MedWorm: Molecular Biology Top 20

Potential biomarkers in psychiatry: focus on the cholesterol system

Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractMeasuring biomarkers to identify and assess illness is a strategy growing in popularity and relevance. Although already in clinical use for treating and predicting cancer, no biological measurement is used clinically for any psychiatric disorder. Biomarkers could predict the course of a medical problem, and aid in determining how and when to treat. Several studies have indicated that of candidate psychiatric biomarkers detected using proteomic techniques, cholesterol and associated proteins, specifically apolipoproteins (Apos), may be of interest. Cholesterol is necessary for brain development and its synthesis continues at a lower rate in the adult brain. Apos are the protein component of lipoproteins responsible for lipid transport. There is extensive evidence that the levels of ...

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Stereoselective synthesis of novel pyrazole derivatives using tert-butansulfonamide as a chiral auxiliary

RSC - Organic Biomolecular Chemistry — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 21:29:02 +0100

Org. Biomol. Chem., 2012, Accepted ManuscriptDOI: 10.1039/C2OB06495B, PaperDongju Jeon, Chang Min ParkA novel chiral pyrazole derivative as a potent PDE4 inhibitor developed by our research program for the treatment of anti-inflammatory diseases like Asthma and COPD, and we have disclosed the...The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry (Source: RSC - Organic Biomolecular Chemistry)

Anti-Cancer Activities of Tea Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate in Breast Cancer Patients under Radiotherapy.

Current Molecular Medicine — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:18:43 +0100

Authors: Zhang G, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Wan X, Li J, Liu K, Wang F, Liu Q, Yang C, Yu P, Huang Y, Wang S, Jiang P, Qu Z, Luan J, Duan H, Zhang L, Hou A, Jin S, Hsieh TC, Wu E Abstract The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that administration of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol present in abundance in widely consumed tea, inhibits cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis in breast cancer patients. EGCG in 400 mg capsules was orally administered three times daily to breast cancer patients undergoing treatment with radiotherapy. Parameters related to cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis were analyzed while blood samples were collected at different time points to determine efficacy of the EGCG treatment. Compared to patients who received radioth...

Modular recognition of nucleic acids by PUF, TALE and PPR proteins

RSC - Mol. BioSyst. latest articles — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:54:10 +0100

Mol. BioSyst., 2012, Advance ArticleDOI: 10.1039/C2MB05392F, ReviewAleksandra Filipovska, Oliver RackhamRecent discoveries have revealed that PUF, TALE and PPR proteins bind their RNA and DNA targets in a modular manner, providing new insights into their biological functions and applications in biotechnology.To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry (Source: RSC - Mol. BioSyst. latest articles)

Analysis of cell adhesion during early stages of colon cancer based on an extended multi-valued logic approach

RSC - Mol. BioSyst. latest articles — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:36:08 +0100

Mol. BioSyst., 2012, Advance ArticleDOI: 10.1039/C2MB05277F, PaperDaniel V. Guebel, Ulf Schmitz, Olaf Wolkenhauer, Julio VeraHere we present the first large scale multi-valued logic model investigating the signalling pathways that regulate cell adhesion during colorectal cancer initiation.To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry (Source: RSC - Mol. BioSyst. latest articles)

Resveratrol downregulates Akt/GSK and ERK signalling pathways in OVCAR-3 ovarian cancer cells

RSC - Mol. BioSyst. latest articles — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:54:10 +0100

Mol. BioSyst., 2012, Advance ArticleDOI: 10.1039/C2MB05486H, PaperDaniele Vergara, Pasquale Simeone, Daniela Toraldo, Piero Del Boccio, Viviana Vergaro, Stefano Leporatti, Damiana Pieragostino, Andrea Tinelli, Stefania De Domenico, Saverio Alberti, Andrea Urbani, Michel Salzet, Angelo Santino, Michele MaffiaResveratrol shows antitumor activity in human ovarian cancer cell lines targeting signalling pathways involved in cell proliferation and drug-resistance.To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry (Source: RSC - Mol. BioSyst. latest articles)

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Methylseleninic acid potentiates multiple types of cancer cells to ABT-737-induced apoptosis by targeting Mcl-1 and Bad

Apoptosis — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:54:34 +0100

Abstract ABT-737, a novel small molecule inhibitor of Bcl-2 family proteins, holds great promise to complement current cancer therapies. However many types of solid cancer cells are resistant to ABT-737. One practical approach to improve its therapeutic efficacy is to combine with the agents that can overcome such resistance to restore the sensitivity. In the present study, a second-generation selenium compound methylseleninic acid (MSeA) synergistically sensitized MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells, HT-29 human colon cancer cells and DU145 human prostate cancer cells to apoptosis induction by ABT-737, as evidenced by greater than additive enhancement of Annexin V/FITC positive (apoptotic) cells and activation of multiple caspases and PARP cleavage. Mechanistic investiga...

Concomitantly elevated serum matrix metalloproteinases 3 and 9 can predict survival of synchronous squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aero‐digestive tract

Molecular Carcinogenesis — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:40:26 +0100

This study tested if serum MMP levels correlate with clinical features and predict survival for HNSCC, ESCC, and synchronous SCC. One hundred and thirty patients with SCCs in upper aero‐digestive tract (70 ESCC, 20 HNSCC, and 40 synchronous SCC) and 74 healthy controls were assessed for serum MMP‐3, ‐7, and ‐9 titers by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The titers were validated to their correlations to clinical features and survival rates of the different SCC groups. Patients with SCCs had significantly higher serum MMP‐3, ‐7, and ‐9 titers than the controls (P < 0.001) but there was no difference among the three SCC groups. Based on the optimal MMP cut‐off values by ROC curve, elevated MMP‐3 and MMP‐9, but not MMP‐7, correlated with distant metastasis and ...

Expressions of GRP78 and Bax associate with differentiation, metastasis, and apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Molecular Biology Reports — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Sun Q, Hua J, Wang Q, Xu W, Zhang J, Zhang J, Kang J, Li M Abstract The purpose of this study was to detect the expressions of GRP78 and Bax in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissues, to analyze their correlations with carcinogenesis and the development of NSCLC, and to investigate the relationship of GRP78 expression to metastasis and apoptosis in the NSCLC cell line HCC827. The positive expression rates of GRP78 and Bax in NSCLC lung tissues were 59.7% and 34.7% by RT-PCR, respectively. The mRNA and protein expression levels of GRP78 in NSCLC tissues were significantly higher than that in the relatively normal surrounding lung tissues (p < 0.05); the lesser the degree of tumor differentiation was, the higher the mRNA and protein expression levels of GRP78 ...

Sensitization of dural afferents underlies migraine-related behavior following meningeal application of interleukin-6 (IL-6)

Molecular Pain — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Conclusions: These results indicate that IL-6 enhances the excitability of dural afferents likely via ERK-mediated modulation of Nav1.7 and these responses contribute to migraine - related pain behavior in vivo. These data provide a cellular mechanism by which IL-6 in the meninges causes sensitization of dural afferents which may contribute to the pathogenesis of migraine headache. (Source: Molecular Pain)

A proteomic profile of washing fluid from the colorectal tract to search for potential biomarkers of colon cancer

RSC - Mol. BioSyst. latest articles — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:49:04 +0100

Mol. BioSyst., 2012, Advance ArticleDOI: 10.1039/C2MB05394B, PaperLaura Giusti, Pietro Iacconi, Ylenia Da Valle, Federica Ciregia, Tiziana Ventroni, Elena Donadio, Gino Giannaccini, Massimo Chiarugi, Liborio Torregrossa, Agnese Proietti, Fulvio Basolo, Antonio LucacchiniWashing fluid (WF) from the colorectal tract might be a source of cellular and secreted proteins of tumours, as found for tissue samples, moreover, WF samples have allowed us to find new potential proteins involved in colorectal cancer.To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry (Source: RSC - Mol. BioSyst. latest articles)

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ENDOGLIN/CD105 is expressed in KIT positive cells in the gut and in gastrointestinal stromal tumours

Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:50:41 +0100

AbstractENDOGLIN/CD105 (ENG) is a transmembrane glycoprotein and an auxiliary unit of the transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β); receptor, expressed predominantly in vascular endothelium. Noteworthy, Eng mRNA expression has been reported also in Kit+ interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in the mouse intestine. Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) are thought to derive from ICC. Here we have investigated Eng expression in the KitK641E mouse GIST model, in human GIST and in the Ba/F3 cell model. In wild type (WT) mouse antrum, Eng immunoreactivity (‐ir) was detected in CD34+/CD31+ endothelium and in Kit+ ICC. In KitK641E mice, hyperplasia of Kit+ cells made Eng‐ir even more evident. Quantitative PCR confirmed the increased expression of Eng transcript in KitK641E mice. On human GIST...

Combination of Valproic acid and ATRA Restores RARβ2 Expression and Induces Differentiation in Cervical Cancer through the PI3K/Akt Pathway.

Current Molecular Medicine — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Feng D, Cao Z, Li C, Zhang L, Zhou Y, Ma J, Liu R, Zhou H, Zhao W, Wei H, Ling B Abstract Epigenetic silencing of the tumor suppressor gene, RARβ2, through histone deacetylation has been established as an important process of cervical carcinogenesis. This pivotal role has led to the suggestion that a combination of retinoids selective for RARβ2 with histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors may have therapeutic potential. Valproic acid (VPA), a HDAC inhibitor, has a critical role in the regulation of gene expression through histone acetylation and causes transformed cells to undergo growth arrest, differentiation, and apoptosis. Therefore, we hypothesized that the combination of VPA and ATRA could restore RARβ2 expression, thus resulting in enhanced anti-neoplastic activity...

Uterine transplantation research: laboratory protocols for clinical application

Molecular Human Reproduction — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The aim of this review is to summarize the state-of the-art methods that are used in clinical organ transplantation today, as well as the major findings of recent experimental uterus transplantation (UTx) research regarding organ donation/retrieval, ischemic preservation, surgical techniques for anastomosis, immunosuppression and pregnancy. Absolute uterine factor infertility lacks treatment despite the major developments in infertility treatment and assisted reproduction. Concerning uterine factor infertile patients, genetic motherhood is only possible through gestational surrogacy. The latter can pose medical, ethical and legal concerns such as lack of control of life habits during surrogate pregnancy, economic motives for women to become surrogate mothers, medical/psychological pregnanc...

Downregulation of ER60 Protease Inhibits Cellular Proliferation by Inducing G1/S Arrest in Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

This study explored the relationship of ER60 protease with cell proliferation in breast cancer in vitro. ER60 protease expression was first determined in a panel of breast cell lines by real‐time RT‐PCR and Western blot analysis and found to be most abundantly expressed in T47D breast cancer cells. The ER60 protease gene was then successfully knocked down in T47D breast cancer cells using two different sequences of small‐interfering RNA. The silencing efficiencies of siER‐1 and siER‐2 at 48‐hr post‐transfection were found to be >80% at the mRNA level with concomitant downregulation of the ER60 protease protein by >60% when compared with control T47D breast cancer cells. Downregulation of ER60 protease was also associated with inhibition of cell proliferation when assess...

Interactions between CYP1A1 polymorphisms and cigarette smoking are associated with the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma: evidence from epidemiological studies.

Molecular Biology Reports — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0100

In this study, a meta-analysis was performed to clarify the associations of polymorphisms in CYP1A1 gene with HCC risk. Published literature from PubMed, Embase, CNKI and Wanfang Data were retrieved. Pooled odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using fixed- or random-effects model. Eight studies (1,752 cases and 2,279 controls) for Ile-Val polymorphism and eight studies (933 cases and 1,449 controls) for MspI polymorphism were identified. The results showed that there was no statistically significant association between the Ile-Val polymorphism and HCC risk under all genetic models (co-dominant model: Val/Val vs. Ile/Ile: OR = 1.62, 95% CI 0.96-2.72 and Ile/Val vs. Ile/Ile: OR = 1.15, 95% CI 0.87-1.52; dominant model: OR = 1.25, 95% CI 0.92-1.70; recessive ...

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Balancing self‐renewal and differentiation by asymmetric division: Insights from brain tumor suppressors in Drosophila neural stem cells

BioEssays — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 21:40:09 +0100

AbstractBalancing self‐renewal and differentiation of stem cells is an important issue in stem cell and cancer biology. Recently, the Drosophila neuroblast (NB), neural stem cell has emerged as an excellent model for stem cell self‐renewal and tumorigenesis. It is of great interest to understand how defects in the asymmetric division of neural stem cells lead to tumor formation. Here, we review recent advances in asymmetric division and the self‐renewal control of Drosophila NBs. We summarize molecular mechanisms of asymmetric cell division and discuss how the defects in asymmetric division lead to tumor formation. Gain‐of‐function or loss‐of‐function of various proteins in the asymmetric machinery can drive NB overgrowth and tumor formation. These proteins control either the...

UPLC-MS metabolic profiling of second trimester amniotic fluid and maternal urine and comparison with NMR spectral profiling for the identification of pregnancy disorder biomarkers

RSC - Mol. BioSyst. latest articles — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:36:08 +0100

Mol. BioSyst., 2012, Advance ArticleDOI: 10.1039/C2MB05424H, PaperGoncalo Graca, Brian J. Goodfellow, Antonio S. Barros, Silvia Diaz, Iola F. Duarte, Konstantina Spagou, Kirill Veselkov, Elizabeth J. Want, John C. Lindon, Isabel M. Carreira, Eulalia Galhano, Cristina Pita, Ana M. GilA UPLC-MS study of 2nd trimester maternal urine and amniotic fluid to investigate metabolic effects of pregnancy disorders.To cite this article before page numbers are assigned, use the DOI form of citation above.The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry (Source: RSC - Mol. BioSyst. latest articles)

Microenvironmental Control of the Breast Cancer Cell Cycle

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

AbstractThe mammary gland is one of the best‐studied examples of an organ whose structure and function are influenced by reciprocal signaling and communication between cells and their microenvironment. The mammary epithelial cell (MEC) microenvironment includes stromal cells and extracellular matrix (ECM). Abundant evidence shows that the ECM and growth factors co‐operate to regulate cell cycle progression, and that the ECM is altered in breast tumors. In particular, mammographically dense breast tissue is a significant risk factor for developing breast carcinomas. Dense breast tissue is associated with increased stromal collagen and epithelial cell content. In this article, we overview recent studies addressing the effects of ECM composition on the breast cancer cell cycle. Although t...

Synthesis and evaluation of fluorogenic 2-amino-1,8-naphthyridine derivatives for the detection of bacteria

RSC - Organic Biomolecular Chemistry — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:04:10 +0100

Org. Biomol. Chem., 2012, Accepted ManuscriptDOI: 10.1039/C2OB06986E, PaperRoz Anderson, Linda Varadi, Mark Gray, Paul William Groundwater, Andy J. Hall, Arthur L. James, Sylvain Orenga, John D. PerrySeveral novel fluorogenic N-aminoacylnaphthyridine substrates were synthethized in good yield and tested for their ability to detect pathogenic bacteria in agar-based cell culture. Simple 2N-([German sz ligature}-alanyl)-5,7-dialkylnaphthyridine substrates were selectively hydrolysed by...The content of this RSS Feed (c) The Royal Society of Chemistry (Source: RSC - Organic Biomolecular Chemistry)