386 research outputs found
Emergence of robustness against noise: A structural phase transition in evolved models of gene regulatory networks
We investigate the evolution of Boolean networks subject to a selective
pressure which favors robustness against noise, as a model of evolved genetic
regulatory systems. By mapping the evolutionary process into a statistical
ensemble and minimizing its associated free energy, we find the structural
properties which emerge as the selective pressure is increased and identify a
phase transition from a random topology to a "segregated core" structure, where
a smaller and more densely connected subset of the nodes is responsible for
most of the regulation in the network. This segregated structure is very
similar qualitatively to what is found in gene regulatory networks, where only
a much smaller subset of genes --- those responsible for transcription factors
--- is responsible for global regulation. We obtain the full phase diagram of
the evolutionary process as a function of selective pressure and the average
number of inputs per node. We compare the theoretical predictions with Monte
Carlo simulations of evolved networks and with empirical data for Saccharomyces
cerevisiae and Escherichia coli.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figure
A mutant alpha subunit of G12 potentiates the eicosanoid pathway and is highly oncogenic in NIH 3T3 cells.
VE-cadherin and claudin-5: it takes two to tango
Endothelial barrier function requires the adhesive activity of VE-cadherin
and claudin-5, which are key components of adherens and tight endothelial
junctions, respectively. Emerging evidence suggests that VE-cadherin controls
claudin-5 expression by preventing the nuclear accumulation of FoxO1 and
-catenin, which repress the claudin-5 promoter. This indicates that a crosstalk
mechanism operates between these junctional structures
Integrins can collaborate with growth factors for phosphorylation of receptor tyrosine kinases and MAP kinase activation: roles of integrin aggregation and occupancy of receptors.
Biology of advanced uveal melanoma and next steps for clinical therapeutics
Uveal melanoma is the most common intraocular malignancy although it is a rare subset of all melanomas. Uveal melanoma has distinct biology relative to cutaneous melanoma, with widely divergent patient outcomes. Patients diagnosed with a primary uveal melanoma can be stratified for risk of metastasis by cytogenetics or gene expression profiling, with approximately half of patients developing metastatic disease, predominately hepatic in location, over a 15-yr period. Historically, no systemic therapy has been associated with a clear clinical benefit for patients with advanced disease, and median survival remains poor. Here, as a joint effort between the Melanoma Research Foundation's ocular melanoma initiative, CURE OM and the National Cancer Institute, the current understanding of the molecular and immunobiology of uveal melanoma is reviewed, and on-going laboratory research into the disease is highlighted. Finally, recent investigations relevant to clinical management via targeted and immunotherpies are reviewed, and next steps in the development of clinical therapeutics are discussed
Prevalence and characterization of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus among healthy children in a city of Argentina
Community acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is a major global problem. Healthy carriers of S. aureus strains have an important role in the dissemination of this bacterium. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of S. aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) carriage among healthy children in a city of Buenos Aires province, Argentina, and to determine the potential risk factors for its acquisition. We also described the molecular features of MRSA strains circulating in this population. S. aureus carriage was investigated in all children attending the last year of kindergarten during the 2008 school- year period. Household contacts of MRSA carriers were also screened. Of 316 healthy children, 98 (31.0%) carried S. aureus, including 14 MRSA carriers (4.4%) and 84 methicillin susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) carriers (26.6%). All MRSA isolates carried the SCCmec type IV cassette. Eight of the fourteen isolates were closely related to the clone responsible for most severe community- acquired MRSA infections caused in our country (CAA: PFGE A, SCCmec IV, spa t311, ST5). Two subtypes (A1 and A2) were distinguished in this group by PFGE. Both had agr type II and presented the same virulence determinants, except for PVL coding genes and sea that were only harbored by subtype A1. Our results, based on the analysis of MRSA isolates recovered in the screening of healthy children, provide evidence of a community reservoir of the major CA-MRSA clone described in Argentina.Fil: Gardella, N.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y BioquÃmica; ArgentinaFil: Murzicato, S.. Hospital Municipal de San Antonio de Areco; ArgentinaFil: Di Gregorio, Sabrina Noelia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y BioquÃmica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Cuirolo, Arabela Ximena. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y BioquÃmica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Desse, J.. Hospital Paroissien; ArgentinaFil: Crudo, F.. Hospital Municipal de San Antonio de Areco; ArgentinaFil: Gutkind, Gabriel Osvaldo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y BioquÃmica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; ArgentinaFil: Mollerach, Marta Eugenia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y BioquÃmica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientÃficas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay; Argentin
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Syngeneic animal models of tobacco-associated oral cancer reveal the activity of in situ anti-CTLA-4.
Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. Tobacco use is the main risk factor for HNSCC, and tobacco-associated HNSCCs have poor prognosis and response to available treatments. Recently approved anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors showed limited activity (≤20%) in HNSCC, highlighting the need to identify new therapeutic options. For this, mouse models that accurately mimic the complexity of the HNSCC mutational landscape and tumor immune environment are urgently needed. Here, we report a mouse HNSCC model system that recapitulates the human tobacco-related HNSCC mutanome, in which tumors grow when implanted in the tongue of immunocompetent mice. These HNSCC lesions have similar immune infiltration and response rates to anti-PD-1 (≤20%) immunotherapy as human HNSCCs. Remarkably, we find that >70% of HNSCC lesions respond to intratumoral anti-CTLA-4. This syngeneic HNSCC mouse model provides a platform to accelerate the development of immunotherapeutic options for HNSCC
Ultrasensitive Detection of Cancer Biomarkers in the Clinic by Use of a Nanostructured Microfluidic Array
Multiplexed biomarker protein detection holds unrealized promise for clinical cancer diagnostics due to lack of suitable measurement devices and lack of rigorously validated protein panels. Here we report an ultrasensitive electrochemical microfluidic array optimized to measure a four-protein panel of biomarker proteins, and we validate the protein panel for accurate oral cancer diagnostics. Unprecedented ultralow detection into the 5-50 fg.mL(-1) range was achieved for simultaneous measurement of proteins interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and VEGF-C in diluted serum. The immunoarray achieves high sensitivity in 50 min assays by using off-line protein capture by magnetic beads carrying 400 000 enzyme labels and similar to 100 000 antibodies. After capture of the proteins and washing to inhibit nonspecific binding, the beads are magnetically separated and injected into the array for selective capture by antibodies on eight nanostructured sensors. Good correlations with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) for protein determinations in conditioned cancer cell media confirmed the accuracy of this approach. Normalized means of the four protein levels in 78 oral cancer patient serum samples and 49 controls gave clinical sensitivity of 89 and specificity of 98 for oral cancer detection, demonstrating high diagnostic utility. The low-cost, easily fabricated immunoarray provides a rapid Serum test for diagnosis and personalized therapy of oral cancer. The device is readily adaptable to clinical diagnostics of other cancers. This record was migrated from the OpenDepot repository service in June, 2017 before shutting down
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