Search results for "Growth factor"

TGF-β Dependent T-Cell Regulation in Colitis and Colon Cancer

2008

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a potent growth inhibitor endowed with tumor-suppressing activity. Unfortunately, cancers are often resistant to such growth inhibition. This evasion frequently results from a genetic loss of functional TGF-β signaling components. On the other hand, cancer cells often produce high amounts TGF-β1 by themselves and sometimes respond to it with invasion and metastasis. Much effort is being done to develop therapeutic approaches to modulate TGF-β signaling in cancer cells either to inhibit the TGF-β-induced invasive phenotype or to reestablish its growth-inhibitory activities. However, TGF-β is a pleiotropic cytokine with important functions not only in c…

The Divergent Effect of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein (IGFBP) - 1 on IGF-induced Steroidogenesis in Bovine Adrenocortical Cells is not d…

2007

In previous studies we have shown that insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-II stimulates basal as well as ACTH-induced cortisol secretion from bovine adrenocortical cells more potently than IGF-I. The steroidogenic effect of both, IGF-I and IGF-II, is mediated through the IGF-I receptor and modified by locally produced IGF binding proteins. Further studies demonstrate that bovine adrenocortical cells do synthesize IGFBP-1 to -4 and that their secretion is regulated differentially by IGFs and ACTH. Since IGFBP-1 selectively is induced 3- to 4- fold by ACTH, the aim of the following studies was to evaluate the effect of IGFBP-1 on IGF-induced cortisol secretion from bovine adrenocortical cells i…

Targeted Therapies for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

2015

The discovery of new oncogenic driver mutations and the clinical development of targeted therapies have completely changed the paradigm treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine-kinase inhibitors (TKIs), erlotinib, gefitinib, afatinib, ALK-inhibitors, crizotinib, and ceritinib, have been already approved for clinical use, benefiting many patients whose tumors harbor, respectively, EGFR or EML4-ALK molecular alterations. However, despite an initial benefit, tumor progression inevitably occurs, due to the development of acquired resistance to the targeted treatments. Several mechanisms of resistance have been identified, such as the seco…

Role of curcumin in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment: A new therapeutic possibility

2013

The idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension is a complex disease that mainly affects pulmonary arterial circulation. This undergoes a remodeling with subsequent reduction of flow in the small pulmonary arteries. Because of this damage an increased vascular resistance gradually develops, and over time it carries out in heart failure. The inflammatory process is a key element in this condition, mediated by various cytokines. The inflammatory signal induces activation of NF-κB, and prompts TGF-β-related signaling pathway. Clinical evolution leads to progressive debilitation, greatly affecting the patient quality of life. The actual therapeutic approaches, are few and expensive, and include …

Translocation of cdk2 to the nucleus during G1-phase in PDGF-stimulated human fibroblasts.

1997

We studied the subcellular distribution of cdk2 in synchronized, PDGF-stimulated human fibroblasts (FH109). After contact inhibition and serum depletion, more than 95% of FH109 cells were arrested in G0/G1-phase. PDGF-AB led to a 16-fold increase in proliferation compared with untreated cells. Cell cycle progression was studied by flow cytometric analysis, [3H]thymidine incorporation, and phosphorylation of the retinoblastoma gene product, pRB. Using Western blot analysis after subcellular fractionation, we revealed that after PDGF stimulation the phosphorylated (Thr 160), i.e., activated, form of cdk2 (33 kDa) first appeared in the nucleus at late G1-phase and persisted throughout until to…

Efficacy and safety study of an eyelid gel after repeated nocturnal application in healthy contact lens users and non-users

2020

Purpose: To evaluate skin biocompatibility of a nighttime hydrating eyelid gel and possible ocular surface effects in contact lens users (CLU) and non-contact lens users (NCLU). The formulation is registered as a medical device as Tridocosahexaenoine-AOX® (TDHA-AOX) (a concentrated DHA triglyceride), containing also hyaluronic acid (HA). Methods: A prospective, randomized, masked clinical trial was performed with 62 participants of both sexes, aged 20–70 years, split into: (1) CLU (n = 30) and (2) NCLU (n = 32). All participants were instructed to apply a single dose of the moisturizing gel (containing TDHA-AOX and HA) nightly to the upper and inner eyelids of their right eye (RE) only, and…

Microenvironmental adaptation of experimental tumours to chronic vs acute hypoxia

2004

This study investigated long-term microenvironmental responses (oxygenation, perfusion, metabolic status, proliferation, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and vascularisation) to chronic hypoxia in experimental tumours. Experiments were performed using s.c.-implanted DS-sarcomas in rats. In order to induce more pronounced tumour hypoxia, one group of animals was housed in a hypoxic atmosphere (8% O(2)) for the whole period of tumour growth (chronic hypoxia). A second group was acutely exposed to inspiratory hypoxia for only 20 min prior to the measurements (acute hypoxia), whereas animals housed under normal atmospheric conditions served as controls. Acute hypoxia reduced…

Thiocarbamate-Linked Polysulfonate–Peptide Conjugates As Selective Hepatocyte Growth Factor Receptor Binders

2014

The capacity of many proteins to interact with natural or synthetic polyanions has been exploited for modulating their biological action. However, the polydispersity of these macromolecular polyanions as well as their poor specificity is a severe limitation to their use as drugs. An emerging trend in this field is the synthesis of homogeneous and well-defined polyanion–peptide conjugates, which act as bivalent ligands, with the peptide part bringing the selectivity of the scaffold. Alternately, this strategy can be used for improving the binding of short peptides to polyanion-binding protein targets. This work describes the design and first synthesis of homogeneous polysulfonate–peptide con…

A germline mutation in the platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta gene may be implicated in hereditary progressive mucinous histiocytosis.

2020

Effects of escitalopram on the regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor protein levels in a rat model of chronic stres…

2009

Escitalopram (ES-CIT) is a widely used, highly specific antidepressant. Until now there has been very little evidence on how this drug under pathological conditions affects an important feature within the pathophysiology of stress-related disorders such as depression: the endogenous neurotrophins. By using a well-characterized rat model in which chronic stress induces depressive-like behavior, the levels of neurotrophins brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF) were determined in representative brain regions and serum using a highly sensitive improved fluorometric two-site ELISA system. There was a significant increase of BDNF in the left and right cortices aft…