PIEZO1 is a distal nephron mechanosensor and is required for flow-induced K+ secretion.

Ca2+-activated BK channels in renal intercalated cells (ICs) mediate luminal flow-induced K+ secretion (FIKS), but how ICs sense increased flow remains uncertain. We examined whether PIEZO1, a mechanosensitive Ca2+-permeable channel expressed in the basolateral membranes of ICs, is required for FIKS. In isolated cortical collecting ducts (CCDs), the mechanosensitive cation-selective channel inhibitor GsMTx4 dampened flow-induced increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i), whereas the PIEZO1 activator Yoda1 increased [Ca2+]i and BK channel activity.

and Amplifications Determine Response to HER2 Inhibition in -Amplified Esophagogastric Cancer.

The anti-HER2 antibody trastuzumab is standard care for advanced esophagogastric (EG) cancer with (HER2) amplification or overexpression, but intrinsic and acquired resistance are common. We conducted a phase II study of afatinib, an irreversible pan-HER kinase inhibitor, in trastuzumab-resistant EG cancer. We analyzed pretreatment tumor biopsies and, in select cases, performed comprehensive characterization of postmortem metastatic specimens following acquisition of drug resistance.

Neratinib is effective in breast tumors bearing both amplification and mutation of ERBB2 (HER2).

Mutations in , the gene encoding epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family member HER2, are common in and drive the growth of "HER2-negative" (not amplified) tumors but are rare in "HER2-positive" ( amplified) breast cancer. We analyzed DNA-sequencing data from HER2-positive patients and used cell lines and a patient-derived xenograft model to test the consequence of HER2 mutations on the efficacy of anti-HER2 agents such as trastuzumab, lapatinib, and neratinib, an irreversible pan-EGFR inhibitor. HER2 mutations were present in ~7% of HER2-positive tumors, all of which were metastatic but not all were previously treated.

Tumour-specific PI3K inhibition via nanoparticle-targeted delivery in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Alterations in PIK3CA, the gene encoding the p110α subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3Kα), are frequent in head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Inhibitors of PI3Kα show promising activity in various cancer types, but their use is curtailed by dose-limiting side effects such as hyperglycaemia. In the present study, we explore the efficacy, specificity and safety of the targeted delivery of BYL719, a PI3Kα inhibitor currently in clinical development in solid tumours.

Isolating Fc-Tagged SEMA4D Recombinant Protein from 293FT Cells.

Recombinant proteins are widely used in biomedical sciences, and in pharmaceutical research. Through genetic recombination, specific DNA sequences are engineered and inserted into a biological host. Once inside the host, the DNA is transcribed and translated into the target protein and is ready to be purified.

Exome sequencing analysis reveals variants in primary immunodeficiency genes in patients with very early onset inflammatory bowel disease.

Background & Aims: Very early onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEO-IBD), IBD diagnosed at 5 years of age or younger, frequently presents with a different and more severe phenotype than older-onset IBD. We investigated whether patients with VEO-IBD carry rare or novel variants in genes associated with immunodeficiencies that might contribute to disease development.

Methods: Patients with VEO-IBD and parents (when available) were recruited from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia from March 2013 through July 2014.

Plexin B1 inhibits MET through direct association and regulates Shp2 expression in melanocytes.

Plexin B1, the receptor for Semaphorin 4D (Sema4D), is expressed by melanocytes in the skin. We recently showed that Sema4D suppresses activation of the hepatocyte growth factor receptor, MET, in melanocytes, and that knockdown of Plexin B1 results in activation of MET. MET signaling mediates proliferation, survival and migration in melanocytes, and its activation is associated with transformation of melanocytes to melanoma.

Sema4D, the ligand for Plexin B1, suppresses c-Met activation and migration and promotes melanocyte survival and growth.

Semaphorins are secreted and membrane-bound proteins involved in neural pathfinding, organogenesis, and tumor progression, through Plexin and neuropilin receptors. We recently reported that Plexin B1, the Semaphorin 4D (Sema4D) receptor, is a tumor-suppressor protein for melanoma, which functions, in part, through inhibition of the oncogenic c-Met tyrosine kinase receptor. In this report, we show that Sema4D is a protective paracrine factor for normal human melanocyte survival in response to UV irradiation, and that it stimulates proliferation and regulates the activity of the c-Met receptor.

Plexin B1 inhibits integrin-dependent pp125FAK and Rho activity in melanoma.

Semaphorins are secreted and membrane bound proteins that regulate axon guidance through receptors Plexins and neuropilins. Plexin B1, the Semaphorin 4D receptor, is a recently described tumor suppressor protein for melanoma. We recently showed that Plexin B1 abrogates activation of the oncogenic receptor, c-Met, by its ligand, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), in melanoma.