Expression of Slug is regulated by c-Myb and is required for invasion and bone marrow homing of cancer cells of different origin.

In metastatic cancer cells, the process of invasion is regulated by several transcription factors that induce changes required for migration and resistance to apoptosis. Slug (SNAI2, Snail2) is involved in epithelial mesenchymal transition in physiological and in pathological contexts. We show here that in embryonic kidney, colon carcinoma, chronic myeloid leukemia-blast crisis, and in neuroblastoma cells, expression of Slug is transcriptionally regulated by c-Myb via Myb binding sites in the 5'-flanking region and in the first intron of the slug gene.

Altered expression of innate immunity genes in different intestinal sites of children with ulcerative colitis.

Background: Innate immunity has been very rarely investigated in ulcerative colitis and never in paediatrics. The present study was aimed at describing expression of innate immunity genes (NOD2, RIP2, α-defensins HD5 and HD6) in inflamed colon and in ileum of children with ulcerative colitis. Expression of TNFα and IL-1β was also analyzed.

Interaction between glutathione-S-transferase polymorphisms, smoking habit, and HPV infection in cervical cancer risk.

Purpose: Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is considered the major cause of cervical cancer (CC), but a number of infected women do not develop invasive lesions, suggesting the role of genetic susceptibility and environmental co-factors for cancer outbreak. The aim of this study was to investigate whether some GST polymorphisms could influence the risk to develop CC, either by themselves or in combination with smoking habit, in a cohort of high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) infected Italian women.

Methods: The study population comprises 192 Italian women including 81 HR-HPV infected women bearing cervical lesions and 111 healthy controls.

DNA repair capacity and acute radiotherapy adverse effects in Italian breast cancer patients.

Therapeutic exposure to ionising radiation can induce normal tissue side effects which consistently differ among individuals suggesting a possible genetic control. One approach to elucidate the underlying mechanisms is to analyse the relation between genetic traits, biomarkers of in vitro DNA damage and side toxicity in vivo. 43 breast cancer (BC) patients receiving radiotherapy after a breast-conserving surgery were recruited together with 34 age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Activation of NOD2-mediated intestinal pathway in a pediatric population with Crohn's disease.

Background: NOD2 is an intracellular protein involved in host recognition of specific bacterial molecules and is genetically associated with several inflammatory diseases, including Crohn's disease (CD). NOD2 stimulation activates the transcription factor, NF-kappaB, through RIP2, a caspase-recruitment domain-containing kinase. NOD2/RIP2 signaling also mediates the activation of antimicrobial peptides such as human alpha-defensin 5 (HD-5) and human alpha-defensin 6 (HD-6), both produced by Paneth cells.