Epigenetic regulation of the Warburg effect by H2B monoubiquitination.

Cancer cells reprogram their energy metabolic system from the mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway to a glucose-dependent aerobic glycolysis pathway. This metabolic reprogramming phenomenon is known as the Warburg effect, a significant hallmark of cancer. However, the detailed mechanisms underlying this event or triggering this reprogramming remain largely unclear.

Overexpression of SYF2 promotes cell proliferation and correlates with poor prognosis in human breast cancer.

SYF2, a known cell cycle regulator, is reported to be involved in cell cycle arrest by interacting with cyclin-D-type binding protein 1. In the present study, we investigated the role of SYF2 in human breast cancer (BC) progression. SYF2 was highly upregulated in BC tissues and cell lines, as per Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis.

Mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 expression and its prognostic significance in patients with breast cancer.

Mammalian sterile 20-like kinase 1 (Mst1) is a major inhibitor of cell proliferation, and is involved in apoptosis, oncogenesis and organ growth via its ubiquitously encoded serine threonine kinase. Previous studies have demonstrated that Mst1 has a tumor suppressor function in human breast cancer. Mst1 deletion or mutation is associated with tumorigenesis, whereas Mst1 overexpression leads to tumor cell apoptosis and decreases proliferation of tumor cells.

Prognostic value of plasma levels of HIF-1a and PGC-1a in breast cancer.

Cellular adaptive mechanisms are crucial for tumorigenesis and a common feature in solid tumor progression. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) facilitates the biological response to hypoxia, advancing angiogenesis and metastatic potential of the tumor. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivators 1α (PGC-1α) enhances mitochondrial biogenesis, favored by migratory/invasive cancer cells.

Pyrosequencing quantified methylation level of BRCA1 promoter as prognostic factor for survival in breast cancer patient.

BRCA1 promoter methylation is an essential epigenetic transcriptional silencing mechanism, related to breast cancer (BC) occurrence and progression. We quantified the methylation level of BRCA1 promoter and evaluated its significance as prognostic and predictive factor. BRCA1 promoter methylation level was quantified by pyrosequencing in surgical cancerous and adjacent normal specimens from 154 BC patients.

Stromal fibroblast activation and their potential association with uterine fibroids (Review).

Uterine fibroids are the most common type of benign, gynecologic neoplasm and are the primary indication for performance of a hysterectomy, accounting for >200,000 hysterectomies annually in the USA. At present, females are younger and exhibit larger leiomyomas at the time of diagnosis. Cancer-associated fibroblasts in tumor microenvironments have emerged as an important target for cancer therapy.

Mutations of mitochondrial DNA as potential biomarkers in breast cancer.

Background: Alterations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been found in cancer patients, therefore informative mtDNA mutations could serve as biomarkers for the disease.

Materials And Methods: The two hypervariable regions HVR1 and HVR2 in the D-Loop region were sequenced in ten paired tissue and plasma samples from breast cancer patients.

Results: MtDNA mutations were found in all patients' samples, suggesting a 100% detection rate.

Epigenetic therapy for breast cancer.

Both genetic and epigenetic alterations can control the progression of cancer. Genetic alterations are impossible to reverse, while epigenetic alterations are reversible. This advantage suggests that epigenetic modifications should be preferred in therapy applications.

An overview of biomarkers for the ovarian cancer diagnosis.

Even though there are a lot of options in treating gynecological malignancies, ovarian cancer still remains a leading cause of death. Diagnosis at an early stage is the most important determinant of survival. Current diagnostic tools applied at clinics have had very limited success in early detection.