Pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) expression in the male tract of Wistar rats.

Pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) expression has been described in many organs as showing neurotrophic, anti-angiogenic, anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and pro-cell survival properties. However, references to its activity in the male reproductive system are scarce. We aimed to characterize the expression of PEDF in the male reproductive tract of Wistar rats by using RT-PCR, western blot and immunostaining and also evaluate the effect of flutamide in PEDF expression.

Molecular markers of DNA damage and repair in cervical cancer patients treated with cisplatin neoadjuvant chemotherapy: an exploratory study.

Neoadjuvant (or induction) chemotherapy can be used for cervical cancer patients with locally advanced disease; this treatment is followed by radical surgery and/or radiation therapy. Cisplatin is considered to be the most active platinum agent drug for this cancer, with a response rate of 20%. In order to understand how the cisplatin treatment affects the stress response, in this work, we performed an exploratory study to analyze a number of stress proteins before and after cisplatin neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

HER2 and β-catenin protein location: importance in the prognosis of breast cancer patients and their correlation when breast cancer cells suffer stressful situations.

In human breast cancer, β-catenin localization has been related with disease prognosis. Since HER2-positive patients are an important subgroup, and that in breast cancer cells a direct interaction of β-catenin/HER2 has been reported, in the present study we have explored whether β-catenin location is related with the disease survival. The study was performed in a tumor bank from patients (n = 140) that did not receive specific anti-HER2 therapy.

Effects of temozolomide (TMZ) on the expression and interaction of heat shock proteins (HSPs) and DNA repair proteins in human malignant glioma cells.

We previously reported the association of HSPA1A and HSPB1 with high-grade astrocytomas, suggesting that these proteins might be involved in disease outcome and response to treatment. With the aim to better understand the resistance/susceptibility processes associated to temozolomide (TMZ) treatment, the current study was performed in three human malignant glioma cell lines by focusing on several levels: (a) apoptotic index and senescence, (b) DNA damage, and (c) interaction of HSPB1 with players of the DNA damage response. Three human glioma cell lines, Gli36, U87, and DBTRG, were treated with TMZ evaluating cell viability and survival, apoptosis, senescence, and comets (comet assay).

In MMTV-Her-2/neu transgenic mammary tumors the absence of caveolin-1-/- alters PTEN and NHERF1 but not β-catenin expression.

In a recent study, we have shown that in mammary tumors from mice lacking the Cav-1 gene, there are alterations in specific heat shock proteins as well as in tumor development. With this in mind, we have now investigated other proteins in the same mammary mouse tumor model (Her-2/neu expressing mammary tumors from Cav-1 wild type and Cav-1 null mice), to further comprehend the complex tumor-stroma mechanisms involved in regulating stress responses during tumor development. In this tumor model the cancer cells always lacked of Cav-1, so the KO influenced the Cav-1 in the stroma.