Researchers at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Advance Knowledge in Medical Treatments

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center are making significant contributions to the medical field, shedding light on the effectiveness of various treatments for different diseases. According to recent studies, the center's researchers have discovered that resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients exhibit extreme chemotherapy resistance, which may account for the small survival rate seen with empiric adjuvant chemotherapy. Furthermore, the researchers have identified the prevalence of in vitro chemotherapy resistance in NSCLC patient tumor cultures, which could lead to the development of more effective treatment plans. Additionally, the team has found that intracameral Vigamox (moxifloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solution) treatment may prevent endophthalmitis after ophthalmic surgery, and that one-third of clinical Enterobacter cloacae isolates produce enzymes that strongly limit cefepime efficacy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's researchers have found that 68% of NSCLC cultures exhibited extreme or intermediate drug resistance to carboplatin, and 63% exhibited resistance to cisplatin.
  • The researchers suggest that chemotherapy resistance testing may be a way to predict treatment failure, choose alternative agents, and avoid unnecessary chemotherapy toxicity.
  • Intracameral Vigamox (moxifloxacin 0.5% ophthalmic solution) treatment was found to be nontoxic and effective in preventing endophthalmitis in a rabbit model.
  • One-third of clinical Enterobacter cloacae isolates produce enzymes that strongly limit cefepime efficacy, making it essential to re-evaluate the antibiotic's breakpoints for E. cloacae.
  • The study on cefepime resistance found that 10 out of 15 ESBL-producing isolates would have been regarded as susceptible to cefepime based on traditional breakpoints.
  • The MIC[subscript]90 for cefepime for ESBL-producing strains was 64 microg/mL, while for non-ESBL producers it was 0.5 microg/mL.
  • The researchers suggest that the use of viable tumor culture for in vitro chemoresistance testing should be considered when formulating a plan of adjuvant therapy for resected NSCLC.
  • Future trials comparing patient survival after tailored versus empiric adjuvant therapy appear justified.

Statistics:

  • 68% of NSCLC cultures exhibited extreme or intermediate drug resistance to carboplatin.
  • 63% of NSCLC cultures exhibited resistance to cisplatin.
  • 75% of NSCLC cultures exhibited resistance to doxorubicin.
  • 72% of NSCLC cultures exhibited resistance to gemcitabine.
  • 42% of NSCLC cultures exhibited resistance to navelbine.
  • 40% of NSCLC cultures exhibited resistance to paclitaxel.
  • 52% of NSCLC cultures exhibited resistance to taxotere.
  • 31% of NSCLC cultures exhibited resistance to topotecan.
  • 1,056 out of 1,565 NSCLC cultures exhibited extreme or intermediate drug resistance to carboplatin.
  • 1,409 out of 2,227 NSCLC cultures exhibited resistance to cisplatin.
  • 1,101 out of 1,471 NSCLC cultures exhibited resistance to doxorubicin.
  • 1,581 out of 2,505 NSCLC cultures exhibited resistance to etoposide.
  • 594 out of 823 NSCLC cultures exhibited resistance to gemcitabine.

Sources:

  • Damato, T.A., et al. (2006). Prevalence of in vitro extreme chemotherapy resistance in resected non-small cell lung cancer. Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 81(2), 440-447.
  • Kowalski, R.P., et al. (2005). Intracameral Vigamox (Moxifloxacin 0.5%) is nontoxic and effective in preventing endophthalmitis in a rabbit model. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 140(3), 497-504.
  • Szabo, D., et al. (2005). SHV-type extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production is associated with reduced cefepime susceptibility in Enterobacter cloacae. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 43(10), 5058-5064.