RUNX3 Mediates Suppression of Tumor Growth and Metastasis of Human CCRCC by Regulating Cyclin Related Proteins and TIMP-1

Here we presented that the expression of RUNX3 was significantly decreased in 75 cases of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) tissues (p<0.05). Enforced RUNX3 expression mediated 786-O cells to exhibit inhibition of growth, G1 cell-cycle arrest and metastasis in vitro, and to lost tumorigenicity in nude mouse model in vivo. RUNX3-induced growth suppression was found partially to regulate various proteins, including inhibition of cyclinD1, cyclinE, cdk2, cdk4 and p-Rb, but increase of p27Kip1, Rb and TIMP-1. Therefore, RUNX3 had the function of inhibiting the proliferative and metastatic abilities of CCRCC cells by regulating cyclins and TIMP1

MiR-218 Inhibits Invasion and Metastasis of Gastric Cancer by Targeting the Robo1 Receptor

MicroRNAs play key roles in tumor metastasis. Here, we describe the regulation and function of miR-218 in gastric cancer (GC) metastasis. miR-218 expression is decreased along with the expression of one of its host genes, Slit3 in metastatic GC. However, Robo1, one of several Slit receptors, is negatively regulated by miR-218, thus establishing a negative feedback loop. Decreased miR-218 levels eliminate Robo1 repression, which activates the Slit-Robo1 pathway through the interaction between Robo1 and Slit2, thus triggering tumor metastasis. The restoration of miR-218 suppresses Robo1 expression and inhibits tumor cell invasion and metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, our results describe a Slit-miR-218-Robo1 regulatory circuit whose disruption may contribute to GC metastasis. Targeting miR-218 may provide a strategy for blocking tumor metastasis

Self-assembly of periodic nanoclusters of Si and Ge along atomically straight steps of a vicinal Si(111)

The very initial stage of the molecular beam epitaxy of Si and Ge on Si(111)-7x7 substrates with atomically straight steps has been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy. The atomically straight steps have been prepared on a miscut Si(111) substrate by annealing at 830 degrees C with kink-up direct current. The length of the steps can be maximized by selecting a proper annealing time. The steps have a well-defined U(2, 0) step-edge structure. The growth of both Si and Ge at temperatures between 250 and 400 degrees C starts with formation of a single-adatom-row nanowire (0.67 nm in width) along the lower edge of each U(2, 0) step. Subsequent growth of Si and Ge at temperatures between 250 and 300 degrees C results in formation of one-dimensional arrays of nanoclusters (less than 2.0 nm in width) in the unfaulted halves of the 7x7 structure along the upper step edges. Scanning tunneling spectroscopy reveals localized electronic states of the nanoclusters. Differences between the growth of Si and Ge nanoclusters are discussed