules pur- solids. Indeed, the 5 year survival rate in patients with pure-solid nodules with VPI (70.1%) was significantly worse than patients without VPI (81.3%).

However, IPV was not a significant predictor of overall survival in patients with partially solid nodules, but consolidation / report of the tumor and the levels of carcinoembryonic antigen were.

in this group, 5-year survival rates in patients with and without IPV were 85.6% and 94.9% respectively.

These results suggest that "VPI plays a completely different role in each subtype of early stage NSCLC based on the findings of thin-section CT scan," Suzuki et al note.

They say it is important because the presence of VPI "increases the T factor in the staging of T1 to T2 and upstages a stage IA tumor stage IB pathologically," which in turn can influence the decision of a clinician to administer adjuvant chemotherapy.

"Thus, the upgrade of the TNM classification and administration of postoperative chemotherapy based pleural factors should not be considered for lung cancer patients with predominantly EOG, "the team concludes.

medwireNews licensed by permission of Springer Healthcare Ltd. © Springer Healthcare Ltd. All rights reserved. no these parties endorse or recommend any commercial products, services or equipment.

Neurosurgeons develop new technologies to make surgery very complex brain

Neurosurgeons develop new technologies to make surgery very complex brain -

In a step procedure, UC health system neurosurgeons San Diego have integrated imaging, 3D computer simulation by advanced and next generation surgical tools to perform a very complex brain surgery through a small incision to remove deep tumors. This is the first time this complex choreography technologies were brought together in an operating room in California.

"tumors located at the skull base are particularly difficult to treat because of the location of delicate anatomical structures and critical blood vessels," said neurosurgeon Clark C. Chen, MD, PhD, of the UC San Diego health system. "the conventional approach to excise these tumors involves long incisions and removal of a large piece of skull. This new minimally invasive approach is much less radical. it decreases the risk of surgery and shortens the patient's hospital stay. "

"An essential part of this surgery is to identify the nerve fibers in the brain, the connections that allow the brain to perform its essential functions. Orientation of these fibers determines the trajectory of the tumor," he said Chen, academic Affairs Vice President for neurosurgery division at UC San Diego School of Medicine. "We viewed these fibers with imaging restriction spectrum, a proprietary technology developed at UC San Diego. Color-coded visualization of routes allows us to trace the surest way to the tumor."

After planning the surgery, 2-inch incision was made near the root of the patient's hair, followed by a big fourth hole in the skull. The surgery was performed through a thin spacer similar to a tube which created a narrow path of the tumor. Aided by an arm and high-resolution robotic cameras, the team was able to safely remove two tumors within millimeter accuracy.

"What we see is a new wave of advances in minimally invasive surgery for patients with brain cancer," said Bob Carter, MD, PhD, professor and chief of neurosurgery, UC San Diego School of Medicine. "These minimally invasive approaches allow smaller incisions and shorter recovery. In this case, the patient was able to go home the day after the successful removal of many brain tumors. "

Health System UC San Diego is an internationally recognized leader in minimally invasive neurosurgery. Chen a pioneer in tractography-guided procedures and an expert in endoscopic surgery. He was among the first surgeons in the United States to perform laser and gene therapy guided magnetic resonance imaging to treat brain cancers such as glioblastoma.