Publications by authors named "Narmeen Ahmad"

Introduction: Approximately 50% of patients with primary colorectal carcinoma develop liver metastases. This study investigates the possible molecular discrepancies between primary colorectal cancer (pCRC) and their respective metastases.

Methods: A total of 22 pairs of pCRC and metastases were tested.

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Background: Mutation testing in the context of neoadjuvant therapy must be performed on biopsy samples. Given the issue of tumour heterogeneity, this raises the question of whether the biopsies are representative of the whole tumour. Here we have compared the mutation profiles of colorectal biopsies with their matched resection specimens.

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Purpose: Mitogen- and stress-activated kinases (MSKs) are important substrates of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)-activated protein kinase family. MSK1 and MSK2 are both nuclear serine/threonine protein kinases, with MSK1 being suggested to potentially play a role in breast cancer cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, cell migration, invasion and tumour growth. The aim of the current study was to assess MSK1 protein expression in breast cancer tumour specimens, evaluating its prognostic significance.

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Macrophage-associated cytokines play an important role in cancer metastasis; however, the functions of interleukins (IL) 6 and 10 in breast cancer (BC) progression and metastasis are not clear. In this study the roles of IL-6/IL-10 in regulating vascular invasion and their prognostic significance in BC are investigated. MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 migration (± IL-6 or IL-10) was assessed by scratch wound assay.

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Article Synopsis
  • * This study shows that interleukin-1beta (IL-1β) produced by macrophages enhances the adhesion and movement of breast cancer cells (MCF7 and MDA-MB-231) through endothelial barriers, particularly increasing their attachment to lymphatic endothelial cells.
  • * Inhibiting caspase-1 reduced IL-1β production and consequently lowered the tumor cell adhesion and migration, indicating that macrophage-derived IL-1β is a critical factor driving the mobility of breast cancer cells and their ability to
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Angiogenesis is a hallmark of cancer and is important for tumor growth, development, and metastasis. Leukocytes, including neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes, are found invading many solid tumors, and this inflammation is often associated with tumorigenesis. Tumor-associated macrophages have been shown to be involved in tumor migration and metastasis and are modulators of tumor vascularization.

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Aims: Calpain-1 is a ubiquitously expressed calcium-activated intracellular cysteine protease. Altered expression of calpain system proteins has been implicated in cancer progression and response to chemotherapy.

Methods And Results: The aim of the current study was to confirm previous data that suggested that calpain-1 expression is associated with relapse-free survival in trastuzumab-treated breast cancer patients (n = 93).

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