We have identified a new role for the matrix enzyme lysyl oxidase-like-2 (LOXL2) in the creation and maintenance of the pathologic microenvironment of cancer and fibrotic disease. Our analysis of ...biopsies from human tumors and fibrotic lung and liver tissues revealed an increase in LOXL2 in disease-associated stroma and limited expression in healthy tissues. Targeting LOXL2 with an inhibitory monoclonal antibody (AB0023) was efficacious in both primary and metastatic xenograft models of cancer, as well as in liver and lung fibrosis models. Inhibition of LOXL2 resulted in a marked reduction in activated fibroblasts, desmoplasia and endothelial cells, decreased production of growth factors and cytokines and decreased transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) pathway signaling. AB0023 outperformed the small-molecule lysyl oxidase inhibitor beta-aminoproprionitrile. The efficacy and safety of LOXL2-specific AB0023 represents a new therapeutic approach with broad applicability in oncologic and fibrotic diseases.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Polymorphisms in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and non-MHC genes were recently reported to be associated with persistent hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and host response to hepatitis ...B vaccine in Asian populations. We aimed to confirm the associations in Chinese population and develop a non-invasive screening method for the risk loci.
We genotyped 2 risk alleles on the MHC loci, HLA-DPA1 (rs3077) and HLA-DPB1 (rs9277535), and 1 risk allele near a non-MHC gene, FOXP1 (rs6789153) using high-resolution melting curve analysis. With minimal processing steps and time, salivary DNA was extracted with a modified protocol of a blood kit. We compared the genotyping fidelity between peripheral blood DNA and salivary DNA.
Both rs3077 and rs9277535, but not rs6789153, are significantly associated with CHB in Chinese population (p-value<0.001). High genotype concordance between different sources of genomic DNA was obtained.
Genotyping salivary DNA using our modified methods provides a non-invasive fast screening for host susceptibility loci. The transmission mechanism of hepatitis B can now be modified by adding genetic susceptibility to the traditional vertical transmission model of hepatitis B.
The present study examined the psychometric properties of the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) among Chinese adolescent girls in Hong Kong. We also attempted to provide normative data for the EDI ...among 12- to 18-year-old Chinese girls in Hong Kong. Two thousand two hundred and fifty-six high school girls between the age of 12 and 18 years participated in this study. Subjects completed the questionnaire package anonymously at their schools. Findings indicate that the internal consistency estimates for the eight EDI scales were in the acceptable range, with alpha ranging from 0.68 for Perfectionism to 0.87 for Body Dissatisfaction. With the exception of a few items, the item-total correlations were also acceptable for the eight scales. Findings of the principal components analysis support the original eight clinically derived EDI constructs. Group comparison analyses reveal significant age differences and race differences in several EDI scales. EDI percentile scores are presented for girls 12–13 and 14–18 years of age in the present study. This study provides further empirical support to the transcultural validity of the EDI. It also highlights the importance of establishing age- and race-specific norms for the inventory.
Human acute T-cell lymphoblastic leukemias and lymphomas (T-ALL) are commonly associated with gain-of-function mutations in Notch1 that contribute to T-ALL induction and maintenance. Starting from an ...expression-profiling screen, we identified c-myc as a direct target of Notch1 in Notch-dependent T-ALL cell lines, in which Notch accounts for the majority of c-myc expression. In functional assays, inhibitors of c-myc interfere with the progrowth effects of activated Notch1, and enforced expression of c-myc rescues multiple Notch1-dependent T-ALL cell lines from Notch withdrawal. The existence of a Notch1-c-myc signaling axis was bolstered further by experiments using c-myc-dependent murine T-ALL cells, which are rescued from withdrawal of c-myc by retroviral transduction of activated Notch1. This Notch1-mediated rescue is associated with the up-regulation of endogenous murine c-myc and its downstream transcriptional targets, and the acquisition of sensitivity to Notch pathway inhibitors. Additionally, we show that primary murine thymocytes at the DN3 stage of development depend on ligand-induced Notch signaling to maintain c-myc expression. Together, these data implicate c-myc as a developmentally regulated direct downstream target of Notch1 that contributes to the growth of T-ALL cells.
T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive cancer of immature T cells that often shows aberrant activation of Notch1 and PI3K-Akt pathways. Although mutations that activate PI3K-Akt ...signaling have previously been identified, the relative contribution of growth factor-dependent activation is unclear. We show here that pharmacologic inhibition or genetic deletion of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) blocks the growth and viability of T-ALL cells, whereas moderate diminution of IGF1R signaling compromises leukemia-initiating cell (LIC) activity as defined by transplantability in syngeneic/congenic secondary recipients. Furthermore, IGF1R is a Notch1 target, and Notch1 signaling is required to maintain IGF1R expression at high levels in T-ALL cells. These findings suggest effects of Notch on LIC activity may be mediated in part by enhancing the responsiveness of T-ALL cells to ambient growth factors, and provide strong rationale for use of IGF1R inhibitors to improve initial response to therapy and to achieve long-term cure of patients with T-ALL.
Reactive oxygen species (ROS), a byproduct of cellular metabolism, damage intracellular macromolecules and, when present in excess, can promote normal hematopoietic stem cell differentiation and ...exhaustion. However, mechanisms that regulate the amount of ROS in leukemia-initiating cells (LICs) and the biological role of ROS in these cells are largely unknown. We show here that the ROS(low) subset of CD44(+) cells in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), a malignancy of immature T cell progenitors, is highly enriched in the most aggressive LICs and that ROS accumulation is restrained by downregulation of protein kinase C θ (PKC-θ). Notably, primary mouse T-ALLs lacking PKC-θ show improved LIC activity, whereas enforced PKC-θ expression in both mouse and human primary T-ALLs compromised LIC activity. We also show that PKC-θ is regulated by a new pathway in which NOTCH1 induces runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3), RUNX3 represses RUNX1 and RUNX1 induces PKC-θ. NOTCH1, which is frequently activated by mutation in T-ALL and required for LIC activity in both mouse and human models, thus acts to repress PKC-θ. These results reveal key functional roles for PKC-θ and ROS in T-ALL and suggest that aggressive biological behavior in vivo could be limited by therapeutic strategies that promote PKC-θ expression or activity, or the accumulation of ROS.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
A greater number of screened conditions is often considered to equate to better screening, whereas it may be due to conditions being counted differently. This manuscript describes a harmonised ...Australasian approach to listing target conditions found on bloodspot screening panels. Operational definitions for target disorders and incidental findings were developed and applied to disorder lists. A gap analysis was performed between five, state-based Australian newborn screening programme disorder lists and the single national New Zealand and state-level Californian versions. Screening panels were found to be broadly similar. Gap analysis with Californian data reflected differences in jurisdictional approval (for example, haemoglobinopathies and lysosomal disorders not being recommended in Australasia). Differences amongst Australasian panels reflected varied the timeframes recommended in order to implement newly approved disorders, as well as decisions to remove previously screened disorders. A harmonised approach to disorder counting is essential to performing valid comparisons of newborn bloodspot screening panels.
Newborn screening programs have seen significant evolution since their initial implementation more than 60 years ago, with the primary goal of detecting treatable conditions within the earliest ...possible timeframe to ensure the optimal treatment and outcomes for the newborn. New technologies have driven the expansion of screening programs to cover additional conditions. In the current era, the breadth of screened conditions could be further expanded by integrating omic technologies such as untargeted metabolomics and genomics. Genomic screening could offer opportunities for lifelong care beyond the newborn period. For genomic newborn screening to be effective and ready for routine adoption, it must overcome barriers such as implementation cost, public acceptability, and scalability. Metabolomics approaches, on the other hand, can offer insight into disease phenotypes and could be used to identify known and novel biomarkers of disease. Given recent advances in metabolomic technologies, alongside advances in genomics including whole-genome sequencing, the combination of complementary multi-omic approaches may provide an exciting opportunity to leverage the best of both approaches and overcome their respective limitations. These techniques are described, along with the current outlook on multi-omic-based NBS research.
This article examines the images of females portrayed in post-war Japanese animation, analyzes the meanings associated with their portrayal, and considers their relationship with the development of ...the post-war Japanese economy and the reconstruction of the Japanese social structure. The author proposes that these representations help to strengthen "the images of the male", "the division of work between husbands and wives", and work to enforce "the traditional gender role division". Finally, the article concludes by employing Stuart Hall's "encoding/decoding model" (1973), asserting that specific social meanings encoded in animation concerning women's images communicate the female "mission" to educate and assist in the reconstruction of a new social order during the post-war period. The author argues that these insights would encourage scholars to reconsider the media industry today, especially its role in stimulating a sense of collective consciousness that reflects deep-seated cultural ideology and social v
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