Enhanced Expression of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3 IIIc Promotes Human Esophageal Carcinoma Cell Proliferation.

Deregulated expression of fibroblast growth factor receptors (FGFRs) and their ligands plays critical roles in tumorigenesis. The gene expression of an alternatively spliced isoforms of FGFR3, FGFR3IIIc, was analyzed by RT-PCR in samples from patients with esophageal carcinoma (EC), including esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and adenocarcinoma (EAC). The incidence of FGFR3IIIc was higher in EC [12/16 (75%); p=0.

VEGF-A/NRP1 stimulates GIPC1 and Syx complex formation to promote RhoA activation and proliferation in skin cancer cells.

Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) has been identified as a VEGF-A receptor. DJM-1, a human skin cancer cell line, expresses endogenous VEGF-A and NRP1. In the present study, the RNA interference of VEGF-A or NRP1 suppressed DJM-1 cell proliferation.

A study on Borna disease virus infection in domestic cats in Japan.

Borna disease virus (BDV) infection causes neurological disease in cats. Here, we report BDV infection in 199 hospitalized domestic cats in the Tokyo area. BDV infection was evaluated by detection of plasma antibodies against BDV-p24 or -p40.

Submicroscopic deletion involving the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 gene in a patient with combined pituitary hormone deficiency.

Combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD), isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH), Kallmann syndrome (KS), and septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) are genetically related conditions caused by abnormal development of the anterior midline in the forebrain. Although mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) gene have been implicated in the development of IHH, KS, and SOD, the relevance of FGFR1 abnormalities to CPHD remains to be elucidated. Here, we report a Japanese female patient with CPHD and FGFR1 haploinsufficiency.