Energy-consistent pseudopotentials for the 5d elements--benchmark calculations for oxides, nitrides, and Pt(2).

The performance of new relativistic energy-consistent pseudopotentials for the 5d elements, adjusted to atomic valence spectra from multiconfiguration Dirac-Hartree-Fock calculations (J. Chem. Phys.

Antitumor agents. 258. Syntheses and evaluation of dietary antioxidant--taxoid conjugates as novel cytotoxic agents.

Various dietary antioxidants, including vitamins, flavonoids, curcumin, and a coumarin, were conjugated with paclitaxel (1) through an ester linkage. The newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against several human tumor cell lines as well as the corresponding normal cell lines. Interestingly, most tested conjugates selectively inhibited the growth of 1A9 (ovarian) and KB (nasopharyngeal) tumor cells without activity against other cell lines.

Targeted expression of BikDD eradicates pancreatic tumors in noninvasive imaging models.

Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive malignancy with morbidity rates almost equal to mortality rates because of the current lack of effective treatment options. Here, we describe a targeted approach to treating pancreatic cancer with effective therapeutic efficacy and safety in noninvasive imaging models. We developed a versatile expression vector "VISA" (VP16-GAL4-WPRE integrated systemic amplifier) and a CCKAR (cholecystokinin type A receptor) gene-based, pancreatic-cancer-specific promoter VISA (CCKAR-VISA) composite to target transgene expression in pancreatic tumors in vivo.

Targeting ECM-integrin interaction with liposome-encapsulated small interfering RNAs inhibits the growth of human prostate cancer in a bone xenograft imaging model.

The intricate intracellular communication between stromal and epithelial cells, which involves cell-cell-, cell-insoluble extracellular matrix- (ECM), and cell-soluble factor-mediated signaling processes, is an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in hormone-refractory and bone-metastatic prostate cancer. In the present study we demonstrated that androgen-independent PC3 prostate cancer cells adhered to and migrated on vitronectin (VN), a major noncollagenous ECM in mature bone, through the expression of alphav-containing integrin receptors alphavbeta1 and alphavbeta5 on the cell surface, as determined by antibody function blocking assay and flow cytometry analysis. Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting human integrin alphav markedly reduced their respective mRNA and protein expression in cells, resulting in nearly complete reduction in VN-mediated cancer progression in vitro.

E1A sensitizes cancer cells to TRAIL-induced apoptosis through enhancement of caspase activation.

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has been shown to induce apoptosis of cancer cells. Sensitization of cancer cells to TRAIL, particularly TRAIL-resistant cancer cells, could improve the effectiveness of TRAIL as an anticancer agent. The adenovirus type 5 E1A that associates with anticancer activities including sensitization to apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor is currently being tested in clinical trials.