An Indocyanine Green-Based Nanoprobe for In Vivo Detection of Cellular Senescence.

There is an urgent need to improve conventional cancer-treatments by preventing detrimental side effects, cancer recurrence and metastases. Recent studies have shown that presence of senescent cells in tissues treated with chemo- or radiotherapy can be used to predict the effectiveness of cancer treatment. However, although the accumulation of senescent cells is one of the hallmarks of cancer, surprisingly little progress has been made in development of strategies for their detection in vivo.

Evaluating DNA damage response through immunofluorescence staining of primordial germ cells in L1 larva.

L1 larvae have two well-defined primordial germ cells embedded in a niche comprising two somatic gonad precursor cells. Thus, provides an ideal model for studying intercellular signaling in response to DNA damage. However, existing staining protocols are focused on worms in later developmental stages and are not optimized for the L1 larvae.

Cellular senescence in cancer: from mechanisms to detection.

Senescence refers to a cellular state featuring a stable cell-cycle arrest triggered in response to stress. This response also involves other distinct morphological and intracellular changes including alterations in gene expression and epigenetic modifications, elevated macromolecular damage, metabolism deregulation and a complex pro-inflammatory secretory phenotype. The initial demonstration of oncogene-induced senescence in vitro established senescence as an important tumour-suppressive mechanism, in addition to apoptosis.

Galacto-conjugation of Navitoclax as an efficient strategy to increase senolytic specificity and reduce platelet toxicity.

Pharmacologically active compounds with preferential cytotoxic activity for senescent cells, known as senolytics, can ameliorate or even revert pathological manifestations of senescence in numerous preclinical mouse disease models, including cancer models. However, translation of senolytic therapies to human disease is hampered by their suboptimal specificity for senescent cells and important toxicities that narrow their therapeutic windows. We have previously shown that the high levels of senescence-associated lysosomal β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal) found within senescent cells can be exploited to specifically release tracers and cytotoxic cargoes from galactose-encapsulated nanoparticles within these cells.

Somatic Niche Cells Regulate the CEP-1/p53-Mediated DNA Damage Response in Primordial Germ Cells.

Genome integrity in primordial germ cells (PGCs) is a prerequisite for fertility and species maintenance. In C. elegans, PGCs require global-genome nucleotide excision repair (GG-NER) to remove UV-induced DNA lesions.

DNA damage responses and p53 in the aging process.

The genome is constantly attacked by genotoxic insults. DNA damage has long been established as a cause of cancer development through its mutagenic consequences. Conversely, radiation therapy and chemotherapy induce DNA damage to drive cells into apoptosis or senescence as outcomes of the DNA damage response (DDR).

Novel effects of the cyclooxygenase-2-selective inhibitor NS-398 on IL-1β-induced cyclooxygenase-2 and IL-8 expression in human ovarian granulosa cells.

Ovulation is a critical inflammation-like event that is central to ovarian physiology. IL-1β is an immediate early pro-inflammatory cytokine that regulates production of several other inflammatory mediators, such as cyclooxygenase 2 (COX)-2 and IL-8. NS-398 is a selective inhibitor of COX-2 bioactivity and thus this drug is able to mitigate the COX-2-mediated production of downstream prostaglandins and the subsequent inflammatory response.

NAT2 slow acetylation haplotypes are associated with the increased risk of betel quid-related oral and pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: NAT2, the most important phase II metabolic enzyme for betel quid (BQ), might modify the risk of BQ-related oral and pharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) in Taiwan.

Study Design: PCR-RFLP and TaqMan assay were conducted for genotyping of NAT2 in 172 OPSCC cases and 170 healthy controls who habitually chewed BQ.

Results: The genotypic and allelic type of T341C and C481T in NAT2 are associated with the risk of OPSCC.

Glucosamine regulation of LPS-mediated inflammation in human bronchial epithelial cells.

Inflammation is a complex process involving cytokine production to regulate host defense cascades in order to clear pathogenic agents. Upregulation of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-6 and IL-8 by bacteria infection, occurs in pulmonary tissues and has been demonstrated to be critical to the lung inflammatory response. Glucosamine, primarily identified as an anti-arthritis supplement, has been also regarded as a potential anti-inflammatory agent.

[Investigation on optical limiting performance in solution of cobalt porphyrin].

The nonlinear optical effects of cobalt porphyrin have been investigated with three CW laser lines of 457.9, 488 and 514.5 nm, respectively.