Publications by authors named "Pestell R"

The essential G-cyclin, CCND1, is frequently overexpressed in cancer, contributing to tumorigenesis by driving cell-cycle progression. D-type cyclins are rate-limiting regulators of G-S progression in mammalian cells via their ability to bind and activate CDK4 and CDK6. In addition, cyclin D1 conveys kinase-independent transcriptional functions of cyclin D1.

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The G-protein-coupled receptor C-C chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) functions as a co-receptor for the entry of HIV into immune cells. CCR5 binds promiscuously to a diverse array of ligands initiating cell signaling that includes guided migration. Although well known to be expressed on immune cells, recent studies have shown the induction of CCR5 on the surface of breast cancer epithelial cells.

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  • * DACH1 gene deletion, found in up to 18% of PCa cases, correlates with higher activity of the androgen receptor (AR) and poor patient outcomes, as seen in studies involving prostate OncoMice.
  • * The loss of DACH1 expression results in increased DNA damage and resistance to certain cancer therapies (like PARP inhibitors), suggesting that this alteration may indicate a specific subclass of PCa that could benefit from targeted treatment strategies.
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Malignant breast cancer (BC) remains incurable mainly due to the cancer cell metastasis, which is mostly related to the status of Estrogen receptor alpha (ERα). However, our understanding of the mechanisms through which ERα regulates cancer cell metastasis remains limited. Here we identified a miR-29a-PTEN-AKT axis as a downstream signaling pathway of ERα governing breast cancer progression and metastasis.

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Prostate cancer (PCa), the second leading cause of death in American men, includes distinct genetic subtypes with distinct therapeutic vulnerabilities. The gene encodes a winged helix/Forkhead DNA-binding protein that competes for binding to FOXM1 sites. Herein, gene deletion within the 13q21.

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  • T-cell activity is suppressed in ER+ breast cancer when PD-1 binds PD-L1 or PD-L2, raising the need for better ways to predict who will respond to treatments like PD-1 inhibitors.
  • This study focused on measuring PD-L2 protein levels in patients with therapy-naive ER+ breast cancer and correlated these levels with progression-free survival (PFS) across two cohorts.
  • Results showed that high PD-L2 expression in cancer cells was linked to shorter PFS, suggesting that high PD-L2 levels can be an important marker to identify patients at greater risk of early recurrence.
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Lysine acetylation is a common reversible post-translational modification of proteins that plays a key role in regulating gene expression. Nuclear receptors (NRs) include ligand-inducible transcription factors and orphan receptors for which the ligand is undetermined, which together regulate the expression of genes involved in development, metabolism, homeostasis, reproduction and human diseases including cancer. Since the original finding that the ERα, AR and HNF4 are acetylated, we now understand that the vast majority of NRs are acetylated and that this modification has profound effects on NR function.

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Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) govern cell-cycle checkpoint transitions necessary for cancer cell proliferation. Recent developments have illustrated nuanced important differences between mono CDK inhibitor (CDKI) treatment and the combination therapies of breast cancers. The CDKIs that are currently FDA-approved for breast cancer therapy are oral agents that selectively inhibit CDK4 and CDK6, include palbociclib (Ibrance), ribociclib (Kisqali), and abemaciclib (Verzenio).

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Cancer cells sharing stem cell properties are called "cancer stem cells" (CSCs). CSCs have distinct metabolic properties, are intrinsically drug resistant evading chemotherapies, are regulated by miRNA networks and participate in tumor relapse and metastases. During metastatic dissemination, circulating tumor cells (CTCs) invade distant organs and settle in supportive niches.

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Reprogramming of metabolic priorities promotes tumor progression. Our understanding of the Warburg effect, based on studies of cultured cancer cells, has evolved to a more complex understanding of tumor metabolism within an ecosystem that provides and catabolizes diverse nutrients provided by the local tumor microenvironment. Recent studies have illustrated that heterogeneous metabolic changes occur at the level of tumor type, tumor subtype, within the tumor itself, and within the tumor microenvironment.

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Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for kidney function identified hundreds of risk regions; however, the causal variants, target genes, cell types, and disease mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we performed transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS), summary Mendelian randomization, and MetaXcan to identify genes whose expression mediates the genotype effect on the phenotype. Our analyses identified Dachshund homolog 1 (DACH1), a cell-fate determination factor.

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  • * Genetic deletion of PPARγ (a receptor involved in various cancers) can slow down mammary tumor progression and enhance immune cell infiltration without disturbing other blood stem cell pools.
  • * PPARγ1 fosters growth and inflammation in ErbB2-induced tumors by activating key signaling pathways, suggesting that targeting this pathway may help in developing new treatment strategies for these aggressive cancers.
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The mechanisms governing therapeutic resistance of the most aggressive and lethal primary brain tumor in adults, glioblastoma, have increasingly focused on tumor stem cells. These cells, protected by the periarteriolar hypoxic GSC niche, contribute to the poor efficacy of standard of care treatment of glioblastoma. Integrated proteogenomic and metabolomic analyses of glioblastoma tissues and single cells have revealed insights into the complex heterogeneity of glioblastoma and stromal cells, comprising its tumor microenvironment (TME).

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Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are believed to be the main source of cancer relapse and metastasis. PIWI-interacting small non-coding RNAs (piRNAs) have been recently recognized to be relevant to cancer biology. Whether and how piRNAs regulate human CSCs remain unknown.

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  • In 2008, guidelines were established for researching autophagy, which has since gained significant interest and new technologies, necessitating regular updates to monitoring methods across various organisms.
  • The new guidelines emphasize selecting appropriate techniques to evaluate autophagy while noting that no single method suits all situations; thus, a combination of methods is encouraged.
  • The document highlights that key proteins involved in autophagy also impact other cellular processes, suggesting genetic studies should focus on multiple autophagy-related genes to fully understand these pathways.
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Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (BCa) (TNBC) is a deadly form of human BCa with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. In our prior analysis of over 2200 breast cancer samples, the G protein-coupled receptor CCR5 was expressed in > 95% of TNBC samples. A humanized monoclonal antibody to CCR5 (leronlimab), used in the treatment of HIV-infected patients, has shown minimal side effects in large patient populations.

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Background: The androgen receptor (AR) plays a key role in normal prostate homeostasis and in prostate cancer (PCa) development, while the role of aromatase (Cyp19a1) is still unclear. We evaluated the effects of a treatment with Tadalafil (TAD) on both these proteins.

Methods: Androgen-sensitive human PCa cell line (LnCAP) was incubated with/without TAD (10 M) and bicalutamide (BCT) (10 M) to evaluate a potential modulation on cell proliferation, protein and mRNA expression of Cyp19a, AR and estrogen receptor-β (ERβ), respectively.

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The essential G-cyclin, CCND1, is a collaborative nuclear oncogene that is frequently overexpressed in cancer. D-type cyclins bind and activate CDK4 and CDK6 thereby contributing to G-S cell-cycle progression. In addition to the nucleus, herein cyclin D1 was also located in the cytoplasmic membrane.

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Cyclin D1 encodes the regulatory subunit of a holoenzyme that phosphorylates RB and functions as a collaborative nuclear oncogene. The serine threonine kinase Akt plays a pivotal role in the control of cellular metabolism, survival, and mitogenic signaling. Herein, Akt1-mediated phosphorylation of downstream substrates in the mammary gland is reduced by cyclin D1 genetic deletion and is induced by mammary-gland-targeted cyclin D1 overexpression.

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The chemokine CCL5/RANTES is a versatile inflammatory mediator, which interacts with the receptor CCR5, promoting cancer cell interactions within the tumor microenvironment. Glioblastoma is a highly invasive tumor, in which CCL5 expression correlates with shorter patient survival. Using immunohistochemistry, we identified CCL5 and CCR5 in a series of glioblastoma samples and cells, including glioblastoma stem cells.

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The molecular mechanisms governing the secretion of the non-coding genome are poorly understood. We show herein that cyclin D1, the regulatory subunit of the cyclin-dependent kinase that drives cell-cycle progression, governs the secretion and relative proportion of secreted non-coding RNA subtypes (miRNA, rRNA, tRNA, CDBox, scRNA, HAcaBox. scaRNA, piRNA) in human breast cancer.

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