Preclinical trial of targeting the Hic-5-mediated pathway to prevent the progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was ascribed to metastasis. Targeted therapy aiming at the molecules along the metastatic pathway is a promising therapeutic strategy. Among them, hydrogen peroxide inducible clone-5 (Hic-5) is highlighted.

Suppressing of Src-Hic-5-JNK-AKT Signaling Reduced GAPDH Expression for Preventing the Progression of HuCCT1 Cholangiocarcinoma.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a malignant neoplasm of the bile ducts, being the second most common type of cancer in the liver, and most patients are diagnosed at a late stage with poor prognosis. Targeted therapy aiming at receptors tyrosine kinases (RTKs) such as c-Met or EGFR have been developed but with unsatisfactory outcomes. In our recent report, we found several oncogenic molecules downstream of RTKs, including hydrogen peroxide clone-5 (Hic-5), Src, AKT and JNK, were elevated in tissues of a significant portion of metastatic CCAs.

Targeting Src-Hic-5 Signal Cascade for Preventing Migration of Cholangiocarcinoma Cell HuCCT1.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is the second most common primary liver cancer with poor prognosis. The deregulation of a lot of oncogenic signaling molecules, such as receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), has been found to be associated with CCA progression. However, RTKs-based target therapy showed limited improvement suggesting a need to search for alternative targets for preventing CCA progression.

Inverted base composition skews and discontinuous mitochondrial genome architecture evolution in the Enoplea (Nematoda).

Background: Within the class Enoplea, the earliest-branching lineages in the phylum Nematoda, the relatively highly conserved ancestral mitochondrial architecture of Trichinellida is in stark contrast to the rapidly evolving architecture of Dorylaimida and Mermithida. To better understand the evolution of mitogenomic architecture in this lineage, we sequenced the mitogenome of a fish parasite Pseudocapillaria tomentosa (Trichinellida: Capillariidae) and compared it to all available enoplean mitogenomes.

Results: P.

EPHA2 mediates PDGFA activity and functions together with PDGFRA as prognostic marker and therapeutic target in glioblastoma.

Platelet-derived growth subunit A (PDGFA) plays critical roles in development of glioblastoma (GBM) with substantial evidence from TCGA database analyses and in vivo mouse models. So far, only platelet-derived growth receptor α (PDGFRA) has been identified as receptor for PDGFA. However, PDGFA and PDGFRA are categorized into different molecular subtypes of GBM in TCGA_GBM database.

Role of CSE-Produced HS on Cerebrovascular Relaxation via RhoA-ROCK Inhibition and Cerebral Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Mice.

The role of CSE-produced HS on cerebrovascular relaxation and cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury was investigated using CSE knockout (CSE) and wild-type (CSE) mice. The relaxation of the cerebral basilar artery (BA) to CSE-produced HS and its mechanism were detected. The results revealed that both NaHS, a donor of exogenous HS, and ROCK inhibitor Y27632 could induce significant relaxation of the BA, but the relaxation of the BA to NaHS was significantly attenuated by Y27632.

Sex differences in the treatment and outcome of patients with acute coronary syndrome after percutaneous coronary intervention: a population-based study.

Background: This study was performed to assess the influence of sex on drug therapy and long-term outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of ACS patients who underwent PCI [women (n=8,884) and men (n=23,937)] between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2007, with at least a 1-year follow-up, based on the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. Propensity score was used to identify a 1:1 matched cohort (n=17,768) for multivariable adjustment.

Age, dementia and care patterns after admission for acute coronary syndrome: an analysis from a nationwide cohort under the National Health Insurance coverage.

Background: The number of elderly and the prevalence of dementia have grown considerably in recent years. Little is known about how aging and dementia affect care patterns after discharge for acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Objective: This study was designed to assess the impact of dementia on care patterns after admission for patients with ACS across different age groups.

Cardiovascular outcomes associated with concomitant use of clopidogrel and proton pump inhibitors in patients with acute coronary syndrome in Taiwan.

What Is Already Known About This Subject: Conflicting results have been reported regarding the increased risk of adverse outcomes in the concomitant use of clopidogrel and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) compared with the use of clopidogrel alone.

What This Study Adds: Our study indicated no statistically significant increase in the risk of rehospitalization for acute coronary syndrome due to concurrent use of clopidogrel and PPIs in an Asian population with higher prevalence of CYP2C19 intermediate and poor metabolizers. Among all PPIs, only omeprazole was found to be statistically significantly associated with an increased risk of rehospitalization for acute coronary syndrome.

Impact of ezetimibe coadministered with statins on cardiovascular events following acute coronary syndrome: a 3-year population-based retrospective cohort study in Taiwan.

Background: Conflicting results using the combination of ezetimibe and statins to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) have been reported.

Objective: The aim of this work was to assess the effectiveness of ezetimibe coadministered with statins in reducing cardiovascular events in patients with ACS.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients discharged after hospitalization with ACS was conducted from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2007, and included those who were prescribed statins alone (n = 37,753) and those who received ezetimibe plus statins (n = 1001) within 365 days after the hospitalization, based on patient data obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan.

CXCR4 positive cells from Lewis lung carcinoma cell line have cancer metastatic stem cell characteristics.

There is increasing evidence that cancer stem cells contribute to the initiation and propagation of many tumor. Therefore, to find out and identify the metastatic tumor stem-like cells in Lewis lung cancer cell line (LLC), the expression of CXCR4 was measured in LLC by flow cytometry and observed by laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM). After the CXCR4(+) LLC cell was isolated from LLC by magnetic cell sorting, its properties were evaluated by their tumorigenic and metastatic potentials.

Polypharmacy, aging and potential drug-drug interactions in outpatients in Taiwan: a retrospective computerized screening study.

Background: Polypharmacy is common in outpatients and has been identified as a major risk factor for drug-drug interactions (DDIs), which are an important cause of adverse drug reactions. There has been a rapid increase in the number of elderly patients worldwide. However, there have been few studies quantifying the impact of both patient age and the number of concomitant drugs prescribed on the probability of potential DDIs per person in general outpatients.

Microarray-based analysis of microRNA expression in breast cancer stem cells.

Background: This study aimed to determine the miRNA profile in breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) and to explore the functions of characteristic BCSC miRNAs.

Methods: We isolated ESA+CD44+CD24-/low BCSCs from MCF-7 cells using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). A human breast cancer xenograft assay was performed to validate the stem cell properties of the isolated cells, and microarray analysis was performed to screen for BCSC-related miRNAs.

A mechanism study of light-induced Cr(VI) reduction in an acidic solution.

The mechanisms of photo-catalytic reduction of Cr(VI) were investigated in acidic solutions with and without Fe(III). In a system without Fe(III), no Cr(VI) reduction was observed in dark conditions; conversely, under light conditions, the reduction reaction rate increased to 0.011 and 0.

The co-transfection of p16(INK4a) and p14(ARF) genes into human lung cancer cell line A549 and the effects on cell growth and chemosensitivity.

Two functionally and structurally different proteins, p16(INK4a) and p14(ARF), encoded by the gene INK4a/ARF located at 9p21 are cyclin-dependent kinase (cdk) inhibitors and important cell cycle regulators. More and more evidences have been accumulated to show that the exogenous p16(INK4a) or p14(ARF) can inhibit the cell growth and/or induce the apoptosis. But it is still unclear if they can play positive role when combine with the conventional chemotherapy in cancer treatment.