RNA disruption is a widespread phenomenon associated with stress-induced cell death in tumour cells.

We have previously shown that neoadjuvant chemotherapy can induce the degradation of tumour ribosomal RNA (rRNA) in patients with advanced breast cancer, a phenomenon we termed "RNA disruption". Extensive tumour RNA disruption during chemotherapy was associated with a post-treatment pathological complete response and improved disease-free survival. The RNA disruption assay (RDA), which quantifies this phenomenon, is now being evaluated for its clinical utility in a large multinational clinical trial.

Cystathionine gamma-lyase/H S signaling facilitates myogenesis under aging and injury condition.

Hydrogen sulfide (H S) can be endogenously produced and belongs to the class of signaling molecules known as gasotransmitters. Cystathionine gamma-lyase (CSE)-derived H S is implicated in the regulation of cell differentiation and the aging process, but the involvements of the CSE/H S system in myogenesis upon aging and injury have not been explored. In this study, we demonstrated that CSE acts as a major H S-generating enzyme in skeletal muscles and is significantly down-regulated in aged skeletal muscles in mice.

The RNA disruption assay is superior to conventional drug sensitivity assays in detecting cytotoxic drugs.

Conventional drug sensitivity assays used to screen prospective anti-cancer agents for cytotoxicity monitor biological processes associated with active growth and proliferation, used as proxies of cell viability. However, these assays are unable to distinguish between growth-arrested (but otherwise viable) cells and non-viable/dead cells. As a result, compounds selected based on the results of these assays may only be cytostatic, halting or slowing tumour progression temporarily, without tumour eradication.

RNA disruption indicates CHOP therapy efficacy in canine lymphoma.

Background: Assessment of the efficacy of a multi-agent chemotherapy protocol in which cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP) are administered in canine lymphoma is generally performed by physical measurement of lymph node diameter. However, no consistent correlation has been made with prognostic indicators and the length or absence of clinical remission based on lymph node size. RNA disruption measured mid-therapy has been correlated with increased disease-free survival in recent studies of human cancer and was assessed in this study of canine lymphoma patients.