Publications by authors named "J Averill"
5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is the first-line chemotherapeutic agent in colorectal cancer, and resistance to 5-FU easily emerges. One of the mechanisms of drug action and resistance of 5-FU is through DNA incorporation. Our quantitative reverse-transcription PCR data showed that one of the translesion synthesis (TLS) DNA polymerases, DNA polymerase η (polη), was upregulated within 72 h upon 5-FU administration at 1 and 10 μM, indicating that polη is one of the first responding polymerases, and the only TLS polymerase, upon the 5-FU treatment to incorporate 5-FU into DNA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInosine is a key intermediate in de novo purine nucleotide biosynthesis in cells. Inosine is known to be mutagenic when it is present in DNA, in place of adenine via deamination, by facilitating the incorporation of dCTP exclusively, resulting in A:T to G:C mutation. The structural basis for the mutagenicity of inosine bypass has been reported in some DNA polymerases including human DNA polymerase eta (polη).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRepetitive head impacts (RHI) and traumatic brain injuries are risk factors for the neurodegenerative diseases chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS and CTE are distinct disorders, yet in some instances, share pathology, affect similar brain regions, and occur together. The pathways involved and biomarkers for diagnosis of both diseases are largely unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study investigates how the ALS functional rating scale-revised (ALSFRS-R) correlates with the underlying neuropathology in military veterans with ALS.
- Using hierarchical cluster analysis, three distinct groups of motor dysfunction were identified based on ALSFRS-R subdomain scores, each showing different relationships with neuropathological variables.
- Findings suggest that variations in motor dysfunction profiles correspond to specific types of ALS-related brain damage, highlighting the potential of ALSFRS-R subdomain scores in understanding disease progression and clinical variability in ALS research.
Aims: To introduce a resource supporting research on Gulf War illness (GWI) and related disorders, the Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Biorepository (GWVIB).
Methods: Gulf War era veterans (GWVs) are recruited nationally and enrolled via telephone and email/postal mail. Enrolled veterans receive annual telephone and mail follow-up to collect health data until their passing.