Role for stromal heterogeneity in prostate tumorigenesis.

Prostate cancer develops through a stochastic mechanism whereby precancerous lesions on occasion progress to multifocal adenocarcinoma. Analysis of human benign and cancer prostate tissues revealed heterogeneous loss of TGF-β signaling in the cancer-associated stromal fibroblastic cell compartment. To test the hypothesis that prostate cancer progression is dependent on the heterogeneous TGF-β responsive microenvironment, a tissue recombination experiment was designed in which the ratio of TGF-β responsive and nonresponsive stromal cells was varied.

beta1 integrin is necessary for ureteric bud branching morphogenesis and maintenance of collecting duct structural integrity.

The kidney collecting system develops from branching morphogenesis of the ureteric bud (UB). This process requires signaling by growth factors such as glial cell line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) as well as cell extracellular matrix interactions mediated by integrins. The importance of integrin signaling in UB development was investigated by deleting integrin beta1 at initiation (E10.

Chemokine markers predict biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer following prostatectomy.

Purpose: Stratifying patients who have a high risk of prostate cancer recurrence following prostatectomy can potentiate the use of adjuvant therapy at an early stage. Inflammation has emerged as a mediator of prostate cancer metastatic progression. We hypothesized that chemokines can be biomarkers for distinguishing patients with high risk for biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer.

Nicotinic signaling ameliorates acute bladder inflammation induced by protamine sulfate or cyclophosphamide.

Purpose: Nicotinic afferent pathways may be involved in the regulation of bladder inflammation. Based on that hypothesis we investigated the role of nicotinic signaling in a comparative analysis of 2 models of experimental bladder inflammation using protamine sulfate and cyclophosphamide.

Materials And Methods: Protamine sulfate and cyclophosphamide were used to induce acute bladder inflammation.

Role of nicotinic and estrogen signaling during experimental acute and chronic bladder inflammation.

Inflammation is a physiological process that characterizes many bladder diseases. We hypothesized that nicotinic and estrogen signaling could down-regulate bladder inflammation. Cyclophosphamide was used to induce acute and chronic bladder inflammation.