Differentiated participation, uniform procedures: EU agencies in direct policy implementation

European Union (EU) institutions have become increasingly involved in direct policy implementation in the member states, creating a new domain of differentiation in EU governance. What brings about such differentiation, and how does it vary across policy fields? Drawing on theories of differentiated integration, this article argues that differentiated implementation occurs at the intersection of postfunctional obstacles (politicisation) and functional pressures for joint implementation (interdependence). There are two identified dimensions of direct implementation, a territorial one referring to states’ participation in such activities, and a procedural one capturing the degree of uniformity in the guidelines for organising implementation. The resulting typology is applied to direct implementation activities (DIAs) conducted by EU agencies alongside national authorities. The qualitative analysis reveals that differentiated participation is a stable feature of DIAs in politicised fields, and although there is a tendency to create more uniform procedures over time and across policy fields, higher uniformity prevails under symmetric interdependence.Institutions, Decisions and Collective Behaviou

Opening Pandora’s Box? Joint Sovereignty and the Rise of EU Agencies with Operational Tasks

This article problematises the proliferation of European Union (EU) agencies with operational tasks as a new phenomenon capturing the exercise of joint sovereignty in European integration. While joint decision-making has been a feature of EU politics for decades, joint sovereignty is a broader category that additionally involves the creation of EU bodies able to intervene ‘on the ground’ alongside national public actors. We argue that the choice for joint sovereignty opens a Pandora’s box of implementation deficiencies which undermine the ability of both national and supranational actors to conduct operational activities effectively. We subsequently identify two frequent dysfunctions in policy implementation and connect them to ambiguity and conflict at the decision-making stage. Empirically, we illustrate the systemic link between decision-making and implementation problems in the functioning of two agencies with operational tasks active in the fields of border management (Frontex) and police cooperation (Europol).The Institutions of Politics; Design, Workings, and implications ( do not use, ended 1-1-2020)Institutions, Decisions and Collective Behaviou

A new analysis approach of epidermal growth factor receptor pathway activation patterns provides insights into cetuximab resistance mechanisms in head and neck cancer

The pathways downstream of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have often been implicated to play crucial roles in the development and progression of various cancer types. Different authors have proposed models in cell lines in which they study the modes of pathway activities after perturbation experiments. It is prudent to believe that a better understanding of these pathway activation patterns might lead to novel treatment concepts for cancer patients or at least allow a better stratification of patient collectives into different risk groups or into groups that might respond to different treatments. Traditionally, such analyses focused on the individual players of the pathways. More recently in the field of systems biology, a plethora of approaches that take a more holistic view on the signaling pathways and their downstream transcriptional targets has been developed. Fertig et al. have recently developed a new method to identify patterns and biological process activity from transcriptomics data, and they demonstrate the utility of this methodology to analyze gene expression activity downstream of the EGFR in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma to study cetuximab resistance. Please see related article: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/13/16

Inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-B signaling reduces growth in medulloblastoma in vivo

Abstract Background Medulloblastoma is a highly malignant pediatric brain tumor that requires surgery, whole brain and spine irradiation, and intense chemotherapy for treatment. A more sophisticated understanding of the pathophysiology of medulloblastoma is needed to successfully reduce the intensity of treatment and improve outcomes. Nuclear factor kappa-B (NFκB) is a signaling pathway that controls transcriptional activation of genes important for tight regulation of many cellular processes and is aberrantly expressed in many types of cancer. Methods To test the importance of NFκB to medulloblastoma cell growth, the effects of multiple drugs that inhibit NFκB, pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate, diethyldithiocarbamate, sulfasalazine, curcumin and bortezomib, were studied in medulloblastoma cell lines compared to a malignant glioma cell line and normal neurons. Expression of endogenous NFκB was investigated in cultured cells, xenograft flank tumors, and primary human tumor samples. A dominant negative construct for the endogenous inhibitor of NFκB, IκB, was prepared from medulloblastoma cell lines and flank tumors were established to allow specific pathway inhibition. Results We report high constitutive activity of the canonical NFκB pathway, as seen by Western analysis of the NFκB subunit p65, in medulloblastoma tumors compared to normal brain. The p65 subunit of NFκB is extremely highly expressed in xenograft tumors from human medulloblastoma cell lines; though, conversely, the same cells in culture have minimal expression without specific stimulation. We demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of NFκB in cell lines halts proliferation and leads to apoptosis. We show by immunohistochemical stain that phosphorylated p65 is found in the majority of primary tumor cells examined. Finally, expression of a dominant negative form of the endogenous inhibitor of NFκB, dnIκB, resulted in poor xenograft tumor growth, with average tumor volumes 40% smaller than controls. Conclusions These data collectively demonstrate that NFκB signaling is important for medulloblastoma tumor growth, and that inhibition can reduce tumor size and viability in vivo. We discuss the implications of NFκB signaling on the approach to managing patients with medulloblastoma in order to improve clinical outcomes.</p

Curcumin-induced HDAC inhibition and attenuation of medulloblastoma growth in vitro and in vivo

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Medulloblastoma is the most common brain tumor in children, and its prognosis is worse than for many other common pediatric cancers. Survivors undergoing treatment suffer from serious therapy-related side effects. Thus, it is imperative to identify safer, effective treatments for medulloblastoma. In this study we evaluated the anti-cancer potential of curcumin in medulloblastoma by testing its ability to induce apoptosis and inhibit tumor growth <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo </it>using established medulloblastoma models.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using cultured medulloblastoma cells, tumor xenografts, and the Smo/Smo transgenic medulloblastoma mouse model, the antitumor effects of curcumin were tested <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Curcumin induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase in medulloblastoma cells. These effects were accompanied by reduced histone deacetylase (HDAC) 4 expression and activity and increased tubulin acetylation, ultimately leading to mitotic catastrophe. In <it>in vivo </it>medulloblastoma xenografts, curcumin reduced tumor growth and significantly increased survival in the Smo/Smo transgenic medulloblastoma mouse model.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo </it>data suggest that curcumin has the potential to be developed as a therapeutic agent for medulloblastoma.</p