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Exploration of new strategies for the prevention of breast cancer metastasis is justifiably at the center of clinical attention. In this study, we combined a computational biology approach with mechanism-based preclinical trials to identify inhibitors of activin-like receptor kinase (ALK) 1 as effective agents for blocking angiogenesis and metastasis in breast cancer. Pharmacologic targeting of AL
To examine if overall diet quality is associated with cellular and soluble biomarkers of systemic inflammation in middle-aged individuals.
End-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with an accumulation of pulmonary lymphoid follicles. Interleukin (IL)-17A is implicated in COPD and pulmonary lymphoid neogenesis in response to microbial stimuli. We hypothesized that IL-17A is increased in peripheral lung tissue during end-stage COPD and also directly contributes to cigarette smoke-induced lymphoid neogenesis.
Inorganic arsenic is a strong carcinogen, possibly by interaction with the telomere length. The aim of the study was to evaluate how chronic arsenic exposure from drinking water as well as the arsenic metabolism efficiency affect the individual telomere length and the expression of telomere-related genes. Two hundred two women with a wide range in exposure to arsenic via drinking water (3.5-200 mu
Next-generation sequencing experiments have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are expressed in many different isoforms (isomiRs), whose biological relevance is often unclear. We found that mature miR-21, the most widely researched miRNA because of its importance in human disease, is produced in two prevalent isomiR forms that differ by 1 nt at their 3' end, and moreover that the 3' end of miR-21 is po
AIMS: Atrial fibrillatory rate (AFR) is considered a non-invasive index of atrial remodelling. Low AFR has been associated with favourable outcome of interventions in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). However, AFR has never been studied in unselected patients with short duration of AF, prone to regain sinus rhythm (SR) spontaneously. The aim of the study was to assess if AFR can p
Understanding receptor activation is important for disease intervention. Activation of the receptor tyrosine kinase c-KIT is involved in numerous diseases including melanoma, mastocytosis, multiple myeloma and gastrointestinal stromal tumors. To better understand the regulation of activation, we studied the two c-KIT isoforms, c-KIT(-) and c-KIT(+) which differ by a tetrapeptide insert GNNK, locat
High human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1)-expression has shown a survival benefit in pancreatic cancer patients treated with gemcitabine in several studies. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the results and try to assess the predictive value of hENT1 for determining gemcitabine outcome in pancreatic cancer. Relevant articles were obtained from PubMed, Embase and Co
Chronic inflammation may be involved in combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may help explain comorbid physical diseases. However, the extent to which combat exposure per se, depression, or early life trauma, all of which are associated with combat PTSD, may confound the relationship between PTSD and inflammation is unclear.
Purpose: In this study, we investigated the prognostic impact of human RBM3 expression in colorectal cancer using tissue microarray-based immunohistochemical analysis. Experimental design: One polyclonal antibody and four monoclonal anti-RBM3 antibodies were generated and epitope mapped using two different methods. Bacterial display revealed five distinct epitopes for the polydonal antibody, while
Mitotic index is an important component of histologic grade and has an etiologic role in breast tumorigenesis. Several small candidate gene studies have reported associations between variation in mitotic genes and breast cancer risk. We measured associations between 2,156 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 194 mitotic genes and breast cancer risk, overall and by histologic grade, in the B
Purpose. To investigate the prognostic value of optic nerve head swelling (ONHS) in central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and compare it to other prognostic factors. Methods. Seventy-four patients with CRVO were studied retrospectively. The parameters analysed were the initial presence of ONHS, the fluorescein angiographic appearance, the implicit time in the 30-Hz flicker ERG and the initial visu
The evidence for a relationship between life history and immune defense is equivocal, although the basic premise is intuitively appealing: animals that live short lives and reproduce early and rapidly should not waste resources on defenses they might never use. One possible reason for a lack of strong support for this hypothesis could be the inherent complexity of the vertebrate immune system. Ind
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and other high-grade brain tumours are typically characterized by complex chromosome abnormalities and extensive intratumour cytogenetic heterogeneity. The mechanisms behind this diversity have been little explored. In this study, we analysed the pattern of chromosome segregation at mitosis in 20 brain tumours. We found an abnormal segregation of chromatids at mitosis
Neuroblastoma is a childhood malignancy originating from cells of the sympathetic nervous system, exhibiting a marked diversity in outcome, with spontaneous regression at one end of the spectrum and severe disease and death at the other end. Features associated with frequent recurrence, a poor prognosis, and high tumor stage are loss of heterozygosity in the distal region of chromosome 1p and ampl
This study was undertaken to find out if about 25% right cardiac output is sufficient for preservation of lung function during prolonged periods of venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Six healthy pigs weighing 57 kg were subjected to 18-hour venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. During this period 1200 ml/min venous blood was delivered to the lungs through the pulmonary a
Background: The human genome comprises numerous human endogenous retroviruses ( HERVs) that formed millions of years ago in ancestral species. A number of loci of the HERV-K(HML-2) family are evolutionarily much younger. A recent study suggested an infectious HERV-K(HML-2) variant in humans and other primates. Isolating such a varian t from human individuals would be a significant finding for huma
