Prognostic value analysis of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor in oral squamous cell carcinoma: an immunohistochemical study.

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) represents the most common oral malignancy. Despite recent advances in therapy, up to 50% of the cases have relapse and/or metastasis. There is therefore a strong need for the identification of new biological markers able to predict the clinical behaviour of these lesions in order to improve quality of life and overall survival.

A new germline point mutation in Ret exon 8 (cys515ser) in a family with medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Background: A novel Cys-Ser Ret germline point mutation in a 58-year-old woman with bilateral medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) prompted us to perform genetic analysis of the family and evaluate the biological consequences of such a mutation.

Methods: Ret analysis by direct sequencing was performed in five family members. The biological activity and biochemical properties of the Ret- Cys515Ser mutant were analyzed in NIH-3T3 cells.

Activation of alpha-diacylglycerol kinase is critical for the mitogenic properties of anaplastic lymphoma kinase.

Oncogenic rearrangements of the tyrosine kinase receptor anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), most commonly represented by the nucleophosmin/ALK fusion protein (NPM/ALK), are involved in the pathogenesis of anaplastic large-cell lymphomas (ALCLs). In an effort to identify new intracellular transducers operative in ALK-positive malignancies, we have investigated the potential involvement of diacylglycerol kinase (DGK). Here we show that alphaDGK is constitutively activated in the NPM/ALK-positive ALCL-derived cell line Karpas 299 and in NPM/ALK-infected 32D hematopoietic cells.

Immunohistochemical evaluation of urokinase plasminogen activator receptor in noninvasive and early invasive urothelial papillary neoplasia.

Objective: To investigate urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) expression in urothelial papilloma and in noninvasive and early invasive papillary carcinoma.

Study Design: The study included 40 cases of papillary neoplasia of the urinary bladder subdivided into 10 cases of urothelial papilloma (UP); 10 of papillary carcinoma, grade 1; 10, grade 2 (G2); and 10, grade 3 (G3). Invasion of the subepithelial connective tissue was present in 5 cases of G2 and 7 cases of G3.

A ligand-inducible epidermal growth factor receptor/anaplastic lymphoma kinase chimera promotes mitogenesis and transforming properties in 3T3 cells.

Oncogenic rearrangements of the anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene, encoding a receptor type tyrosine kinase, are frequently associated with anaplastic large cell lymphomas. Such rearrangements juxtapose the intracellular domain of ALK to 5'-end sequences belonging to different genes and create transforming fusion proteins. To understand how the oncogenic versions of ALK contribute to lymphomagenesis, it is important to analyze the biological effects and the biochemical properties of this receptor under controlled conditions of activation.