BRAFV600E/pTERT double mutated papillary thyroid cancers exhibit immune gene suppression.

Introduction: BRAFV600E mutation (BRAF) is common in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC), and most patients have an excellent outcome. However, a TERT-promoter mutation (pTERT) in the presence of BRAF (BRAFpTERT) has been demonstrated to confer a more aggressive behavior to PTC. Lymphocytic infiltration is often present in PTC.

Catalytic and post-translational maturation roles of a conserved active site serine residue in nitrile hydratases.

A highly conserved second-sphere active site αSer residue in nitrile hydratase (NHase), that forms a hydrogen bond with the axial metal-bound water molecule, was mutated to Ala, Asp, and Thr, in the Co-type NHase from Pseudonocardia thermophila JCM 3095 (PtNHase) and to Ala and Thr in the Fe-type NHase from Rhodococcus equi TG328-2 (ReNHase). All five mutants were successfully purified; metal analysis via ICP-AES indicated that all three Co-type PtNHase mutants were in their apo-form while the Fe-type αSer117Ala and αSer117Thr mutants contained 85 and 50 % of their active site Fe(III) ions, respectively. The k values obtained for the PtNHase mutant enzymes were between 0.

CARDIA sleep ancillary study: study design and methods.

Sleep and circadian disturbances are common and are experienced more often by Black compared to White individuals. We conducted an observational study of sleep that was ancillary to an ongoing cohort study, Coronary Artery Disease in Young Adults (CARDIA). The goal of the ancillary study will be to examine potential determinants of sleep/circadian disparities between Black and White adults in future analyses.

Expression of c-erb-B2 oncoprotein as a neoantigen strategy to repurpose anti-neu antibody therapy in a model of melanoma.

In this study, we tested a novel approach of "repurposing" a biomarker typically associated with breast cancer for use in melanoma. HER2/neu is a well characterized biomarker in breast cancer for which effective anti-HER2/neu therapies are readily available. We constructed a lentivirus encoding c-erb-B2, an animal (rat) homolog to HER2/neu.