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1.
Mol Oncol ; 18(2): 245-279, 2024 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38135904

ABSTRACT

Analyses of inequalities related to prevention and cancer therapeutics/care show disparities between countries with different economic standing, and within countries with high Gross Domestic Product. The development of basic technological and biological research provides clinical and prevention opportunities that make their implementation into healthcare systems more complex, mainly due to the growth of Personalized/Precision Cancer Medicine (PCM). Initiatives like the USA-Cancer Moonshot and the EU-Mission on Cancer and Europe's Beating Cancer Plan are initiated to boost cancer prevention and therapeutics/care innovation and to mitigate present inequalities. The conference organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in collaboration with the European Academy of Cancer Sciences discussed the inequality problem, dependent on the economic status of a country, the increasing demands for infrastructure supportive of innovative research and its implementation in healthcare and prevention programs. Establishing translational research defined as a coherent cancer research continuum is still a challenge. Research has to cover the entire continuum from basic to outcomes research for clinical and prevention modalities. Comprehensive Cancer Centres (CCCs) are of critical importance for integrating research innovations to preclinical and clinical research, as for ensuring state-of-the-art patient care within healthcare systems. International collaborative networks between CCCs are necessary to reach the critical mass of infrastructures and patients for PCM research, and for introducing prevention modalities and new treatments effectively. Outcomes and health economics research are required to assess the cost-effectiveness of new interventions, currently a missing element in the research portfolio. Data sharing and critical mass are essential for innovative research to develop PCM. Despite advances in cancer research, cancer incidence and prevalence is growing. Making cancer research infrastructures accessible for all patients, considering the increasing inequalities, requires science policy actions incentivizing research aimed at prevention and cancer therapeutics/care with an increased focus on patients' needs and cost-effective healthcare.


Subject(s)
Neoplasms , Humans , Vatican City , Neoplasms/prevention & control , Translational Research, Biomedical , Delivery of Health Care , Precision Medicine
2.
Chronobiol Int ; 37(8): 1235-1243, 2020 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32654542

ABSTRACT

The association between shift work and the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) is still unclear. Therefore, we studied the associations between exposure to shift or night work and incident CRC in two German population-based cohort studies, the Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study (HNR) and the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP). Including up to 6,903 participants, we analyzed the cohorts pooled and individually. We estimated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with adjusted log-linear Poisson regression models with the natural logarithm of person-years as offset and performed subgroup analyses by sex and tumor localization in HNR. The pooled analysis revealed no increased risks for men working in night shifts (IRR: 1.03, 95% CI: 0.62; 1.71). In male HNR participants, we found an increased risk estimate for cancer of the distal colon in shift workers (IRR: 1.60, 95% CI: 0.53; 4.87) and in shift workers who did not perform night work (IRR: 3.93, 95% CI: 0.98; 15.70), but not in night workers. In SHIP, we observed elevated CRC risk estimates for rotating shift work including night work (IRR: 1.45, 95% CI: 0.72; 2.92) and for long-term exposure (IRR: 1.79, 95% CI: 0.81; 3.92) for men. In conclusion, night-shift work was not associated with CRC, although an increased risk was suggested for rotating shift work including nights in SHIP. The heterogeneity of shift-work jobs and schedules and associated lifestyle factors should be taken into account to disentangle a possible relationship between shift work and the risk for CRC in future investigations.


Subject(s)
Colorectal Neoplasms , Shift Work Schedule , Circadian Rhythm , Cohort Studies , Colorectal Neoplasms/epidemiology , Colorectal Neoplasms/etiology , Humans , Male , Risk Factors , Shift Work Schedule/adverse effects , Work Schedule Tolerance
4.
R Soc Open Sci ; 6(7): 190577, 2019 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31417753

ABSTRACT

While there is extensive evidence for the Late Devensian, less is known about Early and Middle Devensian (approx. 110-30 ka) climates and environments in the UK. The Greenland ice-core record suggests the UK should have endured multiple changes, but the terrestrial palaeo-record lacks sufficient detail for confirmation from sites in the British Isles. Data from deposits at Finningley, South Yorkshire, can help redress this. A channel with organic silts, dated 40 314-39 552 cal a BP, contained plant macrofossil and insect remains showing tundra with dwarf-shrub heath and bare ground. Soil moisture conditions varied from free draining to riparian, with ponds and wetter vegetated areas. The climate was probably low arctic with snow cover during the winter. Mutual climatic range (MCR), based on Coleoptera, shows the mean monthly winter temperatures of -22 to -2°C and summer ones of 8-14°C. Periglacial structures within the basal gravel deposits and beyond the glacial limits indicate cold-climate conditions, including permafrost. A compilation of MCR reconstructions for other Middle Devensian English sites shows that marine isotope stage 3-between 59 and 28 ka-experienced substantial variation in climate consistent with the Greenland ice-core record. The exact correlation is hampered by temporal resolution, but the Finningley site stadial at approximately 40 ka may correlate with the one of the Greenland stadials 7-11.

5.
Curr Opin Insect Sci ; 30: 33-38, 2018 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30553482

ABSTRACT

Micro-Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) microphones inspired by the remarkable phonotactic capability of Ormia ochracea offer the promise of microscale directional microphones with a greatly reduced need for post-processing of signals. Gravid O. ochracea females can locate their host cricket's 5 kHz mating calls to an accuracy of less than 2° despite having a distance of approximately 500 µm between the ears. MEMS devices base on the principles of operation of O. ochracea's hearing system have been well studied, however commercial implementation has proven challenging due to the system's reliance on carefully tailored ratios of stiffness and damping, which are difficult to realize in standard MEMS fabrication processes, necessitating a trade-off between wide-band operation and sensitivity. A survey of the variety of strategies that have been followed to address these inherent challenges is presented.


Subject(s)
Auditory Perception , Diptera/physiology , Host-Parasite Interactions , Microtechnology/methods , Acoustics , Animals , Microtechnology/instrumentation , Orthoptera/parasitology
6.
Sci Adv ; 4(7): eaar5954, 2018 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30009257

ABSTRACT

American archeology has long been polarized over the issue of a human presence in the Western Hemisphere earlier than Clovis. As evidence of early sites across North and South America continues to emerge, stone tool assemblages appear more geographically and temporally diverse than traditionally assumed. Within this new framework, the prevailing models of Clovis origins and the peopling of the Americas are being reevaluated. This paper presents age estimates from a series of alluvial sedimentary samples from the earliest cultural assemblage at the Gault Site, Central Texas. The optically stimulated luminescence age estimates (~16 to 20 thousand years ago) indicate an early human occupation in North America before at least ~16 thousand years ago. Significantly, this assemblage exhibits a previously unknown, early projectile point technology unrelated to Clovis. Within a wider context, this evidence suggests that Clovis technology spread across an already regionalized, indigenous population.


Subject(s)
Archaeology , Fossils/history , History, Ancient , Human Activities/history , Humans , North America , Technology , Texas
7.
J Pathol ; 244(4): 445-459, 2018 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29520890

ABSTRACT

Histological grading provides prognostic stratification of colorectal cancer (CRC) by scoring heterogeneous phenotypes. Features of aggressiveness include aberrant mitotic spindle configurations, chromosomal breakage, and bizarre multicellular morphology, but pathobiology is poorly understood. Protein kinase C zeta (PKCz) controls mitotic spindle dynamics, chromosome segregation, and multicellular patterns, but its role in CRC phenotype evolution remains unclear. Here, we show that PKCz couples genome segregation to multicellular morphology through control of interphase centrosome anchoring. PKCz regulates interdependent processes that control centrosome positioning. Among these, interaction between the cytoskeletal linker protein ezrin and its binding partner NHERF1 promotes the formation of a localized cue for anchoring interphase centrosomes to the cell cortex. Perturbation of these phenomena induced different outcomes in cells with single or extra centrosomes. Defective anchoring of a single centrosome promoted bipolar spindle misorientation, multi-lumen formation, and aberrant epithelial stratification. Collectively, these disturbances induce cribriform multicellular morphology that is typical of some categories of low-grade CRC. By contrast, defective anchoring of extra centrosomes promoted multipolar spindle formation, chromosomal instability (CIN), disruption of glandular morphology, and cell outgrowth across the extracellular matrix interface characteristic of aggressive, high-grade CRC. Because PKCz enhances apical NHERF1 intensity in 3D epithelial cultures, we used an immunohistochemical (IHC) assay of apical NHERF1 intensity as an indirect readout of PKCz activity in translational studies. We show that apical NHERF1 IHC intensity is inversely associated with multipolar spindle frequency and high-grade morphology in formalin-fixed human CRC samples. To conclude, defective PKCz control of interphase centrosome anchoring may underlie distinct categories of mitotic slippage that shape the development of low- or high-grade CRC phenotypes. © 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Pathology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland.


Subject(s)
Centrosome/enzymology , Colorectal Neoplasms/enzymology , Interphase , Protein Kinase C/metabolism , Caco-2 Cells , Cell Proliferation , Cell Shape , Chromosomal Instability , Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , Cytoskeletal Proteins/genetics , Cytoskeletal Proteins/metabolism , Humans , Neoplasm Grading , Phenotype , Phosphoproteins/genetics , Phosphoproteins/metabolism , Protein Kinase C/genetics , Signal Transduction , Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers/genetics , Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers/metabolism
8.
Psychiatr Serv ; 69(3): 345-348, 2018 03 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29241434

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study developed clinical recommendations for the use of proven urine testing technologies to assess antipsychotic medication adherence among people with serious mental illness. METHODS: Guided by the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method, researchers conducted a literature review and semistructured interviews and convened an expert panel to develop clinical consensus recommendations for the use of urine monitoring to assess antipsychotic medication adherence. RESULTS: The expert panel identified six circumstances in which urine monitoring was recommended at initial evaluation and five scenarios in which monitoring was recommended after initial evaluation. Conducting monitoring at the site where psychiatric medication is prescribed and providing education prior to testing and feedback after testing were recommended. CONCLUSIONS: A consensus was reached on clinical recommendations for use of urine monitoring at intake and during ongoing treatment. There was strong agreement that monitoring can be used to improve assessment and thence clinical care and outcomes.


Subject(s)
Antipsychotic Agents/administration & dosage , Antipsychotic Agents/urine , Consensus , Medication Adherence , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Psychotic Disorders/drug therapy , Schizophrenia/drug therapy , Urinalysis , Humans
9.
Cell Rep ; 20(4): 973-983, 2017 07 25.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28746880

ABSTRACT

The pharyngeal arch arteries (PAAs) are transient embryonic blood vessels that mature into critical segments of the aortic arch and its branches. Although defects in PAA development cause life-threating congenital cardiovascular defects, the molecular mechanisms that orchestrate PAA morphogenesis remain unclear. Through small-molecule screening in zebrafish, we identified TGF-ß signaling as indispensable for PAA development. Specifically, chemical inhibition of the TGF-ß type I receptor ALK5 impairs PAA development because nkx2.5+ PAA progenitor cells fail to differentiate into tie1+ angioblasts. Consistent with this observation, we documented a burst of ALK5-mediated Smad3 phosphorylation within PAA progenitors that foreshadows angioblast emergence. Remarkably, premature induction of TGF-ß receptor activity stimulates precocious angioblast differentiation, thereby demonstrating the sufficiency of this pathway for initiating the PAA progenitor to angioblast transition. More broadly, these data uncover TGF-ß as a rare signaling pathway that is necessary and sufficient for angioblast lineage commitment.


Subject(s)
Arteries/cytology , Branchial Region/blood supply , Transforming Growth Factor beta/metabolism , Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism , Animals , Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.5/genetics , Homeobox Protein Nkx-2.5/metabolism , Signal Transduction , Zebrafish , Zebrafish Proteins/genetics
10.
PLoS One ; 12(1): e0169983, 2017.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28081231

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Among health care personnel working regular hours or rotating shifts can affect parameters of general health and nutrition. We have investigated physical activity, sleep quality, metabolic activity and stress levels in health care workers from both groups. METHODS: We prospectively recruited 46 volunteer participants from the workforce of a University Medical Department of which 23 worked in rotating shifts (all nursing) and 21 non-shift regular hours (10 nursing, 13 clerical staff). All were investigated over 7 days by multisensory accelerometer (SenseWear Bodymedia® armband) and kept a detailed food diary. Physical activity and resting energy expenditure (REE) were measured in metabolic equivalents of task (METs). Quality of sleep was assessed as Pittsburgh Sleeping Quality Index and stress load using the Trier Inventory for Chronic Stress questionnaire (TICS). RESULTS: No significant differences were found for overall physical activity, steps per minute, time of exceeding the 3 METs level or sleep quality. A significant difference for physical activity during working hours was found between shift-workers vs. non-shift-workers (p<0.01) and for shift-working nurses (median = 2.1 METs SE = 0.1) vs. non-shift-working clerical personnel (median = 1.5 METs SE = 0.07, p<0.05). Non-shift-working nurses had a significantly lower REE than the other groups (p<0.05). The proportion of fat in the diet was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the office worker group (median = 42% SE = 1.2) whereas shift-working nurses consumed significantly more carbohydrates (median = 46% SE = 1.4) than clerical staff (median = 41% SE = 1.7). Stress assessment by TICS confirmed a significantly higher level of social overload in the shift working group (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In this prospective cohort study shift-working had no influence on overall physical activity. Lower physical activity during working hours appears to be compensated for during off-hours. Differences in nutritional habits and stress load warrant larger scale trials to determine the effect on implicit health-associated conditions.


Subject(s)
Energy Metabolism , Exercise , Health Personnel/psychology , Health Personnel/statistics & numerical data , Nutritional Status , Sleep/physiology , Stress, Psychological , Accelerometry , Adult , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Personnel Staffing and Scheduling , Prospective Studies , Surveys and Questionnaires , Work Schedule Tolerance
11.
Neoplasia ; 15(11): 1218-30, 2013 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24348097

ABSTRACT

Organotypic models may provide mechanistic insight into colorectal cancer (CRC) morphology. Three-dimensional (3D) colorectal gland formation is regulated by phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN) coupling of cell division cycle 42 (cdc42) to atypical protein kinase C (aPKC). This study investigated PTEN phosphatase-dependent and phosphatase-independent morphogenic functions in 3D models and assessed translational relevance in human studies. Isogenic PTEN-expressing or PTEN-deficient 3D colorectal cultures were used. In translational studies, apical aPKC activity readout was assessed against apical membrane (AM) orientation and gland morphology in 3D models and human CRC. We found that catalytically active or inactive PTEN constructs containing an intact C2 domain enhanced cdc42 activity, whereas mutants of the C2 domain calcium binding region 3 membrane-binding loop (M-CBR3) were ineffective. The isolated PTEN C2 domain (C2) accumulated in membrane fractions, but C2 M-CBR3 remained in cytosol. Transfection of C2 but not C2 M-CBR3 rescued defective AM orientation and 3D morphogenesis of PTEN-deficient Caco-2 cultures. The signal intensity of apical phospho-aPKC correlated with that of Na(+)/H(+) exchanger regulatory factor-1 (NHERF-1) in the 3D model. Apical NHERF-1 intensity thus provided readout of apical aPKC activity and associated with glandular morphology in the model system and human colon. Low apical NHERF-1 intensity in CRC associated with disruption of glandular architecture, high cancer grade, and metastatic dissemination. We conclude that the membrane-binding function of the catalytically inert PTEN C2 domain influences cdc42/aPKC-dependent AM dynamics and gland formation in a highly relevant 3D CRC morphogenesis model system.


Subject(s)
Colorectal Neoplasms/metabolism , Colorectal Neoplasms/pathology , PTEN Phosphohydrolase/metabolism , Caco-2 Cells , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Membrane/enzymology , Cell Membrane/metabolism , Cell Membrane/pathology , Colorectal Neoplasms/enzymology , Colorectal Neoplasms/genetics , Cytosol/enzymology , Cytosol/metabolism , Cytosol/pathology , HCT116 Cells , Humans , PTEN Phosphohydrolase/genetics , Phosphoproteins/metabolism , Protein Kinase C/metabolism , Protein Structure, Tertiary , Sodium-Hydrogen Exchangers/metabolism , Transfection
12.
Sci Signal ; 6(279): ra46, 2013 Jun 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23757023

ABSTRACT

The clearance of mucus from the airways protects the lungs from inhaled noxious and infectious materials. Proper hydration of the mucus layer enables efficient mucus clearance through beating of cilia on airway epithelial cells, and reduced clearance of excessively concentrated mucus occurs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cystic fibrosis. Key steps in the mucus transport process are airway epithelia sensing and responding to changes in mucus hydration. We reported that extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and adenosine were important luminal autocrine and paracrine signals that regulated the hydration of the surface of human airway epithelial cultures through their action on apical membrane purinoceptors. Mucus hydration in human airway epithelial cultures was sensed by an interaction between cilia and the overlying mucus layer: Changes in mechanical strain, proportional to mucus hydration, regulated ATP release rates, adjusting fluid secretion to optimize mucus layer hydration. This system provided a feedback mechanism by which airways maintained mucus hydration in an optimum range for cilia propulsion. Understanding how airway epithelia can sense and respond to changes in mucus properties helps us to understand how the mucus clearance system protects the airways in health and how it fails in lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis.


Subject(s)
Adenosine Triphosphate/metabolism , Mucus/metabolism , Respiratory System/metabolism , Adenosine/metabolism , Cells, Cultured , Cilia/drug effects , Cilia/metabolism , Deoxycytosine Nucleotides/pharmacology , Elasticity , Epithelial Cells/drug effects , Epithelial Cells/metabolism , Epithelium/drug effects , Epithelium/metabolism , Extracellular Fluid/metabolism , Humans , Intracellular Fluid/metabolism , Microscopy, Confocal , Models, Biological , Mucociliary Clearance/drug effects , Mucus/cytology , Purinergic P2Y Receptor Agonists/pharmacology , Receptors, Purinergic P2Y2/metabolism , Respiratory Mucosa/cytology , Respiratory Mucosa/metabolism , Respiratory System/cytology , Stress, Mechanical , Uridine/analogs & derivatives , Uridine/pharmacology , Viscosity , Water/metabolism
13.
Curr Biol ; 16(24): 2418-23, 2006 Dec 19.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17174915

ABSTRACT

Many night-flying insects evolved ultrasound sensitive ears in response to acoustic predation by echolocating bats . Noctuid moths are most sensitive to frequencies at 20-40 kHz , the lower range of bat ultrasound . This may disadvantage the moth because noctuid-hunting bats in particular echolocate at higher frequencies shortly before prey capture and thus improve their echolocation and reduce their acoustic conspicuousness . Yet, moth hearing is not simple; the ear's nonlinear dynamic response shifts its mechanical sensitivity up to high frequencies. Dependent on incident sound intensity, the moth's ear mechanically tunes up and anticipates the high frequencies used by hunting bats. Surprisingly, this tuning is hysteretic, keeping the ear tuned up for the bat's possible return. A mathematical model is constructed for predicting a linear relationship between the ear's mechanical stiffness and sound intensity. This nonlinear mechanical response is a parametric amplitude dependence that may constitute a feature common to other sensory systems. Adding another twist to the coevolutionary arms race between moths and bats, these results reveal unexpected sophistication in one of the simplest ears known and a novel perspective for interpreting bat echolocation calls.


Subject(s)
Ear/physiology , Moths/physiology , Acoustic Stimulation , Animals , Biological Evolution , Chiroptera , Echolocation/physiology , Female , Hearing/physiology , Male , Models, Theoretical , Predatory Behavior , Sound
14.
Cytokine Growth Factor Rev ; 17(6): 463-74, 2006 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17113338

ABSTRACT

Osteopontin (OPN) is a predominantly secreted extracellular matrix glycophosphoprotein which binds to alpha v-containing integrins and has an important role in malignant cell attachment and invasion. High OPN expression in the primary tumor is associated with early metastasis and poor outcome in human breast and other cancers. Forced OPN overexpression in benign cells may induce neoplastic-like cell behaviour including increased attachment and invasion in vitro as well as the ability to metastasize in vivo. Conversely, OPN inhibition by antisense cDNA impedes cell growth and tumor forming capacity. OPN is not mutationally activated in cancer but its expression is regulated by Wnt/Tcf signaling, steroid receptors, growth factors, ras, Ets and AP-1 transcription factors. Presumably these factors are implicated in induction of OPN overexpression in cancer. Greater understanding of the role of OPN in neoplastic change and its transcriptional regulation may enable development of novel cancer treatment strategies.


Subject(s)
Cell Transformation, Neoplastic , Neoplasms/etiology , Osteopontin/physiology , Amino Acid Sequence , Animals , Base Sequence , Cell Proliferation , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics , Conserved Sequence , DNA, Neoplasm/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Humans , In Vitro Techniques , Molecular Sequence Data , Neoplasm Invasiveness , Neoplasms/genetics , Neoplasms/physiopathology , Osteopontin/chemistry , Osteopontin/genetics , Sequence Homology, Amino Acid , Signal Transduction
15.
Int J Oncol ; 29(6): 1591-9, 2006 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17089001

ABSTRACT

Osteopontin that associates with metabolism of calcium is one of the important factors in the development and prognosis of human breast cancer. The aim of this study was to detect potential binding partners of osteopontin to illustrate its functional mechanism. By screening a human breast cDNA library with a bacterial two-hybrid system, apolipoprotein D was isolated as a novel interacting protein of osteopontin. This interaction was confirmed by mammalian two-hybrid assay and co-immunoprecipitation. To elucidate the influence of ApoD on cellular neoplastic specifications, adhesion, soft agar, invasion and MTT growth assays were performed with Rama37 cells. The results revealed that expression of apolipoprotein D in Rama37 cells could significantly inhibit the malignant phenotype in osteopontin-transformed Rama37 cells. These findings provide better knowledge of the osteopontin signaling pathway and suggest that apolipoprotein D could be a prospective therapeutic agent for human breast and/or other carcinomas.


Subject(s)
Apolipoproteins D/metabolism , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/metabolism , Osteopontin/metabolism , Animals , Apolipoproteins D/antagonists & inhibitors , Apolipoproteins D/genetics , Base Sequence , Breast/cytology , Breast/metabolism , Breast/physiology , Breast Neoplasms/metabolism , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Cell Adhesion/physiology , Cell Growth Processes/physiology , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/genetics , DNA, Complementary/genetics , Epithelial Cells/cytology , Epithelial Cells/metabolism , Female , Humans , Immunoprecipitation , Mammary Glands, Animal/cytology , Mammary Glands, Animal/metabolism , Molecular Sequence Data , Osteopontin/genetics , Rats , Transfection
16.
J Biol Chem ; 281(36): 26587-601, 2006 Sep 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-16807234

ABSTRACT

BRCA1 is a well described breast cancer susceptibility gene thought to be involved primarily in DNA repair. However, mutation within the BRCA1 transcriptional domain is also implicated in neoplastic transformation of mammary epithelium, but responsible mechanisms are unclear. Here we show in a rat mammary model system that wild type (WT) BRCA1 specifically represses the expression of osteopontin (OPN), a multifunctional estrogen-responsive gene implicated in oncogenic transformation, particularly that of the breast. WT.BRCA1 selectively binds OPN-activating transcription factors estrogen receptor alpha, AP-1, and PEA3, inhibits OPN promoter transactivation, and suppresses OPN mRNA and protein both from an endogenous gene and a relevant model inducible gene. WT.BRCA1 also inhibits OPN-mediated neoplastic transformation characterized by morphology change, anchorage-independent growth, adhesion to fibronectin, and invasion through Matrigel. A mutant BRCA1 allele (Mut.BRCA1) associated with familial breast cancer lacks OPN suppressor effects, binds to WT.BRCA1, and impedes WT.BRCA1 suppression of OPN. Stable transfection of rat breast tumor cell lines with Mut.BRCA1 dramatically up-regulates OPN protein and induces anchorage independent growth. In human primary breast cancer, BRCA1 mutation is significantly associated with OPN overexpression. Taken together, these data suggest that BRCA1 mutation may confer increased tissue-specific cancer risk, in part by disruption of BRCA1 suppression of OPN gene transcription.


Subject(s)
BRCA1 Protein/metabolism , Breast Neoplasms/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation , Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/metabolism , Osteopontin/metabolism , Animals , BRCA1 Protein/genetics , Breast Neoplasms/genetics , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Cell Line, Tumor , Cell Transformation, Neoplastic , Cells, Cultured , Estrogen Receptor alpha/genetics , Estrogen Receptor alpha/metabolism , Female , Humans , Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/genetics , Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology , Mice , Molecular Sequence Data , Mutation , Osteopontin/genetics , Promoter Regions, Genetic , RNA, Small Interfering/metabolism , Rats , Risk Factors , Transcription Factors/genetics , Transcription Factors/metabolism
17.
Gastroenterology ; 127(5): 1410-22, 2004 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-15521011

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Amino acid (and related drug) absorption across the human small intestinal wall is an essential intestinal function. Despite the revelation of a number of mammalian genomes, the molecular identity of the classic Na(+)-dependent imino acid transporter (identified functionally in the 1960s) remains elusive. The aims of this study were to determine whether the recently isolated complementary DNA hPAT1 (human proton-coupled amino acid transporter 1), or solute carrier SLC36A1, represents the imino acid carrier; the Na(+) -dependent imino acid transport function measured at the brush-border membrane of intact intestinal epithelia results from a close functional relationship between human proton-coupled amino acid transporter-1 and N(+) /H(+) exchanger 3 (NHE3). METHODS: PAT1 function was measured in isolation ( Xenopus laevis oocytes) and in intact epithelia (Caco-2 cell monolayers and rat small intestine) by measurement of amino acid and/or H(+) influx. Tissue and membrane expression of PAT1 were determined by reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: PAT1-specific immunofluorescence was localized exclusively to the luminal membrane of Caco-2 cells and human and rat small intestine. The substrate specificity of hPAT1 is identical to that of the imino acid carrier. In intact epithelia, PAT1-mediated amino acid influx is reduced under conditions in which NHE3 is inactive. CONCLUSIONS: The identification in intact epithelia of a cooperative functional relationship between PAT1 (H(+) /amino acid symport) and NHE3 (N(+) /H(+) exchange) explains the apparent Na + dependence of the imino acid carrier in studies with mammalian intestine. hPAT1 is the high-capacity imino acid carrier localized at the small intestinal luminal membrane that transports nutrients (imino/amino acids) and orally active neuromodulatory agents (used to treat affective disorders).


Subject(s)
Amino Acid Transport Systems/metabolism , Amino Acids/metabolism , Amino Acid Transport Systems, Neutral , Animals , Base Sequence , Cell Line, Tumor , Colonic Neoplasms , DNA Primers , Female , Humans , Kinetics , Membrane Potentials/physiology , Mice , Oocytes/physiology , Patch-Clamp Techniques , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Rats , Symporters , Xenopus laevis
18.
Carcinogenesis ; 25(11): 2183-9, 2004 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-15256484

ABSTRACT

Curcumin, the major pigment of the dietary spice turmeric has the potential for chemoprevention by promotion of apoptosis. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and NF-kappa B (NFkappaB) signalling cascades are thought to regulate apoptosis and cell survival. While curcumin inhibits NFkappaB, its effects upon the MAPK pathways are unclear. This study investigates curcumin effects upon MAPK signalling and apoptosis in HCT116 cells. Here we report that curcumin time- and dose-dependent induction of apoptosis were accompanied by sustained phosphorylation and activation of c-jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 MAPK as well as inhibition of constitutive NFkappaB transcriptional activity. Curcumin treatment also induced JNK-dependent sustained phosphorylation of c-jun and stimulation of AP-1 transcriptional activity. Curcumin-mediated c-jun phosphorylation and apoptosis were reduced by treatment with the JNK-specific inhibitor SP600125. Conversely, the p38-specific inhibitor SB203580 had no effect upon curcumin-induced apoptosis. Curcumin treatment had no effect on the activity of extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK). Taken together, our data show for the first time that JNK, but not p38 or ERK signalling, plays an important role in curcumin-mediated apoptosis in human colon cancer cells that may underlie its chemopreventive effects.


Subject(s)
Apoptosis/drug effects , Curcumin/pharmacology , JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism , Anthracenes/pharmacology , Cell Line, Tumor , Colonic Neoplasms , Enzyme Inhibitors/pharmacology , Humans , Imidazoles/pharmacology , JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors , MAP Kinase Signaling System/drug effects , Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/antagonists & inhibitors , Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases/metabolism , NF-kappa B/metabolism , Pyridines/pharmacology , Signal Transduction/drug effects
19.
J Biol Chem ; 279(20): 20794-806, 2004 May 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-14990565

ABSTRACT

Osteopontin (OPN) is a multifunctional protein implicated in mammary development, neoplastic change, and metastasis. OPN is a target gene for beta-catenin-T cell factor signaling, which is commonly disturbed during mammary oncogenesis, but the understanding of OPN regulation is incomplete. Data base-assisted bioinformatic analysis of the OPN promoter region has revealed the presence of T cell factor-, Ets-, and AP-1-binding motifs. Here we report that beta-catenin, Lef-1, Ets transcription factors, and the AP-1 protein c-Jun each weakly enhanced luciferase expression from a OPN promoter-luciferase reporter construct, transiently transfected into a rat mammary cell line. OPN promoter responsiveness to beta-catenin and Lef-1, however, was considerably enhanced by Ets transcription factors including Ets-1, Ets-2, ERM, and particularly PEA3. PEA3 also enhanced promoter responsiveness to the AP-1 protein c-Jun. Co-transfection of cells with beta-catenin, Lef-1, PEA3, and c-Jun in combination increased luciferase expression by up to 280-fold and induced expression of endogenous rat OPN. In six human breast cell lines, those that highly expressed OPN also expressed PEA3 and Ets-1. Moreover, there was a significant association of immunocytochemical staining for OPN and one of beta-catenin, Ets-1, Ets-2, PEA3, or c-Jun, in the 29 human breast carcinomas tested. This study shows that beta-catenin/Lef-1, Ets, and AP-1 transcription factors can cooperate in a rat mammary cell line in stimulating transcription of OPN and that their independent presence is associated with that of OPN in a group of human breast cancers. These results suggest that the presence of these transcription factors in human breast cancer is responsible in part for the overexpression of OPN that, in turn, is implicated in mammary neoplastic progression and metastasis.


Subject(s)
Cytoskeletal Proteins/metabolism , DNA-Binding Proteins/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation/genetics , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun/metabolism , Sialoglycoproteins/genetics , Trans-Activators/metabolism , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Transcription, Genetic/genetics , Animals , Base Sequence , Binding Sites , Breast Neoplasms/genetics , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Consensus Sequence , DNA Primers , Female , Humans , Lymphoid Enhancer-Binding Factor 1 , Mice , Molecular Sequence Data , Mutagenesis, Site-Directed , Osteopontin , Promoter Regions, Genetic , Rats , Recombinant Proteins/metabolism , Transfection , beta Catenin
20.
Curr Opin Gastroenterol ; 18(2): 192-6, 2002 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17033286

ABSTRACT

The small intestine is the portal of entry of virtually all nutrients and is also the site of diverse inflammatory and neoplastic diseases. This field has recently attracted intense excitement as a result of novel clinical and experimental techniques, combined modality therapies, and basic science applications. This review will highlight important clinical advances in surgery for Crohn disease, short bowel syndrome, transplantation, trauma, and polyposis. Promising experimental approaches, novel methods of clinical assessment, and multimodality treatment will also be considered.

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