LncRNA‐miRNA network analysis across the Th17 cell line reveals biomarker potency of lncRNA NEAT1 and KCNQ1OT1 in multiple sclerosis

Differentiation of CD⁴⁺ T cells into Th17 cells is an important factor in the onset and progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) and Th17/Treg imbalance. Little is known about the role of lncRNAs in the differentiation of CD⁴⁺ cells from Th17 cells. This study aimed to analyse the lncRNA‐miRNAs network involved in MS disease and its role in the differentiation of Th17 cells. The lncRNAs in Th17 differentiation were obtained from {"type":"entrez-geo","attrs":{"text":"GSE66261","term_id":"66261"}}GSE66261 using the GEO datasets. Differential expression of lncRNAs in Th17 primary cells compared to Th17 effector cells was investigated by RNA‐seq analysis. Next, the most highlighted lncRNAs in autoimmune diseases were downloaded from the lncRNAs disease database, and the most critical miRNA was extracted by literature search. Then, the lncRNA‐miRNA interaction was achieved by the Starbase database, and the ceRNA network was designed by Cytoscape. Finally, using the CytoHubba application, two hub lncRNAs with the most interactions with miRNAs were identified by the MCODE plug‐in. The expression level of genes was measured by qPCR, and the plasma level of cytokines was analysed by ELISA kits. The results showed an increase in the expression of NEAT1, KCNQ1OT1 and RORC and a decrease in the expression of FOXP3. In plasma, an upregulation of IL17 and a downregulation of TGFB inflammatory cytokines were detected. The dysregulated expression of these genes could be attributed to relapsing‐remitting MS (RR‐MS) patients and help us understand MS pathogenesis better.     

Telomere instability in a human cancer cell line.

Telomere maintenance is essential in immortal cancer cells to compensate for DNA lost from the ends of chromosomes, to prevent chromosome fusion, and to facilitate chromosome segregation. However, the high rate of fusion of chromosomes near telomeres, termed telomere association, in many cancer cell lines has led to the proposal that some cancer cells may not efficiently perform telomere maintenance. Deficient telomere maintenance could play an important role in cancer because telomere associations and nondisjunction have been demonstrated to be mechanisms for genomic instability. To investigate this possibility, we have analyzed the telomeres of the human squamous cell carcinoma cell line SQ-9G, which has telomere associations in approximately 75% of the cells in the population. The absence of detectable telomeric repeat sequences at the sites of these telomere associations suggests that they result from telomere loss. The analysis of telomere length by quantitative in situ hybridization demonstrated that, compared to the human squamous cell carcinoma cell line SCC-61 which has few telomere associations, SQ-9G has more extensive heterogeneity in telomere length and more telomeres without detectable telomeric repeat sequences. The dynamics of the changes in telomere length also demonstrated a higher rate of fluctuation in telomere length, both on individual telomeres and coordinately on all telomeres. These results demonstrate that telomere maintenance can play a role in the genomic instability seen in cancer cells.     

Angiogenic inhibitor protein fractions derived from shark cartilage

Development of therapies based on the growth inhibition of new blood vessels is among the most intensively studied approaches to the treatment of cancer and other angiogenesis-related diseases. Shark cartilage has been proven to have inhibitory effects on the endothelial cell angiogenesis, metastasis, cell adhesion and MMP (matrix metalloprotease) activity. In the present study, we have used a chromatography-based procedure for the isolation and partial purification of a shark cartilage protein fraction containing anti-angiogenesis activity. Proteins were extracted in 4 M guanidinium chloride, followed by sequential anion- and cation-exchange column chromatography. Angiogenesis assays were performed using the rat aortic ring and chick CAM (chorioallantoic membrane) assay models. The results show that the final fraction contains two proteins with molecular masses of 14.7 and 16 kDa. The protein fraction is able to block microvessel sprouting in the collagen-embedded rat aortic ring assay in vitro and inhibition of capillary sprouting in the CAM assay in vivo. It is suggested that these are partially purified anti-angiogenesis proteins, which have further biotechnological or biomedical applications.     

Gender and ethnicity at the millennium: from margin to centre

Three decades of feminist academic work have led to claims about its maturity and “coming of age”. This article offers a critical evaluation of feminism’s success, particularly in the context of “race” and ethnicity awareness. Feminism has challenged mainstream thought by making women and gender central concerns, by opening up new fields for study and by breaking down disciplinary barriers. However, the global hegemony of Western feminism means that the range of women’s issues tends to be narrowly and parochially conceived. Women of different ethnicities have had an uphill struggle to redefine feminist terms, benchmarks and understandings. One particular difficulty involves the use of ideas and concepts which are not easily translated into English. Drawing on debates between Western women and Islamist feminists, the article explores some of the problems in understanding terminologies and deciphering definitions about cultures and languages. It argues that the views of non-Western and ethnic minority women must be moved from margin to centre stage.     

Evaluation of antitumor effect of oxygen nanobubble water on breast cancer-bearing BALB/c mice

Hypoxia is a condition of low oxygen level which poses a common feature of most cancers. In the current study, we investigated effect of water containing oxygen nanobubble (ONB) on tumor growth in breast cancer 4T1-bearing mice during 14-day treatment period. Tumor-bearing mice were randomly divided into three groups (six mice per group), including the ONB group drinking water containing ONB, the air nanobubble (ANB) group drinking water containing ANB, and control group drinking normal water. Tumor weight and size were measured in 2-day interval during 14-day treatment. mRNA expression of p53, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), and cyclin D/Cdk2 genes were measured in the treated and control mice. After 8, 12, and 14 days of treatment, tumor size in ONB group was significantly decreased by 40.5%, 32.8%, and 28%, respectively, when compared with the control group. In addition, ANB group showed a significant reduction in tumor burden as well. The messenger RNA (mRNA) level of p53 in tumor cells of ONB and ANB group was found to be 36-fold (P = 0.0001) and 33-fold (P = 0.0001) higher than that in the control group, respectively. There was a ninefold increase in mRNA expression of VEGF gene in tumor cells of ANB mice than that in control mice; however, there was no significant changes in ONB group. Expression of HIF gene was significantly lower in tumor cells of ONB and ANB group than in the control group. It is concluded that drinking ONB water has potential to inhibit tumor growth, however more preclinical and proof-of-concept studies are needed to confirm its safety and therapeutic effect.