BT2 Suppresses Human Monocytic-Endothelial Cell Adhesion, Bone Erosion and Inflammation.

Introduction: Inflammation and bone erosion are processes key to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis, a systemic autoimmune disease causing progressive disability and pain, impacting around 1.3 million people in the United States alone. However, many patients do not respond sufficiently to existing therapies or benefit is not sustained and alternate therapeutic approaches are lacking.

Thermostable small-molecule inhibitor of angiogenesis and vascular permeability that suppresses a pERK-FosB/ΔFosB-VCAM-1 axis.

Vascular permeability and angiogenesis underpin neovascular age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. While anti-VEGF therapies are widely used clinically, many patients do not respond optimally, or at all, and small-molecule therapies are lacking. Here, we identified a dibenzoxazepinone BT2 that inhibits endothelial cell proliferation, migration, wound repair in vitro, network formation, and angiogenesis in mice bearing Matrigel plugs.

Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) Promotes Angiogenesis and Ischemia-Induced Neovascularization Via NADPH Oxidase 4 (NOX4) and Nitric Oxide-Dependent Mechanisms.

Background: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has the ability to inhibit angiogenesis by inducing endothelial cell death, as well as being able to promote pro-angiogenic activity in vitro. These seemingly opposite effects make its role in ischemic disease unclear. Using Trail(-/-) and wildtype mice, we sought to determine the role of TRAIL in angiogenesis and neovascularization following hindlimb ischemia.

HDL-transferred microRNA-223 regulates ICAM-1 expression in endothelial cells.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) have many biological functions, including reducing endothelial activation and adhesion molecule expression. We recently reported that HDL transport and deliver functional microRNAs (miRNA). Here we show that HDL suppresses expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) through the transfer of miR-223 to endothelial cells.

Regulation of vascular leak and recovery from ischemic injury by general and VE-cadherin-restricted miRNA antagonists of miR-27.

Cellular junctions are essential to the normal functioning of the endothelium and control angiogenesis, tissue leak, and inflammation. From a screen of micro RNAs (miRNAs) altered in in vitro angiogenesis, we selected a subset predicted to target junctional molecules. MiR-27a was rapidly downregulated upon stimulation of in vitro angiogenesis, and its level of expression is reduced in neovessels in vivo.

DNAzyme targeting c-jun suppresses skin cancer growth.

Worldwide, one in three cancers is skin-related, with increasing incidence in many populations. Here, we demonstrate the capacity of a DNAzyme-targeting c-jun mRNA, Dz13, to inhibit growth of two common skin cancer types-basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas-in a therapeutic setting with established tumors. Dz13 inhibited tumor growth in both immunodeficient and immunocompetent syngeneic mice and reduced lung nodule formation in a model of metastasis.

TRAIL promotes VSMC proliferation and neointima formation in a FGF-2-, Sp1 phosphorylation-, and NFkappaB-dependent manner.

Rationale: TRAIL (tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand) is well reported as an inducer of apoptosis in tumor models; however, its role and function in vivo in atherosclerosis and vascular injury has not been established.

Objective: We sought to study the function of TRAIL in cardiovascular pathology and its regulation in vivo.

Methods And Results: Here, we show that TRAIL was upregulated in medial vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) 24 hours following perivascular cuff placement around femoral arteries of mice.

IRES-based vector coexpressing FGF2 and Cyr61 provides synergistic and safe therapeutics of lower limb ischemia.

Due to the lack of an adequate conventional therapy against lower limb ischemia, gene transfer for therapeutic angiogenesis is seen as an attractive alternative. However, the possibility of side effects, due to the expression of large amounts of angiogenic factors, justifies the design of devices that express synergistic molecules in low controlled doses. We have developed an internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-based bicistronic vector expressing two angiogenic molecules, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), and Cyr61.

Potent activation of FGF-2 IRES-dependent mechanism of translation during brain development.

Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2) plays a fundamental role in brain functions. This role may be partly achieved through the control of its expression at the translational level via an internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent mechanism. Transgenic mice expressing a bicistronic mRNA allowed us to study in vivo and ex vivo where this translational mechanism operates.

Translational induction of VEGF internal ribosome entry site elements during the early response to ischemic stress.

Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF), a powerful factor involved in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, is translationally regulated through 2 independent internal ribosome entry sites (IRESs A and B). IRESs enable an mRNA to be translated under conditions in which 5'-cap-dependent translation is inhibited, such as low oxygen stress. In the VEGF mRNA, IRES A influences translation at the canonical AUG codon, whereas the 5' IRES B element regulates initiation at an upstream, in frame CUG.

Testosterone regulates FGF-2 expression during testis maturation by an IRES-dependent translational mechanism.

Spermatogenesis is a complex process involving cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) is involved in testicular function, but its role in spermatogenesis has not been fully documented. The control of FGF-2 expression particularly occurs at the translational level, by an internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent mechanism driving the use of alternative initiation codons.

Hyperglycemia upregulates translation of the fibroblast growth factor 2 mRNA in mouse aorta via internal ribosome entry site.

Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) is normally synthesized at low levels but is elevated in various pathophysiological conditions including diabetes-associated vascular diseases. FGF-2 expression is regulated translationally through an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) located in its mRNA, which allows a nonclassical cap-independent translation. We addressed the pathophysiological regulation of the IRES in vivo by using a streptozotocin-induced hyperglycemic model known to suppress markedly overall translation.

IRESdb: the Internal Ribosome Entry Site database.

Internal Ribosome Entry Sites (IRES) are cis-acting RNA sequences able to mediate internal entry of the 40S ribosomal subunit on some eukaryotic and viral messenger RNAs upstream of a translation initiation codon. These sequences are very diverse and are present in a growing list of mRNAs. Novel IRES sequences continue to be added to public databases every year and the list of unknown IRESes is certainly still very large.