Increased sensitivity to TRAIL-induced apoptosis occurs during the adenoma to carcinoma transition of colorectal carcinogenesis

The death ligand TRAIL (Apo2L) has potential for cancer therapy, since tumour cells are thought to be more sensitive than normal cells. We investigated whether sensitivity to TRAIL increases during the adenoma to carcinoma transition of colorectal carcinogenesis. Under the same culture conditions, we compared the extent of TRAIL-induced apoptosis in four premalignant adenoma and three carcinoma cell lines. Although TRAIL induced some apoptosis in adenoma cultures, the carcinoma cell lines were significantly more sensitive (P<0.001). This finding was recapitulated in an in vitro model of tumour progression in which conversion of the adenoma cell line AA/C1 to a tumorigenic phenotype was associated with increased TRAIL sensitivity (P<0.001). Increased TRAIL sensitivity during colorectal carcinogenesis has been previously attributed to changes in the balance between TRAIL receptors TRAIL-R1 and -R2 and ‘decoy' receptors TRAIL-R3 and -R4 during malignant progression. To address this, cell surface receptor expression was measured by flow cytometry. In summary, during colorectal carcinogenesis, there is a marked increase in sensitivity to TRAIL-induced apoptosis associated with progression from benign to malignant tumour that could be exploited for colon cancer therapy, but alterations in cell surface TRAIL receptor expression may not be the primary reason for this change

Cultural and species sifferences in gazing patterns for marked and decorated Objects: A comparative Eye-Tracking study

Objects from the Middle Paleolithic period colored with ochre and marked with incisions represent the beginning of non-utilitarian object manipulation in different species of the Homo genus. To investigate the visual effects caused by these markings, we compared humans who have different cultural backgrounds (Namibian hunter–gatherers and German city dwellers) to one species of non-human great apes (orangutans) with respect to their perceptions of markings on objects. We used eye-tracking to analyze their fixation patterns and the durations of their fixations on marked and unmarked stones and sticks. In an additional test, humans evaluated the objects regarding their aesthetic preferences. Our hypotheses were that colorful markings help an individual to structure the surrounding world by making certain features of the environment salient, and that aesthetic appreciation should be associated with this structuring. Our results showed that humans fixated on the marked objects longer and used them in the structural processing of the objects and their background, but did not consistently report finding them more beautiful. Orangutans, in contrast, did not distinguish between object and background in their visual processing and did not clearly fixate longer on the markings. Our results suggest that marking behavior is characteristic for humans and evolved as an attention-directing rather than aesthetic benefit

Einsatz von Social Media im Rahmen der Dialogkommunikation

Das Internet wurde in den letzten Jahren zu einem festen Bestandteil des Alltags der Konsumenten. Social Media-Kommunikation bezeichnet dabei die unternehmensseitigen aktiven und passiven Kommunikationsmaßnahmen auf Social Media-Plattformen. Neben den unternehmensgenerierten Inhalten sehen sich Unternehmen den Herausforderungen der nutzergenerierten Inhalten gegenüber. Die Interaktion wird daher zum zentralen Merkmal der Dialogkommunikation. Der Beitrag diskutiert den Stellenwert des Kommunikationsinstruments für Unternehmen und zeigt die notwendigen Schritte der Analyse, Planung, Implementierung und Kontrolle einer Social Media-Kommunikationsstrategie auf. Ein systematischer Einsatz der Social Media-Kommunikation stellt eine wesentliche Voraussetzung dar, um die Sozialen Medien als Instrument der Dialogkommunikation zu nutzen

NF-κB Inducers Upregulate cFLIP, a Cycloheximide-Sensitive Inhibitor of Death Receptor Signaling

The caspase 8 homologue FLICE-inhibitory protein (cFLIP) is a potent negative regulator of death receptor-induced apoptosis. We found that cFLIP can be upregulated in some cell lines under critical involvement of the NF-κB pathway, but NF-κB activation was clearly not sufficient for cFLIP induction in all cell lines. Treatment of SV80 cells with the proteasome inhibitor N-benzoyloxycarbonyl (Z)-Leu-Leu-leucinal (MG-132) or geldanamycin, a drug interfering with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-induced NF-κB activation, inhibited TNF-induced upregulation of cFLIP. Overexpression of a nondegradable IκBα mutant (IκBα-SR) or lack of IκB kinase γ expression completely prevented phorbol myristate acetate-induced upregulation of cFLIP mRNA in Jurkat cells. These data point to an important role for NF-κB in the regulation of the cFLIP gene. SV80 cells normally show resistance to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and TNF, as apoptosis can be induced only in the presence of low concentrations of cycloheximide (CHX). However, overexpression of IκBα-SR rendered SV80 cells sensitive to TRAIL-induced apoptosis in the absence of CHX, and cFLIP expression was able to reverse the proapoptotic effect of NF-κB inhibition. Western blot analysis further revealed that cFLIP, but not TRAF1, A20, and cIAP2, expression levels rapidly decrease upon CHX treatment. In conclusion, these data suggest a key role for cFLIP in the antiapoptotic response of NF-κB activation

Instrumente der Dialogkommunikation: ein Überblick

Besonders durch das Aufkommen neuer Kommunikationsmöglichkeiten und dem zunehmenden Bedürfnis der Konsumenten nach Interaktion und Austausch nimmt die Dialogkommunikation eine immer zentralere Rolle im Kommunikationsmix ein. Hierbei stehen Unternehmen insbesondere die Instrumente der Persönlichen Kommunikation, Messen und Ausstellungen, des Direct Marketing sowie der Social Media-Kommunikation zur Verfügung. Der Beitrag liefert einen Überblick über die Dialogkommunikation sowie deren Instrumente. Abschließend wird die Frage der Kontrolle der Instrumente durch Unternehmen thematisiert

Das kommunikationspolitische Instrumentarium: ein Überblick

Der Kommunikationsmix als zentraler Bestandteil des Marketingmix wird vor dem Hintergrund der zunehmenden Homogenität der Markenlandschaft immer bedeutsamer. Hierbei stehen Unternehmen eine Vielzahl an Kommunikationsinstrumenten zur Verfügung, die sich in den letzten Jahrzehnten herausgebildet haben. Der Beitrag dient als allgemeiner Überblick des kommunikationspolitischen Instrumentariums von Unternehmen. Dabei wird die Anbieterperspektive eingenommen und die einzelnen Instrumente werden gemäß einer Kategorisierung in Unternehmens-, Marketing- und Dialogkommunikation eingeordnet. Abschließend wir die Vielfalt der kommunikativen Aktivitäten aufgezeigt und im Hinblick auf deren Kontrollmöglichkeit diskutiert