The distribution of melanopsin (OPN4) protein in the human brain.

Until now, melanopsin (OPN4) - a specialized photopigment being responsive especially to blue light wavelengths - has not been found in the human brain at protein level outside the retina. More specifically, OPN4 has only been found in about 2% of retinal ganglion cells (i.e.

Prostatic acid phosphatase is not a prostate specific target.

Prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) is currently evaluated as a target for vaccine immunotherapy of prostate cancer. This is based on the previous knowledge about secretory PAP and its high prostatic expression. We describe a novel PAP spliced variant mRNA encoding a type I transmembrane (TM) protein with the extracellular NH(2)-terminal phosphatase activity and the COOH-terminal lysosomal targeting signal (YxxPhi).

Budding invasive margin and prognosis in colorectal cancer--no direct association with beta-catenin expression.

Cancer cell budding at the invasive margin has been associated with poor prognosis in rectal cancer. beta-Catenin is an adhesion protein involved in the nuclear Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, and mesenchymal transition of colorectal cancer cells. Hence, we investigated the relationship between cancer cell budding at the invasive margin, beta-catenin expression, and 5-year-survival in colorectal cancer.