Amphiregulin promotes resistance to gefitinib in nonsmall cell lung cancer cells by regulating Ku70 acetylation.

Multiple molecular resistance mechanisms reduce the efficiency of receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as gefitinib in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We previously demonstrated that amphiregulin (Areg) inhibits gefitinib-induced apoptosis in NSCLC cells by inactivating the proapoptotic protein BAX. In this part of the investigation, we studied the molecular mechanisms leading to BAX inactivation.

Amphiregulin promotes BAX inhibition and resistance to gefitinib in non-small-cell lung cancers.

Molecular resistance mechanisms affecting the efficiency of receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as gefitinib in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells are not fully understood. Amphiregulin (Areg) overexpression has been proposed to predict NSCLC resistance to gefitinib and we have established that Areg-overexpressing H358 NSCLC cells resist apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that Areg prevents gefitinib-induced apoptosis in NSCLC cells.

Extracorporeal chemophototherapy for the treatment of graft-versus-host disease: hematologic consequences of short-term, intensive courses.

Background And Objectives: Extracorporeal chemophototherapy (ECP) is considered an immunomodulatory agent useful in both acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Little is known about the best treatment schedule, and there are no data concerning hematologic parameters and cellular compositions of products during the treatment.

Design And Methods: This was a single-center study of 27 patients treated with ECP for corticoresistant GVHD.

Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can express insulin and key transcription factors of the endocrine pancreas developmental pathway upon genetic and/or microenvironmental manipulation in vitro.

Multipotential stem cells can be selected from the bone marrow by plastic adhesion, expanded, and cultured. They are able to differentiate not only into multiple cell types, including cartilage, bone, adipose and fibrous tissues, and myelosupportive stroma, but also into mesodermal (endothelium), neuroectodermal, or endodermal (hepatocytes) lineages. Our goal was to characterize the multipotential capacities of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and to evaluate their ability to differentiate into insulin-secreting cells in vitro.

Inhibition of apoptosis by amphiregulin via an insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor-dependent pathway in non-small cell lung cancer cell lines.

The reciprocal activation of amphiregulin (AR) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) pathways has been shown to induce inhibition of serum deprivation apoptosis in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines H358 and H322. We demonstrated that AR activated the IGF1 receptor (IGF1-R), which in turn induced the secretion of AR and IGF1. Transactivation of the IGF1-R by AR is independent of its binding to EGFR.

VP22-mediated and light-activated delivery of an anti-c-raf1 antisense oligonucleotide improves its activity after intratumoral injection in nude mice.

VP22, a protein of the herpes simplex virus tegument, can form complexes with fluorescein-labeled oligonucleotides. These particles, termed "Vectosomes," are efficiently taken up by cells and remain stable in the cell cytoplasm without any particular activity. Interestingly, these Vectosomes can be disrupted by light, which releases the antisense activity.

Quality control for the validation of extracorporeal photopheresis process using the Vilbert-Lourmat UV-A irradiation's system.

In agreement with good practices for therapeutic use of human cells, quality control has to be performed to valid the process of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) with the Vilbert-Lourmat system. Since no protocol exists, we evaluated a technique based on the measurement of the inhibition of mitogen (PHA, Con-A, OKT3)-induced proliferation, in 164 procedures from 16 patients. Whatever the pathology, we observed a high proliferation rate in most samples, and we obtained over 90% ECP-induced inhibition in as many as 94% of the cases.

Side-effects of a systemic injection of linear polyethylenimine-DNA complexes.

Background: Systemic administration of linear polyethylenimine-DNA complexes (L-PEI/DNA) results in transient expression of the transgene in the lung. This study analyzes the side-effects associated with L-PEI-mediated transfection.

Methods: Mice weighing from 16 to 25 g received increasing amounts of L-PEI/DNA intravenously.