tRNA-Derived Fragments as Biomarkers in Bladder Cancer.

Bladder cancer (BC) diagnosis is reliant on cystoscopy, an invasive procedure associated with urinary tract infections. This has sparked interest in identifying noninvasive biomarkers in body fluids such as blood and urine. A source of biomarkers in these biofluids are extracellular vesicles (EVs), nanosized vesicles that contain a wide array of molecular cargo, including small noncoding RNA such as transfer RNA-derived fragments (tRF) and microRNA.

Differentially Expressed Extracellular Vesicle-Contained microRNAs before and after Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumors.

Bladder cancer (BC) is currently diagnosed and monitored by cystoscopy, a costly and invasive procedure. Potential biomarkers in urine, blood, and, more recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs), have been explored as non-invasive alternatives for diagnosis and surveillance of BC. EVs are nanovesicles secreted by most cell types containing diverse molecular cargo, including different types of small RNAs, such as microRNA (miRNA).

Myeloma-derived extracellular vesicles mediate HGF/c-Met signaling in osteoblast-like cells.

Multiple myeloma is an incurable cancer of antibody-producing plasma cells. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), a cytokine aberrantly expressed in half of myeloma patients, is involved in myeloma pathogenesis by enhancing myeloma growth and invasiveness, and may play a role in myeloma bone disease by inhibiting osteoblastogenesis. In this study, we investigated whether extracellular vesicles (EVs) may play a role in HGF signaling between myeloma cells and osteoblast-like target cells.

Photochemical Internalization of Peptide Antigens Provides a Novel Strategy to Realize Therapeutic Cancer Vaccination.

Effective priming and activation of tumor-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) is crucial for realizing the potential of therapeutic cancer vaccination. This requires cytosolic antigens that feed into the MHC class I presentation pathway, which is not efficiently achieved with most current vaccination technologies. Photochemical internalization (PCI) provides an emerging technology to route endocytosed material to the cytosol of cells, based on light-induced disruption of endosomal membranes using a photosensitizing compound.

Erythropoietin (EPO)-receptor signaling induces cell death of primary myeloma cells in vitro.

Background: Multiple myeloma is an incurable complex disease characterized by clonal proliferation of malignant plasma cells in a hypoxic bone marrow environment. Hypoxia-dependent erythropoietin (EPO)-receptor (EPOR) signaling is central in various cancers, but the relevance of EPOR signaling in multiple myeloma cells has not yet been thoroughly investigated.

Methods: Myeloma cell lines and malignant plasma cells isolated from bone marrow of myeloma patients were used in this study.

A-kinase anchoring protein AKAP95 is a novel regulator of ribosomal RNA synthesis.

The RNA polymerase I transcription apparatus acquires and integrates the combined information from multiple cellular signalling cascades to regulate ribosome production essential for cell growth and proliferation. In the present study, we show that a subpopulation of A-kinase anchoring protein 95 (AKAP95) targets the nucleolus during interphase and is involved in regulating rRNA production. We show that AKAP95 co-localizes with the nucleolar upstream binding factor, an essential rRNA transcription factor.

Human Breast Milk miRNA, Maternal Probiotic Supplementation and Atopic Dermatitis in Offspring.

Background: Perinatal probiotic ingestion has been shown to prevent atopic dermatitis (AD) in infancy in a number of randomised trials. The Probiotics in the Prevention of Allergy among Children in Trondheim (ProPACT) trial involved a probiotic supplementation regime given solely to mothers in the perinatal period and demonstrated a ~40% relative risk reduction in the cumulative incidence of AD at 2 years of age. However, the mechanisms behind this effect are incompletely understood.

Allelic mutations in noncoding genomic sequences construct novel transcription factor binding sites that promote gene overexpression.

The growth and survival factor hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is expressed at high levels in multiple myeloma (MM) cells. We report here that elevated HGF transcription in MM was traced to DNA mutations in the promoter alleles of HGF. Sequence analysis revealed a previously undiscovered single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and crucial single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in the promoters of myeloma cells that produce large amounts of HGF.

Involvement of the catalytic subunit of protein kinase A and of HA95 in pre-mRNA splicing.

Protein kinase A (PKA) is a holoenzyme consisting of two catalytic (C) subunits bound to a regulatory (R) subunit dimer. Stimulation by cAMP dissociates the holoenzyme and causes translocation to the nucleus of a fraction of the C subunit. Apart from transcription regulation, little is known about the function of the C subunit in the nucleus.

Mutants of the protein serine kinase PSKH1 disassemble the Golgi apparatus.

We have dissected the molecular determinants involved in targeting the protein serine kinase PSKH1 to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), the Golgi apparatus, and the plasma membrane (PM). Given this intracellular localization pattern, a potential role of PSKH1 in the secretory pathway was explored. The amino-terminal of PSKH1 revealed a striking similarity to the often acylated Src homology domain 4 (SH4)-harboring nonreceptor tyrosine kinases.

PSKH1, a novel splice factor compartment-associated serine kinase.

Small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles (snRNPs) and non-snRNP splicing factors containing a serine/arginine-rich domain (SR proteins) concentrate in splicing factor compartments (SFCs) within the nucleus of interphase cells. Nuclear SFCs are considered mainly as storage sites for splicing factors, supplying splicing factors to active genes. The mechanisms controlling the interaction of the various spliceosome constituents, and the dynamic nature of the SFCs, are still poorly understood.