Surgery after sonidegib treatment achieves complete response in locally advanced basal cell carcinoma of the face.

Basal cell carcinoma accounts for 75% of skin cancers worldwide and is the most common malignancy in Caucasians. Since chronic ultraviolet exposure is the major risk factor for its development, sun-exposed areas such as the face are frequently affected. The gold-standard treatment is surgical excision. Radiotherapy may be considered in selected cases such as unresectable primary tumors. In some patients, when the risk of a significant functional/cosmetic deficit advises against both surgery and radiotherapy, target therapy (hedgehog pathway inhibitors) can be administered alone or in a neoadjuvant setting, to reduce the tumor size and make it eligible for surgery. Vismodegib as a neoadjuvant treatment before surgery has been investigated in a single, multicentre, open-label, phase II trial (VISMONEO); however, sonidegib has not yet been evaluated in this setting. We report the cases of two patients with locally advanced basal cell carcinoma of the face who achieved complete remission with sonidegib followed by a more limited surgical excision than would have been needed without target therapy.

Sulfate influx on band 3 protein of equine erythrocyte membrane (Equus caballus) using different experimental temperatures and buffer solutions.

The aim of this study was to assess the anion transport in equine erythrocytes through the measurement of the sulfate uptake operating from band 3 using different experimental temperatures and buffer solutions. Blood samples of six clinically healthy horses were collected via jugular vein puncture, and an emochrome-citometric examination was performed. The blood was divided into four aliquots and by centrifugation and aspiration the plasma and buffy coat were carefully discarded. The red blood cells were washed with an isosmotic medium and centrifuged. The obtained cell suspensions were incubated with two different experimental buffer solutions (buffer A: 115 mM Na2SO4, 10 mM NaCl, 20 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, 30 mM glucose; and buffer B: 115 mM Na2SO4, 10 mM NaCl, 20 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, 30 mM MgCl2) in a water bath for 1 h at 25 °C and 37 °C. Normal erythrocytes, suspended at 3% hematocrit, were used to measure the SO4= influx by absorption spectrophotometry at 425 nm wavelength. Unpaired Student's t-test showed a statistically significant decrease (P < 0.01) of rate constants in equine erythrocytes at 25 °C versus 37 °C using both experimental buffer solutions. Comparing the buffer A with buffer B unpaired Student's t-test showed statistically lower values (P < 0.0001) for A solution versus B solution both at 25 °C and at 37 °C. The greater inhibition of SO4 (=) influx measured in equine erythrocytes indicates the increased formation of the sulfydryl bonds in band 3 and the modulation of the sulfydryl groups, culminating in the conformational changes in band 3.