Search results for "Knockout"
showing 10 items of 806 documents
Mast Cells Infiltrating Inflamed or Transformed Gut Alternatively Sustain Mucosal Healing or Tumor Growth.
2015
Abstract Mast cells (MC) are immune cells located next to the intestinal epithelium with regulatory function in maintaining the homeostasis of the mucosal barrier. We have investigated MC activities in colon inflammation and cancer in mice either wild-type (WT) or MC-deficient (KitW-sh) reconstituted or not with bone marrow-derived MCs. Colitis was chemically induced with dextran sodium sulfate (DSS). Tumors were induced by administering azoxymethane (AOM) intraperitoneally before DSS. Following DSS withdrawal, KitW-sh mice showed reduced weight gain and impaired tissue repair compared with their WT littermates or KitW-sh mice reconstituted with bone marrow-derived MCs. MCs were localized i…
Tumour-derived and host-derived nitric oxide differentially regulate breast carcinoma metastasis to the lungs.
2004
To study the role of nitric oxide (NO) in lung metastasis of breast carcinoma, we isolated two cell clones (H and J) from the parental EMT-6 murine breast carcinoma cell line, based on their differential NO production. In vitro, EMT-6 J cells, but not EMT-6H cells, constitutively expressed inducible NO synthase (NOS II) and secreted high levels of NO. IL-1beta increased NO production in both clones, and TNF-alpha had a synergistic effect on IL-1beta-induced NO production, but NO production by EMT-6 J cells was always higher than by EMT-6H cells. Proliferation, survival and adhesion to lung-derived endothelial cells of both clones were similar and were not affected by NO. In vivo, both clone…
Intestinal epithelial HuR modulates distinct pathways of proliferation and apoptosis and attenuates small intestinal and colonic tumor development.
2014
Abstract HuR is a ubiquitous nucleocytoplasmic RNA-binding protein that exerts pleiotropic effects on cell growth and tumorigenesis. In this study, we explored the impact of conditional, tissue-specific genetic deletion of HuR on intestinal growth and tumorigenesis in mice. Mice lacking intestinal expression of HuR (Hur IKO mice) displayed reduced levels of cell proliferation in the small intestine and increased sensitivity to doxorubicin-induced acute intestinal injury, as evidenced by decreased villus height and a compensatory shift in proliferating cells. In the context of Apcmin/+ mice, a transgenic model of intestinal tumorigenesis, intestinal deletion of the HuR gene caused a three-fo…
Chronic inflammatory IFN-γ signaling suppresses hepatocarcinogenesis in mice by sensitizing hepatocytes for apoptosis.
2011
Abstract Chronic liver inflammation is a critical component of hepatocarcinogenesis. Indeed, inflammatory mediators are believed to promote liver cancer by upholding compensatory proliferation of hepatocytes in response to tissue damage. However, inflammation can also mediate the depletion of malignant cells, but the difference between tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting inflammation is not defined at the molecular level. Here, we analyzed the role of the major inflammatory mediator IFN-γ in chemical hepatocarcinogenesis of transgenic mice that overexpress IFN-γ in the liver; these mice manifest severe chronic inflammatory liver damage and lasting compensatory regeneration. We found that …
Evaluation of genetic melanoma vaccines in cdk4-mutant mice provides evidence for immunological tolerance against authochthonous melanomas in the skin
2005
We evaluated the efficacy of a candidate melanoma vaccine approach in mice genetically prone to develop melanoma due to the introduction of an oncogenic mutation (R24C) in the germline sequence of the cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (cdk4), a protein critically involved in cell cycle regulation. Melanomas were induced in cdk4-mutant mice by chemical carcinogenesis and UVB irradiation. A genetic prime-boost strategy targeting the clinically relevant differentiation antigen tyrosinase-related protein 2 (TRP2) was performed which was able to stimulate a melanocyte-specific cellular immune response associated with localized autoimmune vitiligo-like depigmentation. However, significant destruction of …
Bmi1 and Cell of Origin Determinants of Brain Tumor Phenotype
2007
Glioblastomas frequently express oncogenic EGFR and loss of the Ink4a/Arf locus. Bmi1, a positive regulator of stem cell self renewal, may be critical to drive brain tumor growth. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Bruggeman and colleagues suggest that brain tumors with these molecular alterations can be initiated in both neural precursor and differentiated cell compartments in the absence of Bmi1; however, tumorigenicity is reduced, and tumors contain fewer precursor cells. Surprisingly, tumors appear less malignant when initiated in precursor cells. Bmi1-deficient tumors also had fewer neuronal lineage cells, suggesting a role for Bmi1 in determination of cell lineage and tumor phenotype.
Dexamethasone lacks effect on blood pressure in mice with a disrupted endothelial NO synthase gene.
2003
Cushing's syndrome and systemic administration of glucocorticoids are associated with hypertension, but the underlying molecular mechanism is only partially understood. We have shown previously that dexamethasone downregulates the expression of the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) gene in human endothelial cells and in the rat and that this may contribute to the blood pressure-raising effect of the steroid [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96 (1999) 13357]. In the current communication, we demonstrated that dexamethasone increased mean arterial blood pressure in wild-type C-57 Bl6 mice (eNOS+/+ mice), but had no effect on blood pressure in mice with a disrupted eNOS gene (eNOS-/- mice) derived from…
Mast cells boost myeloid-derived suppressor cell activity and contribute to the development of tumor-favoring microenvironment
2014
Abstract Inflammation plays crucial roles at different stages of tumor development and may lead to the failure of immune surveillance and immunotherapy. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are one of the major components of the immune-suppressive network that favors tumor growth, and their interaction with mast cells is emerging as critical for the outcome of the tumor-associated immune response. Herein, we showed the occurrence of cell-to-cell interactions between MDSCs and mast cells in the mucosa of patients with colon carcinoma and in the colon and spleen of tumor-bearing mice. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the CT-26 colon cancer cells induced the accumulation of CD11b+Gr1+ imma…
Experimental evolution of an oncolytic vesicular stomatitis virus with increased selectivity for p53-deficient cells
2014
Experimental evolution has been used for various biotechnological applications including protein and microbial cell engineering, but less commonly in the field of oncolytic virotherapy. Here, we sought to adapt a rapidly evolving RNA virus to cells deficient for the tumor suppressor gene p53, a hallmark of cancer cells. To achieve this goal, we established four independent evolution lines of the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) in p53-knockout mouse embryonic fibroblasts (p53-/- MEFs) under conditions favoring the action of natural selection. We found that some evolved viruses showed increased fitness and cytotoxicity in p53-/- cells but not in isogenic p53+/+ cells, indicating gene-specifi…
Anti-inflammatory lipoxin A4 is an endogenous allosteric enhancer of CB1 cannabinoid receptor.
2012
Allosteric modulation of G-protein–coupled receptors represents a key goal of current pharmacology. In particular, endogenous allosteric modulators might represent important targets of interventions aimed at maximizing therapeutic efficacy and reducing side effects of drugs. Here we show that the anti-inflammatory lipid lipoxin A 4 is an endogenous allosteric enhancer of the CB 1 cannabinoid receptor. Lipoxin A 4 was detected in brain tissues, did not compete for the orthosteric binding site of the CB 1 receptor (vs. 3 H-SR141716A), and did not alter endocannabinoid metabolism (as opposed to URB597 and MAFP), but it enhanced affinity of anandamide at the CB1 receptor, thereby potentiating …