Inhibition of pRB Pathway Differentially Modulates Apoptosis in Esophageal Cancer Cells.

Esophageal cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Current chemotherapy regimens include a combination of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and cisplatin, but more efficient therapy strategies are needed to increase 5-year survival. Alterations in the signaling pathway of the tumor suppressor gene Rb-1, which encodes a phosphoprotein (pRB) that negatively regulates the G1/S transition of the cell cycle, are present in 70% of all tumors, but its role in esophageal cancer is still unclear.

Immunohistochemical analysis of retinoblastoma and β-catenin as an assistant tool in the differential diagnosis between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

In about 10-15% of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) there is no clear definitive differential diagnosis between Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) and the disease is classified as indeterminate colitis. Since pharmacological and surgical treatments differ in CD and UC, establishing a correct diagnosis is critical. The aim of this work was to access the expression profile of proteins involved in colonic inflammation and cancer in samples from CD and UC.