Heparan sulfate facilitates Rift Valley fever virus entry into the cell.
Authorsde Boer SM, Kortekaas J, de Haan CA, Rottier PJ, Moormann RJ, Bosch BJ,
JournalJ Virol
PubMed ID23015725
Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV), an emerging arthropod-borne pathogen, has a broad host and cell tropism. Here we report that the glycosaminoglycan heparan sulfate, abundantly present on the surface of most animal cells, is required for efficient entry of RVFV. Entry was significantly reduced by preincubating the virus inoculum with ... More
Secreted meningeal chemokines, but not VEGFA, modulate the migratory properties of medulloblastoma cells.
'Leptomeningeal metastasis is a cause of morbidity and mortality in medulloblastoma, but the understanding of molecular mechanisms driving this process is nascent. In this study, we examined the secretory chemokine profile of medulloblastoma cells (DAOY) and a meningothelial cell line (BMEN1). Conditioned media (CM) of meningothelial cells increased adhesion, spreading ... More
Hepatitis C virus core protein inhibits interferon production by a human plasmacytoid dendritic cell line and dysregulates interferon regulatory factor-7 and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 1 protein expression.
AuthorsStone AE, Mitchell A, Brownell J, Miklin DJ, Golden-Mason L, Polyak SJ, Gale MJ, Rosen HR,
Journal
PubMed ID24788809
'Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells (pDCs) represent a key immune cell population in the defense against viruses. pDCs detect viral pathogen associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) through pattern recognition receptors (PRR). PRR/PAMP interactions trigger signaling events that induce interferon (IFN) production to initiate local and systemic responses. pDCs produce Type I and Type ... More
Oncolytic therapy of a recombinant Newcastle disease virus D90 strain for lung cancer.
AuthorsChai Z, Zhang P, Fu F, Zhang X, Liu Y, Hu L, Li X,
Journal
PubMed ID24885546
'Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of deaths from cancer worldwide. Tumor virotherapy using naturally oncolytic Newcastle disease virus (NDV) has been shown to be safe and effective in preclinical studies and clinical trials. Previously, we have reported the NDV D90 strain that was isolated from natural source ... More
220D-F2 from Rubus ulmifolius kills Streptococcus pneumoniae planktonic cells and pneumococcal biofilms.
AuthorsTalekar SJ, Chochua S, Nelson K, Klugman KP, Quave CL, Vidal JE,
Journal
PubMed ID24823499
'Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) forms organized biofilms to persist in the human nasopharynx. This persistence allows the pneumococcus to produce severe diseases such as pneumonia, otitis media, bacteremia and meningitis that kill nearly a million children every year. While bacteremia and meningitis are mediated by planktonic pneumococci, biofilm structures are present ... More
Chronic inflammation and angiogenic signaling axis impairs differentiation of dental-pulp stem cells.
AuthorsBoyle M, Chun C, Strojny C, Narayanan R, Bartholomew A, Sundivakkam P, Alapati S,
Journal
PubMed ID25427002
'Dental-pulp tissue is often exposed to inflammatory injury. Sequested growth factors or angiogenic signaling proteins that are released following inflammatory injury play a pivotal role in the formation of reparative dentin. While limited or moderate angiogenesis may be helpful for dental pulp maintenance, the induction of significant level of angiogenesis ... More
Disruption of endogenous perlecan function improves differentiation of rat articular chondrocytes in vitro.
AuthorsNakamura R, Nakamura F, Fukunaga S,
Journal
PubMed ID25410015
'Heparan sulfate (HS) and heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPG) are necessary for normal cartilage development and chondrocyte differentiation. However, recent studies demonstrated that HSPG accelerate dedifferentiation and catabolism in chondrocytes from degenerative cartilage. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effect of HSPG on chondrocyte differentiation in vitro. Rat articular chondrocytes ... More
Cytotoxicity, DNA damage, and apoptosis induced by titanium dioxide nanoparticles in human non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells.
AuthorsWang Y, Cui H, Zhou J, Li F, Wang J, Chen M, Liu Q,
Journal
PubMed ID25339530
'Concerns about the risk of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) to human health and environment are gradually increasing due to their wide range of applications. In this study, cytotoxicity, DNA damage, and apoptosis induced by TiO2 NPs (5 nm) in A549 cells were investigated. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays revealed the ... More
Expression of protease-activated receptor 1 and 2 and anti-tubulogenic activity of protease-activated receptor 1 in human endothelial colony-forming cells.
AuthorsFortunato TM, Vara DS, Wheeler-Jones CP, Pula G,
Journal
PubMed ID25289673
'Endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) are obtained from the culture of human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (hPBMNC) fractions and are characterised by high proliferative and pro-vasculogenic potential, which makes them of great interest for cell therapy. Here, we describe the detection of protease-activated receptor (PAR) 1 and 2 amongst the surface ... More
Transcriptional activation of Fsp27 by the liver-enriched transcription factor CREBH promotes lipid droplet growth and hepatic steatosis.
AuthorsXu X, Park JG, So JS, Lee AH,
Journal
PubMed ID25125366
'Fat-specific protein 27 (Fsp27) is a lipid droplet-associated protein that promotes lipid droplet (LD) growth and triglyceride (TG) storage in white adipocytes. Fsp27 is also highly expressed in the steatotic liver and contributes to TG accumulation. In this study we discovered that the liver produces Fsp27ß, an alternative Fsp27 isoform, ... More
RAGE, receptor of advanced glycation endoproducts, negatively regulates chondrocytes differentiation.
AuthorsKosaka T, Fukui R, Matsui M, Kurosaka Y, Nishimura H, Tanabe M, Takakura Y, Iwai K, Waki T, Fujita T,
Journal
PubMed ID25275461
'RAGE, receptor for advanced glycation endoproducts (AGE), has been characterized as an activator of osteoclastgenesis. However, whether RAGE directly regulates chondrocyte proliferation and differentiation is unclear. Here, we show that RAGE has an inhibitory role in chondrocyte differentiation. RAGE expression was observed in chondrocytes from the prehypertrophic to hypertrophic regions. ... More
Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) Affects Global Protein Synthesis in Dividing Human Cells.
AuthorsSobol A, Galluzzo P, Liang S, Rambo B, Skucha S, Weber MJ, Alani S, Bocchetta M,
Journal
PubMed ID25283437
'Hypoxic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is dependent on Notch-1 signaling for survival. Targeting Notch-1 by means of ?-secretase inhibitors (GSI) proved effective in killing hypoxic NSCLC. Post-mortem analysis of GSI-treated, NSCLC-burdened mice suggested enhanced phosphorylation of 4E-BP1 at threonines 37/46 in hypoxic tumor tissues. In vitro dissection of this ... More
Adenovirus-mediated FKHRL1/TM sensitizes melanoma cells to apoptosis induced by temozolomide.
AuthorsEgger ME, McNally LR, Nitz J, McMasters KM, Gomez-Gutierrez JG,
Journal
PubMed ID25238278
'Melanoma exhibits variable resistance to the alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ). We evaluated the potential of adenovirus expressing forkhead human transcription factor like 1 triple mutant (Ad-FKHRL1/TM) to sensitize melanoma cells to TMZ. Four melanoma cell lines were treated with Ad-FKHRL1/TM and TMZ, alone or in combination. Apoptosis was assessed by ... More
A nucleolytic lupus autoantibody is toxic to BRCA2-deficient cancer cells.
AuthorsNoble PW, Young MR, Bernatsky S, Weisbart RH, Hansen JE,
Journal
PubMed ID25091037
'Cancer cells with defects in DNA repair are highly susceptible to DNA-damaging agents, but delivery of therapeutic agents into cell nuclei can be challenging. A subset of lupus autoantibodies is associated with nucleolytic activity, and some of these antibodies are capable of nuclear penetration. We hypothesized that such antibodies might ... More
FUS is phosphorylated by DNA-PK and accumulates in the cytoplasm after DNA damage.
AuthorsDeng Q, Holler CJ, Taylor G, Hudson KF, Watkins W, Gearing M, Ito D, Murray ME, Dickson DW, Seyfried NT, Kukar T,
Journal
PubMed ID24899704
'Abnormal cytoplasmic accumulation of Fused in Sarcoma (FUS) in neurons defines subtypes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). FUS is a member of the FET protein family that includes Ewing''s sarcoma (EWS) and TATA-binding protein-associated factor 2N (TAF15). FET proteins are predominantly localized to the nucleus, ... More
BCL-xL/MCL-1 inhibition and RAR? antagonism work cooperatively in human HL60 leukemia cells.
AuthorsPerri M, Yap JL, Yu J, Cione E, Fletcher S, Kane MA,
Journal
PubMed ID25088254
'The acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is characterized by chromosomal translocations that result in fusion proteins, including the promyelocytic leukemia-retinoic acid receptor, alpha fusion protein (PML-RARa). All-trans retinoic acid (atRA) treatment is the standard drug treatment for APL yielding cure rates > 80% by activating ... More
Amyloid-beta (Aß(1-42))-induced paralysis in Caenorhabditis elegans is inhibited by the polyphenol quercetin through activation of protein degradation pathways.
AuthorsRegitz C, Dußling LM, Wenzel U,
Journal
PubMed ID25066301
'Dietary polyphenols are suggested to play a role in the prevention of Alzheimer''s disease, of which accumulation of aggregated beta amyloid (Aß) is a key histopathological hallmark. We used the transgenic Caenorhabditis elegans strain CL2006, which expresses human Aß(1-42) under control of a muscle-specific promoter and responds to Aß(1-42) aggregation ... More
Ilimaquinone induces death receptor expression and sensitizes human colon cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis through activation of ROS-ERK/p38 MAPK-CHOP signaling pathways.
AuthorsDo MT, Na M, Kim HG, Khanal T, Choi JH, Jin SW, Oh SH, Hwang IH, Chung YC, Kim HS, Jeong TC, Jeong HG,
Journal
PubMed ID24930757
'TRAIL induces apoptosis in a variety of tumor cells. However, development of resistance to TRAIL is a major obstacle to more effective cancer treatment. Therefore, novel pharmacological agents that enhance sensitivity to TRAIL are necessary. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which ilimaquinone isolated from a ... More
Sequential administration of carbon nanotubes and near-infrared radiation for the treatment of gliomas.
AuthorsSantos T, Fang X, Chen MT, Wang W, Ferreira R, Jhaveri N, Gundersen M, Zhou C, Pagnini P, Hofman FM, Chen TC,
Journal
PubMed ID25077069
'The objective was to use carbon nanotubes (CNT) coupled with near-infrared radiation (NIR) to induce hyperthermia as a novel non-ionizing radiation treatment for primary brain tumors, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). In this study, we report the therapeutic potential of hyperthermia-induced thermal ablation using the sequential administration of carbon nanotubes (CNT) and ... More
Dual contribution of MAPK and PI3K in epidermal growth factor-induced destabilization of thyroid follicular integrity and invasion of cells into extracellular matrix.
AuthorsIngeson-Carlsson C, Nilsson M,
Journal
PubMed ID24726885
'Normal thyrocytes grown as reconstituted follicles in collagen gel were evaluated for drug effects of small molecule kinase inhibitors on growth factor-induced cell migration in a 3D context. MEK inhibition by U0126 only partially antagonized EGF/serum-induced cell migration from the basal follicular surface into the matrix. Combined treatment with U0126 ... More
Functional analysis of Fenneropenaeus chinensis anti-lipopolysaccharide factor promoter regulated by lipopolysaccharide and (1,3)-ß-D-glucan.
AuthorsTang T, Li L, Sun L, Bu J, Xie S, Liu F,
Journal
PubMed ID24704418
'Current knowledge on cis-regulatory elements of immune genes of shrimp is poor. In this study, the genomic sequence of the Fenneropenaeus chinensis anti-lipopolysaccharide factor (ALFFc) gene was obtained by using PCR and genome walking techniques, and the promoter was identified. The ALFFc gene contained three exons interrupted by two introns. ... More
Cathelicidin host defence peptide augments clearance of pulmonary Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection by its influence on neutrophil function in vivo.
AuthorsBeaumont PE, McHugh B, Gwyer Findlay E, Mackellar A, Mackenzie KJ, Gallo RL, Govan JR, Simpson AJ, Davidson DJ,
Journal
PubMed ID24887410
'Cathelicidins are multifunctional cationic host-defence peptides (CHDP; also known as antimicrobial peptides) and an important component of innate host defence against infection. In addition to microbicidal potential, these peptides have properties with the capacity to modulate inflammation and immunity. However, the extent to which such properties play a significant role ... More
Facile electrochemical synthesis of antimicrobial TiO2 nanotube arrays.
AuthorsZhao Y, Xing Q, Janjanam J, He K, Long F, Low KB, Tiwari A, Zhao F, Shahbazian-Yassar R, Friedrich C, Shokuhfar T,
Journal
PubMed ID25429214
'Infection-related complications have been a critical issue for the application of titanium orthopedic implants. The use of Ag nanoparticles offers a potential approach to incorporate antimicrobial properties into the titanium implants. In this work, a novel and simple method was developed for synthesis of Ag (II) oxide deposited TiO2 nanotubes ... More
Generation of induced pluripotent stem cells without genetic defects by small molecules.
AuthorsPark HS, Hwang I, Choi KA, Jeong H, Lee JY, Hong S,
Journal
PubMed ID25477171
'The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) often causes genetic and epigenetic defects, which may limit their clinical applications. Here, we show that reprogramming in the presence of small molecules preserved the genomic stability of iPSCs by inhibiting DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and activating Zscan4 gene. Surprisingly, the small ... More
Manipulation of cellular spheroid composition and the effects on vascular tissue fusion.
AuthorsOlsen TR, Mattix B, Casco M, Herbst A, Williams C, Tarasidis A, Simionescu D, Visconti RP, Alexis F,
Journal
PubMed ID25463485
'Cellular spheroids were investigated as tissue-engineered building blocks that can be fused to form functional tissue constructs. While spheroids can be assembled using passive contacts for the fusion of complex tissues, physical forces can be used to promote active contacts to improve tissue homogeneity and accelerate tissue fusion. Understanding the ... More
Combined efficacy of cediranib and quinacrine in glioma is enhanced by hypoxia and causally linked to autophagic vacuole accumulation.
AuthorsLobo MR, Wang X, Gillespie GY, Woltjer RL, Pike MM,
Journal
PubMed ID25490024
'We have previously reported that the in vivo anti-glioma efficacy of the anti-angiogenic receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor cediranib is substantially enhanced via combination with the late-stage autophagy inhibitor quinacrine. The current study investigates the role of hypoxia and autophagy in combined cediranib/quinacrine efficacy. EF5 immunostaining revealed a prevalence of hypoxia ... More
Genotoxic and immunotoxic effects of cellulose nanocrystals in vitro.
AuthorsCatalán J, Ilves M, Järventaus H, Hannukainen KS, Kontturi E, Vanhala E, Alenius H, Savolainen KM, Norppa H,
Journal
PubMed ID25257801
'Nanocellulosics are among the most promising innovations for a wide-variety of applications in materials science. Although nanocellulose is presently produced only on a small scale, its possible toxic effects should be investigated at this early stage. The aim of the present study was to examine the potential genotoxicity and immunotoxicity ... More
An intravaginal ring for the sustained delivery of antibodies.
AuthorsGunawardana M, Baum MM, Smith TJ, Moss JA,
Journal
PubMed ID25231193
'Human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) based on IgG and IgA have shown promise as topical microbicide candidates to protect women from HIV infection. Application of mAbs has been limited, however, by the inability of vaginal gels and conventional intravaginal ring (IVR) designs, the predominant vaginal product formulations, to effectively deliver biomolecules ... More
Loss of Igfbp7 causes precocious involution in lactating mouse mammary gland.
AuthorsChatterjee S, Bacopulos S, Yang W, Amemiya Y, Spyropoulos D, Raouf A, Seth A,
Journal
PubMed ID24505323
'Insulin like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs) are secreted peptides that play major roles in regulating the normal development and maturation of mammary gland. While Igfbp7 has been shown to decrease breast tumor growth, its role in regulating the normal mammary gland development has not been studied. ... More
Enrichment of breast cancer stem-like cells by growth on electrospun polycaprolactone-chitosan nanofiber scaffolds.
AuthorsSims-Mourtada J, Niamat RA, Samuel S, Eskridge C, Kmiec EB,
Journal
PubMed ID24570583
'A small population of highly tumorigenic breast cancer cells has recently been identified. These cells, known as breast-cancer stem-like cells (BCSC), express markers similar to mammary stem cells, and are highly resistant to chemotherapy. Currently, study of BCSC is hampered by the inability to propagate these cells in tissue culture ... More
Application of a cell-based protease assay for testing inhibitors of picornavirus 3C proteases.
Authorsvan der Linden L, Ulferts R, Nabuurs SB, Kusov Y, Liu H, George S, Lacroix C, Goris N, Lefebvre D, Lanke KH, De Clercq K, Hilgenfeld R, Neyts J, van Kuppeveld FJ,
Journal
PubMed ID24393668
'Proteolytical cleavage of the picornaviral polyprotein is essential for viral replication. Therefore, viral proteases are attractive targets for anti-viral therapy. Most assays available for testing proteolytical activity of proteases are performed in vitro, using heterologously expressed proteases and peptide substrates. To deal with the disadvantages associated with in vitro assays, ... More
Neuronal deletion of caspase 8 protects against brain injury in mouse models of controlled cortical impact and kainic acid-induced excitotoxicity.
AuthorsKrajewska M, You Z, Rong J, Kress C, Huang X, Yang J, Kyoda T, Leyva R, Banares S, Hu Y, Sze CH, Whalen MJ, Salmena L, Hakem R, Head BP, Reed JC, Krajewski S,
JournalPLoS One
PubMed ID21957448
'Acute brain injury is an important health problem. Given the critical position of caspase 8 at the crossroads of cell death pathways, we generated a new viable mouse line (Ncasp8(-/-)), in which the gene encoding caspase 8 was selectively deleted in neurons by cre-lox system. Caspase 8 deletion reduced rates ... More
PARK9-associated ATP13A2 localizes to intracellular acidic vesicles and regulates cation homeostasis and neuronal integrity.
AuthorsRamonet D, Podhajska A, Stafa K, Sonnay S, Trancikova A, Tsika E, Pletnikova O, Troncoso JC, Glauser L, Moore DJ,
JournalHum Mol Genet
PubMed ID22186024
'Mutations in the ATP13A2 gene (PARK9, OMIM 610513) cause autosomal recessive, juvenile-onset Kufor-Rakeb syndrome and early-onset parkinsonism. ATP13A2 is an uncharacterized protein belonging to the P(5)-type ATPase subfamily that is predicted to regulate the membrane transport of cations. The physiological function of ATP13A2 in the mammalian brain is poorly understood. ... More
Cofilin nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling affects cofilin-actin rod formation during stress.
AuthorsMunsie LN, Desmond CR, Truant R,
JournalJ Cell Sci
PubMed ID22623727
'Cofilin protein is involved in regulating the actin cytoskeleton during typical steady state conditions, as well as during cell stress conditions where cofilin saturates F-actin, forming cofilin-actin rods. Cofilin can enter the nucleus through an active nuclear localization signal (NLS), accumulating in nuclear actin rods during stress. Here, we characterize ... More
The Vpx lentiviral accessory protein targets SAMHD1 for degradation in the nucleus.
AuthorsHofmann H, Logue EC, Bloch N, Daddacha W, Polsky SB, Schultz ML, Kim B, Landau NR,
JournalJ Virol
PubMed ID22973040
'Sterile alpha motif domain- and HD domain-containing protein 1 (SAMHD1) is a deoxynucleoside triphosphohydrolase that restricts the replication of lentiviruses in myeloid cells by hydrolyzing the cellular deoxynucleotide triphosphates to a level below that which is required for reverse transcription. Human immunodeficiency virus type 2 (HIV-2) and some simian immunodeficiency ... More
Experimental approaches to investigating the vaginal biofilm microbiome.
AuthorsBaum MM, Gunawardana M, Webster P,
Journal
PubMed ID24664828
'Unraveling the complex ecology of the vaginal biofilm microbiome relies on a number of complementary techniques. Here, we describe the experimental approaches for studying vaginal microbial biofilm samples with a focus on specimen preparation for subsequent analysis. The techniques include fluorescence microscopy, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and scanning and transmission ... More
CD47 functions as a molecular switch for erythrocyte phagocytosis.
AuthorsBurger P, Hilarius-Stokman P, de Korte D, van den Berg TK, van Bruggen R,
JournalBlood
PubMed ID22427202
'CD47 on erythrocytes inhibits phagocytosis through interaction with the inhibitory immunoreceptor SIRPa expressed by macrophages. Thus, the CD47-SIRPa interaction constitutes a negative signal for erythrocyte phagocytosis. However, we report here that CD47 does not only function as a ' ... More
Induction of cholesterol biosynthesis by archazolid B in T24 bladder cancer cells.
AuthorsHamm R, Chen YR, Seo EJ, Zeino M, Wu CF, Müller R, Yang NS, Efferth T,
Journal
PubMed ID24976507
Resistance of cancer cells towards chemotherapeutics represents a major cause of therapy failure. The objective of our study was to evaluate cellular defense strategies in response to the novel vacuolar H(+)-ATPase inhibitor, archazolid B. The effects of archazolid B on T24 bladder carcinoma cells were investigated by combining ... More
Evaluation of in vitro properties of predicted kinases that phosphorylate serine residues within nuclear localization signal 1 of high mobility group box?1.
AuthorsTaira J, Higashimoto Y,
Journal
PubMed ID24863048
Phosphorylation of high mobility group box?1 (HMGB1) is involved in the subcellular translocation of this protein and its subsequent secretion. Two nuclear localization signals (NLSs), NLS1 and NLS2, in this protein regulate its nucleocytoplasmic relocation, and phosphorylation of both NLSs strongly promotes HMGB1 mobilization. However, the phosphorylation properties of serine ... More
Sequential delivery of immunomodulatory cytokines to facilitate the M1-to-M2 transition of macrophages and enhance vascularization of bone scaffolds.
AuthorsSpiller KL, Nassiri S, Witherel CE, Anfang RR, Ng J, Nakazawa KR, Yu T, Vunjak-Novakovic G,
Journal
PubMed ID25453950
In normal tissue repair, macrophages exhibit a pro-inflammatory phenotype (M1) at early stages and a pro-healing phenotype (M2) at later stages. We have previously shown that M1 macrophages initiate angiogenesis while M2 macrophages promote vessel maturation. Therefore, we reasoned that scaffolds that promote sequential M1 and M2 polarization of infiltrating ... More
Actin cytoskeletal disruption following cryopreservation alters the biodistribution of human mesenchymal stromal cells in vivo.
Mesenchymal stromal cells have shown clinical promise; however, variations in treatment responses are an ongoing concern. We previously demonstrated that MSCs are functionally stunned after thawing. Here, we investigated whether this cryopreservation/thawing defect also impacts the postinfusion biodistribution properties of MSCs. Under both static and physiologic flow, compared with live ... More
Systemic Staphylococcus aureus infection mediated by Candida albicans hyphal invasion of mucosal tissue.
Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus are often co-isolated in cases of biofilm-associated infections. C. albicans can cause systemic disease through morphological switch from the rounded yeast to the invasive hyphal form. Alternatively, systemic S. aureus infections arise from seeding through breaks in host epithelial layers although many patients have no ... More
Bactericidal effect of bovine lactoferrin and synthetic peptide lactoferrin chimera in Streptococcus pneumoniae and the decrease in luxS gene expression by lactoferrin.
AuthorsLeón-Sicairos N, Angulo-Zamudio UA, Vidal JE, López-Torres CA, Bolscher JG, Nazmi K, Reyes-Cortes R, Reyes-López M, de la Garza M, Canizalez-Román A,
Journal
PubMed ID25053107
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is responsible for nearly one million child deaths annually. Pneumococcus causes infections such as pneumonia, otitis media, meningitis, and sepsis. The human immune system includes antibacterial peptides and proteins such as lactoferrin (LF), but its activity against pneumococcus is not fully understood. The aim of this work ... More
Evidence for SH2 domain-containing 5'-inositol phosphatase-2 (SHIP2) contributing to a lymphatic dysfunction.
The lymphatic vasculature plays a critical role in a number of disease conditions of increasing prevalence, such as autoimmune disorders, obesity, blood vascular diseases, and cancer metastases. Yet, unlike the blood vasculature, the tools available to interrogate the molecular basis of lymphatic dysfunction/disease have been lacking. More recently, investigators have ... More
Inhibition of mTOR Prevents ROS Production Initiated by Ethidium Bromide-Induced Mitochondrial DNA Depletion.
AuthorsNacarelli T, Azar A, Sell C,
Journal
PubMed ID25104948
The regulation of mitochondrial mass and DNA content involves a complex interaction between mitochondrial DNA replication machinery, functional components of the electron transport chain, selective clearance of mitochondria, and nuclear gene expression. In order to gain insight into cellular responses to mitochondrial stress, we treated human diploid fibroblasts with ethidium ... More
Toll-like receptor 9 mediates invasion and predicts prognosis in squamous cell carcinoma of the mobile tongue.
AuthorsKauppila JH, Korvala J, Siirilä K, Manni M, Mäkinen LK, Hagström J, Atula T, Haglund C, Selander KS, Saarnio J, Karttunen TJ, Lehenkari PP, Salo T,
Journal
PubMed ID25338738
Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) is a cellular receptor, which recognizes bacterial and host-derived DNA. Stimulation of TLR9 induces cellular invasion via matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13). The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of TLR9 in invasion of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC). The effects of TLR9 ... More
Benzimidazole analogs as potent hypoxia inducible factor inhibitors: synthesis, biological evaluation, and profiling drug-like properties.
AuthorsChen J, Wang J, Schwab LP, Park KT, Seagroves TN, Jennings LK, Miller DD, Li W,
Journal
PubMed ID25075010
To develop potent HIF-1a inhibitors for potential treatment of cancer. Chemical synthesis, HIF-luciferase assay, cytotoxic assay, platelet aggregation assay, western blot analysis, quantitative real-time PCR, aqueous solubility, protein binding, metabolic stability, and metabolic pathways. Thirteen novel benzimidazole analogs were synthesized. Compounds 3a and 3k showed the highest anti-HIF-1a activity. They ... More
Inactivation of the antibacterial and cytotoxic properties of silver ions by biologically relevant compounds.
AuthorsMulley G, Jenkins AT, Waterfield NR,
Journal
PubMed ID24728271
There has been a recent surge in the use of silver as an antimicrobial agent in a wide range of domestic and clinical products, intended to prevent or treat bacterial infections and reduce bacterial colonization of surfaces. It has been reported that the antibacterial and cytotoxic properties of silver are ... More
Cytotoxicity and genotoxicity caused by yttrium oxide nanoparticles in HEK293 cells.
AuthorsSelvaraj V, Bodapati S, Murray E, Rice KM, Winston N, Shokuhfar T, Zhao Y, Blough E,
Journal
PubMed ID24648735
The increased use of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) has caused new concerns about the potential exposure to biological systems and the potential risk that these materials may pose on human health. Here, we examined the effects of exposure to different concentrations (0-50 µg/mL) and incubation times (10 hours, 24 hours, or ... More
Thermoresponsive worms for expansion and release of human embryonic stem cells.
The development of robust suspension cultures of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) without the use of cell membrane disrupting enzymes or inhibitors is critical for future clinical applications in regenerative medicine. We have achieved this by using long, flexible, and thermoresponsive polymer worms decorated with a recombinant vitronectin subdomain that ... More
Boosting accumulation of neutral lipids in Rhodosporidium kratochvilovae HIMPA1 grown on hemp (Cannabis sativa Linn) seed aqueous extract as feedstock for biodiesel production.
AuthorsPatel A, Pravez M, Deeba F, Pruthi V, Singh RP, Pruthi PA,
Journal
PubMed ID24746767
Hemp seeds aqueous extract (HSAE) was used as cheap renewable feedstocks to grow novel oleaginous yeast Rhodosporidium kratochvilovae HIMPA1 isolated from Himalayan permafrost soil. The yeast showed boosted triglyceride (TAG) accumulation in the lipid droplets (LDs) which were transesterified to biodiesel. The sonicated HSAE prepared lacked toxic inhibitors and showed ... More
Identification and purification of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived atrial-like cardiomyocytes based on sarcolipin expression.
AuthorsJosowitz R, Lu J, Falce C, D'Souza SL, Wu M, Cohen N, Dubois NC, Zhao Y, Sobie EA, Fishman GI, Gelb BD,
Journal
PubMed ID25010565
The use of human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes to study atrial biology and disease has been restricted by the lack of a reliable method for stem cell-derived atrial cell labeling and purification. The goal of this study was to generate an atrial-specific reporter construct to identify and purify human stem cell-derived ... More
The TMEFF2 tumor suppressor modulates integrin expression, RhoA activation and migration of prostate cancer cells.
Cell adhesion and migration play important roles in physiological and pathological states, including embryonic development and cancer invasion and metastasis. The type I transmembrane protein with epidermal growth factor and two follistatin motifs 2 (TMEFF2) is expressed mainly in brain and prostate and its expression is deregulated in prostate cancer. ... More
A multidisciplinary study using in vivo tumor models and microfluidic cell-on-chip approach to explore the cross-talk between cancer and immune cells.
AuthorsMattei F, Schiavoni G, De Ninno A, Lucarini V, Sestili P, Sistigu A, Fragale A, Sanchez M, Spada M, Gerardino A, Belardelli F, Businaro L, Gabriele L,
Journal
PubMed ID24597645
A full elucidation of events occurring inside the cancer microenvironment is fundamental for the optimization of more effective therapies. In the present study, the cross-talk between cancer and immune cells was examined by employing mice deficient (KO) in interferon regulatory factor (IRF)-8, a transcription factor essential for induction of competent ... More
Neuregulin-3 regulates epithelial progenitor cell positioning and specifies mammary phenotype.
AuthorsKogata N, Oliemuller E, Wansbury O, Howard BA,
Journal
PubMed ID24936779
Mutation of Neuregulin-3 (Nrg3) results in defective embryonic mammary gland development. Here, we investigate functions of Nrg3 signaling in embryonic mammary morphogenesis. Nrg3 regulates the distribution of epithelial progenitor cells within the presumptive mammary-forming region during early mammary morphogenesis. Basal and suprabasal epithelial cells are significantly smaller within the hypoplastic ... More
Thymoquinone induces cell death in human squamous carcinoma cells via caspase activation-dependent apoptosis and LC3-II activation-dependent autophagy.
AuthorsChu SC, Hsieh YS, Yu CC, Lai YY, Chen PN,
Journal
PubMed ID25000169
Thymoquinone (TQ), an active component of Nigella sativa or black cumin, elicits cytotoxic effects on various cancer cell lines. However, the anti-cancer effects of TQ on head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) remain unclear. In this study, TQ elicited a strong cytotoxic effect on SASVO3, a highly malignant HNSCC ... More
Oral administration of soy peptides suppresses cognitive decline by induction of neurotrophic factors in SAMP8 mice.
SAMP8 mice have a shorter lifespan and show the dysfunction of the central nervous system. We here investigated whether soy peptides (SP) composed mainly of di- and tripeptides has the potential to prevent age-dependent cognitive impairment. SAMP8 and normal aging mice, SAMR1, were fed a diet supplemented with SP or ... More
Maintenance of ischemic ß cell viability through delivery of lipids and ATP by targeted liposomes.
AuthorsAtchison N, Swindlehurst G, Papas KK, Tsapatsis M, Kokkoli E,
Journal
PubMed ID24653833
Islet transplantation is a promising treatment for type 1 diabetes, but despite the successes, existing challenges prevent widespread application. Ischemia, occurring during pancreas preservation and isolation, as well as after islet transplantation, decreases islet viability and function. We hypothesized that the liposomal delivery of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) could prevent the ... More
Argonaute-2 promotes miR-18a entry in human brain endothelial cells.
AuthorsFerreira R, Santos T, Amar A, Gong A, Chen TC, Tahara SM, Giannotta SL, Hofman FM,
Journal
PubMed ID24837588
Cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a vascular disease exhibiting abnormal blood vessel morphology and function. miR-18a ameliorates the abnormal characteristics of AVM-derived brain endothelial cells (AVM-BEC) without the use of transfection reagents. Hence, our aim was to identify the mechanisms by which miR-18a is internalized by AVM-BEC. Since AVM-BEC overexpress ... More
The polyphenol quercetin protects the mev-1 mutant of Caenorhabditis elegans from glucose-induced reduction of survival under heat-stress depending on SIR-2.1, DAF-12, and proteasomal activity.
AuthorsFitzenberger E, Deusing DJ, Marx C, Boll M, Lüersen K, Wenzel U,
Journal
PubMed ID24407905
Hyperglycemia is a hallmark of diabetes mellitus but slighter increases of blood glucose levels are observed also during ageing. Using the Caenorhabditis elegans mev-1 mutant, we identified molecular mechanisms underlying the protection from glucose toxicity by the polyphenol quercetin. We fed C. elegans mev-1 mutants on a liquid medium supplemented ... More
Combinatorial gene editing in mammalian cells using ssODNs and TALENs.
AuthorsStrouse B, Bialk P, Niamat RA, Rivera-Torres N, Kmiec EB,
Journal
PubMed ID24445749
The regulation of gene editing is being elucidated in mammalian cells and its potential as well as its limitations are becoming evident. ssODNs carry out gene editing by annealing to their complimentary sequence at the target site and acting as primers for replication fork extension. To effect a genetic change, ... More
Involvement of conserved tryptophan residues for secretion of TIMP-2.
AuthorsUkaji T, Sasazawa Y, Umezawa K, Simizu S,
Journal
PubMed ID24527068
Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are endogenous inhibitor proteins of matrix metalloproteinases and contain 12 cysteine residues that are conserved among TIMPs, and which are important for their activity and structure. In the present study, three tryptophan residues conserved among TIMPs were revealed to be important for the secretion of ... More
Janus magnetic cellular spheroids for vascular tissue engineering.
AuthorsMattix BM, Olsen TR, Casco M, Reese L, Poole JT, Zhang J, Visconti RP, Simionescu A, Simionescu DT, Alexis F,
Journal
PubMed ID24183699
Cell aggregates, or spheroids, have been used as building blocks to fabricate scaffold-free tissues that can closely mimic the native three-dimensional in vivo environment for broad applications including regenerative medicine and high throughput testing of drugs. The incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) into spheroids permits the manipulation of spheroids into ... More
Expression of green fluorescent protein in human foreskin fibroblasts for use in 2D and 3D culture models.
The availability of fibroblasts that express green fluorescent protein (GFP) would be of interest for the monitoring of cell growth, migration, contraction, and other processes within the fibroblast-populated collagen matrix and other culture systems. A plasmid lentiviral vector-GFP (pLV-GFP) was utilized for gene delivery to produce primary human foreskin fibroblasts ... More
Role of the EphB2 receptor in autophagy, apoptosis and invasion in human breast cancer cells.
AuthorsChukkapalli S, Amessou M, Dilly AK, Dekhil H, Zhao J, Liu Q, Bejna A, Thomas RD, Bandyopadhyay S, Bismar TA, Neill D, Azoulay L, Batist G, Kandouz M,
Journal
PubMed ID24211352
The Eph and Ephrin proteins, which constitute the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases, are involved in normal tissue development and cancer progression. Here, we examined the expression and role of the B-type Eph receptor EphB2 in breast cancers. By immunohistochemistry using a progression tissue microarray of human clinical samples, ... More
Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) plays a role in Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT)-induced protein synthesis and proliferation in Swiss 3T3 cells.
AuthorsOubrahim H, Wong A, Wilson BA, Chock PB,
JournalJ Biol Chem
PubMed ID23223576
Pasteurella multocida toxin (PMT) is a potent mitogen known to activate several signaling pathways via deamidation of a conserved glutamine residue in the a subunit of heterotrimeric G-proteins. However, the detailed mechanism behind mitogenic properties of PMT is unknown. Herein, we show that PMT induces protein synthesis, cell migration, and ... More
Proliferation of genetically modified human cells on electrospun nanofiber scaffolds.
Gene editing is a process by which single base mutations can be corrected, in the context of the chromosome, using single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODNs). The survival and proliferation of the corrected cells bearing modified genes, however, are impeded by a phenomenon known as reduced proliferation phenotype (RPP); this is a barrier ... More
The
AuthorsHorst D, Burmeister WP, Boer IG, van Leeuwen D, Buisson M, Gorbalenya AE, Wiertz EJ, Ressing ME,
JournalJ Virol
PubMed ID22696660
Replication of the human herpesvirus Epstein-Barr virus drastically impairs cellular protein synthesis. This shutoff phenotype results from mRNA degradation upon expression of the early lytic-phase protein BGLF5. Interestingly, BGLF5 is the viral DNase, or alkaline exonuclease, homologues of which are present throughout the herpesvirus family. During productive infection, this DNase ... More
Heat shock and caloric restriction have a synergistic effect on the heat shock response in a sir2.1-dependent manner in Caenorhabditis elegans.
The heat shock response (HSR) is responsible for maintaining cellular and organismal health through the regulation of proteostasis. Recent data demonstrating that the mammalian HSR is regulated by SIRT1 suggest that this response may be under metabolic control. To test this hypothesis, we have determined the effect of caloric restriction ... More
Tissue factor–dependent procoagulant activity of subtilase cytotoxin, a potent AB5 toxin produced by shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli.
AuthorsWang H, Paton JC, Thorpe CM, Bonder CS, Sun WY, Paton AW,
JournalJ Infect Dis
PubMed ID20874089
Subtilase cytotoxin (SubAB), produced by certain virulent Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli strains, causes hemolytic uremic syndrome-like pathology in mice, including extensive microvascular thrombosis. SubAB acts by specifically cleaving the essential endoplasmic reticulum chaperone binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP). BiP has been reported to inhibit the activation of tissue factor (TF), the ... More
Resolvin D1 decreases adipose tissue macrophage accumulation and improves insulin sensitivity in obese-diabetic mice.
AuthorsHellmann J, Tang Y, Kosuri M, Bhatnagar A, Spite M,
JournalFASEB J
PubMed ID21478260
Type 2 diabetes and obesity have emerged as global public health crises. Adipose tissue expansion in obesity promotes accumulation of classically activated macrophages that perpetuate chronic inflammation and sustain insulin resistance. Acute inflammation normally resolves in an actively orchestrated series of molecular and cellular events that ensures return to homeostasis ... More
Gap junction-mediated import of microRNA from bone marrow stromal cells can elicit cell cycle quiescence in breast cancer cells.
AuthorsLim PK, Bliss SA, Patel SA, Taborga M, Dave MA, Gregory LA, Greco SJ, Bryan M, Patel PS, Rameshwar P,
JournalCancer Res
PubMed ID21343399
Bone marrow (BM) metastasis of breast cancer (BC) can recur even decades after initial diagnosis and treatment, implying the long-term survival of disseminated cancer cells in a dormant state. Here we investigated the role of microRNAs (miRNA) transmitted from BM stroma to BC cells via gap junctions and exosomes in ... More