Bromelain's activity and potential as an anti-cancer agent: Current evidence and perspectives.

The medicinal qualities of pineapple are recognized in many traditions in South America, China and Southeast Asia. These qualities are attributed to bromelain, a 95%-mixture of proteases. Medicinal qualities of bromelain include anti-inflammatory, anti-thrombotic, fibrinolytic and anti-cancer functions.

Aging and cancer: converging routes to disease prevention.

An integrative approach to the combined challenges of aging, cancer and stress is a necessary part of a global vision of wellness. Recent research into the mechanisms of aging, cancer and stress has established the biological links between these processes. Understanding these links is an important stepping-stone for developing approaches and therapies that ensure wellness throughout all stages of aging.

Producing human mechano growth factor (MGF) in Escherichia coli.

MGF is a product of a unique muscle-specific splice variant of IGF1 gene (insulin-like growth factor). Its peculiar feature is a specific E-peptide, a 16 a.a.

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor and its receptors mediate decidualization and potentiate survival of human endometrial stromal cells.

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF) has pleiotropic biological functions in many tissues, including those of the female reproductive tract. It facilitates embryo development and mediates implantation and is thought to have a function in endometrial receptivity and maturation. The mature HB-EGF molecule manifests its activity as either a soluble factor (sol-HB-EGF) or a transmembrane precursor (tm-HB-EGF) and can bind two receptors, EGFR and ErbB4/HER4.

Expression and function of interleukin-11 and its receptor alpha in the human endometrium.

The interleukin-11 (IL-11) receptor alpha has an important function in decidualization of mouse endometrial stroma but the function of IL-11 and its receptor in the human endometrium remains unknown. The mRNA for IL-11 and its receptor alpha in human endometrial tissue samples were analysed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and RNase protection assays respectively. The proteins were detected in frozen endometrial tissue samples by immunofluorescence.

The mitogenic potential of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor in the human endometrium is mediated by the epidermal growth factor receptor and is modulated by tumor necrosis factor-alpha.

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor (HB-EGF), a member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family, is implicated in a variety of biological processes, including reproduction. Previous studies describe increased levels of HB-EGF in the human endometrium during the midsecretory stage of the menstrual cycle, suggesting a function for HB-EGF in implantation of the human blastocyst. Here we have investigated the expression and function of the soluble and transmembrane forms of HB-EGF in the human endometrium.

Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor and its receptor ErbB4 mediate implantation of the human blastocyst.

The mechanisms that mediate implantation of the human embryo remain poorly understood and represent a fundamental problem in reproductive biology. Candidate molecules that mediate and facilitate implantation have been identified in animal studies, and include heparin binding epidermal growth factor. Here we demonstrate a potential function for the transmembrane form of heparin-binding epidermal growth factor in mediating blastocyst attachment to the endometrium, in two different novel in vitro models for human implantation.