Methylation status of the and promoter in cell-free circulating DNA and its prognostic role in patients with colorectal cancer.

DNA methylation is the most frequent epigenetic alteration. Using methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP), the methylation status of the adenomatous polyposis coli () and Ras association domain family 1 isoform A () genes was examined in cell-free circulating DNA from 155 plasma samples obtained from patients with early and advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). and hypermethylation was frequently observed in both early and advanced disease, and was significantly associated with a poorer disease outcome.

Tripolin A, a novel small-molecule inhibitor of aurora A kinase, reveals new regulation of HURP's distribution on microtubules.

Mitotic regulators exhibiting gain of function in tumor cells are considered useful cancer therapeutic targets for the development of small-molecule inhibitors. The human Aurora kinases are a family of such targets. In this study, from a panel of 105 potential small-molecule inhibitors, two compounds Tripolin A and Tripolin B, inhibited Aurora A kinase activity in vitro.