MicroRNA modulated networks of adaptive and innate immune response in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Despite progress in treatment strategies, only ~24% of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients survive >1 year. Our goal was to elucidate deregulated pathways modulated by microRNAs (miRNAs) in PDAC and Vater ampulla (AMP) cancers. Global miRNA expression was identified in 19 PDAC, 6 AMP and 25 paired, histologically normal pancreatic tissues using the GeneChip 4.

Expression of mitochondrial dynamics markers during melanoma progression: Comparative study of head and neck cutaneous and mucosal melanomas.

Background: Head and neck mucosal melanomas (MMs) are rare tumors with adverse outcomes and poorer prognoses than their more common cutaneous counterparts (cutaneous melanomas-CMs). Few studies have compared the expression of mitochondrial dynamic markers in these tumors. This study aimed to assess the correlations of mitochondrial markers with melanoma progression and their potential as predictors of lymph node involvement and distant metastasis.

Phosphorylated Akt1 expression is associated with poor prognosis in cutaneous, oral and sinonasal melanomas.

Melanomas are highly aggressive tumours derived from melanocytes, which occur most commonly in the skin. Occasionally, these tumours may appear in oral and sinonasal mucous membranes. In this study, we performed a comparative analysis of the Phosphorylated Akt1 (p-Akt1) expression in 144 patients affected by cutaneous (CM), 34 oral cavity (OM), and 31 sinonasal melanomas (SNM).

Prognostic importance of mitochondrial markers in mucosal and cutaneous head and neck melanomas.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is caused by an imbalance in the fission and fusion processes, and it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several human cancers. However, the role of mitochondrial markers in melanomas still remains poorly understood. In this study, the authors assessed the expression of 3 mitochondrial markers (antimitochondrial, fission protein 1 [FIS1], and mitofusin 2 [MFN2]) in a series of head and neck mucosal and cutaneous melanomas.