Tumor marker protein for cancer risk assessment

This invention relates to the isolation, identification and sequencing of a cancer associated protein, preparation of hybridization probes therefrom, preparation of antibodies thereto, and methods of cancer risk assessment and diagnosis.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

High calcium chemically defined culture medium

A high calcium chemically defined animal cell culture medium including vitamins A and D and a fatty acid or its ester. The medium is particularly adapted for the primary or secondary culture of epithelial cells. However, the medium may be utilized for establishing and maintaining cell lines, in particular myelomae and hybridomae.Board of Regents, University of Texas Syste

Fake News: Taking News Evaluation Out of the Classroom and Into the Fire

As cries of “fake news” weave into popular discourse, university reference and instruction librarians have teamed up with a Journalism professor to lead a workshop tackling a two-pronged issue: defining what fake news is (and isn’t), and evaluating news from several commonly-encountered source types (from videos and memes to more traditional-looking articles online). The goal of this workshop was to spread information and news literacies in a time when they are sorely needed. While this venture began as a campus event, all presenters involved agreed that the tools and resources provided would be especially valuable to communities beyond the classroom. The workshop went on the road, to public libraries throughout the state. Sessions were well attended and participants were engaged, but the shift in venue and audience presented unforeseen challenges. Incompatibilities with the presentation’s needs and goals (technological, attitudinal, and beyond) abounded; addressing these kept the workshop fluid, growing and changing with lessons learned from each new iteration. Despite the hardships, it is important that everyone – not just college students – is engaged with resources that encourage critical thought. The presenters will discuss the pitfalls they encountered, and reflect upon their possible causes. Presenters will also share survey data from workshop participants, and discuss the findings. Attendees of this presentation will leave knowing what to expect as they plan academic programming for a public audience. They will get some sense of the hurdles involved in shifting from programming for academia to programming for the community. They will also be armed with strategies to minimize or completely avoid losing programming quality in translation

Activation of T-cell Protein-tyrosine Phosphatase Suppresses Keratinocyte Survival and Proliferation following UVB Irradiation

Chronic exposure to UV radiation can contribute to the development of skin cancer by promoting protein-tyrosine kinase (PTK) signaling. Studies show that exposure to UV radiation increases the ligand-independent activation of PTKs and induces protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inactivation. In the present work, we report that T-cell PTP (TC-PTP) activity is stimulated during the initial response to UVB irradiation, which leads to suppression of keratinocyte cell survival and proliferation via the down-regulation of STAT3 signaling. Our results show that TC-PTP-deficient keratinocyte cell lines expressed a significantly increased level of phosphorylated STAT3 after exposure to low dose UVB. This increase corresponded with increased cell proliferation in TC-PTP-deficient keratinocytes following UVB irradiation. Loss of TC-PTP also reduced UVB-induced apoptosis. Corroborating with these results, overexpression of TC-PTP in keratinocyte cell lines yielded a decrease in phosphorylated STAT3 levels, which corresponded with a significant decrease in cell proliferation in response to low dose UVB. We demonstrate that TC-PTP activity was increased upon UVB exposure, and overexpression of TC-PTP in keratinocyte cell lines further increased its activity in the presence of UVB. Treatment of TC-PTP-deficient keratinocytes with the STAT3 inhibitor STA21 significantly reduced cell viability following UVB exposure in comparison with untreated TC-PTP-deficient keratinocytes, confirming that the effect of TC-PTP on cell viability is mediated by STAT3 dephosphorylation. Combined, our results indicate that UVB-mediated activation of TC-PTP plays an important role in the STAT3-dependent regulation of keratinocyte cell proliferation and survival. Furthermore, these results suggest that TC-PTP may be a novel potential target for the prevention of UVB-induced skin cancer.STAT3 promotes UVB-induced keratinocyte cell proliferation. Results TC-PTP inhibits STAT3-mediated mouse keratinocyte skin cell proliferation and survival following UVB irradiation. Conclusion TC-PTP plays an important role in the skin cell response to UVB radiation by regulating cell proliferation and survival. Significance TC-PTP shows tumor-suppressive capabilities in skin