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Cell proliferation and cytotoxic analyses of immunoliposomes indicate anti-p185(HER2) immunoliposomes to be a targeting vehicle for human cancers involving overexpression of p185(HER2), a product of the HER2 protooncogene. These immunoliposomes bind with enhanced affinities to breast cancer cells overexpressing p185(HER2) and the liposomal anchoring of the Fab' fragments of p185(HER2) increases biological activity. Immunoliposomes containing doxorubicin are specific agents against p185(HER2)-overexpressing cells.

V8 vegetable juice agar (VJ agar) is the most commonly used medium for cultivating Phytophthora and Pythium species but is difficult to obtain outside the US. Two culture media based on widely accessible natural products were developed as an alternative to VJ agar. The newly developed media were based on tomato and soybean preparations, and comparative tests showed that they are comparable or even better than VJ agar in supporting the growth and both sexual and asexual reproduction of Phytophthora and Pythium species.

Diuron treatment for weed control greatly increased anthurium root rot caused by Pythium splenden, P. spinosum, P. vexans and Calonectria crotalariae. Diuron in agar medium was inhibitory to the growth of mycelium, formation and germination of sporangia of P. splendens . Sporangia of P. splendens produced in diuron-amended medium did not differ in pathogenicity to anthurium roots from those produced in diuron-free medium. When diuron was applied to kill weeds in the planting medium, the population of P. splendens in it was not decreased during the test. Diuron was inhibitory to a number of micro-organisms in the planting medium. Exudation of anthurium roots was not increased by diuron treatment. Increase in severity of anthurium root rot by diuron treatment was similar whether the enthurium roots was not increased by diuron treatment. Increase in severity of anthurium root rot by diuron treatment was similar whether the experiments were performed in the presence or absence of planting medium, suggesting that the enhancing effect of diuron on root rot is mainly due to an increase in susceptibility of the host plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]