Gains of 3q26 chromosome region, where the human telomerase RNA gene (hTERC) is located, have been previously documented in cervical carcinomas and preneoplastic lesions. The aim of our study was to define the value of 3q26 gains related to persistence-progression in cervical specimens with cytologic diagnosis for low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, using liquid-based cytology (ThinPrep...

Scanning electron microscopy is a useful imaging approach for the visualization of bacterial biofilms in their natural environments including their medical and dental habitats, because it allows for the exploration of large surfaces with excellent resolution of topographic features. Most biofilms in nature, however, are embedded in a thick layer of extracellular matrix that prevents a clear ide...

cytogenetic approaches to cancer. One such approach, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), he said, enables scientists to assess the number of copies of specific genes in individual cells by staining them with fluorescently labeled DNA probes. They can then map the distribution of specific abnormalities within a tumor. In some cases, FISH reveals an "amazing amount of heterogeneity" in the...