A new role for the anti-apoptotic gene A20 in angiogenesis.

A20 is a negative regulator of NF-kappaB activation and thus a potential therapeutic tool for the treatment of diseases where apoptosis and/or inflammatory responses are part of the pathogenic process. Thus, A20 has been shown to improve the long-term outcome of organ transplantation, particularly, the transplantation of islets of Langerhans which may aid the cure of type I diabetes. We now report a new role for A20 in regulating neovascularisation.

Reduction of TSG101 protein has a negative impact on tumor cell growth.

TSG101 was defined originally as a tumor-suppressor gene, raising the expectation that absence of the encoded protein should lead to increased tumor cell growth and, perhaps, increased tumor cell aggressiveness. We have used the RNA interference (RNAi) technique to downregulate TSG101 in PC3 (prostate cancer) and MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer) cells. An approximately 85% selective downregulation at the protein level was achieved in both cell lines over a period of 12 days as detected by Western blotting.