The Fight against Cancer by Microgravity: The Multicellular Spheroid as a Metastasis Model

Cancer is a disease exhibiting uncontrollable cell growth and spreading to other parts of the organism. It is a heavy, worldwide burden for mankind with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, groundbreaking research and innovations are necessary. Research in space under microgravity (µg) conditions is a novel approach with the potential to fight cancer and develop future cancer therapies. Space travel is accompanied by adverse effects on our health, and there is a need to counteract these health problems. On the cellular level, studies have shown that real (r-) and simulated (s-) µg impact survival, apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and adhesion as well as the cytoskeleton, the extracellular matrix, focal adhesion, and growth factors in cancer cells. Moreover, the µg-environment induces in vitro 3D tumor models (multicellular spheroids and organoids) with a high potential for preclinical drug targeting, cancer drug development, and studying the processes of cancer progression and metastasis on a molecular level. This review focuses on the effects of r- and s-µg on different types of cells deriving from thyroid, breast, lung, skin, and prostate cancer, as well as tumors of the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, we summarize the current knowledge of the impact of µg on cancerous stem cells. The information demonstrates that µg has become an important new technology for increasing current knowledge of cancer biology.     

Reaktionen des 2,6-Di-tert.-butyl-4-(N-tert.-butylnitrono)-phenoxyradikals

Reactions of the 2,6-Di-tert.-butyl-4-(N-tert.-butylnitrono)-phenoxyl Radical The title compound, a phenoxyl radical containing a nitrono group, reacts with alcohols and tert.-butylhydroperoxide yielding phenol and products of secondary radical solvent reactions. The reactions with lead tetraacetate, tert.-butoxy and 2-cyanoisopropyl radicals give high yields of cyclohexadienone adducts ( 6, 7 and 10 ) containing unchanged nitrono function. The reaction with dibenzoylperoxide, however, leads to the modification of the nitrono group yielding the N-benzoyloxycarboxamide ( 8 ). In the acidic decomposition of the tert.-butoxy radical adduct we suggest a nitrenium ion ( 16 ) as an intermediate.     

Pyryliumverbindungen. XVIII, 2-Alkoxy-2H-pyrane aus tetra- und pentasubstituierten Pyryliumsalzen

Pyrylium Compounds. XVIII. 2-Alkoxy-2H-pyrans from Tetra- and Pentasubstituted Pyrylium Salts Alkali alkoxides add regioselectively to 2,3,4,6-tetrasubstituted pyrylium salts 7 (R' H), affording high yields of colourless crystalline 2-alkoxy-2H-pyrans 9 . The latte are also formed simply on refluxing 7 in the corresponding alcohol with triethylamine as proton acceptor. 3,5-Dialkylsubstituted 2,4,6-triarylpyrylium salts react analogously. The 2H-pyran structure of the adducts obtained follows from their n.m.r., i.r., u.v. and mass spectra as well as from their reaction with tetracyanoethylene to cycloadducts of type 10 . Acids regenerate from 9 the original pyrylium cations, whereas reaction of 9 with nitromethane or ethyl cyanoacetate provides benzene derivatives. -- The novel starting pyrylium salts 7b--o are characterized by u.v./vis data and by transformation into the corresponding pyridine derivatives     

Diazoverbindungen. 72. (Diazoalkyl)phosphane – Synthese durch elektrophile Diazoalkansubstitution und oxidative Additionsreaktionen am Phosphor

Diazo Compounds. 72. Diazoalkylphosphanes – Synthesis by Electrophilic Diazoalkane Substitution and Oxidative Addition Reactions at Phosphorus Electrophilic diazoalkane substitution of the diazomethyl compounds 1a,b with the chloro phosphanes 2a-o in the presence of lithium diethylamide yields the diazoalkyl phosphanes 3a-z . Oxidative addition of oxygen, sulfur and selenium at phosphorus leads into the series of oxo, thioxo and selenoxo phosphanes having diazoalkyl substituents ( 4a-d, 5a-m and 7a-d ). The silyl group of 5n,o is cleaved by chromatography on aluminium oxide to yield the (diazomethyl)phosphane sulfides 6a,b .     

Radikalreaktionen an N-Heterocyclen. XI [1] Reaktionen von 3-Methyl-pyrazolin-5-onen mit Phenoxyl-Radikalen

Free Radical Reactions of N-Heterocyclic Compounds. XI. Reaction of 3-Methyl-pyrazolin-5-ones with Phenoxy Radicals Pyrazolin-5-ones ( 3a–i ) were oxidized with 2,4,6-trisubstituted phenoxy radicals ( 2a–d ) to the corresponding radicals ( 4a–i ), which dimerised or combined with phenoxy radical ( 2a ) depending on the R¹- and R⁴-substituents in ( 3 ). In the case of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-pyrazolin-5-one ( 3f ) the primary radical combination products were not found, but the corresponding quinone methide ( 17 ) and the o-phenol derivative ( 18 ) were isolated. Products and yields have been investigated as a function of mol ratio substrate: oxidant and solvent. The radical combination products ( 7–10 ) could de-tertbutylated in the presence of aluminium chloride or in the presence of trifluoroarcetic acid, forming heterocyclic substituted phenols ( 21 ) and ( 22 ).     

Testing the Precision Initiation Couplers

It is possible to properly test a Precision Initiation Coupler (PIC) for its detonation profile and the rotational symmetry of its detonation wave using the Multi-Streak and/or Flash-Gap-Technique both with central linear streak line and circle streak which is comprised of dots for better evaluation.     

Fragment Mass Distribution of “Secondary Fragments”

An analysis of the secondary fragments emerging from a target plate has shown that their mass distribution fits excellently to a formula established earlier by the author. This applies equally well to the secondary fragments of an explosive-formed fragment from a multi-P warhead, to those from the warhead's structural casing. and even to the fragments from the target plate itself, as well as to the sum of all of these 3 types of fragements. The correlation coefficient for the two constant parameters governing this formula (namely, the scaling factor B and the form factor λ) is always better than 0.99, when an optimum total mass M_o is southt and inserted, and when the first, large fragements are not included in the consideration, which means when one or two measured points are negiected. For secondary fragements, the form factor λ in the mass distribution is close to 1/2 = 0.5, whereas for the natural fragments of HE projectiles it is in the order of 2/3. namely, from 0.6 to 0.8.