Modeling Radiation-Induced Epithelial Cell Injury in Murine Three-Dimensional Esophageal Organoids.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a deadly consequence of radiation exposure to the esophagus. ESCC arises from esophageal epithelial cells that undergo malignant transformation and features a perturbed squamous cell differentiation program. Understanding the dose- and radiation quality-dependence of the esophageal epithelium response to radiation may provide insights into the ability of radiation to promote ESCC.

Synthesis, Detection, and Metabolism of Pyridone Ribosides, Products of NAD Overoxidation.

Pyridone-containing adenine dinucleotides, ox-NAD, are formed by overoxidation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and exist in three distinct isomeric forms. Like the canonical nucleosides, the corresponding pyridone-containing nucleosides (PYR) are chemically stable, biochemically versatile, and easily converted to nucleotides, di- and triphosphates, and dinucleotides. The 4-PYR isomer is often reported with its abundance increasing with the progression of metabolic diseases, age, cancer, and oxidative stress.

XRCC4 and MRE11 Roles and Transcriptional Response to Repair of TALEN-Induced Double-Strand DNA Breaks.

Double-strand breaks (DSB) are one of the most lethal forms of DNA damage that, if left unrepaired, can lead to genomic instability, cellular transformation, and cell death. In this work, we examined how repair of transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN)-induced DNA damage was altered when knocking out, or inhibiting a function of, two DNA repair proteins, XRCC4 and MRE11, respectively. We developed a fluorescent reporter assay that uses TALENs to introduce DSB and detected repair by the presence of GFP fluorescence.

Dose Fractionation During Puberty Is More Detrimental to Mammary Gland Development Than an Equivalent Acute Dose of Radiation Exposure.

Purpose: Computed tomographic (CT) scans in adolescents have increased dramatically in recent years. However, the effects of cumulative low-dose exposures on the development of radiation sensitive organs, such as the mammary gland, is unknown. The purpose of this work was to define the effects of dose rate on mammary organ formation during puberty, an especially sensitive window in mammary development.