Publications by authors named "Rachel M Barker"
Article Synopsis
- Tubulin-associated units, particularly tau, are studied for their roles in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, especially due to tau's hyperphosphorylation and accumulation.
- Hormonal influences on tau are evident in both Alzheimer's disease and hormone-sensitive cancers, suggesting a connection between hormonal changes and disease progression.
- The review further explores the intersection of tau pathology with cancer development and treatment, focusing on how various signaling pathways, including PI3K/Akt, are affected by sex hormones.
The role if insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) in mediating chemoresistance in breast cancer cells has been demonstrated, but the mechanism of action is unclear. This study aimed to further investigate the role of IGFBP-2 in the DNA damage response induced by etoposide in MCF-7, T47D (ER+ve), and MDA-MB-231 (ER-ve) breast cancer cell lines. In the presence or absence of etoposide, IGFBP-2 was silenced using siRNA in the ER-positive cell lines, or exogenous IGFBP-2 was added to the ER-negative MDA-MB-231 cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis minireview is a brief overview examining the roles of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and the PI3K/Akt pathway in two apparently unconnected diseases: Alzheimer's dementia and cancer. For both, increased age is a major risk factor, and, in accord with the global rise in average life expectancy, their prevalence is also increasing. Cancer, however, involves excessive cell proliferation and metastasis, whereas Alzheimer's disease (AD) involves cell death and tissue destruction.
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