癌相关通路在肺腺癌中的共扰动机制

肺腺癌的发生涉及多个生物学功能通路的扰动,其遗传改变频繁地发生于MAPK信号、p53信号、Wnt信号、细胞周期和mTOR等通路的基因中。解析癌相关通路间的共扰动机制对我们理解癌机制以及寻找诊断标记具有重要意义。因此,本文基于肺腺癌突变谱数据,研究上述癌相关通路在肺腺癌中的共扰动机制。结果发现:在肺腺癌发生的过程中,MAPK信号、p53信号、Wnt信号、细胞周期和mTOR等通路同时被扰动。在不同的癌样本中,一对通路可能通过以下三种方式被共同扰动:(1)在两条通路中的不同基因间的共突变;(2)两条通路相互交叠基因的突变;(3)与两条通路同时具有频繁的互作关系的蛋白质的编码基因的突变。该结果提示,癌相关通路对在不同的样本中可能通过不同的方式被共扰动,这也可能是造成癌症异质性的重要原因之一。     

PI3K/AKT信号通路与心力衰竭

丝氨酸/苏氨酸激酶(serine/threonine kinase,AKT)是真核细胞中参与细胞信号转导的关键分子。目前已经证实PI3K(phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase,PI3K)/AKT信号通路在人类肿瘤、代谢紊乱、肾脏疾病以及精神障碍等疾病中发挥着重要的作用。近年来的研究还发现PI3K/AKT信号通路的激活会对心肌细胞的生长、代谢以及凋亡等活动产生影响,且该通路及其中的很多受体、激酶被证实与心力衰竭关系密切,这使该信号通路在心力衰竭的发病机制、诊断及治疗等方面的研究日益受到重视。总结PI3K/AKT的结构特点、相关信号转导机制及其与心力衰竭的关系将有利于更好地理解心力衰竭的发病机制。     

幽门螺杆菌与胃癌相关信号通路研究进展

胃癌(gastric cance, GC)是世界范围内最常见的恶性肿瘤之一,其病死率在癌症中位居第二。GC的发病机制目前尚不明确,其发病机制与多种因素有关,其中包括环境因素和遗传因素。幽门螺杆菌( Helicobacter pylori , Hp)感染是GC发生最为重要的环境因素之一。Hp感染在GC的发展过程中,会伴有一些基因和信号通路的异常。现就Hp感染引发GC过程中相关信号通路的异常,包括Hedgehog信号通路、Notch信号通路、Wnt/β-catenin信号通路以及上皮间质转化(epithelial-mesenchymal transition, EMT)相关信号通路等作一概述,为GC的预防及靶向治疗提供理论依据。     

Hippo信号通路与心血管发育及疾病调控

心血管疾病已成为中国乃至全球首位死亡原因,探索心血管系统发育及调控异常的原因及相关机制可以为心血管疾病的预防和治疗提供重要的科学依据。Hippo信号通路是新近发现的在调节器官大小、细胞增殖及凋亡、干细胞命运等方面具有重要功能的一条信号通路。Hippo信号通路的不同成分参与心脏血管的发育和心血管细胞增殖、分化等功能调控,影响损伤后修复及再生等过程,该通路调节异常可引起心血管疾病,如心梗、心肌肥大、血管内膜增生、动脉硬化等。本文综述了Hippo信号通路对心血管系统发育和疾病调控的相关研究及最新进展,以期为Hippo通路在心血管疾病的发病机制及临床转化研究提供潜在的理论基础。     

Nrf2信号通路在复发性外阴阴道念珠菌病发病机制中的作用CSCD

复发性外阴阴道念珠菌病是一种由念珠菌机会感染引起的皮肤黏膜疾病,其发病机制复杂,而念珠菌的侵袭与宿主诱发因素是复发性外阴阴道念珠菌病的主要致病因素。其中,念珠菌可通过多种方式攻击宿主细胞和逃避宿主免疫系统而导致机体损伤。Nrf2信号通路是细胞抗氧化的主要调控机构,同时也是一种重要的免疫调节机构。一方面,Nrf2通路可下调NF-κB通路和促进Th17、Treg、Th1细胞的活化,启动宿主适应性免疫;同时,Nrf2通路可激活树突状细胞介导机体固有免疫。另一方面,Nrf2通路还可通过抗氧化应激损伤来阻止阴道炎的发展。该文对Nrf2通路在复发性念珠菌性阴道炎发病机制中的抗氧化应激和免疫调节作用进行综述,旨在研究Nrf2信号通路与复发性外阴阴道念珠菌病发病机制间的关系,从而指导临床治疗复发性外阴阴道念珠菌病。     

脊髓损伤中RhoA/ROCK通路的作用机制研究

脊髓损伤是一种严重的中枢神经系统损伤,常导致患者瘫痪或死亡,预后差。脊髓损伤主要包括机械损伤和继发性损伤两个过程。在继发性损伤过程中,多种信号通路被激活,在脊髓损伤的发病机制中起重要作用,其中,RhoA/Rho信号通路在脊髓变性和再生中起着特殊的作用。本文讨论RhoA/Rho激酶信号介导的脊髓发病机制,以及针对RhoA/ROCK通路靶向药物的治疗进展。     

胰岛素信号通路参与阿尔兹海默症发病机制的研究进展

阿尔兹海默病(Alzheimer's Disease,AD)是一种以老年斑和神经纤维缠结为主要病理学特征的中枢神经系统退行性疾病,其发病机制极为复杂。胰岛素信号通路作为胰岛素生理作用中的主要信号传导途径,在代谢、神经保护和调节认知功能障碍等方面发挥着重要作用。研究显示AD患者常伴随着胰岛素信号通路障碍和胰岛素抵抗(insulin resistance,IR)等症状的发生,提示胰岛素信号通路可能与AD的发病过程密切相关。本文以胰岛素信号通路为切入点,阐述该通路参与AD发病的可能机制,以期为预防和治疗阿尔兹海默病提供新线索。     

Nrf2信号通路在复发性外阴阴道念珠菌病发病机制中的作用

复发性外阴阴道念珠菌病是一种由念珠菌机会感染引起的皮肤黏膜疾病,其发病机制复杂,而念珠菌的侵袭与宿主诱发因素是复发性外阴阴道念珠菌病的主要致病因素。其中,念珠菌可通过多种方式攻击宿主细胞和逃避宿主免疫系统而导致机体损伤。Nrf2信号通路是细胞抗氧化的主要调控机构,同时也是一种重要的免疫调节机构。一方面,Nrf2通路可下调NF-κB通路和促进Th17、Treg、Th1细胞的活化,启动宿主适应性免疫;同时,Nrf2通路可激活树突状细胞介导机体固有免疫。另一方面,Nrf2通路还可通过抗氧化应激损伤来阻止阴道炎的发展。该文对Nrf2通路在复发性念珠菌性阴道炎发病机制中的抗氧化应激和免疫调节作用进行综述,旨在研究Nrf2信号通路与复发性外阴阴道念珠菌病发病机制间的关系,从而指导临床治疗复发性外阴阴道念珠菌病。     

GSK-3β在相关疾病中的作用及致病机制的研究进展

糖原合成酶激酶-3(GSK-3)是一种存在于所有真核细胞质中的丝氨酸/苏氨酸蛋白激酶,分为α和β两种亚型。研究显示GSK-3β在调控糖代谢,细胞炎症反应,神经及心脏功能和生殖功能中具有重要作用。其致病机制主要是通过磷酸化不同信号通路关键酶从而参与细胞新陈代谢,增殖,衰老,凋亡等生理活动的调控过程。本文主要对GSK-3β可能导致的多种疾病及其发病机制进行综述。     

多胺代谢与肿瘤细胞信号转导

肿瘤细胞的快速增殖依赖于细胞内的多胺水平,耗竭细胞内多胺可抑制肿瘤细胞增殖并诱导其凋亡。与此同时,细胞内多胺含量的改变可以影响肿瘤细胞内多种信号通路的活性,依据受影响信号分子功能的差异,这些信号通路活性的改变具有增强或抑制耗竭多胺产生的抗肿瘤效应的功能,从而对肿瘤细胞的生长、分化、迁移和侵袭产生不同的影响。综述多胺对肿瘤相关信号通路的影响及其分子机制。     

Update on Sturge-Weber syndrome: diagnosis, treatment, quantitative measures, and controversies

Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) is defined by the association of a facial capillary malformation (port-wine stain), with a vascular malformation of the eye, and/or vascular malformation of the brain (leptomeningeal angioma). Variants exist where only one of these three structures is involved with the vascular malformation. SWS occurs sporadically and is congenital. Port-wine stains occur in 3 per 1000 live births. No good population-based data exist for how many people have Sturge-Weber syndrome, however, estimates range between one in 20-50,000 live births. This review summarizes literature regarding the main features and pathophysiology of Sturge-Weber syndrome, however the cause of this syndrome remains obscure. Recent advances in neuroimaging have provided important insights into the progression of neurologic injury that occurs as a result of impaired blood flow. Important limitations exist, however, as currently the early diagnosis and exclusion of Sturge-Weber syndrome is impaired by the poor sensitivity of imaging in the newborn period and early infancy. Several important controversies complicate our ability to care for these patients and include the questions of ideal timing of surgery, whether seizures themselves contribute to the neurologic injury, and what the role of low-dose aspirin should be. This review will summarize several recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms of brain injury in SWS, new measures for quantifying the neurologic involvement and new approaches and controversies in the management of the neurologic complications.     

RAS signalling in energy metabolism and rare human diseases

The RAS pathway is a highly conserved cascade of protein-protein interactions and phosphorylation that is at the heart of signalling networks that govern proliferation, differentiation and cell survival. Recent findings indicate that the RAS pathway plays a role in the regulation of energy metabolism via the control of mitochondrial form and function but little is known on the participation of this effect in RAS-related rare human genetic diseases. Germline mutations that hyperactivate the RAS pathway have been discovered and linked to human developmental disorders that are known as RASopathies. Individuals with RASopathies, which are estimated to affect approximately 1/1000 human birth, share many overlapping characteristics, including cardiac malformations, short stature, neurocognitive impairment, craniofacial dysmorphy, cutaneous, musculoskeletal, and ocular abnormalities, hypotonia and a predisposition to developing cancer. Since the identification of the first RASopathy, type 1 neurofibromatosis (NF1), which is caused by the inactivation of neurofibromin 1, several other syndromes have been associated with mutations in the core components of the RAS-MAPK pathway. These syndromes include Noonan syndrome (NS), Noonan syndrome with multiple lentigines (NSML), which was formerly called LEOPARD syndrome, Costello syndrome (CS), cardio-facio-cutaneous syndrome (CFC), Legius syndrome (LS) and capillary malformation–arteriovenous malformation syndrome (CM-AVM). Here, we review current knowledge about the bioenergetics of the RASopathies and discuss the molecular control of energy homeostasis and mitochondrial physiology by the RAS pathway.     

Linkage study in a large pedigree with Stickler syndrome: exclusion of COL2A1 as the mutant gene

Summary A three generation family with Stickler syndrome is reported. Affected patients exhibited myopia with frequent retinal detachment or glaucoma. Most of them had characteristic facial dysmorphism, the Pierre-Robin sequence being observed in four individuals. Neonatal radiological signs of the Weissenbacher-Zweymüller syndrome were also noticed but early arthopathy was not reported in adults. Restriction fragment length polymorphism studies with the type II collagen gene (COL2A1) showed a recombination event between the disease locus and COL2A1, thus excluding collagen type II as the candidate gene. Although the calculation of the likelihood of genetic heterogeneity versus homogeneity based on 10 families was not statistically significant, we suggest that a second locus is probably involved in this highly variable syndrome.     

Linking animal models to human congenital diaphragmatic hernia

BACKGROUND: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a major life-threatening malformation, occurring in approximately 1 in 3,000 live births. Over the years, different animal models have been used to gain insight into the etiology of this complex congenital anomaly and to develop treatment strategies. However, to date the pathogenic mechanism is still not understood, and treatment remains difficult because of the associated pulmonary hypoplasia and pulmonary hypertension. METHODS: In this review, data available from several animal models will be discussed. The retinoic acid signaling pathway (RA pathway, retinoid pathway) will be addressed as a developmental pathway that is potentially disrupted in the pathogenesis of CDH. Furthermore, genetic factors involved in diaphragm and lung development will be discussed. CONCLUSIONS: With this review article, we aim to provide a concise overview of the current most important experimental genetic data available in the field of CDH.     

Epidermólisis ampollosa con atresia pilórica: reporte de dos casos en hermanos consecutivos

Pyloric atresia is a rare digestive malformation. It represents about 1% of intestinal atresias and is associated with some other genetic or anatomical alteration in 55% of the cases. In 20% of them, it is associated with epidermolysis bullosa, which is described as an established syndrome with a bad prognosis.We present two cases of consecutive siblings with this condition and fatal outcomes in both of them. We made a review of the literature and discussed the main topics.     

Upper airway stability and apnea during nasal occlusion in newborn infants

Brief end-expiratory airway occlusions were performed in 22 preterm babies, 17 with and 5 without clinical apnea, and 4 full-term babies, 1 with Pierre-Robin syndrome. Airway stability was evaluated by comparing pressures measured simultaneously in the chest and nasal passages during occluded inspiratory efforts. The airway remained patent throughout all 301 trials in 20 babies during rapid-eye-movement (REM) and quiet sleep. Airway closure occurred during 31/102 trials in 6 babies (5 preterm and 1 term with Pierre-Robin syndrome), more commonly in quiet than in REM sleep. Overall and within individuals, mean closing pressures were significantly lower than the mean maximum falls in airway pressure recorded during occlusions without closure. Mixed-obstructive and obstructive apnea was significantly more frequent in babies with airway closure than in those without (5.3 +/- 4.0 vs. 0.4 +/- 0.8 episodes/h). Pauses in breathing greater than or equal to 3 s occurred during 28% of occlusions in preterm infants and 2% of occlusions in full-term babies. There was no significant difference between the mean frequency of pauses during occlusion and during the preceding control period or in the incidence of pauses in occlusions with vs. those without closure. It is concluded that the airway of most preterm and full-term babies is remarkably stable under load. Intermittent closure occurs in certain infants and may be related to airway muscle dysfunction.     

Capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation, a new clinical and genetic disorder caused by RASA1 mutations

Capillary malformation (CM), or "port-wine stain," is a common cutaneous vascular anomaly that initially appears as a red macular stain that darkens over years. CM also occurs in several combined vascular anomalies that exhibit hypertrophy, such as Sturge-Weber syndrome, Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome, and Parkes Weber syndrome. Occasional familial segregation of CM suggests that there is genetic susceptibility, underscored by the identification of a large locus, CMC1, on chromosome 5q. We used genetic fine mapping with polymorphic markers to reduce the size of the CMC1 locus. A positional candidate gene, RASA1, encoding p120-RasGAP, was screened for mutations in 17 families. Heterozygous inactivating RASA1 mutations were detected in six families manifesting atypical CMs that were multiple, small, round to oval in shape, and pinkish red in color. In addition to CM, either arteriovenous malformation, arteriovenous fistula, or Parkes Weber syndrome was documented in all the families with a mutation. We named this newly identified association caused by RASA1 mutations "CM-AVM," for capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation. The phenotypic variability can be explained by the involvement of p120-RasGAP in signaling for various growth factor receptors that control proliferation, migration, and survival of several cell types, including vascular endothelial cells.     

The Stickler syndrome: Evidence for close linkage to the structural gene for type II collagen

The Stickler syndrome is an autosomal dominant hereditary disorder of connective tissue with pleiotropic features including premature osteoarthropathy, mild spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, vitreoretinal degeneration, and the Pierre-Robin sequence. Genetic linkage studies in two families with the Stickler syndrome have been performed using restriction fragment length polymorphisms associated with the structural gene for type II collagen, COL2A1. No recombinants between the Stickler phenotype and COL2A1 were observed. The total LOD score for linkage of the Stickler syndrome and COL2A1 at a recombination fraction (theta) of zero is 3.59. These findings suggest that, at least in some families, the mutation causing Stickler syndrome affects the structural locus for type II collagen.     

Male pseudohermaphroditism: Genetics and Clinical delineation

Summary The genetics and clinical delineation of male pseudohermaphroditism are reviewed. These disorders are categorized initially by their genetic etiology-cytogenetic, Mendelian, or teratogenic. It is especially important to distinguish cytogenetic forms, usually associated with 45,X/46,XY mosaicism, from Mendelian (genetic) forms because in the former the prevalence of gonadoblastomas or dysgerminomas is about 15–20%. Genetic forms include (1) those associated with a multiple malformation pattern, (2) those due to an error in adrenal or testicular hormonal biosynthesis, (3) complete testicular feminization, (4) incomplete testicular feminization, (5) Reifenstein syndrome, (6) pseudovaginal perineoscrotal hypospadias, and (7) agondia, and possibly other conditions. Incomplete testicular feminization and the Reifenstein syndrome may or may not represent varied expressivity of the same trait. The designation pseudovaginal perineoscrotal hypospadias is appropriate only if specific constellations of clinical features are present and if no metabolic abnormalities are demonstrable. Etiology and available genetic data are reviewed for each of these disorders.     

Duplication of the MID1 first exon in a patient with Opitz G/BBB syndrome

Opitz G/BBB syndrome is a malformation syndrome of the ventral midline mainly characterized by hypertelorism, swallowing difficulties, hypospadias and developmental delay. SSCP analysis and genomic sequencing of the MID1 open reading frame have identified mutations in 80% of the families with X-linked inheritance. However, in many patients the underlying genetic defect remains undetected by these techniques. Using RNA diagnostics we have now identified a duplication of the MID1 first exon in a patient with X-linked Opitz G/BBB syndrome. This duplication introduces a premature termination codon. In addition, we could significantly lower the threshold for mutation detection on the DNA level by combining SSCP analysis with DHPLC technology.