SARS-CoV-2: Challenges in Reconverting Diagnostic Laboratories to Combat the Pandemic.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first detected in Mexico in February 2020. Even though health authorities did not perceive then the value of viral detection tests, we anticipated the demand for them. We set up to develop an expeditious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) molecular diagnostic service through the implementation of standardized protocols for biospecimen sampling, transportation, biobanking, preanalytical validation, and nucleic acids (NA) testing (NAT).

ADIPOQ single nucleotide polymorphisms and breast cancer in northeastern Mexican women.

Background: Adiponectin gene (ADIPOQ) polymorphisms have been shown to affect adiponectin serum concentration and some have been associated with breast cancer (BC) risk. The aims of this study were to describe the frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ADIPOQ in Mexican women with BC and to determine if they show an association with it.

Methods: DNA samples from 397 patients and 355 controls were tested for the ADIPOQ gene SNPs: rs2241766 (GT) and rs1501299 (GT) by TaqMan allelic discrimination assay.

KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF mutation prevalence, clinicopathological association, and their application in a predictive model in Mexican patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: A retrospective cohort study.

Mutations in KRAS, NRAS, and BRAF (RAS/BRAF) genes are the main predictive biomarkers for the response to anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) targeted therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). This retrospective study aimed to report the mutational status prevalence of these genes, explore their possible associations with clinicopathological features, and build and validate a predictive model. To achieve these objectives, 500 mCRC Mexican patients were screened for clinically relevant mutations in RAS/BRAF genes.

Genome editing: A perspective on the application of CRISPR/Cas9 to study human diseases (Review).

Genome editing reemerged in 2012 with the development of CRISPR/Cas9 technology, which is a genetic manipulation tool derived from the defense system of certain bacteria against viruses and plasmids. This method is easy to apply and has been used in a wide variety of experimental models, including cell lines, laboratory animals, plants, and even in human clinical trials. The CRISPR/Cas9 system consists of directing the Cas9 nuclease to create a site‑directed double‑strand DNA break using a small RNA molecule as a guide.

Expression of growth hormone and growth hormone receptor genes in human eye tissues.

In humans, the polygenic growth hormone (GH) locus is located on chromosome 17 and contributes with three types of proteins: pituitary GH which consists of at least two isoforms one of 22 kDa and the other of 20 kDa, placental GH, which also exhibits isoforms, and chorionic somatomammotropin hormone (CSH). While pituitary GH results from the expression of the GH-1 (GH-N) gene, placental GH is produced by the expression of the GH-2 (GH-V) gene and CSH is contributed by expression of the CSH-1 and CSH-2 genes. The location where GH-1 is expressed is the anterior pituitary and the rest of the genes in the locus are expressed in placenta.

Overexpression of the matrix metalloproteinase 11 gene is a potential biomarker for type 1 endometrial cancer.

Metalloproteinase matrix 11 (MMP11) is a member of the matrix metalloproteinase family, which are able to degrade extracellular matrix components, and may serve a central function in the enhancement of tumor-induced angiogenesis, cell migration, proliferation, apoptosis and connective tissue degradation. In the present study, gene expression was investigated using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in 68 cases of type I endometrial carcinoma, and all data were analyzed in association with clinical characteristics. Overexpression of was demonstrated in 75%, and sub-expression was demonstrated in 25%, of endometrial cancer cases.

A novel method to detect the Mexican founder mutation BRCA1 ex9‑12del associated with breast and ovarian cancer using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and TaqMan® probes.

In 2015, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), malignant breast tumors were the first cause of cancer fatality in women (6,273 fatalities) in Mexico, whereas 2,793 fatalities in women were due to ovarian cancer. A total of 5‑10% of breast cancer and 10‑15% of ovarian cancer cases are caused by a hereditary breast‑ovarian cancer syndrome, with mutations predominantly identified in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Recently, the Mexican founder mutation BRCA1 ex9‑12del was identified (deletion of exons 9‑12 with recombination between introns 8‑12).

Understanding the HPV integration and its progression to cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is one of the main causes of female cancer death worldwide, and human papilloma virus (HPV) its causal agent. To investigate viral oncogenesis several studies have focused on the effects of HPV oncoproteins E6 and E7 and the mechanisms by which these proteins stimulate the cellular transformation process. However, phenomena such as the physical state of the viral genome (episomal or integrated) and the effects of this integration on cell proliferation contribute new clues to understand how HPV infection causes carcinogenesis.

Somatolactogens and diabetic retinopathy.

Importance: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most common of all diabetic complications. The number of people with DR in the United States is expected to increase to 16 million by 2050. DR is the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults in many different countries, including the United States.

Expression of growth hormone gene in the baboon eye.

The human growth hormone (GH) locus is comprised by two GH (GH1 and GH2) genes and three chorionic somatomammotropin (CSH1, CSH2 and CSH-L) genes. While GH1 is expressed in the pituitary gland, the rest are expressed in the placenta. However, GH1 is also expressed in several extrapituitary tissues, including the eye.

Effect of and gene polymorphisms on atorvastatin metabolism in a Mexican population.

Discrepancies in the response to drugs are partially due to polymorphisms in genes involved in drug metabolism and transport. The frequency, pattern and impact of these polymorphisms vary among populations. In the present study, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenetics of atorvastatin (ATV) in a Mexican population were investigated.

[C677T-SNP of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene and breast cancer in Mexican women].

Background: Low-penetrance susceptibility genes such as 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene (MTHFR) have been considered in the progression of breast cancer (BC). Cancer is a result of genetic, environmental and epigenetic interactions; therefore, these genes should be studied in environmental context, because the results can vary between populations and even within the same country. The objective was to analyze the allelic and genotypic frequencies of the MTHFR C667T SNP in Mexican Mestizo patients with BC and controls from Northeastern Mexico.

Molecular cloning of the myo-inositol oxygenase gene from the kidney of baboons.

The enzyme myo-Inositol oxygenase (MIOX) is also termed ALDRL6. It is a kidney-specific member of the aldo-keto reductase family. MIOX catalyzes the first reaction involved in the myo-inositol metabolism signaling pathway and is fully expressed in mammalian tissues.

Prediction of atorvastatin plasmatic concentrations in healthy volunteers using integrated pharmacogenetics sequencing.

Aim: To use variants found by next-generation sequencing to predict atorvastatin plasmatic concentration profiles (AUC) in healthy volunteers.

Subjects & Methods: A total of 60 healthy Mexican volunteers were enrolled in this study. We used variants with a predicted functional effect across 20 genes involved in atorvastatin metabolism to construct a regression model using a support vector approach with a radial basis function kernel to predict AUC refining it afterwards in order to explain a greater extent of the variance.

Olfactomedin-like 2 A and B (OLFML2A and OLFML2B) expression profile in primates (human and baboon).

Background: The olfactomedin-like domain (OLFML) is present in at least four families of proteins, including OLFML2A and OLFML2B, which are expressed in adult rat retina cells. However, no expression of their orthologous has ever been reported in human and baboon.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of OLFML2A and OLFML2B in ocular tissues of baboons (Papio hamadryas) and humans, as a key to elucidate OLFML function in eye physiology.

[Institutional Biobank as a pillar of medical science].

A biobank facility is one of the most valuable means that academic medical organizations have to offer researchers for improving the competitiveness of their medical research. We describe the implementation of our institutional biobank. Our efforts focused on the design and equipment of work areas, staff training, quality control, bioethical and regulatory issues, generating research collaborations and developing funding strategies.

Structure and evolution of the gorilla and orangutan growth hormone loci.

In primates, the unigenic growth hormone (GH) locus of prosimians expressed primarily in the anterior pituitary, evolved by gene duplications, independently in New World Monkeys (NWM) and Old World Monkeys (OWMs)/apes, to give complex clusters of genes expressed in the pituitary and placenta. In human and chimpanzee, the GH locus comprises five genes, GH-N being expressed as pituitary GH, whereas GH-V (placental GH) and CSHs (chorionic somatomammotropins) are expressed (in human and probably chimpanzee) in the placenta; the CSHs comprise CSH-A, CSH-B and the aberrant CSH-L (possibly a pseudogene) in human, and CSH-A1, CSH-A2 and CSH-B in chimpanzee. Here, the GH locus in two additional great apes, gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and orangutan (Pongo abelii), is shown to contain six and four GH-like genes, respectively.

BRAF Mutation (V600E) Prevalence in Mexican Patients Diagnosed with Melanoma.

Background: B-Raf is a serine/threonine protein kinase activating the MAP kinase/ERK-signaling pathway. It has been shown that 50% of melanomas harbor activating BRAF mutations, with over 90% being the V600E mutation.

Objective: The goal of this research was to determine the prevalence of the BRAF V600E mutation in patients from Central Mexico diagnosed with primary melanoma.

Draft Genome Sequence of an Atypical Strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae Serotype 19A Isolated from Cerebrospinal Fluid.

We present here the draft genome sequence of ITALIC! Streptococcus pneumoniaestrain MTY32702340SN814 isolated in Monterrey, Mexico, from a girl with bacterial meningitis. The strain belongs to the atypical and multidrug-resistant serogroup 19A. This is the first report in the literature of sequence type 3936 (ST3936) in ITALIC! S.

Application of Genomic Technologies in Clinical Pharmacology Research.

Technology is the basis of scientific progress and is an essential component for continued competitiveness in industry. The development of a new drug candidate is a long and expensive process, in which a molecule undergoes several stages of research (both pre-clinical and clinical) before being approved for commercialization. Scientific progress has revolutionized the pharmaceutical industry and reshaped the processes by which new drugs are discovered, investigated, and developed.

Technological Evolution in the Development of Therapeutic Antibodies.

Immunotherapy is defined as the use of the immune system or components of it, such as key immune molecules, to fight diseases or invading infectious agents. Modern biotechnology provides industrial versions of immune molecules (components of the immune system) naturally produced by the human body. Immune molecules such as monoclonal antibodies are used as therapeutics in several disease conditions.

Molecular evolution and expression profile of the chemerine encoding gene RARRES2 in baboon and chimpanzee.

Background: Chemerin, encoded by the retinoic acid receptor responder 2 (RARRES2) gene is an adipocytesecreted protein with autocrine/paracrine functions in adipose tissue, metabolism and inflammation with a recently described function in vascular tone regulation, liver, steatosis, etc. This molecule is believed to represent a critical endocrine signal linking obesity to diabetes. There are no data available regarding evolution of RARRES2 in non-human primates and great apes.

Association of human papillomavirus 16 E6 variants with cervical carcinoma and precursor lesions in women from Southern Mexico.

Background: HPV 16 is the cause of cervical carcinoma, but only a small fraction of women with HPV infection progress to this pathology. Besides persistent infection and HPV integration, several studies have suggested that HPV intratype variants may contribute to the development of cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the nucleotide variability and phylogenetically classify HPV 16 E6 variants circulating over a period of 16 years in women from Southern Mexico, and to analyze its association with precursor lesions and cervical carcinoma.