Hepatic uptake of bile acids is mediated by the Na(+)-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP; SLC10A1) of the basolateral hepatocyte membrane. Several cis-acting elements in the rat Ntcp gene promoter have been characterized. However, little is known about the mechanisms that control the expression of the human or mouse NTCP/Ntcp. We, therefore, compared the transcriptional regulation of...

This study aimed to determine the optimal fraction scheme (FS) in patients with small peripheral non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with the 4 × 12 Gy scheme as the reference. CT simulation data for sixteen patients diagnosed with primary NSCLC or metastatic tumor with a single peripheral lesion ≤3 cm were used in this study. Volumetric modulated...

BACKGROUND To evaluate a knowledge based planning model for RapidPlan (RP) generated for advanced head and neck cancer (HNC) patient treatments, as well its ability to possibly improve the clinical plan quality. The stability of the model was assessed also for a different beam geometry, different dose fractionation and different management of bilateral structures (parotids). METHODS Dosimetri...

The sodium-dependent taurocholate cotransporter polypeptide (NTCP) has been identified as a liver specific functional receptor for the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Previous studies indicated that the expression of NTCP may be associated with the proliferation status of hepatocytes. However, the involvement of NTCP in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells proliferation remains unclear. In this study,...

The standard treatments of localized prostate cancer include surgical resection and/or radiotherapy. Recently in 2016, Zhao et al. described a tool to predict which patients will most likely gain from postoperative radiotherapy. Such a method can personalize treatment plan by maximizing benefit but minimizing harm.

A new linear programming model used to aid in the design of radiotherapy plans is introduced. This model incorporates elastic constraints, and when solved with a path following interior point method, produces favorable plans. A sound mathematical analysis shows how to interpret the solution, and hence, the treatment planner receives meaningful knowledge about the radiotherapy plan being develop...

The Na(+) taurocholate (TC) cotransporting polypeptide Ntcp/NTCP mediates TC uptake across the sinusoidal membrane of hepatocytes. Previously, we demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) inhibits TC uptake through S-nitrosylation of a cysteine residue. Our current aim was to determine which of the eight cysteine residues of Ntcp is responsible for NO-mediated S-nitrosylation and inhibition of TC upt...

Medical physicists face a trade-off when planning oncology radiotherapy treatments. The dosimetrist must deliver sufficient dose to kill the diseased tissue while managing the risk of a variety of possible toxicities that may arise from damage to normal tissue. In attempting to address this trade-off, many questions naturally arise. Are there critical sections within organs that should be spare...

INTRODUCTION This study examines and compares the dosimetric quality of radiotherapy treatment plans for prostate carcinoma across a cohort of 163 patients treated across five centres: 83 treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), 33 treated with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and 47 treated with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). METHODS Treatment plan qual...