Facilitating In Vivo Articular Cartilage Repair by Tissue-Engineered Cartilage Grafts Produced From Auricular Chondrocytes.

Background: Insufficient cell numbers still present a challenge for articular cartilage repair. Converting heterotopic auricular chondrocytes by extracellular matrix may be the solution.

Hypothesis: Specific extracellular matrix may convert the phenotype of auricular chondrocytes toward articular cartilage for repair.

Single-Stage Cartilage Repair Using Platelet-Rich Fibrin Scaffolds With Autologous Cartilaginous Grafts.

Background: To avoid complicated procedures requiring in vitro chondrocyte expansion for cartilage repair, the development of a culture-free, 1-stage approach combining platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and autologous cartilage grafts may be the solution.

Purpose: To develop a feasible 1-step procedure to combine PRF and autologous cartilage grafts for articular chondral defects.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study Methods: The chemotactic effects of PRF on chondrocytes harvested from the primary culture of rabbit cartilage were evaluated in vitro and ex vivo.

The Major Prognostic Features of Nuclear Receptor NR5A2 in Infiltrating Ductal Breast Carcinomas.

Background. Gene expression profiles of 181 breast cancer samples were analyzed to identify prognostic features of nuclear receptors NR5A1 and NR5A2 based upon their associated transcriptional networks. Methods.

Cord blood level of insulin-like growth factor-1 and IGF binding protein-3 in monochorionic twins.

Background/purpose: Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs) are known to modulate fetal growth but their role in intrauterine growth of monochorionic twins (MCT) has not been studied.

Methods: Cord venous blood was collected directly after birth. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 in the cord venous blood were quantified by radioimmunoassay.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer in Taiwanese women: potential treatment delay and impact on survival.

This study investigated the clinicopathologic characteristics and survival of women diagnosed with pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) in Taiwan. PABC is defined as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or within 1 year after obstetric delivery. Our sample of PABC patients (N = 26) included all patients diagnosed at a major medical center in northern Taiwan from 1984 through 2009.

Correction to: Prognostic Features of Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3 in an ER(+) Breast Cancer Model System.

[This corrects the article on p. 21 in vol. 13, PMID: 24526833.

Aldosterone induced galectin-3 secretion in vitro and in vivo: from cells to humans.

Context: Patients with primary aldosteronism are associated with increased myocardial fibrosis. Galectin-3 is one of the most important mediators between macrophage activation and myocardial fibrosis.

Objective: To investigate whether aldosterone induces galectin-3 secretion in vitro and in vivo.

A supervised network analysis on gene expression profiles of breast tumors predicts a 41-gene prognostic signature of the transcription factor MYB across molecular subtypes.

Background: MYB is predicted to be a favorable prognostic predictor in a breast cancer population. We proposed to find the inferred mechanism(s) relevant to the prognostic features of MYB via a supervised network analysis.

Methods: Both coefficient of intrinsic dependence (CID) and Galton Pierson's correlation coefficient (GPCC) were combined and designated as CIDUGPCC.

Prognostic features of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 in an ER(+) breast cancer model system.

The aberrantly expressed signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) predicts poor prognosis, primarily in estrogen receptor positive (ER(+)) breast cancers. Activated STAT3 is overexpressed in luminal A subtype cells. The mechanisms contributing to the prognosis and/or subtype relevant features of STAT3 in ER(+) breast cancers are through multiple interacting regulatory pathways, including STAT3-MYC, STAT3-ERα, and STAT3-MYC-ERα interactions, as well as the direct action of activated STAT3.

In Silico Prediction for Regulation of Transcription Factors onTheir Shared Target Genes Indicates Relevant Clinical Implications in a Breast Cancer Population.

Aberrant transcriptional activities have been documented in breast cancers. Studies often find some transcription factors to be inappropriately regulated and enriched in certain pathological states. The promoter regions of most target genes have binding sites for their transcription factors.

Major Functional Transcriptome of an Inferred Center Regulator of an ER(-) Breast Cancer Model System.

We aimed to find clinically relevant gene activities ruled by the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) proteins in an ER(-) breast cancer population via network approach. STAT3 is negatively associated with both lymph nodal category and stage. MYC is a component of STAT3 network.

Multimodel assessment of BRCA1 mutations in Taiwanese (ethnic Chinese) women with early-onset, bilateral or familial breast cancer.

Although evidence suggests an importance of genetic factors in the development of breast cancer in Taiwanese (ethnic Chinese) women, including a high incidence of early-onset and secondary contralateral breast cancer, a major breast cancer predisposition gene, BRCA1, has not been well studied in this population. In fact, the carcinogenic impacts of many genetic variants of BRCA1 are unknown and classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS). It is therefore important to establish a method to characterize the BRCA1 VUSs and understand their role in Taiwanese breast cancer patients.

Identification of prognostic genes for recurrent risk prediction in triple negative breast cancer patients in Taiwan.

Discrepancies in the prognosis of triple negative breast cancer exist between Caucasian and Asian populations. Yet, the gene signature of triple negative breast cancer specifically for Asians has not become available. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to construct a prediction model for recurrence of triple negative breast cancer in Taiwanese patients.

Nuclear GRP75 binds retinoic acid receptors to promote neuronal differentiation of neuroblastoma.

Retinoic acid (RA) has been approved for the differentiation therapy of neuroblastoma (NB). Previous work revealed a correlation between glucose-regulated protein 75 (GRP75) and the RA-elicited neuronal differentiation of NB cells. The present study further demonstrated that GRP75 translocates into the nucleus and physically interacts with retinoid receptors (RARα and RXRα) to augment RA-elicited neuronal differentiation.

Transcutaneous ultrasound for evaluation of vocal fold movement in patients with thyroid disease.

Background: Preoperative evaluation of recurrent laryngeal nerve function is important in the context of thyroid surgery. Transcutaneous ultrasound may be useful to visualize vocal fold movement when evaluating thyroid disease.

Methods: A 7-18 MHz linear array transducer was placed transversely on the midline of the thyroid cartilage at the anterior neck of patients with thyroid disease.

MUC1 expression is elevated in severe preeclamptic placentas and suppresses trophoblast cell invasion via β1-integrin signaling.

Context: Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-specific disorder that features insufficient extravillous trophoblast (EVT) invasion. We have previously shown that MUC1 expression in human placenta increases with gestational age and inhibits choriocarcinoma cell invasion.

Objective: Here, we studied whether MUC1 expression in preeclamptic placentas is dysregulated and the mechanism of EVT invasion regulated by MUC1.

In search of the Golden Fleece: unraveling principles of morphogenesis by studying the integrative biology of skin appendages.

The mythological story of the Golden Fleece symbolizes the magical regenerative power of skin appendages. Similar to the adventurous pursuit of the Golden Fleece by the multi-talented Argonauts, today we also need an integrated multi-disciplined approach to understand the cellular and molecular processes during development, regeneration and evolution of skin appendages. To this end, we have explored several aspects of skin appendage biology that contribute to the Turing activator/inhibitor model in feather pattern formation, the topo-biological arrangement of stem cells in organ shape determination, the macro-environmental regulation of stem cells in regenerative hair waves, and potential novel molecular pathways in the morphological evolution of feathers.

Notch1 expression predicts an unfavorable prognosis and serves as a therapeutic target of patients with neuroblastoma.

Purpose: Notch signaling has been implicated to play a critical role in the tumorigenesis of neuroblastoma (NB) and can modulate calreticulin (CRT) expression that strongly correlates with tumor differentiation and favorable prognosis of NB. We thus sought to determine how Notch regulates CRT expression and affects NB tumor behavior.

Experimental Design: The Notch-dependent regulation of CRT expression in cultured NB cells was analyzed by confocal microscopy and Western blotting.

Informed consent for antenatal serum screening for Down syndrome.

Objective: Respect for patients' autonomy is a principle issue in medical ethics. Patients' understanding of antenatal serum screening for Down syndrome upon informed consent has barely been assessed. Our objective was to evaluate pregnant women's perceived level of understanding of this serum screening.

SPARC (osteonectin) in breast tumors of different histologic types and its role in the outcome of invasive ductal carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to characterize the immunohistochemical distribution of secreted protein acidic and rich in cystein (SPARC) in benign and malignant breast tumors of different histologic types and define its association with the outcome of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) patients. A total of 286 samples of benign and malignant breast lesions between 1994 and 2005 were retrieved from National Taiwan University Hospital. Up to 11 years clinical follow-up data were available for 185 patients with IDC.

First-trimester Down syndrome screening in women younger than 35 years old and cost-effectiveness analysis in Taiwan population.

Objectives: Outcome of the first-trimester Down syndrome screening in younger population was less reported before. We present the outcome of this screening in Taiwanese women younger than 35 years old. We also test whether or not the first-trimester Down syndrome screening of women <35 years of age and women >35 years old routinely receiving amniocentesis is cost-effective compared with all pregnant women screened with this test in the setting of increased maternal age.

Preoperative serum placenta growth factor level is a prognostic biomarker in colorectal cancer.

Purpose: Increased angiogenesis at the site of the primary tumor in colorectal cancer has been associated with poor prognosis and relapse of disease. We previously demonstrated that the tissue level of placenta growth factor expression was upregulated in colorectal cancer and correlated with disease progression and patient survival. The aims of this study are to examine the prognostic value of serum placenta growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor, and sFlt-1 and to compare them with the carcinoembryonic antigen levels in patients with colorectal cancer.

Over-expression of EphB3 enhances cell-cell contacts and suppresses tumor growth in HT-29 human colon cancer cells.

Receptor tyrosine kinase EphB3 is expressed in cells in the bottom of intestinal crypts near stem cell niches. Loss of Ephb3 has recently been reported to produce invasive colorectal carcinoma in Apc(Min/+) mice and EphB-mediated compartmentalization was demonstrated to be a mechanism suppressing colorectal cancer progression; however, it is unknown whether other factors contribute to EphB-mediated tumor suppression. EphA4-ephrin-A and EphB4-ephrin-B2 signaling have been reported to promote mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET).

Association between color doppler vascularity index, angiogenesis-related molecules, and clinical outcomes in gastric cancer.

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the correlation between color Doppler vascularity index (CDVI), clinical outcomes and five angiogenesis-related molecules including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), placenta growth factor (PlGF), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and calreticulin (CRT) in gastric cancer, and to develop an effective model selected from these five molecules to predict patient survival.

Patients And Methods: CDVI could be obtained preoperatively by transabdominal ultrasound from 30 patients. Enzyme immunoassay was adopted to determine protein level of VEGF and PlGF, and immunohistochemistry was used to detect COX-2, iNOS and CRT expression.