Involvement of non‑triple helical type VI collagen α1 chain, NTH α1(VI), in the proliferation of cancer cells.

It has been reported that a polypeptide encoded by collagen type VI alpha 1 chain (COL6A1), one of the three α chains of type VI collagen, is strongly associated with the migration and invasion of highly metastatic human pancreatic cancer BxPC‑M8 cells and excessive proliferation of LNCaP cells. We previously reported that non‑triple helical type VI collagen α1 chain, NTH α1(VI), a non‑triple helical polypeptide encoded by COL6A1, is not derived from type VI collagen and exists in cancer cell‑conditioned media. Therefore, NTH α1(VI) may be involved in cancer cell migration, invasion, and proliferation.

Identification of a common epitope in the sequences of COL4A1 and COL6A1 recognized by monoclonal antibody #141.

Identification of a type IV collagen α1 polypeptide in non-triple helical form [NTH α1(IV)], possibly involved in angiogenesis, introduces the further possibility of the existence of non-triple helical forms of other collagen chains. We previously reported that an anti-NTH α1(IV) monoclonal antibody #141 recognizes not only NTH α1(IV) but also a novel non-triple helical collagen polypeptide NTH α1(VI) encoded by COL6A1. In this study, we identified the recognition sequence in order to better understand the properties of antibody #141 and provide clues regarding the biological function of the two non-triple helical molecules.

Oral administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid induces heme oxygenase-1 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of healthy human subjects in combination with ferrous iron.

Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a major anti-inflammatory enzyme and a key regulator that induces immune tolerance through affecting the differentiation of dendritic cells. The aim of this study is to determine whether the combination of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and iron induces HO-1 expression in healthy human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The study was an open labeled, non-randomized, non-placebo-controlled trial using healthy male adults and consisted of three parts.

Type VI collagen α1 chain polypeptide in non-triple helical form is an alternative gene product of COL6A1.

Expression of type IV collagen α1 chain in non-triple helical form, NTH α1(IV), is observed in cultured human cells, human placenta and rabbit tissues. Biological functions of NTH α1(IV) are most likely to be distinct from type IV collagen, since their biochemical characteristics are quite different. To explore the biological functions of NTH α1(IV), we prepared some anti-NTH α1(IV) antibodies.

Preparation and partial characterization of monoclonal antibodies specific for the nascent non-triple helical form of the type IV collagen alpha 1 chain.

This report describes the preparation and partial characterization of monoclonal antibodies that are reactive specifically with the nascently produced non-triple helical form of the type IV collagen α1 chain, designated as NTH α1(IV). These antibodies were nonreactive with the α1 chain of the type IV collagen in the triple-helical conformation. Three antibodies, #141, #179 and #370, with different epitopes in NTH α1(IV) were found to be reactive with the nascent polypeptide secreted from human normal cells and a human carcinoma cell line.

Adipose Tissue is A Better Source of Immature Non-Hematopoietic Cells than Bone Marrow.

Adipose tissue (AT) is an alternative source of the adult stem cells that can also be harvested from bone marrow (BM). Cultured AT-derived stem cells (ASCs) have been well characterized by many groups. However, non-cultured ASCs remain to be characterized.