利用基因芯片对一高保守基因进行肿瘤相关分析

本对大规模人类cDNA测序过程中获得的一条高保守基因进行了初步功能研究,生物信息学研究发现该基因在人类、小鼠、果蝇、拟南芥和裂殖酶母中都有很高的保守性,其他分析预测该基因可能具有肿瘤相关性。RT－PCR分析表明,该基因在成人和胎儿组织中广泛谱表达。利用基因芯片分析该基因在7例肝癌、5例胰腺癌、2例喉癌和2例肺癌中表达情况,结果证实了该基因的肿瘤相关性,并且提示该基因在不同类型中可能处于不同的地位。     

合成生物学在E.coli Nissle 1917靶向治疗癌症中的应用

癌症作为一种威胁人类健康的疾病,其病因极其复杂,人类至今尚无法完全治愈.在肿瘤治疗方法的探索中,研究者发现某些细菌可以有效靶向肿瘤细胞并抑制其生长.相比于传统的肿瘤治疗方法,细菌具备特异性定植于肿瘤微环境的能力,极大地避免了癌症治疗中对于正常组织的伤害,提高了治疗的靶向性和安全性.另一方面,合成生物学工具的发展使研究人...     

端粒酶与癌症靶向治疗

端粒酶是癌组织中特异表达的关键酶,与肿瘤细胞无限增殖关系密切。端粒酶在癌细胞表面表达特异性抗原,是癌细胞的标记之一。靶向治疗作为癌症新兴的治疗方法,具有特异性强、副作用小等传统方法所不具有的优点。针对端粒酶这一特异靶点的靶向治疗可以利用免疫学基本原理,通过抗原的特异性识别有效杀伤癌细胞。已有许多端粒酶肽段应用于实验室及临床研究,具有广阔的应用前景;但应用免疫疗法也有其缺陷,端粒酶抗原免疫耐受的问题也是亟待解决的问题之一,在临床上的广泛应用还有一段路要走。     

Podophyllum peltatum —may apple a potential new cash-crop plant of eastern North America

In this paper a survey is given of the present knowledge of the medicinal value of May apple,Podophyllum peltatum, a plant which is common in the whole deciduous forest region of eastern North America. Intensive chemical, pharmacological and clinical research has shown that Podophyllum is a very valuable medicinal plant because it contains drugs which can effectively be used against certain virus and skin cancer diseases. The plant is so much in demand in the drug trade that selection of high yielding clones and cultivation might be contemplated. A review of the literature shows that surprisingly little is known yet about the flower biology, seed germination and productivity of this common plant. From various herbarium sources a distribution map has been compiled and the author tries to interpret this by comparing it with a number of climatic parameters. This might stimulate experimental work on the climatic requirements of May apple and it shows where optimum conditions exist for its eventual cultivation on a commercial scale.     

Computer aided screening of natural compounds targeting the E6 protein of HPV using molecular docking

The cancer profile in the Indian state of Uttarakhand reveals that the breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancers in females followed by cervical and ovarian type. Literature survey shows that the E6 protein of Human Papilloma Virus-16 (HPV-16) is responsible for causing several forms of cancer in human. Therefore, it is of interest to screen HPV-16 E6 target protein with known natural compounds using computer aided molecular modeling and docking tools. The complete structure of E6 is unknown. Hence, the E6 structure model was constructed using different online servers followed by molecular docking of Colchine, Curcumin, Daphnoretin, Ellipticine and Epigallocatechin-3-gallate; five known natural compounds with best E6 protein model predicted by Phyre2 server. The screening exercise shows that Daphnoretin (with binding free energy of -8.3 kcal/mol), a natural compound derived from Wikstroemia indica has the top binding properties. Thus, it is of interest to consider the compound for further validation.     

From a unique cell to metastasis is a long way to go: clues to stromelysin-3 participation

Stromelysin-3 (ST3) overexpression is associated with poor patient clinical outcome in numerous carcinomas. The ST3 is expressed by peritumoral fibroblast-like cells. Review of the literature shows that ST3 is an active partner of cancer cells along the whole natural cancer history, and is essential for optimal tumor development as it reduces death of cancer cells invading adjacent connective tissues at the primary tumor site. Paradoxically, ST3 lowers metastasis development in vivo in mice. However, this beneficial effect does not counterbalance the deleterious anti-apoptotic function of ST3.     

脱镁叶绿素a-光动力疗法抗前列腺癌的研究进展

脱镁叶绿素a是一种从高等植物和海藻中提取的化合物,具有抗菌、抗炎、抗病毒、抗氧化和抗肿瘤的药理作用;作为一种天然光敏剂,其与光动力疗法联用,对于多种肿瘤表现出良好的抑制效果。近年来,脱镁叶绿素a在癌症治疗方面的研究取得了重大进展,在抗前列腺癌方面表现出巨大的潜力。该文从脱镁叶绿素a结构特征、应用及抗前列腺癌作用机制方面进行简要综述。     

Cell membrane, but not circulating, carcinoembryonic antigen is linked to a phosphatidylinositol-containing hydrophobic domain

Carcinoembryonic antigen is present in the cell membrane of most tumors of colorectal origin and in the plasma of patients with colorectal cancer and other malignancies. In this paper we demonstrate that carcinoembryonic antigen can be released from HT-29 cells by phosphatidylinositol specific phospholipase C. Triton X-114 phase separation shows that phospholipase C converts the antigen into a water soluble protein. In addition, plasma carcinoembryonic antigen behaves as the cleaved antigen in phase separation experiments. This strongly suggests that carcinoembryonic antigen is attached to cell membranes by a glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol anchor and that it can be released in vivo by enzymatic cleavage of the hydrophobic tail.     

肝癌实验室诊断研究进展

原发性肝癌是目前世界上致死率最高的恶性肿瘤之一,在全世界范围内的发病率有逐年上升的趋势。肝癌的诊断特别是早期诊断,对于提高患者生存率至关重要。我们简要综述了国内外肝癌实验室诊断中的常用标志物以及检测方法的进展,并展望了其发展前景。     

Molecular docking analysis of compounds from Andrographis paniculata with EGFR

EGFR is linked with oral cancer. Therefore, it is of interest document the molecular docking analysis of compounds from Andrographis paniculata with EGFR. Data shows the binding features of five compounds 14- acetylandrographolide, andrograpanin, andrographolide, isoandrographolide and neoandrographolide from Andrographis paniculata with EGFR for further consideration.     

Coffee consumption and pancreatic cancer: temporal and spatial correlation.

An examination of available data on per caput consumption of coffee and pancreatic cancer mortality in the United States since 1950 shows a temporal association. A rise and fall in coffee consumption was followed by a rise and fall in the incidence of pancreatic cancer with roughly a 10-year lag. Nevertheless, there were inconsistencies in this relationship was also found between the consumption of coffee and pancreatic cancer mortality in 13 countries. While this relationship suggests an association, major inconsistencies case doubt on the possibility that it is one of cause and effect. This may be due to confounding, particularly by cigarette smoking and cancer of the pancreas is much more consistent with a causal relationship.     

Aberrations in SMAD family of genes among HNSCC patients

Head and neck cancer is a debilitating disease with several etiological factors. One of the main etiologies to be noticed is the alteration, which is either caused by genetic or environmental factors. Therefore, it is of interest to assess the effect of genetic alterations, especially the non-synonymous mutations of the SMAD gene family and its possible association with HNSCC. Data shows a significant novel mutation in the SMAD gene family in association with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), which would aid in better diagnosis and treatment planning for cancer.     

The (r)evolution of cancer genetics

The identification of an increasing number of cancer genes is opening up unexpected scenarios in cancer genetics. When analyzed for their systemic properties, these genes show a general fragility towards perturbation. A recent paper published in BMC Biology shows how the founder domains of known cancer genes emerged at two macroevolutionary transitions - the advent of the first cell and the transition to metazoan multicellularity.     

Faecal steroid loss in healthy subjects during short-term treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid

Faecal steroid loss in healthy subjects during short-term treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid has been investigated. The data shows conclusively that lithocholic acid, a known co-mutagen and co-carcinogen is the major bacterial metabolite of ursodeoxycholic acid in the human intestine. Although ursodeoxycholic acid is now the drug of choice for dissolution of cholesterol gallstones, elevation of intestinal lithocholic acid may have long-term repercussions since it has been demonstrated that a high faecal lithocholic acid: deoxycholic acid ratio shows a positive correlation with the incidence of colorectal cancer.     

Earlier Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer—An Analysis of Reports to the California Tumor Registry from 1942 to 1963

The mortality rate for cervical cancer in California declined during the period 1950-64. Indirect evidence shows that the incidence is also declining, but it is difficult to assess this decline because of the effect of the increasing use of cytologic examination on incidence rates for cervical cancer.Cervical cancer, in the 57 hospitals reporting to the California Tumor Registry, is being diagnosed at an earlier stage than in previous years. The proportion of cases diagnosed with the lesion still in the in situ stage rose from zero in 1942 to 56 per cent in 1963, and invasive cervical cancer, as a proportion of all invasive cancer in women, decreased from 15 per cent to 9 per cent. There is wide variation among hospitals in the proportion of cervical cancer cases that are in situ at time of diagnosis.     

The double face of cold in cancer

In a recent paper published in Nature, multiple evidence is provided that cold exposure causes tumor growth restriction in mice, by activating brown adipose tissue metabolism and by subsequent cancer cells’ glucose starvation. The paper shows a tumor growth inhibition by 80% for multiple cancer types in mice exposed to 4 °C in comparison with mice exposed to 30 °C. These results are very promising since cost effective protocols could be designed for future clinical trials, for several cancer forms. In this commentary, an extensive analysis is performed on the potential of these results. Some previous published studies are discussed as well, showing differences in tumor growth for mice housed in different external temperatures.     

Breast cancer--a woman's perspective.

This paper is bound to arouse controversy. It already has. No article in this special issue has been more thoroughly reviewed or had more widely divergent opinions. Some reviewers thought it expressed unrelieved anger; others felt it described the experience, perceptions, and feelings of many women with breast cancer. The paper seemed important to publish, however, because breast cancer is the second most common tumor occurring in American women. It is important to note that the author is a successful teacher and health professional who has a full and active family and social life. She describes encounters with breast cancer in an uncommonly fervent and articulate way. These encounters have clearly left deep scars. The essay is not scientific and not balanced in this issue by a paper by a women who had a wonderful experience with breast cancer. Such a paper may never be written. Read on!     

The role of low-field strength magnetic resonance imaging in bladder cancer staging

This article shows the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in complex diagnostics of urinary bladder cancer. The paper analyzes the authors' own data of urinary bladder MRI in 40 patients with histologically proven bladder cancer. This study demonstrates the additional capacities of low-field strength MRI with enhanced technique including conventional T1-, T2-weighted images along with FLAIR and PD images.     

表皮生长因子受体与肺脏发育的关系

表皮生长因子受体(Epidermal growth factor receptor,EGFR)是一种跨膜蛋白受体,是ErbB家族成员之一,具有酪氨酸激酶活性。EGFR与相应的配体结合引起EGFR形成同源或异源二聚体启动胞内信号转导,激活下游多种信号转导途径,产生生物学效应,RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK通路与细胞增殖、分化和凋亡有关;PI3K/PDK1/AKT通路与细胞的迁移和粘附有关。EGFR能促进肺泡II型上皮细胞的成熟和肺表面活性物质的合成、分泌。EGFR对哺乳动物肺脏的作用呈现时空效应及剂量依赖效应,EGFR的下调表达则会引起肺脏发育不成熟;而EGFR过度表达促进肺肿瘤细胞的增殖、侵袭和转移。文章综述了EGFR及其调节信号通路的研究进展,以及EGFR与动物肺脏发育不成熟和肺癌之间的关系。