High expression of agrin is associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The heparan sulfate proteoglycan agrin is known to accumulate in the context of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Agrin is important for neoangiogenesis in HCC tissues, and is incorporated into newly formed vasculature, but exactly how agrin contributes to the pathology of HCC remains to be fully defined. We therefore examined the clinical relevance of agrin as it pertains to HCC progression and prognosis using tissue sections from a total of 313 HCC patients.

Role of 5-Aza-CdR in mitomycin-C chemosensitivity of T24 bladder cancer cells.

Chemotherapeutic insensitivity is one of key obstacles to effectively treating muscle invasive bladder cancer. 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR) has been identified as a tumor suppressive agent in various types of cancer. The aim of the present study was to identify the effects of 5-Aza-CdR on the mitomycin-C (MMC) chemosensitivity of T24 bladder cancer cells and investigate the underlying mechanisms.

Synthesis of novel galactose functionalized gold nanoparticles and its radiosensitizing mechanism.

Background: Biocompatible gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are potentially practical and efficient agents in cancer radiotherapy applications. In this study, we demonstrated that GNPs can significantly modulate irradiation response of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro and investigated the underlying mechanisms. We co-grafted galactose (GAL) targeting hepatocyte specific asialoglycoprotein receptor and Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) onto GNPs surfaces to increase GNPs targeting specificity and stability.

Increased miR-141 expression is associated with diagnosis and favorable prognosis of patients with bladder cancer.

The aims of this study are to analyze the association of microRNA-141 (miR-141) with the clinicopathological parameters of bladder cancer and evaluate the value of miR-141 in predicting the prognosis of bladder cancer. In this study, 114 patients with bladder cancer were enrolled in the study, and tissue specimens were obtained from the tumor zone and from adjacent normal area. miR-141 expression was determined using SYRB Green quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction assay and was further correlated with patients' clinicopathological parameters and the follow-up data.

Targeting EGFL7 expression through RNA interference suppresses renal cell carcinoma growth by inhibiting angiogenesis.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most lethal of all urological cancers and tumor angiogenesis is closely related with its growth, invasion, and metastasis. Recent studies have suggested that epidermal growth factor-like domain multiple 7 (EGFL7) is overexpressed by many tumors, such as colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma; it is also correlated with progression, metastasis, and a poor prognosis. However, the role of EGFL7 in RCC is not clear.