Restriction of HIV-1 Escape by a Highly Broad and Potent Neutralizing Antibody.

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) represent a promising approach to prevent and treat HIV-1 infection. However, viral escape through mutation of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) limits clinical applications. Here we describe 1-18, a new V1-46-encoded CD4 binding site (CD4bs) bNAb with outstanding breadth (97%) and potency (GeoMean IC = 0.

The V109G polymorphism of the p27 gene CDKN1B indicates a worse outcome in node-negative breast cancer patients.

Although p27 plays a central role in cell cycle regulation, its role in breast cancer prognosis is controversial. Furthermore, the p27 gene CDKN1B carries a polymorphism with unknown functional relevance. This study was designed to evaluate p27 expression and p27 genotyping with respect to early breast cancer prognosis.

High apoptotic index correlates to p21 and p27 expression indicating a favorable outcome of primary breast cancer patients, but lacking prognostic significance in multivariate analysis.

This study was performed in order to investigate the role of the apoptotic index (AI) as a prediction parameter for the prognosis of patients with primary breast cancer. AI was determined by DNA fragmentation on 298 primary breast cancer samples and compared to clinically established breast cancer parameters. Additionally, we determined the expression of functional parameters including proliferating cell nuclear antigen, p21waf and p27kip by immunohistochemistry.

The mature activating natural killer cell immunologic synapse is formed in distinct stages.

Natural killer (NK) cells form a structure at their interface with a susceptible target cell called the activating NK cell immunologic synapse (NKIS). The mature activating NKIS contains a central and peripheral supramolecular activation cluster (SMAC), and includes polarized surface receptors, filamentous actin (F-actin) and perforin. Evaluation of the NKIS in human NK cells revealed CD2, CD11a, CD11b and F-actin in the peripheral SMAC (pSMAC) with perforin in the central SMAC.

Expression of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN is not altered in the progression of ovarian carcinomas and does not correlate with p27Kip1 expression.

This study was designed to investigate the role of PTEN in the progression of ovarian cancer. We performed mutation analysis and determined PTEN gene expression in tissue from both primary and relapsed cancers and in the corresponding occult metastases. Furthermore, p27Kip1 staining was conducted in order to explore a putative functional link.

Cisplatin, doxorubicin and paclitaxel induce mdr1 gene transcription in ovarian cancer cell lines.

The clinical observation of the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype is often associated with overexpression of the mdrl gene, in particular with respect to ovarian cancer. However, until now the mdrl-inducing potential of commonly used antineoplastics has been only incompletely explored. We performed short-term cultures of six ovarian cancer cell lines (MZOV4, EF027, SKOV3, OAW42, OTN14, MZOV20) exposed to either blank medium or cisplatin, doxorubicin or paclitaxel at concentrations related to the clinically achievable plasma peak concentration.

Disulfide bond-mediated dimerization of HLA-G on the cell surface.

HLA-G is a nonclassical class I MHC molecule with an unknown function and with unusual characteristics that distinguish it from other class I MHC molecules. Here, we demonstrate that HLA-G forms disulfide-linked dimers that are present on the cell surface. Immunoprecipitation of HLA-G from surface biotinylated transfectants using the anti-beta2-microglobulin mAb BBM.