Methods for Studying TNFα-Induced Autophagy.

Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved cellular mechanism in eukaryotes that plays an important role in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. The autophagy process maintains protein homeostasis by recycling damaged organelles and degrading many long-lived proteins in conjunction with the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Cytokines are low-molecular-weight secreted proteins that regulate a broad range of biological activities.

Structural modification of the aryl sulfonate ester of cjoc42 for enhanced gankyrin binding and anti-cancer activity.

Gankyrin is an oncogenic protein involved in various biological processes, such as cellular growth and proliferation. Its overexpression in certain cancers results in an increase of gankyrin-mediated protein-protein interactions (PPIs), leading to cancer proliferation. To date, only one small molecule (cjoc42) has been identified to bind gankyrin, which simultaneously inhibits its interaction with the 26S proteasome.

EphA2-Receptor Targeted PEGylated Nanoliposomes for the Treatment of BRAF Mutated Parent- and Vemurafenib-Resistant Melanoma.

The clinical outcomes of malignant melanoma have improved with the introduction of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitors. However, off-target toxicities of the MEK inhibitor trametinib (TMB) often result in dose interruption and discontinuation of therapy. The purpose of this study was to anchor a physically stable EphrinA1-mimicking peptide known as YSA (YSAYPDSVPMMS) on TMB-loaded PEGylated nanoliposomes (YTPLs), and evaluate them in BRAF-mutated parent cells (lines A375 and SK-MEL-28) and vemurafenib-resistant cells lines (A375R and SK-MEL-28R) in melanoma.

Inhibition of glycogen catabolism induces intrinsic apoptosis and augments multikinase inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the leading cancers in the world in incidence and mortality. Current pharmacotherapy of HCC is limited in the number and efficacy of anticancer agents. Metabolic reprogramming is a prominent feature of many cancers and has rekindled interest in targeting metabolic proteins for cancer therapy.

A Western-fed diet increases plasma HDL and LDL-cholesterol levels in apoD-/- mice.

Objective: Plasma apolipoprotein (apo)D, a ubiquitously expressed protein that binds small hydrophobic ligands, is found mainly on HDL particles. According to studies of human genetics and lipid disorders, plasma apoD levels positively correlate with HDL-cholesterol and apoAI levels. Thus, we tested the hypothesis that apoD was a regulator of HDL metabolism.