Publications by authors named "Fiona Ruge"

Most pancreatic cancer patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, with poor survival rates and drug resistance making pancreatic cancer one of the highest causes of cancer death in the UK. Understanding the underlying mechanism behind its carcinogenesis, metastasis and drug resistance has become an essential task for researchers. We have discovered that a well-established tumour suppressor, EPLIN, has an oncogenic rather than suppressive role in pancreatic cancer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Capillary morphogenesis gene 2 (CMG2) mediates cell-matrix interactions to facilitate cell adhesion and migration. CMG2 has been implicated in the disease progression of breast cancer, prostate cancer and gastric cancer. The present study aims to determine the role of CMG2 in the disease progression and peritoneal metastasis of pancreatic cancer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/aim: Metastatic lymph node 64 (MLN64) is often co-amplified with ERBB2 (HER2) and plays a role in the progression of breast and prostate cancer. The present study explored the expression of MLN64 in clinical gastric cancer in association with the ERBB family and its impact on drug resistance in patients.

Materials And Methods: Two independent gastric cancer cohorts (n=324; n=87) were used to explore the expression profile of MLN64 in conjunction with ERBB family members in clinical gastric cancer and its association with neoadjuvant chemotherapy responses.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

(1) Introduction: Claudin-9 (CLDN9) is a member of the claudin protein family, a critical transmembrane protein family for tight junctions that are implemented in the progression of numerous cancer types. The present study investigated the role that CLDN9, along with the subcoat proteins, Zonula Occludens (ZOs), plays in clinical breast cancer and subsequent impact on drug response of patients. (2) Methods: CLDN9 protein and transcript were determined and correlated with clinical and pathological indicators, together with the status of hormonal receptors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/aim: Kinase D-interacting substrate of 220 kDa (Kidins220), also known as ankyrin repeat-rich membrane spanning protein (ARMS), is a transmembrane scaffold protein. Deregulated Kidins220 has been observed in various malignancies including melanoma, glioma, neuroblastoma, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Materials And Methods: In the current study, Kidins220 expression was determined at transcript and protein levels.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Striatins (STRNs) family, which contains three multi-domain scaffolding proteins, are cornerstones of the striatins interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complex. Although the role of the STRIPAK complex in cancer has become recognized in recent years, its clinical significance in breast cancer has not been fully established.

Methods: Using a freshly frozen breast cancer tissue cohort containing both cancerous and adjacent normal mammary tissues, we quantitatively evaluated the transcript-level expression of all members within the STRIPAK complex along with some key interacting and regulatory proteins of STRNs.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/aim: Claudin-10 (CLDN10) is a membrane integral protein. It is one of the widely expressed tight junctional claudins with functions not well defined. In the present study, the expression profile and its role in cerebral endothelial cells and in the interaction between breast cancer and endothelial cells were investigated.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Oral mucosal wounds heal faster and with less scarring than skin wounds, mainly due to the superior healing properties of oral mucosal fibroblasts (OMFs).
  • The study compared oxidative stress markers and antioxidant profiles between oral mucosa and skin tissues, finding that OMFs have a stronger resistance to oxidative damage and are more effective in healing.
  • Although higher levels of certain enzymes (like SOD3) were found in oral tissues, the exact contributions of enzymatic antioxidants in wound healing may be limited, suggesting other antioxidants could also play a vital role in protecting OMFs from oxidative stress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/aim: Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) plays an important role in cancer via its homotypical and heterotypical interactions with ALCAM or other proteins and can also mediate cell-cell interactions. The present study investigated the expression of ALCAM in relation to epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) markers and its downstream signal proteins including Ezrin-Moesin-Radixin (ERM), in clinical colon cancer and in the progression of the disease.

Materials And Methods: Expression of ALCAM was determined in a clinical colon cancer cohort and assessed against the clinical pathological factors and outcome, together with the expression patterns of the ERM family and EMT markers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/aim: Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM/CD166), a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily, has been shown to regulate cell adhesion through both homotypic and heterotypic interactions. In cancer, it might be involved in disease progression and chemotherapy drug resistance. The present study explored the clinical and prognostic significance of ALCAM in gastric cancer and its impact on patient's responses to neoadjuvant chemotherapies and cancer cells' response to chemodrugs in vitro.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

(1) Background: Chronic wounds represent a major burden to patients and healthcare systems and identifying new therapeutic targets to encourage wound healing is a significant challenge. This study evaluated nWASP as a new therapeutic target in human wound healing and determined how this can be regulated. (2) Methods: Clinical cohorts from patients with chronic wounds were tested for the expression of nWASP and cell models were employed to evaluate the influence of nWASP on cellular functions that are key to the healing process following knockdown and/or the use of nWASP-specific inhibitors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Activated Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule (ALCAM/CD166) is a cell-cell adhesion protein conferring heterotypic and homotypic interactions between cells of the same type and different types. It is aberrantly expressed in various cancer types and has been shown to be a regulator of cancer metastasis. In the present study, we investigated potential roles of ALCAM in the peritoneal transcoelomic metastasis in gastrointestinal cancers, a metastatic type commonly occurred in gastro-intestinal and gynaecological malignancies and resulting in poor clinical outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Colorectal cancer is a serious threat to human health. Poor prognosis and frequently reported drug resistance urges research into novel biomarkers and mechanisms to aid in the understanding of the development and progression of colorectal cancer and to optimise therapeutic strategies. In the current study, we investigated the roles of a putative tumour suppressor, EPLIN, in colorectal cancer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Death associated protein‑3 (DAP3) was identified as a responsive protein to interferon‑gamma‑induced cell death which possibly exerts this regulation by interacting with DAP3 binding cell Death enhancer‑1 (DELE1), a newly discovered mitochondrial stress protein in response to cell stress signals. Whilst DAP3 has been shown to be aberrantly expressed in several cancer types (i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/aim: Capillary morphogenesis gene 2 (CMG2) is involved in prostate and breast cancer progression. This study aimed to investigate sex hormone receptor-mediated regulation of CMG2 in breast and prostate cancer, and its implication in disease progression.

Materials And Methods: Expression of CMG2, oestrogen receptor (ER) and androgen receptor (AR) was determined in breast and prostate cancer cell lines, respectively, using real-time quantitative PCR (QPCR) and western blot.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: HAVcR-1 has been linked to cancer aetiology and may regulate junctional complexes, with its role in prostate cancer still unexplored. This study aims to investigate the expression of HAVcR-1 in prostate cancer samples and the exploration of the cellular/molecular impact of HAVcR-1.

Methods: Levels of HAVcR-1 ectodomain in the serum of prostate cancer patients were compared to healthy controls, and assessed as the total protein and gene expression of HAVcR-1 and tissues sections.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM, or CD166) is a cell adhesion molecule and one of potential tumour metastasis 'soil' receptors that via homotypic and heterotypic interactions, mediates cancer cell adhesion. The present study investigated clinical, pathological and prognostic values of ALCAM in patients with pancreatic cancer. Human pancreatic cancer (PANC-1 and Mia PaCa-2) and human vascular endothelial cell lines were used to construct cell models differentially expressing levels of ALCAM.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

WounD14 (WD14) gene signature is a recently developed tool derived from genetic interrogation of wound edge biopsies of chronic venous leg ulcers to identify heard-to-heal wounds and enable clinicians to target aggressive therapies to promote wound healing. This study aimed to evaluate if changes in wound clinical healing status were detected by the WD14 gene signature over time as this is currently poorly understood. WD14 was developed through gene screening and subsequent validation in 3 patient cohorts involving 85 consecutive patients with chronic venous leg ulcers referred to a tertiary wound healing unit.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Salt-inducible kinases (SIKs), belonging to an AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) family, have an evolving role in tumourigenesis and metastasis in many solid tumours. However, the function of SIKs in breast cancer is not fully established. Here, we systematically elucidated the function of SIK family members in breast cancer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

DEAD/H box helicases are implicated in lung cancer but have not been systematically investigated for their clinical significance and function. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential of DEAD/H box helicases as prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in lung cancer by integrated bioinformatic analysis of multivariate large-scale databases. Survival and differential expression analysis of these helicases enabled us to identify four biomarkers with the most significant alterations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - S100P protein is overexpressed in breast cancer and is linked to drug resistance, with a significant decrease observed after neoadjuvant chemotherapy, especially in HER2+ tumors.
  • - Experimental knockdown of S100P in breast cancer cell lines reduced their aggressive behaviors and increased resistance to chemotherapy drugs like paclitaxel and cisplatin.
  • - The findings suggest that S100P not only drives aggressive cancer traits but could also serve as a valuable target for new treatments and a predictor for chemotherapy response in HER2+ breast cancer patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Noggin is an antagonist of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), being indispensable for certain developmental events. The present study aimed to examine the role of Noggin in the development and prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. The expression of Noggin in GC was evaluated by RT‑qPCR, immunohistochemistry and by the analyses of publicly available databases.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Psoriasin, otherwise known as S100A7, is a member of the S100 protein family. With the key function of binding calcium, it is able to regulate a range of cellular functions. Altered Psoriasin expression is associated with poor clinical outcomes in several solid cancers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Activated Leukocyte Cell Adhesion Molecule (ALCAM) has been linked to the progression of numerous human cancers, where it appears to play a complex role. The current study aims to further assess the importance of ALCAM in prostate cancer and the prognostic potential of serum ALCAM as a biomarker for prostate cancer progression. Here we demonstrate enhanced levels of tissue ALCAM are associated with metastasis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF