Peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is a well-established procedure for the treatment of hematological, cancer and autoimmune diseases. In cancer patients, HSC transplantation allows the use of high-dose cytotoxic drugs in combination with radiation therapy during treatment, which provides a pronounced antitumor effect. The hematological toxicity of such treatment is eliminated by the sequential introduction of stem cells, which contribute to hematopoiesis restoration. Before transplantation, peripheral blood HSCs are subjected to collection and cryopreservation for further storage. An important requirement for cryopreservation is viable HSCs responsible for hematopoietic restoration. The aim of the review was to analyze the literature devoted to the influence of various methods of cryopreservation of human peripheral blood HSCs on the preservation of cell viability after thawing, as well as the development of adverse events in patients. Issues related to the use of various cryoprotectants, as well as methods for storing HSC grafts, are considered. The presented data indicate the need for further study of the effect of cryoprotectants on the human body and the cellular composition of the graft and improvement of protocols for HSC cryopreservation.

The aim. To study the toxicity of 2-(6,8-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-chloroquinoline-2-yl)-5,6,7-trichloro-1,3-tropolone in vitro and in vivo.Materials and methods. 2-(6,8-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-chloroquinoline-2-yl)-5,6,7-trichloro-1,3-tropolone was synthesized using a method for expanding the o-quinone cycle during the reaction between 5-nitro-2,6,8-trimethyl4-chloroquinoline and 3,4,5,6-tetrachloro-1,2-benzoquinone while boiled in dioxane. An in vitro experiment was carried out in the human A549 cell line. Cell viability was assessed using the MTT colorimetric assay by reducing the optical density of the experimental samples compared with the control ones. Acute toxicity was studied on 20 BALB/c Nude male mice. The test compound was administered once orally as a suspension in 1% starch gel at three doses: 0.0055 (group 1), 0.055 (group 2) and 0.55 mg / g (group 3). The control group (group 4) received a placebo.Results. We synthesized a new compound, 2-(6,8-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-chloroquinoline-2-yl)-5,6,7-trichloro-1,3-tropolone. Its structure was established by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The yield was 19.8 g (52%), the melting point was 205–207 ºС, bright yellow crystals (benzene) were observed. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 2-(6,8-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-chloroquinoline-2-yl)-5,6,7-trichloro-1,3-tropolone was 0.21 ± 0.01 μM, which was significantly lower (р < 0.05) than the IC50 of cisplatin (3.84 ± 0.23). Following the in vivo experiment, no toxic effect of tropolone was detected when administered once at a dose of 0.0055, 0.055, and 0.55 mg / g. Conclusion. 2-(6,8-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-chloroquinoline-2-yl)-5,6,7-trichloro-1,3-tropolone demonstrated cytotoxic effects on the A549 cell line at a lower IC50 than cisplatin which is widely used in treatment of cancers, including lung cancer. Insolubility of 2-(6,8-dimethyl-5-nitro-4-chloroquinoline-2-yl)-5,6,7-trichloro-1,3-tropolone in water and the absence of its toxic effect in the studied modes determine the scope of its application for further study of cumulative and antitumor effects.

The Biobank of the National Medical Research Center of Oncology is a multi-layered infrastructure with large collections of biological samples, complemented by extensive and well-annotated clinical and pathological patient data, including medical images, pathological histology, and molecular analysis of biosamples. To date, the biobank of the National Medical Research Center of Oncology contains collections of primary and immortalized cancer cell lines of human origin. The collection of primary cell lines was formed from samples of postoperative material taken during the removal of tumors of various localizations (breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer). All cell lines underwent internal quality control for contaminants (exogenous viruses, mycoplasmas and bacterial L-forms), viability and were cultivated without antibiotics. On the basis of the collected samples, a significant number of projects in the field of biomedicine were carried out, the results of which are described in this article.

The phenomenon of unstable expression of gap junction’s proteins connexins remains a “visiting card” of astrocytic tumors with various degrees of malignancy. At the same time, it stays unclear what is detected by the positive expression of connexins in astrocytic tumors: gap junctions, hemi-channels, or connexin proteins in cytosol. In the present work, for the first time, we demonstrate an ultrastructural evidence of gap junctions in pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma, a rare primary brain tumor, the intercellular characteristics of which are poorly studied and remain very discursive and controversial. The primary tumor mass was resected during craniotomy from a 57-old patient diagnosed with pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma Grade II based on the histopathological analysis. The immunohistochemical study was conducted with primary antibodies: Neurofilament, Myelin basic protein, Glial fibrillary acidic protein, and Synaptophysin. For electron microscopic examination fragments of tumor tissue were fixed in a glutaraldehyde, postfixed in a 1% OsO₄, dehydrated and embedded into resin. After the detailed clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical study we revealed some ultrastructural characteristics of the tumor, as well as the first evidence of direct intercellular connection between the tumor cells via gap junctions. Regularly arranged gap junctions connected the somas of xanthastrocytes with dark cytoplasm containing lipid drops. Besides the localization between the cell bodies, from one to several gap junctions were found between the branches of xanthoastrocytoma in tumor intercellular space in close proximity to tumor cell. Our results may indicate gap junctions as a possible structure for intercellular communication between pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma cells.

Purpose of the study. To evaluate the antiproliferative properties of the novel alkaloid (P1) against CRC cell lines HT‑29, Caco‑2, and HCT116. Materials and methods . CRC cell lines (HCT116, HT‑29, Caco‑2) were used in the experiments. The alkaloid (P1) was isolated from Petasites hybridus (L.) G. Gaertn., B. Mey. & Scherb and identified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). Cells were incubated with various concentrations of the alkaloid, and cell viability was assessed. Berberine, a well-known anticancer alkaloid, served as the reference compound. Results. The alkaloid (P1) demonstrated pronounced antiproliferative activity across all tested colorectal cancer cell lines – HCT116, HT‑29, and Caco‑2. The highest sensitivity was observed in HCT116 cells, with an IC50 value of 15.73 μmol/L after 72‑hour incubation, indicating a substantial inhibitory effect on tumor cell proliferation. Comparative analysis showed that (P1) exhibited greater cytostatic efficacy than berberine in Caco‑2 (IC50 (P1) = 54.489 ± 8.3 μmol/L vs IC50 (berb) = 193.154 ± 13.1 μmol/L) and HT‑29 cultures (IC50 (P1) = 55.375 ± 7.1 μmol/L vs IC50 (berb) = 90.22 ± 8.2 μmol/L). Conclusion. The findings indicate that the alkaloid (P1) possesses significant antiproliferative potential against colorectal cancer cell lines, underscoring its promise as a prospective anticancer agent. Notably, its superior efficacy compared with berberine highlights the relevance of further investigation. These results support continued development of (P1) as a basis for novel therapeutic agents. Future work should include detailed preclinical and clinical studies to elucidate its mechanism of action, evaluate safety and in vivo efficacy, and optimize pharmacological properties for potential clinical application.