Similar Tumor Suppressor Gene Alteration Profiles in Asbestos-Induced Murine and Human Mesothelioma

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Hemizygosity of Nf2 is associated with increased susceptibility to asbestos-induced peritoneal tumours

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BPH gene expression profile associated to prostate gland volume.

International audienceThe aim of the current study was to analyze gene expression profiles in benign prostatic hyperplasia and to compare them with phenotypic properties. Thirty-seven specimens of benign prostatic hyperplasia were obtained from symptomatic patients undergoing surgery. RNA was extracted and hybridized to Affymetrix Chips containing 54,000 gene expression probes. Gene expression profiles were analyzed using cluster, TreeView, and significance analysis of microarrays softwares. In an initial unsupervised analysis, our 37 samples clustered hierarchically in 2 groups of 18 and 19 samples, respectively. Five clinical parameters were statistically different between the 2 groups: in group 1 compared with group 2, patients had larger prostate glands, had higher prostate specific antigen levels, were more likely to be treated by alpha blockers, to be operated by prostatectomy, and to have major irritative symptoms. The sole independent parameter associated with this dichotome clustering, however, was the prostate gland volume. Therefore, the role of prostate volume was explored in a supervised analysis. Gene expression of prostate glands 60 mL were compared using significance analysis of microarrays and 227 genes were found differentially expressed between the 2 groups (>2 change and false discovery rate of <5%). Several specific pathways including growth factors genes, cell cycle genes, apoptose genes, inflammation genes, and androgen regulated genes, displayed major differences between small and large prostate glands

Cross Modulation between the Androgen Receptor Axis and Protocadherin-PC in Mediating Neuroendocrine Transdifferentiation and Therapeutic Resistance of Prostate Cancer

Castration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPCs) that relapse after androgen deprivation therapies (ADTs) are responsible for the majority of mortalities from prostate cancer (PCa). While mechanisms enabling recurrent activity of androgen receptor (AR) are certainly involved in the development of CRPC, there may be factors that contribute to the process including acquired neuroendocrine (NE) cell-like behaviors working through alternate (non-AR) cell signaling systems or AR-dependent mechanisms. In this study, we explore the potential relationship between the AR axis and a novel putative marker of NE differentiation, the human male protocadherin-PC (PCDH-PC), in vitro and in human situations. We found evidence for an NE transdifferentiation process and PCDH-PC expression as an early-onset adaptive mechanism following ADT and elucidate AR as a key regulator of PCDH-PC expression. PCDH-PC overexpression, in turn, attenuates the ligand-dependent activity of the AR, enabling certain prostate tumor clones to assume a more NE phenotype and promoting their survival under diverse stress conditions. Acquisition of an NE phenotype by PCa cells positively correlated with resistance to cytotoxic agents including docetaxel, a taxane chemotherapy approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic CRPC. Furthermore, knockdown of PCDH-PC in cells that have undergone an NE transdifferentiation partially sensitized cells to docetaxel. Together, these results reveal a reciprocal regulation between the AR axis and PCDH-PC signals, observed both in vitro and in vivo, with potential implications in coordinating NE transdifferentiation processes and progression of PCa toward hormonal and chemoresistance

Cross modulation between the androgen receptor axis and protocadherin-PC in mediating neuroendocrine transdifferentiation and therapeutic resistance of prostate cancer.: PCDH-PC/AR cross-talk in driving NE differentiation

International audienceCastration-resistant prostate cancers (CRPCs) that relapse after androgen deprivation therapies (ADTs) are responsible for the majority of mortalities from prostate cancer (PCa). While mechanisms enabling recurrent activity of androgen receptor (AR) are certainly involved in the development of CRPC, there may be factors that contribute to the process including acquired neuroendocrine (NE) cell-like behaviors working through alternate (non-AR) cell signaling systems or AR-dependent mechanisms. In this study, we explore the potential relationship between the AR axis and a novel putative marker of NE differentiation, the human male protocadherin-PC (PCDH-PC), in vitro and in human situations. We found evidence for an NE transdifferentiation process and PCDH-PC expression as an early-onset adaptive mechanism following ADT and elucidate AR as a key regulator of PCDH-PC expression. PCDH-PC overexpression, in turn, attenuates the ligand-dependent activity of the AR, enabling certain prostate tumor clones to assume a more NE phenotype and promoting their survival under diverse stress conditions. Acquisition of an NE phenotype by PCa cells positively correlated with resistance to cytotoxic agents including docetaxel, a taxane chemotherapy approved for the treatment of patients with metastatic CRPC. Furthermore, knockdown of PCDH-PC in cells that have undergone an NE transdifferentiation partially sensitized cells to docetaxel. Together, these results reveal a reciprocal regulation between the AR axis and PCDH-PC signals, observed both in vitro and in vivo, with potential implications in coordinating NE transdifferentiation processes and progression of PCa toward hormonal and chemoresistance

A comparative transmission electron microscopy study of titanium dioxide and carbon black nanoparticles uptake in human lung epithelial and fibroblast cell lines.

International audienceSeveral studies suggest that the biological responses induced by manufactured nanoparticles (MNPs) may be linked to their accumulation within cells. However, MNP internalisation has not yet been sufficiently characterised. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the intracellular uptake of three different MNPs: two made of carbon black (CB) and one made of titanium dioxide (TiO(2)), in 16HBE bronchial epithelial cells and MRC5 fibroblasts. Transmission electron microscopy was used to evaluate the intracellular accumulation. Different parameters were analysed following a time and dose-relationship: localisation of MNPs in cells, percentage of cells having accumulated MNPs, number of aggregated MNPs in cells, and the size of MNP aggregates in cells. The results showed that MNPs were widely and rapidly accumulated in 16HBE cells and MRC5 fibroblasts. Moreover, MNPs accumulated chiefly as aggregates in cytosolic vesicles and were absent from the mitochondria or nuclei. CB and TiO(2) MNPs had similar accumulation patterns. However, TiO(2) aggregates had a higher size than CB aggregates. Intracellular MNP accumulation was dissociated from cytotoxicity. These results suggest that cellular uptake of MNPs is a common phenomenon occurring in various cell types