Browsing by Author "Sharma, Neha"

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    Cleft lip and palate surgery simulator: Open source simulation model
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2024) Teuber Lobos, Cristian Andrés; Benítez, Benito K.; Lill, Yoriko; Kiser, Laura E.; Tache, Ana; Fernández Pose, María; Campolo González, Andrés Francisco; Nalabothu, Prasad; Sharma, Neha; Thieringer, Florian M.; Vargas Díaz, Alex Patricio; Mueller, Andreas A.
    Objective: Cleft lip and palate is the most common craniofacial birth anomaly and requires surgery in the first year of life. However, craniofacial surgery training opportunities are limited. The aim of this study was to present and evaluate an open-source cleft lip and palate hybrid (casting and three-dimensional (3D) printing) simulation model which can be replicated at low cost to facilitate the teaching and training of cleft surgery anatomy and techniques. Design: The soft tissue component of the cleft surgery training model was casted using a 3D printed 5-component mold and silicone. The bony structure was designed to simulate the facial anatomy and to hold the silicone soft tissue. Setting: Two groups, one group of trainees and one group of expert surgeons, at University Hospital Basel in Switzerland and Pontifical Catholic University of Chile in Santiago, Chile, tested the cleft lip and palate simulation model. Participants completed a Likert-based face and content validity questionnaire to assess the realism of the model and its usefulness in surgical training. Results: More than 70 % of the participants agreed that the model accurately simulated human tissues found in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate. Over 60 % of the participants also agreed that the model realistically replicated surgical procedures. In addition, 80–90 % of the participants found the model to be a useful and appropriate tool for teaching the anatomy and surgical techniques involved in performing unilateral cleft lip and palate repair. Conclusion: This open-source protocol provides a cost-effective solution for surgeons to introduce the cleft morphology and surgical techniques to trainees on a regular basis. It addresses the current financial barrier that limits access to commercially available models during the early stages of surgeon training prior to specialization in the field.
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    Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF): Fuel for Cancer Progression
    (Bentham Science Publ. LTD, 2021) Satija, Saurabh; Kaur, Harpreet; Tambuwala, Murtaza M.; Sharma, Prabal; Vyas, Manish; Khurana, Navneet; Sharma, Neha; Bakshi, Hamid A.; Charbe, Nitin B.; Zacconi, Flavia C. M.; Aljabali, Alaa A.; Nammi, Srinivas; Dureja, Harish; Singh, Thakur G.; Gupta, Gaurav; Dhanjal, Daljeet S.; Dua, Kamal; Chellappan, Dinesh K.; Mehta, Meenu
    Hypoxia is an integral part of the tumor microenvironment, caused primarily due to rapidly multiplying tumor cells and a lack of proper blood supply. Among the major hypoxic pathways, HIF-1 transcription factor activation is one of the widely investigated pathways in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment (TME). HIF-1 is known to activate several adaptive reactions in response to oxygen deficiency in tumor cells. HIF-1 has two subunits, HIF-1 beta (constitutive) and HIF-1 alpha (inducible). The HIF-1 alpha expression is largely regulated via various cytokines (through PI3K-ACT-mTOR signals), which involves the cascading of several growth factors and oncogenic cascades. These events lead to the loss of cellular tumor suppressant activity through changes in the level of oxygen via oxygen-dependent and oxygen-independent pathways. The significant and crucial role of HIF in cancer progression and its underlying mechanisms have gained much attention lately among the translational researchers in the fields of cancer and biological sciences, which have enabled them to correlate these mechanisms with various other disease modalities. In the present review, we have summarized the key findings related to the role of HIF in the progression of tumors.
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    Perfluorocarbons Therapeutics in Modern Cancer Nanotechnology for Hypoxia-induced Anti-tumor Therapy
    (2021) Satija, Saurabh; Sharma, Prabal; Kaur, Harpreet; Dhanjal, Daljeet S.; Chopra, Reena S.; Khurana, Navneet; Vyas, Manish; Sharma, Neha; Tambuwala, Murtaza M.; Bakshi, Hamid A.; Charbe, Nitin B.; Zacconi, Flavia C. M.; Chellappan, Dinesh K.; Dua, Kamal; Mehta, Meenu
    With an estimated failure rate of about 90%, immunotherapies that are intended for the treatment of solid tumors have caused an anomalous rise in the mortality rate over the past decades. It is apparent that resistance towards such therapies primarily occurs due to elevated levels of HIF-1 (Hypoxia-induced factor) in tumor cells, which are caused by disrupted microcirculation and diffusion mechanisms. With the advent of nanotechnology, several innovative advances were brought to the fore; and, one such promising direction is the use of perfluorocarbon nanoparticles in the management of solid tumors. Perfluorocarbon nanoparticles enhance the response of hypoxia-based agents (HBAs) within the tumor cells and have been found to augment the entry of HBAs into the tumor micro-environment. The heightened penetration of HBAs causes chronic hypoxia, thus aiding in the process of cell quiescence. In addition, this technology has also been applied in photodynamic therapy, where oxygen self-enriched photosensitizers loaded perfluorocarbon nanoparticles are employed. The resulting processes initiate a cascade, depleting tumour oxygen and turning it into a reactive oxygen species eventually to destroy the tumour cell. This review elaborates on the multiple applications of nanotechnology based perfluorocarbon formulations that are being currently employed in the treatment of tumour hypoxia.