Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract (GI) that are defined, in part, by the expression of CD117, a c-Kit proto-oncogene protein. GISTs emerge outside of the GI at a very low frequency, typically in a single organ or location. GISTs that occasionally emerge outside of the GI are classified as extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumors (EGIST)....

OBJECTIVES To evaluate effects of Cajal-like cells on human renal pelvis and proximal ureter on peristalsis. MATERIALS AND METHODS 63 patients submitted to nephrectomy due to atrophic non-functional kidney associated with hydroureteronephrosis were included as study group and 30 cases with nephrectomy due to other reasons were included as control group. Samples from renal pelvis and proximal ...

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) represent a distinct subset of mesenchymal tumours of the gastrointestinal tract. They are more common in the stomach and small intestine, and are characterized by the proliferation of spindle or epithelioid cells and by the expression of CD117. Extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumors are rare and only 13 cases of pancreatic GISTs have been reported in the ...

CONTEXT Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are CD117 (C-Kit) positive mesenchymal neoplasms considered to originate from the interstitial cells of Cajal. Gastrointestinal stromal tumors have been described outside the gastrointestinal tract in sites, such as the mesentery, omentum and retroperitoneum; however, pancreatic extra-gastrointestinal stromal tumors are extremely rare and there have only ...

Ovarian cancer is known to be composed of distinct populations of cancer cells, some of which demonstrate increased capacity for cancer initiation and/or metastasis. The study of human cancer cell populations is difficult due to long requirements for tumor growth, interpatient variability, and the need for tumor growth in immune-deficient mice. We therefore characterized the cancer initiation c...

OBJECTIVE To clarify the precise characteristics of human hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) for future cytotherapy in liver diseases. METHODS Hepatic progenitor-like cells were isolated and cultured from the livers of patients who had undergone partial hepatectomy for various pathologies but displayed no sign of hepatic dysfunction. These cells were characterized by transcriptomic profiling, qu...

Objective. The intrahepatic stem cells, also known as hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs), are able to differentiate into hepatocytes and bile duct epithelia. By exposure of different injuries and different hepatocarcinogenic regimens, the mature hepatocytes can no longer effectively regenerate; stem cells are involved in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods. Immunohistochemistry w...

The objective of this study was to identify and characterize a self-renewing subpopulation of human ovarian tumor cells (ovarian cancer-initiating cells, OCICs) fully capable of serial propagation of their original tumor phenotype in animals. Ovarian serous adenocarcinomas were disaggregated and subjected to growth conditions selective for self-renewing, nonadherent spheroids previously shown t...

One emerging model for the development of drug-resistant tumors utilizes a pool of self-renewing malignant progenitors known as cancer stem cells (CSCs) or cancer-initiating cells (CICs). The purpose of this study was to propagate such CICs from the ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3. The SKOV3 sphere cells were selected using 40.0 micromol/l cisplatin and 10.0 micromol/l paclitaxel in serum-free c...

BACKGROUND/AIM An experimental study was performed to evaluate the effect of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) on the distribution of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in rabbit renal pelvis and proximal ureter. MATERIALS AND METHODS Six New Zealand rabbits were included. Right kidneys were exposed to a total of 3000 shock waves (14 kV) by using an electrohydraulic-type ESWL device...