Inhibition of serotonin receptor type 1 in acute myeloid leukemia impairs leukemia stem cell functionality: a promising novel therapeutic target.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a clinically and molecularly heterogeneous neoplasia with poor outcome, organized as a hierarchy initiated and maintained by a sub-population with differentiation and self-renewal capacities called leukemia stem cells (LSCs). Although currently used chemotherapy is capable of initially reducing the tumor burden producing a complete remission, most patients will ultimately relapse and will succumb to their disease. As such, new therapeutic strategies are needed. AML cells differentially expressed serotonin receptor type 1 (HTR1) compared with healthy blood cells and the most primitive hematopoietic fraction; in fact, HTR1B expression on AML patient samples correlated with clinical outcome. Inhibition of HTR1s activated the apoptosis program, induced differentiation and reduced the clonogenic capacity, while minimal effect was observed on healthy blood cells. In vivo regeneration capacity of primary AML samples was disrupted upon inhibition of HTR1. The self-renewal capacity remaining in AML cells upon in vivo treatment was severely reduced as demonstrated by serial transplantation. Thus, treatment with HTR1 antagonists showed antileukemia effect, especially anti-LSC activity while sparing healthy blood cells. Our results highlight the importance of HTR1 in leukemogenesis and LSC survival and identify this receptor family as a new target for therapy in AML with prognostic value.

Espacios, arquitectura y equipos básicos en el Área Quirúrgica / Spaces, architecture and basic equipment in the surgical

Uno de los entornos más altamente tecnificado, complejo a nivel de instalaciones y sometido a rigurosas normas de diseño arquitectónico es el Área Quirúrgica. Dejando al margen las consideraciones económicas y las limitaciones estructurales, los dos factores que más condicionan la distribución de espacios, la arquitectura, las instalaciones y la elección del equipamiento clínico y electromédico de estas zonas, son la necesidad de evitar cualquier riesgo de infección postoperatoria y la complejidad tecnológica y la especifidad en la dotación derivada de la especialización quirúrgica (AU)

One of the most high-tech environments, complex level of facilities and subject to strict standards of architectural design is the surgical area. Aside from economic considerations and structural limitations, the two factors that determine the distribucióon spaces, architecture, facilities and choice of clinical and electromedical equipment in these areas are the need to avoid any risk of postoperative infection and technological complexity and specificity in the envelope derived from the surgical expertise (AU)

[Acute hepatitis caused by intravenous amiodarone]. / Hepatitis aguda por amiodarona intravenosa.

Amiodarone is an antiarrhythmic agent very often used in clinical practice in spite of its large array of adverse effects. We report one patient case with acute hepatitis following intravenous amiodarone treatment and its possible etiology. Our conclusion is the importance of a strict control of parameters in the hepatic functions in patients who require amiodarone therapy.