Approaches to Study Phosphatases.

Phosphatases play key roles in normal physiology and diseases. Studying phosphatases has been both essential and challenging, and the application of conventional genetic and biochemical methods has led to crucial but still limited understanding of their mechanisms, substrates, and exclusive functions within highly intricate networks. With the advances in technologies such as cellular imaging and molecular and chemical biology in terms of sensitive tools and methods, the phosphatase field has thrived in the past years and has set new insights for cell signaling studies and for therapeutic development. In this review, we give an overview of the existing interdisciplinary tools for phosphatases, give examples on how they have been applied to increase our understanding of these enzymes, and suggest how they-and other tools yet barely used in the phosphatase field-might be adapted to address future questions and challenges.

Extra-articular Synovial Chondromatosis Eroding and Penetrating the Acromion.

Synovial chondromatosis of the shoulder is an uncommon disorder. It usually affects the glenohumeral joint and is characterized by metaplasia of the synovium leading to the formation of osteochondral loose bodies. Few cases of extra-articular subacromial synovial chondromatosis involving the rotator cuff tendon have been reported in the literature. The treatment of previously reported cases consisted of open bursectomy and removal of loose bodies. We report a case of subacromial synovial chondromatosis without rotator cuff involvement but with severe erosion and fracture of the acromion. Treatment consisted of shoulder arthroscopy to remove all loose bodies, total bursectomy, and debridement of the acromion. Potential benefits of arthroscopy were also evaluated.

Foldamers as Anticancer Therapeutics: Targeting Protein-Protein Interactions and the Cell Membrane.

Targeting important protein-protein interactions involved in carcinogenesis or targeting the cell membrane of a cancer cell directly are just two of the ways in which foldamers (oligomeric molecules that fold into distinct shapes in solution) hold considerable potential in the treatment of cancer. From mimicking the local topography of the helical compound of interest by using covalently constrained foldamers to mimicking the topography of the natural helix such that the positions of key functional motifs are in an identical spatial orientation to match those presented by the original α-helix, synthetic foldamers have been used to mimic the natural foldamers that interact with proteins or the cell membrane. These targeted approaches have become established over a timeframe of more than a decade, and they continue to be included in the assortment of cancer targets being studied and the arsenal of chemotherapy compounds in development. These approaches are reviewed herein.

Bilateral locked anterior shoulder dislocation in a bench-pressing athlete: case report.

Chronic bilateral anterior shoulder dislocation is a rare entity. Treatment options range from conservative to surgical reduction. We present a case of a young bench-pressing athlete with bilateral locked anterior shoulder dislocation without fracture. Upon presentation, the patient had no pain with functional range of motion so he refused surgery. Conservative treatment could be an acceptable alternative to surgical intervention if pain and functional status are satisfactory.

Development of a novel, multifunctional, membrane-interactive pyridinium salt with potent anticancer activity.

The synthesis and biological evaluation of a novel pyridinium salt is reported. Initial membrane interaction with isolated phospholipid monolayers was obtained with the pyridinium salt, and two neutral analogues for comparison, and the anticancer effects of the best compound established using a cytotoxicity screening assay against glioma cells using both an established cell line and three short-term cell cultures-one of which has been largely resistant to all chemotherapeutic drugs tested to date. The results indicate that the pyridinium salt exhibits potent anticancer activity (EC50s=9.8-312.5 µM) on all cell types, including the resistant one, for a continuous treatment of 72 h. Microscopic examination of the treated cells using a trypan blue exclusion assay showed membrane lysis had occurred. Therefore, this letter highlights the potential for a new class of pyridinium salt to be developed as a much needed alternative treatment for glioma chemotherapy.