Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are broadly applied in regenerative therapy to replace cells that are lost or impaired during disease. The low survival rate of MSCs after transplantation is one of the major limitations heavily influencing the success of the therapy. Unfavorable microenvironments with inflammation and oxidative stress in the damaged regions contribute to MSCs loss.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInterferon gamma (IFNγ) has been demonstrated to inhibit tumor growth in vivo as well as proliferation of multiple types of cultured transformed cells. In this study, we showed that IFNγ promoted progressive death in A431 cells, overexpressing EGF receptor (EGFR). Based on the data provided by evaluating cell morphology, MTT assay, FACS analysis, and cleaved caspase-3 staining we concluded that the major cause of IFNγ-induced A431 cell growth inhibition was not cell cycle arrest, but apoptosis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2) are serine/threonine-selective protein kinases involved in proliferation and differentiation of cells, including thymocytes. The requirement of ERK1/2 for thymocyte differentiation and maturation has been well established; however, their role in regulating thymocyte survival and apoptosis has not been resolved. Here, we asked whether ERK1/2 affected thymocyte survival in vitro in response to apoptotic stimuli.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe oncogenic potential of hepatitis C virus (HCV) core protein has been demonstrated, but the precise mechanism of cell transformation triggered by HCV core is still unclear. This study shows that constitutive expression of HCV core protein (core) in NIH 3T3 murine fibroblasts triggers malignant transformation. At the preneoplastic stage, clones that expressed HCV core constitutively demonstrated genomic instability seen as disruption of the mitotic spindle cell checkpoint leading to increased ploidy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe oncogenic potential of both Hepatitis C virus (HCV) core and HCV NS3 proteins has been demonstrated, but these proteins induce transformation of immortal murine fibroblasts NIH 3T3 via different pathways. As long-term expression (50-100 passages) of HCV core triggers neoplastic transformation of NIH 3T3 through crisis of growth, HCV NS3 induces transformation shortly after transfection. We explain this distinction by different effects of core and NS3 on p53-mediated transactivation: inhibition by NS3 and activation by core protein.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNumerous attempts to induce immunity against HCV core (HCV-C) by DNA immunization met serious difficulties in optimizing T-helper cell and antibody responses. Immunomodulatory properties of HCV-C could be blamed that seem to be dependent on the genotype of HCV source. Here, we characterized HCV-C gene from HCV 1b isolate 274933RU.
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