Multi-site reproducibility of a human immunophenotyping assay in whole blood and peripheral blood mononuclear cells preparations using CyTOF technology coupled with Maxpar Pathsetter, an automated data analysis system.

High-dimensional mass cytometry data potentially enable a comprehensive characterization of immune cells. In order to positively affect clinical trials and translational clinical research, this advanced technology needs to demonstrate a high reproducibility of results across multiple sites for both peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and whole blood preparations. A dry 30-marker broad immunophenotyping panel and customized automated analysis software were recently engineered and are commercially available as the Fluidigm® Maxpar® Direct™ Immune Profiling Assay™.

IMD-0354 targets breast cancer stem cells: a novel approach for an adjuvant to chemotherapy to prevent multidrug resistance in a murine model.

Although early detection of breast cancer improved in recent years, prognosis of patients with late stage breast cancer remains poor, mostly due to development of multidrug resistance (MDR) followed by tumor recurrence. Cancer stem cells (CSCs), with higher drug efflux capability and other stem cell-like properties, are concentrated in a side population (SP) of cells, which were proposed to be responsible for MDR and tumor repopulation that cause patients to succumb to breast cancer. Therefore, targeting of CSCs as an adjuvant to chemotherapy should be able to provide a more effective treatment of this disease.

Profilin induces lamellipodia by growth factor-independent mechanism.

Profilin has been implicated in cell motility and in a variety of cellular processes, such as membrane extension, endocytosis, and formation of focal complexes. In vivo, profilin replenish the pool of ATP-actin monomers by increasing the rate of nucleotide exchange of ADP-actin for ATP-actin, promoting the incorporation of new actin monomers at the barbed end of actin filaments. For this report, we generated a membrane-permeable version of profilin I (PTD4-PfnI) for the alteration of intracellular profilin levels taking advantage of the protein transduction technique.

Analysis of the role of the Rac/Cdc42 GTPases during planar cell polarity generation in Drosophila.

Initial genetic studies in Drosophila suggested that several members of the Rho subfamily (RhoA, Rac1 and Cdc42) are involved in planar cell polarity (PCP) establishment. However, analyses of Rac1, Rac2 and Mtl loss-of-function (LOF) mutants have argued against their role in this process. Here, we investigate in detail the role of the Rho GTPases Mtl, Cdc42, Rac1 and Rac2 in PCP generation.

Hypotensive effect of profilin on rabbit intraocular pressure.

Ocular hypertension is a negative process that occurs within the eye and is the main risk factor to develop glaucoma, a progressive loss of vision due to degeneration of retinal ganglion cells. The protein transduction technique allows a cargo to cross biological membranes. Using this technique we have previously shown that a membrane permeable version of profilin I (PTD4-profilin) increased aqueous humour outflow facility.

Use of transduction proteins to target trabecular meshwork cells: outflow modulation by profilin I.

Purpose: Fusion proteins containing a protein transduction domain (PTD4) are able to cross biological membranes. We tested the applicability of the protein transduction method for study of the aqueous humor trabecular outflow pathway by targeting the actin cytoskeleton, which is known to be involved in outflow facility regulation.

Methods: Expression vectors useful for generating fusion proteins with the PTD4 domain and the actin-binding protein Profilin I were constructed.