Plasma miR-124 Is a Promising Candidate Biomarker for Human Intracerebral Hemorrhage Stroke.

Stroke causes death or long-term disabilities and threatens the general health of the population worldwide. Recent studies have suggested that miRNAs are dysregulated and can be used as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in stroke. The intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) accounts for 15% of all the stroke cases.

Circulating microRNA 132-3p and 324-3p Profiles in Patients after Acute Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Background: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a highly morbid and fatal condition with high rate of cognitive impairment and negative impact in quality of life among survivors. Delayed cerebral infarction (DCI) is one the major factors for these negative outcomes. In this study we compared the circulating microRNA profiles of SAH patients and healthy individuals, and the circulating microRNA profiles of SAH patients with and without DCI.

Folic acid conjugated mPEG-PEI600 as an efficient non-viral vector for targeted nucleic acid delivery.

In this study we describe a novel polymer, mPPS-FA, synthesized as a potential gene transfer vector. To complete mPPS-FA, folic acid was conjugated to a backbone (named mPPS) consisting of a copolymer of methyl PEG-2000, PEI-600, and sebacoyl chloride. (1)H NMR, FT-IR, and UV spectroscopy were used to characterize the structure of mPPS-FA.

Loss of brain-enriched miR-124 microRNA enhances stem-like traits and invasiveness of glioma cells.

miR-124 is a brain-enriched microRNA that plays a crucial role in neural development and has been shown to be down-regulated in glioma and medulloblastoma, suggesting its possible involvement in brain tumor progression. Here, we show that miR-124 is down-regulated in a panel of different grades of glioma tissues and in all of the human glioma cell lines we examined. By integrated bioinformatics analysis and experimental confirmation, we identified SNAI2, which is often up-regulated in glioma, as a direct functional target of miR-124.

MYC protein inhibits transcription of the microRNA cluster MC-let-7a-1~let-7d via noncanonical E-box.

The human microRNA cluster MC-let-7a-1∼let-7d, with three members let-7a-1, let-7f-1, and let-7d, is an important cluster of the let-7 family. These microRNAs play critical roles in regulating development and carcinogenesis. Therefore, precise control of MC-let-7a-1∼let-7d level is critical for cellular functions.

Effective melanoma immunotherapy with interleukin-2 delivered by a novel polymeric nanoparticle.

Interleukin-2 (IL-2) has been shown to possess antitumor activity in numerous preclinical and clinical studies. However, the short half-life of recombinant IL-2 protein in serum requires repeated high-dose injections, resulting in severe side effects. Although adenovirus-mediated IL-2 gene therapy has shown antitumor efficacy, the host antibody response to adenoviral particles and potential biosafety concerns still obstruct its clinical applications.

Knockdown of interferon-induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM1) inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion of glioma cells.

Interferon-induced transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM1) has recently been identified as a new molecular marker in human colorectal cancer. However, its role in glioma carcinogenesis is not known. In this study, we demonstrated that suppression of IFITM1 expression significantly inhibited proliferation of glioma cells in a time-dependent manner.

miR-200a regulates epithelial-mesenchymal to stem-like transition via ZEB2 and beta-catenin signaling.

The emerging concept of generating cancer stem cells from epithelial-mesenchymal transition has attracted great interest; however, the factors and molecular mechanisms that govern this putative tumor-initiating process remain largely elusive. We report here that miR-200a not only regulates epithelial-mesenchymal transition but also stem-like transition in nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. We first showed that stable knockdown of miR-200a promotes the transition of epithelium-like CNE-1 cells to the mesenchymal phenotype.

Functional characterisation of cell cycle-related kinase (CCRK) in colorectal cancer carcinogenesis.

Cell cycle-related kinase (CCRK) is a newly identified protein kinase homologous to Cdk7. We have previously shown that CCRK is a candidate oncogene in human glioblastoma. However, whether CCRK is a bona fide oncogene remains to be tested.

miR-200a-mediated downregulation of ZEB2 and CTNNB1 differentially inhibits nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell growth, migration and invasion.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), a highly metastatic and invasive malignant tumor originating from the nasopharynx, is widely prevalent in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Although viral, dietary and genetic factors have been implicated in NPC, the molecular basis of its pathogenesis is not well defined. Based on a recent microRNA (miRNA) microarray study showing miR-200 downregulation in NPC, we further investigated the role of miR-200a in NPC carcinogenesis.

Cell cycle-related kinase supports ovarian carcinoma cell proliferation via regulation of cyclin D1 and is a predictor of outcome in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

Our previous study has suggested that the cell cycle-related kinase (CCRK) is a putative candidate oncogene in glioblastoma tumorigenesis. The potential oncogenic role of CCRK and its clinical/prognostic significance, however, in ovarian carcinoma are unclear. In this study, CCRK expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in a series of ovarian carcinoma tissues.

Cell cycle-related kinase: a novel candidate oncogene in human glioblastoma.

Background: Median survival for patients with glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive glioma, is only 12-15 months, despite multimodal treatment that includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Thus, identification of genes that control the progression of glioblastoma multiforme is crucial for devising new therapies. We investigated the involvement of cell cycle-related kinase (CCRK), a novel protein kinase that is homologous to cyclin-dependent kinase 7, in glioblastoma multiforme carcinogenesis.

HBV cccDNA in patients' sera as an indicator for HBV reactivation and an early signal of liver damage.

Aim: To evaluate the covalently closed circle DNA (cccDNA) level of hepatitis B virus (HBV) in patients' liver and sera.

Methods: HBV DNA was isolated from patients' liver biopsies and sera. A sensitive real-time PCR method, which is capable of differentiation of HBV viral genomic DNA and cccDNA, was used to quantify the total HBV cccDNA.

Sec-dependent and Sec-independent translocation of haloacid dehalogenase Chd1 of Burkholderia cepacia MBA4 in Escherichia coli.

2-Haloacid dehalogenases are hydrolytic enzymes that cleave the halogen-carbon bond(s) in haloalkanoic acids. We have previously isolated a cryptic haloacid dehalogenase gene from Burkholderia cepacia MBA4 and expressed it in Escherichia coli. This recombinant protein is unusual in having a long leader sequence, a property of periplasmic enzymes.