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showing 10 items of 15327 documents
Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Induces Inflammation and Predicts Spinal Progression in Ankylosing Spondylitis
2017
Objectives: To understand the role of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in the pathogenesis of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). Methods: AS patients satisfying the modified New York criteria were recruited for the study. Healthy volunteers, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients were included as controls. Based on the annual rate of increase in mSASSS scores, AS patients were classified as progressors or non-progressors. MIF levels were quantitated by ELISA in the serum and synovial fluid. Predictors of AS progression were studied by logistic regression analysis. Immunohistochemistry of ileal tissue was performed to identify MIF producing cells. Flow cytometry was used to r…
Toll like receptor mediated immune stimulation can be visualized in vivo by [ 18 F]FDG-PET
2016
Abstract Introduction High uptake of [ 18 F]-2-fluorodeoxyglucose ([ 18 F]FDG) by inflammatory cells is a frequent cause of false positive results in [ 18 F]FDG-positron-emission tomography (PET) for cancer diagnostics. Similar to cancer cells, immune cells undergo significant increases in glucose utilization following activation, e.g., in infectious diseases or after vaccination during cancer therapy. The aim of this study was to quantify certain immune effects in vitro and in vivo by [ 18 F]FDG-PET after stimulation with TLR ligands and specific antibodies. Methods In vivo [ 18 F]FDG-PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and biodistribution was performed with C57BL/6 mice immunized with Cp…
Aerobic Exercise and Pharmacological Treatments Counteract Cachexia by Modulating Autophagy in Colon Cancer
2016
Recent studies have correlated physical activity with a better prognosis in cachectic patients, although the underlying mechanisms are not yet understood. In order to identify the pathways involved in the physical activity-mediated rescue of skeletal muscle mass and function, we investigated the effects of voluntary exercise on cachexia in colon carcinoma (C26)-bearing mice. Voluntary exercise prevented loss of muscle mass and function, ultimately increasing survival of C26-bearing mice. We found that the autophagic flux is overloaded in skeletal muscle of both colon carcinoma murine models and patients, but not in running C26-bearing mice, thus suggesting that exercise may release the auto…
The route to solve the interplay between inflammation, angiogenesis and anti-cancer immune response.
2016
Even though the crucial role played by inflammation in cancer development and progression was first hypothesized by Rudolf Virchow at the beginning of the nineteenth century, only recently inflammation has been recognized as a hallmark of cancer. At present, the biology underlying the humoral and cellular immune-suppressive cancer-associated inflammatory microenvironment is an active area of preclinical and clinical investigation.1, 2 Indeed, the possibility to modulate the inflammatory/immune microenvironment, by either antagonizing the tumor-associated immune-suppression or by enhancing the pre-existing anti-cancer immune response in tumor tissues, is a promising therapeutic option for ca…
Disruption of TCF/β-Catenin Binding Impairs Wnt Signaling and Induces Apoptosis in Soft Tissue Sarcoma Cells
2017
Abstract Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) are malignant tumors of mesenchymal origin and represent around 1% of adult cancers, being a very heterogeneous group of tumors with more than 50 different subtypes. The Wnt signaling pathway is involved in the development and in the regulation, self-renewal, and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells, and plays a role in sarcomagenesis. In this study, we have tested pharmacologic inhibition of Wnt signaling mediated by disruption of TCF/β-catenin binding and AXIN stabilization, being the first strategy more efficient in reducing cell viability and downstream effects. We have shown that disruption of TCF/β-catenin binding with PKF118-310 produces in vi…
Intratumoral Heterogeneity and Longitudinal Changes in Gene Expression Predict Differential Drug Sensitivity in Newly Diagnosed and Recurrent Gliobla…
2020
Background: Inevitable recurrence after radiochemotherapy is the major problem in the treatment of glioblastoma, the most prevalent type of adult brain malignancy. Glioblastomas are notorious for a high degree of intratumor heterogeneity manifest through a diversity of cell types and molecular patterns. The current paradigm of understanding glioblastoma recurrence is that cytotoxic therapy fails to target effectively glioma stem cells. Recent advances indicate that therapy-driven molecular evolution is a fundamental trait associated with glioblastoma recurrence. There is a growing body of evidence indicating that intratumor heterogeneity, longitudinal changes in molecular biomarkers and spe…
Targeting chemoresistant colorectal cancer via systemic administration of a BMP7 variant
2020
Abstract Despite intense research and clinical efforts, patients affected by advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) have still a poor prognosis. The discovery of colorectal (CR) cancer stem cell (CSC) as the cell compartment responsible for tumor initiation and propagation may provide new opportunities for the development of new therapeutic strategies. Given the reduced sensitivity of CR-CSCs to chemotherapy and the ability of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) to promote colonic stem cell differentiation, we aimed to investigate whether an enhanced variant of BMP7 (BMP7v) could sensitize to chemotherapy-resistant CRC cells and tumors. Thirty-five primary human cultures enriched in CR-CSCs, includ…
Regulation of GSK-3 activity by curcumin, berberine and resveratrol: Potential effects on multiple diseases.
2017
Natural products or nutraceuticals promote anti-aging, anti-cancer and other health-enhancing effects. A key target of the effects of natural products may be the regulation of the PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTORC1/GSK-3 pathway. This review will focus on the effects of curcumin (CUR), berberine (BBR) and resveratrol (RES), on the PI3K/PTEN/Akt/mTORC1/GSK-3 pathway, with a special focus on GSK-3. These natural products may regulate the pathway by multiple mechanisms including: reactive oxygen species (ROS), cytokine receptors, mirco-RNAs (miRs) and many others. CUR is present the root of turmeric (Curcuma longa). CUR is used in the treatment of many disorders, especially in those involving inflammatory p…
Cancer therapy and treatments during COVID-19 era
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has put a serious strain on health treatments as well at the economies of many nations. Unfortunately, there is not currently available vaccine for SARS-Cov-2/COVID-19. Various types of patients have delayed treatment or even routine check-ups and we are adapting to a virtual world. In many cases, surgeries are delayed unless they are essential. This is also true with regards to cancer treatments and screening. Interestingly, some existing drugs and nutraceuticals have been screened for their effects on COVID-19. Certain FDA approved drugs, vitamin, natural products and trace minerals may be repurposed to treat or improve the prevention of COVID-19 infections and disea…
NRF2 through RPS6 Activation Is Related to Anti-HER2 Drug Resistance in HER2-Amplified Gastric Cancer
2019
Abstract Purpose: Despite the clinical advantage of the combination of trastuzumab and platinum-based chemotherapy in HER2-amplified tumors, resistance will eventually develop. The identification of molecular mechanisms related to primary and acquired resistance is needed. Experimental Design: We generated lapatinib- and trastuzumab-resistant clones deriving from two different HER2-amplified gastric cancer cell lines. Molecular changes such as protein expression and gene-expression profile were evaluated to detect alterations that could be related to resistance. Functional studies in vitro were corroborated in vivo. The translational relevance of our findings was verified in a patient cohor…