Aberrant Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β Is Involved in Pancreatic Cancer Cell Invasion and Resistance to Therapy

Background and Purpose

The major obstacles to treatment of pancreatic cancer are the highly invasive capacity and resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy. Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) regulates multiple cellular pathways and is implicated in various diseases including cancer. Here we investigate a pathological role for GSK3β in the invasive and treatment resistant phenotype of pancreatic cancer.

Methods

Pancreatic cancer cells were examined for GSK3β expression, phosphorylation and activity using Western blotting and in vitro kinase assay. The effects of GSK3β inhibition on cancer cell survival, proliferation, invasive ability and susceptibility to gemcitabine and radiation were examined following treatment with a pharmacological inhibitor or by RNA interference. Effects of GSK3β inhibition on cancer cell xenografts were also examined.

Results

Pancreatic cancer cells showed higher expression and activity of GSK3β than non-neoplastic cells, which were associated with changes in its differential phosphorylation. Inhibition of GSK3β significantly reduced the proliferation and survival of cancer cells, sensitized them to gemcitabine and ionizing radiation, and attenuated their migration and invasion. These effects were associated with decreases in cyclin D1 expression and Rb phosphorylation. Inhibition of GSK3β also altered the subcellular localization of Rac1 and F-actin and the cellular microarchitecture, including lamellipodia. Coincident with these changes were the reduced secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and decreased phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). The effects of GSK3β inhibition on tumor invasion, susceptibility to gemcitabine, MMP-2 expression and FAK phosphorylation were observed in tumor xenografts.

Conclusion

The targeting of GSK3β represents an effective strategy to overcome the dual challenges of invasiveness and treatment resistance in pancreatic cancer.     

Impact of Robotic Assistance on Precision of Vitreoretinal Surgical Procedures

Purpose

To elucidate the merits of robotic application for vitreoretinal maneuver in comparison to conventional manual performance using an in-vitro eye model constructed for the present study.

Methods

Capability to accurately approach the target on the fundus, to stabilize the manipulator tip just above the fundus, and to perceive the contact of the manipulator tip with the fundus were tested. The accuracies were compared between the robotic and manual control, as well as between ophthalmologists and engineering students.

Results

In case of manual control, ophthalmologists were superior to engineering students in all the 3 test procedures. Robotic assistance significantly improved accuracy of all the test procedures performed by engineering students. For the ophthalmologists including a specialist of vitreoretinal surgery, robotic assistance enhanced the accuracy in the stabilization of manipulator tip (from 90.9 µm to 14.9 µm, P = 0.0006) and the perception of contact with the fundus (from 20.0 mN to 7.84 mN, P = 0.046), while robotic assistance did not improve pointing accuracy.

Conclusions

It was confirmed that telerobotic assistance has a potential to significantly improve precision in vitreoretinal procedures in both experienced and inexperienced hands.     

Storage Temperature Alters the Expression of Differentiation-Related Genes in Cultured Oral Keratinocytes

Purpose

Storage of cultured human oral keratinocytes (HOK) allows for transportation of cultured transplants to eye clinics worldwide. In a previous study, one-week storage of cultured HOK was found to be superior with regard to viability and morphology at 12°C compared to 4°C and 37°C. To understand more of how storage temperature affects cell phenotype, gene expression of HOK before and after storage at 4°C, 12°C, and 37°C was assessed.

Materials and Methods

Cultured HOK were stored in HEPES- and sodium bicarbonate-buffered Minimum Essential Medium at 4°C, 12°C, and 37°C for one week. Total RNA was isolated and the gene expression profile was determined using DNA microarrays and analyzed with Partek Genomics Suite software and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. Differentially expressed genes (fold change > 1.5 and P < 0.05) were identified by one-way ANOVA. Key genes were validated using qPCR.

Results

Gene expression of cultures stored at 4°C and 12°C clustered close to the unstored control cultures. Cultures stored at 37°C displayed substantial change in gene expression compared to the other groups. In comparison with 12°C, 2,981 genes were differentially expressed at 37°C. In contrast, only 67 genes were differentially expressed between the unstored control and the cells stored at 12°C. The 12°C and 37°C culture groups differed most significantly with regard to the expression of differentiation markers. The Hedgehog signaling pathway was significantly downregulated at 37°C compared to 12°C.

Conclusion

HOK cultures stored at 37°C showed considerably larger changes in gene expression compared to unstored cells than cultured HOK stored at 4°C and 12°C. The changes observed at 37°C consisted of differentiation of the cells towards a squamous epithelium-specific phenotype. Storing cultured ocular surface transplants at 37°C is therefore not recommended. This is particularly interesting as 37°C is the standard incubation temperature used for cell culture.     

Apolipoprotein(a) Kringle-IV Type 2 Copy Number Variation Is Associated with Venous Thromboembolism

In addition to the established association between high lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] concentrations and coronary artery disease, an association between Lp(a) and venous thromboembolism (VTE) has also been described. Lp(a) is controlled by genetic variants in LPA gene, coding for apolipoprotein(a), including the kringle-IV type 2 (KIV-2) size polymorphism. Aim of the study was to investigate the role of LPA gene KIV-2 size polymorphism and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs1853021, rs1800769, rs3798220, rs10455872) in modulating VTE susceptibility. Five hundred and sixteen patients with VTE without hereditary and acquired thrombophilia and 1117 healthy control subjects, comparable for age and sex, were investigated. LPA KIV-2 polymorphism, rs3798220 and rs10455872 SNPs were genotyped by TaqMan technology. Concerning rs1853021 and rs1800769 SNPs, PCR-RFLP assay was used. LPA KIV-2 repeat number was significantly lower in patients than in controls [median (interquartile range) 11(6–17) vs 15(9–25), p<0.0001]. A significantly higher prevalence of KIV-2 repeat number ≤7 was observed in patients than in controls (33.5% vs 15.5%, p<0.0001). KIV-2 repeat number was independently associated with VTE (p = 4.36 x10^-9), as evidenced by the general linear model analysis adjusted for transient risk factors. No significant difference in allele frequency for all SNPs investigated was observed. Haplotype analysis showed that LPA haplotypes rather than individual SNPs influenced disease susceptibility. Receiver operating characteristic curves analysis showed that a combined risk prediction model, including KIV-2 size polymorphism and clinical variables, had a higher performance in identifying subjects at VTE risk than a clinical-only model, also separately in men and women.     

Water-soluble ferulic acid derivatives improve amyloid-β-induced neuronal cell death and dysmnesia through inhibition of amyloid-β aggregation

Ferulic acid (FA) has been reported to exhibit protective effects against amyloid-β (Aβ)-induced neurodegeneration in vitro and in vivo. Recently, we developed two water-soluble FA derivatives: 1-feruloyl glycerol and 1-feruloyl diglycerol. In this study, we examined the neuroprotective effects of these water-soluble FA derivatives on Aβ-induced neurodegeneration both in vitro and in vivo. FA and water-soluble FA derivatives inhibited Aβ aggregation and destabilized pre-aggregated Aβ to a similar extent. Furthermore, water-soluble FA derivatives, as well as FA, inhibited Aβ-induced neuronal cell death in cultured neuronal cells. In in vivo experiments, oral administration of water-soluble FA derivatives to mice improved Aβ-induced dysmnesia assessed by contextual fear conditioning test and protected hippocampal neurons against Aβ-induced neurotoxicity. This study provides useful evidence suggesting that water-soluble FA derivatives are expected to be effective neuroprotective agents.     

Model studies for isolation of G-quadruplex-forming DNA sequences through a pull-down strategy with macrocyclic polyoxazole

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are non-B DNA structures present in guanine-rich regions of gene regulatory areas, promoters and CpG islands, but their occurrence and functions remain incompletely understood. Thus, methodology to identify G4 sequences is needed. Here, we describe the synthesis of a novel cyclic hepta-oxazole compound, L1Bio-7OTD (1), bearing a biotin affinity-tag as a tool to pull down G4 structures from mixtures of G4-forming and non G4-forming DNA sequences. We confirmed that it could pull down G4s associated with telomeres, bcl-2 gene, and c-kit gene.