Use of the comet assay technique for quick and reliable prediction of in vitro response to chemotherapeutics in breast and colon cancer.

Background: Determination of response to chemotherapy is a major requirement of personalized medicine. Resistance, whether developed or native, critically affects a treatment's success. Single Cell Gel lectrophoresis - also known as a comet assay - is used to detect DNA damage at the level of individual eukaryotic cells.

Potential role for the Metnase transposase fusion gene in colon cancer through the regulation of key genes.

The Metnase fusion gene consists of a SET histone methyltransferase domain and a transposase domain from Mariner transposase. This transposable element is involved in chromosome decatenation, enhances DNA repair, promotes foreign DNA integration, and assists topoisomerase II function. This study investigates the role of Metnase in colon cancer homeostasis and maintenance of the stemness phenotype in colon cancer stem cells (CSCs).

Involvement of retrotransposon L1 in stemness and cellular plasticity.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as well as the reverse process, mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) is important during embryogenesis. EMT is also involved in cancer invasion and metastasis, and can generate cells with properties similar to those of stem cells. Retrotransposons can rearrange the genome by inserting DNA in new loci, thus inducing mutations.

How prostate-specific membrane antigen level may be correlated with stemness in prostate cancer stem cell-like cell populations?

Background: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a widely used targeted molecule in prostate patients. The present research, attempts to support the hypothesis that PSMA expression in prostate cancer stem cell-like (CSC) cell populations may be correlated with nanog and other transcription factors in different stages of prostate carcinomas.

Materials And Methods: To provide more accurate evidence of the above, a population of prostate CSCs was isolated and analyzed using different protocols.