A polymorphic GGC repeat in the NPAS2 gene and its association with melanoma.

Circadian clock regulation in mammals is controlled by feedback loops of a set of circadian genes. One of these circadian genes, NPAS2, encodes for a member of the bHLH-PAS class of transcription factors and is expressed in the forebrain and in some peripheral organs such as liver and skin. Other biological processes are also regulated by circadian genes.

A CGH array procedure to detect PAX6 gene structural defects.

Aniridia is a rare congenital disease characterized by eye development defects, in which the more evident clinical manifestation is iris absence or malformation. In most of the patients, aniridia is associated to PAX6 gene point mutations or deletions. When these deletions are large and involve other genes, a more complex disease, named WAGR syndrome, arises.

Identification of tumorigenesis-related mRNAs associated with RNA-binding protein HuR in thyroid cancer cells.

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) play a central role in cell physiology and pathology. Among them, HuR is a nuclear RBP, which shuttles to the cytoplasm to allow its RNA targets processing. HuR over-expression and delocalization are often associated to cell transformation.

Expression of PAX8 Target Genes in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

PAX8 is a thyroid-specific transcription factor whose expression is dysregulated in thyroid cancer. A recent study using a conditional knock-out mouse model identified 58 putative PAX8 target genes. In the present study, we evaluated the expression of 11 of these genes in normal and tumoral thyroid tissues from patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).

MCM5 as a target of BET inhibitors in thyroid cancer cells.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is an extremely aggressive thyroid cancer subtype, refractory to the current medical treatment. Among various epigenetic anticancer drugs, bromodomain and extra-terminal inhibitors (BETis) are considered to be an appealing novel class of compounds. BETi target the bromodomain and extra-terminal of BET proteins that act as regulators of gene transcription, interacting with histone acetyl groups.