Techniques for Evaluation of LAMP Amplicons and their Applications in Molecular Biology.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) developed by Notomi et al. (2000) has made it possible to amplify DNA with high specificity, efficiency and rapidity under isothermal conditions. The ultimate products of LAMP are stem-loop structures with several inverted repeats of the target sequence and cauliflower-like patterns with multiple loops shaped by annealing between every other inverted repeats of the amplified target in the similar strand. Because the amplification process in LAMP is achieved by using four to six distinct primers, it is expected to amplify the target region with high selectivity. However, evaluation of reaction accuracy or quantitative inspection make it necessary to append other procedures to scrutinize the amplified products. Hitherto, various techniques such as turbidity assessment in the reaction vessel, post-reaction agarose gel electrophoresis, use of intercalating fluorescent dyes, real-time turbidimetry, addition of cationic polymers to the reaction mixture, polyacrylamide gel-based microchambers, lateral flow dipsticks, fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and nanoparticle-based colorimetric tests have been utilized for this purpose. In this paper, we reviewed the best-known techniques for evaluation of LAMP amplicons and their applications in molecular biology beside their advantages and deficiencies. Regarding the properties of each technique, the development of innovative prompt, cost-effective and precise molecular detection methods for application in the broad field of cancer research may be feasible.

Dendrosomal curcumin inhibits metastatic potential of human SW480 colon cancer cells through Down-regulation of Claudin1, Zeb1 and Hef1-1 gene expression.

Colon cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-associated death worldwide. The prognosis for advanced colorectal cancers remains dismal, mainly due to the propensity for metastatic progression. Accordingly, there is a need for effective anti-metastasis therapeutic agents. Since a great body of research has indicated anticancer effects for curcumin, we investigated the effects of dendrosomal curcumin (DNC) on cellular migration and adhesion of human SW480 cells and possible molecular mechanisms involved. Different methods were applied in this study including MTT, Scratch and adhesion assays as well as real-time PCR and transwell chamber assays. Based on the results obtained, DNC inhibits metastasis by decreasing Hef 1, Zeb 1 and Claudin 1 mRNA levels and can reduce SW480 cell proliferation with IC50values of 15.9, 11.6 and 7.64 µM at 24, 48 and 72 h post-treatment. Thus it might be considered as a safe formulation for therapeutic purpose in colorectal cancer cases.