Search results for "Transfection"
showing 10 items of 581 documents
O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase and p53 status predict temozolomide sensitivity in human malignant glioma cells
2006
Temozolomide (TMZ) is a methylating agent which prolongs survival when administered during and after radiotherapy in the first-line treatment of glioblastoma and which also has significant activity in recurrent disease. O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is a DNA repair enzyme attributed a role in cancer cell resistance to O6-alkylating agent-based chemotherapy. Using a panel of 12 human glioma cell lines, we here defined the sensitivity to TMZ in acute cytotoxicity and clonogenic survival assays in relation to MGMT, mismatch repair and p53 status and its modulation by dexamethasone, irradiation and BCL-X(L). We found that the levels of MGMT expression were a major predictor of T…
Hepatocytes of double-transgenic mice expressing high levels of hepatitis B virus e antigen and interferon-gamma are not injured by HBeAg specific au…
2000
Seroconversion from HBeAg to alphaHBe of persons chronically infected by HBV is usually associated with a transient exacerbation of liver disease and subsequent normalization of liver histology. It is speculated that these clinico-pathological features may be due to the activation of cytodestructive mechanisms by alphaHBe antibodies. The aim of the present study was to investigate the pathogenic potential of alphaHBe antibodies in a transgenic mouse model. Therefore, alphaHBe autoantibodies were elicited in double-transgenic mice expressing high amounts of HBeAg and interferon-gamma in the liver. Interferon-gamma has reviously been shown to play an important role in the development of hepat…
Factors Determining Sensitivity and Resistance of Tumor Cells to Arsenic Trioxide
2012
Previously, arsenic trioxide showed impressive regression rates of acute promyelocytic leukemia. Here, we investigated molecular determinants of sensitivity and resistance of cell lines of different tumor types towards arsenic trioxide. Arsenic trioxide was the most cytotoxic compound among 8 arsenicals investigated in the NCI cell line panel. We correlated transcriptome-wide microarray-based mRNA expression to the IC(50) values for arsenic trioxide by bioinformatic approaches (COMPARE and hierarchical cluster analyses, Ingenuity signaling pathway analysis). Among the identified pathways were signaling routes for p53, integrin-linked kinase, and actin cytoskeleton. Genes from these pathways…
EMPLOYMENT OF CATIONIC SOLID-LIPID NANOPARTICLES AS RNA CARRIERS
2007
Gene transfer represents an important advance in the treatment of both genetic and acquired diseases. In this article, the suitability of cationically modified solid-lipid nanoparticles (SLN) as a nonviral vector for gene delivery was investigated, in order to obtain stable materials able to condense RNA. Cationic SLN were produced by microemulsion using Compritol ATO 888 as matrix lipid, Pluronic F68 as tenside, and dimethyldioctadecylammonium bromide (DDAB) as cationic lipid. The resulting particles were approximately 100 nm in size and showed a highly positive surface charge (+41 mV) in water. Size and shape were further characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. M…
Pharmacological activity of C10-substituted analogs of the high-affinity kainate receptor agonist dysiherbaine
2009
Kainate receptor antagonists have potential as therapeutic agents in a number of neuropathologies. Synthetic modification of the convulsant marine toxin neodysiherbaine A (NDH) previously yielded molecules with a diverse set of pharmacological actions on kainate receptors. Here we characterize three new synthetic analogs of NDH that contain substituents at the C10 position in the pyran ring of the marine toxin. The analogs exhibited high-affinity binding to the GluK1 (GluR5) subunit and lower affinity binding to GluK2 (GluR6) and GluK3 (GluR7) subunits in radioligand displacement assays with recombinant kainate and AMPA receptors. As well, the natural toxin NDH exhibited approximately 100-f…
Functional cysteine-less subunits of the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP1 and TAP2) by de novo gene assembly
2002
AbstractWithin the adaptive immune system the transporter associated with antigen processing (TAP) plays a pivotal role in loading of peptides onto major histocompatibility (MHC) class I molecules. As a central tool to investigate the structure and function of the TAP complex, we created cysteine-less human TAP subunits by de novo gene synthesis, replacing all 19 cysteines in TAP1 and TAP2. After expression in TAP-deficient human fibroblasts, cysteine-less TAP1 and TAP2 are functional with respect to adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-dependent peptide transport and inhibition by ICP47 from herpes simplex virus. Cysteine-less TAP1 and TAP2 restore maturation and intracellular trafficking of MHC c…
Inhibitors of inducible NO synthase expression: total synthesis of (S)-curvularin and its ring homologues.
2008
(S)-Curvularin and its 13-, 14-, and 16-membered lactone homologues were synthesized through a uniform strategy in which a Kochi oxidative decarboxylation and ring-closing metathesis reactions constitute the key processes. In the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory effects of the synthesized compounds in assays using cells stably transfected with a human iNOS promoter-luciferase reporter gene construct, the 14- and 16-membered homologues showed a slightly higher inhibitory effect towards iNOS promoter activity than curvularin itself. However, the larger ring homologues also exhibited higher cytotoxicity, manifest in downregulated eNOS promoter activity. In contrast, the di-O-acetyl and 4-ch…
A Short Caspase-3 Isoform Inhibits Chemotherapy-Induced Apoptosis by Blocking Apoptosome Assembly
2011
Alternative splicing of caspase-3 produces a short isoform caspase-3s that antagonizes caspase-3 apoptotic activity. However, the mechanism of apoptosis inhibition by caspase-3s remains unknown. Here we show that exogenous caspase-3 sensitizes MCF-7 and HBL100 breast cancers cells to chemotherapeutic treatments such as etoposide and methotrexate whereas co-transfection with caspase-3s strongly inhibits etoposide and methotrexate-induced apoptosis underlying thus the anti-apoptotic role of caspase-3s. In caspase-3 transfected cells, lamin-A and α-fodrin were cleaved when caspase-3 was activated by etoposide or methotrexate. When caspase-3s was co-transfected, this cleavage was strongly reduc…
Combining reactive triblock copolymers with functional cross-linkers: A versatile pathway to disulfide stabilized-polyplex libraries and their applic…
2017
Therapeutic nucleic acids such as pDNA hold great promise for the treatment of multiple diseases. These therapeutic interventions are, however, compromised by the lack of efficient and safe non-viral delivery systems, which guarantee stability during blood circulation together with high transfection efficiency. To provide these desired properties within one system, we propose the use of reactive triblock copolypept(o)ides, which include a stealth-like block for efficient shielding, a hydrophobic block based on reactive disulfides for cross-linking and a cationic block for complexation of pDNA. After the complexation step, bifunctional cross-linkers can be employed to bio-reversibly stabiliz…
Oxytocin receptors and cholesterol: interaction and regulation.
2000
Cholesterol affects the ligand binding function of the oxytocin receptor in a highly specific manner. While the structurally-related cholecystokinin receptor shows a strong correlation between the membrane fluidity and its binding function, the oxytocin receptor behaves differently. A stringent and unique requirement of the affinity state of the oxytocin receptor for structural features of the sterol molecule has been found. The molecular requirements differ both from those postulated for sterol-phospholipid interactions and from those known to be necessary for the activity of other proteins. Employing a new detergent-free subcellular fractionation protocol, a two-fold enrichment of the oxy…