Wnt signaling pathways have been extensively studied in the context of several diseases, including cancer, coronary artery disease, and age-related disorders. β-Catenin plays a central role in the most studied Wnt pathways, the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, commonly referred to as the canonical Wnt signaling pathway. β-catenin is a substrate of glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK-3β), and the phosphorylated β-catenin by GSK-3β can be degraded by the proteasome through ubiquitination.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLittle is known about the role of epithelial membrane protein-2 (EMP2) in breast cancer development or progression. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that EMP2 may regulate the formation or self-renewal of breast cancer stem cells (BCSC) in the tumor microenvironment. analysis of gene expression data demonstrated a correlation of EMP2 expression with known metastasis-related genes and markers of cancer stem cells (CSC) including aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Pathologic corneal neovascularization is a major cause of blindness worldwide, and treatment options are currently limited. VEGF is one of the critical mediators of corneal neovascularization but current anti-VEGF therapies have produced limited results in the cornea. Thus, additional therapeutic agents are needed to enhance the antiangiogenic arsenal.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To evaluate acupuncture as treatment for glaucoma.
Design: Prospective double-masked randomized crossover study.
Methods: setting: Clinical practice.