Impact of gene reactivation by DNA demethylation on prognosis of patients with metastatic colon cancer.

Background: The expression of the membrane receptor protein GFRA1 is frequently upregulated in many cancers, which can promote cancer development by activating the classic RET-RAS-ERK and RET-RAS-PI3K-AKT pathways. Several therapeutic anti-GFRA1 antibody-drug conjugates are under development. Demethylation (or hypomethylation) of CpG islands (dmGFRA1) is associated with increased gene expression and metastasis risk of gastric cancer.

[Downregulation of chromobox protein homolog 7 expression in multiple human cancer tissues].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between chromobox protein homolog 7 (cbx7) expression and the occurrence and development of colorectal carcinoma (CRC), gastric carcinoma (GC) and hepatocarcinoma (HCC) tissues.

Methods: The samples of neoplastic tissues and the corresponding cutting-edge normal tissues from 22 cases of CRC, 20 cases of GC, 30 cases of HCC were surgically collected. Level of cbx7 mRNA was detected with a fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR assay, and the correlationship among expression of cbx7 mRNA, the patients' clinicopathologic features and the surviving time after surgery was analyzed.

Methylation of GATA-4 and GATA-5 and development of sporadic gastric carcinomas.

Aim: To understand the implication of GATA-4 and GATA-5 methylation in gastric carcinogenesis.

Methods: Methylation status of GATA-4 and GATA-5 CpG islands in human gastric mucosa samples, including normal gastric biopsies from 45 outpatients, gastric dysplasia [low-grade gastric intraepithelial neoplasia (GIN), n = 30; indefinite, n = 77], and 80 paired sporadic gastric carcinomas (SGC) as well as the adjacent non-neoplastic gastric tissues was analyzed by methylation specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) and confirmed by denatured high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC). Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect protein expression.

[Effect of selenium-enriched garlic on chronic gastritis of the glandular stomach of Mongolian gerbils induced by H. pylori].

Objective: To detect the therapeutic effect of selenium-enriched garlic (SeG) on chronic gastritis.

Methods: Chronic gastritis was induced of the glandular stomach of male Mongolian Gerbils via gastric instillation of H. pylori TN2 strain once every 4 days for 5 consecutive times followed by random classification into six groups.

[Methylation specific binding activity of zinc finger protein Kaiso].

Objective: To compare binding activity of different zinc finger domain of human Kaiso with methylated CpG.

Methods: pGEX constructs with different human Kaiso domain were generated and then corresponding fusion proteins were induced and purified. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays were applied to evaluate the binding activity of fusion proteins with methylated CpG.