VNTR Polymorphism in the Intron 5 of SIRT3 and Susceptibility to Breast Cancer.

Background: Breast cancer recurrence and metastasis are associated with alterations in the cellular stress responses that influence tumour signalling. Sirtuin3 (SIRT3), a mitochondrial deacetylase is the regulator of mitochondrial metabolism and oxidative stress affecting tumour cell responses. Genetic variants or dysregulation of SIRT3 was known to associate with poor prognosis of recurrence and relapse in few cancers.

Influence of Caspase-9 polymorphisms on the development of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia- A case-control study.

Introduction: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorder, characterized by the overproduction of myeloid cells in all stages of maturation. It is usually defined by three sequential stages (Chronic, Accelerated and Blast-crisis) where the transition from chronic to accelerated to blast phases is presumed to occur due to secondary genetic changes, viz. accumulation of mutations, activation of downstream pathways and failure of apoptosis.

Activation of integrated stress response pathway regulates IL-1β production through posttranscriptional and translational reprogramming in macrophages.

Immune cells sense and programme its cellular machinery appropriately to the environmental changes through the activation of cytoprotective adaptive pathway so-called the "integrated stress response (ISR)". However, the mechanisms implicated in ISR-induced protective responses are poorly understood. Here, we show that ISR activation by arsenite (Ar) results in suppression of IL-1β production in macrophages and inhibition of DSS-induced colitis in a murine model through a novel posttranscriptional and translation regulatory (PTR) mechanism.

Transcriptome meta-analysis identifies immune signature comprising of RNA binding proteins in ulcerative colitis patients.

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a persistent inflammatory illness, which is clinically categorised as Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), affecting millions of people worldwide. The precise cause behind the pathology of the disease remains unknown. However, the involvement of multiple factors including genetic predisposition, immunological deregulations, microbiota imbalance, and environmental triggers has been suggested.

Protective Role of Hypothermia Against Heat Stress in Differentiated and Undifferentiated Human Neural Precursor Cells: A Differential Approach for the Treatment of Traumatic Brain Injury.

Introduction: The present study aimed to explore protective mechanisms of hypothermia against mild cold and heat stress on highly proliferative homogeneous human Neural Precursor Cells (NPCs) derived from Subventricular Zone (SVZ) of human fetal brain.

Methods: CD133+ve enriched undifferentiated and differentiated human NPCs were exposed to heat stress at 42°C. Then, Western-blot quantification was performed using Hsp-70 (70 kilodalton heat shock proteins) recombinant protein.

Role of drug transporters and heat shock proteins during ethanol exposure to human neural precursor cells and its lineages.

Introduction: Ethanol exposure to developing brain may alter the growth and differentiation of neurological cells resulting in unfavorable pathologies. Earlier studies have provided very limited mechanistic insights of cellular and molecular mechanisms which do not mimic with human situation due to varying cell types and poses potential challenges for investigation. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the role of ABC transporters and heat shock proteins mediated response in human neural precursor cells (NPCs) and its lineages during proliferation and lineage differentiation against ethanol exposure.

Reconstructing the demographic history of the Himalayan and adjoining populations.

The rugged topography of the Himalayan region has hindered large-scale human migrations, population admixture and assimilation. Such complexity in geographical structure might have facilitated the existence of several small isolated communities in this region. We have genotyped about 850,000 autosomal markers among 35 individuals belonging to the four major populations inhabiting the Himalaya and adjoining regions.

Enhanced neuroprotective effect of mild-hypothermia with VPA against ethanol-mediated neuronal injury.

Introduction: Progress in understanding pathophysiological mechanisms and the development of targeted regenerative strategies have been hampered by the lack of predictive disease models, specifically for the conditions to which affected cell types are inaccessible. The present study has aimed to unearth the role of valproic acid (VPA) and mild hypothermia (MH) as promising strategy to enhance the neuroprotective mechanisms in undifferentiated and differentiated human neural precursor cells (hNPCs) against ethanol-induced damage.

Methods: 5mM VPA alone or in combination with MH (33°C) was used to prevent the damage in proliferating and differentiating hNPCs.

Haplotype association and synergistic effect of human aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) gene polymorphisms causing susceptibility to essential hypertension in Indian patients.

Background: Aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2) is a key enzyme involved in the terminal steps of aldosterone biosynthesis. Genetic variability in CYP11B2 gene has been associated with heterogeneous aldosterone production, which can affect sodium homeostasis and thereby regulation of blood pressure. Hence, the present study was aimed to explore the single-locus variations, haplotype and epistasis patterns of CYP11B2 (C-344T, intron-2 gene conversion and Lys173Arg) gene polymorphisms, and the risk contributed by them to the development of essential hypertension (EHT).

Distinct Patterns of Association of Variants at 11q23.3 Chromosomal Region with Coronary Artery Disease and Dyslipidemia in the Population of Andhra Pradesh, India.

In our attempt to comprehensively understand the nature of association of variants at 11q23.3 apolipoprotein gene cluster region, we genotyped a prioritized set of 96 informative SNPs using Fluidigm customized SNP genotyping platform in a sample of 508 coronary artery disease (CAD) cases and 516 controls. We found 12 SNPs as significantly associated with CAD at P <0.

Significance of ATM Gene Polymorphisms in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia - a Case Control Study from India.

Background: Development of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) involves formation of double strand breaks (DSBs) which are initially sensed by the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) signal kinase to induce a DNA damage response (DDR). Mutations or single nucleotide polymorphisms in ATM gene are known to influence the signaling capacity resulting in susceptibility to certain genetic diseases such as cancers.

Materials And Methods: In the present study, we have analyzed -5144A>T (rs228589) and C4138T (rs3092856) polymorphisms of theATM gene through polymerase chain reaction- restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 925 subjects (476 CML cases and 449 controls).

Influence of BCL2-938 C>A promoter polymorphism and BCL2 gene expression on the progression of breast cancer.

BCL2 (B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2) gene functions as antiapoptotic regulatory element and known to be associated with tumorigenesis. The SNP-938 (C>A) (rs2279115), located in the inhibitory P2 promoter of the BCL2 gene, influences differential binding affinities of transcriptional factors thereby affecting BCL2 expression. The present study is an attempt to evaluate the association between BCL2(-938C>A) polymorphism and clinical characteristics of breast cancer patients as well as to analyze BCL2 expression and Ki67 proliferation index with respect to the genotypes.

Association of promoter polymorphisms of Fas -FasL genes with development of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a monoclonal myeloproliferative disorder of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), characterized by reciprocal translocation, leading to the formation of BCR-ABL oncogene with constitutive tyrosine kinase (TK) activity. This oncogene is known to deregulate different downstream pathways which ultimately lead to cell proliferation, defective DNA repair, and inhibition of apoptosis. Fas (Fas cell surface death receptor) is a member of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) superfamily which interacts with its ligand, FasL, to initiate apoptosis.

The paternal ancestry of Uttarakhand does not imitate the classical caste system of India.

Although, there have been rigorous research on the Indian caste system by several disciplines, it is still one of the most controversial socioscientific topic. Previous genetic studies on the subcontinent have supported a classical hierarchal sharing of genetic component by various castes of India. In the present study, we have used high-resolution mtDNA and Y chromosomal markers to characterize the genetic structuring of the Uttarakhand populations in the context of neighboring regions.

LCN2 Promoter Methylation Status as Novel Predictive Marker for Microvessel Density and Aggressive Tumor Phenotype in Breast Cancer Patients.

LCN2 (Lipocalin 2) is a 25 KD secreted acute phase protein, reported to be a novel regulator of angiogenesis in breast cancer. Up regulation of LCN2 had been observed in multiple cancers including breast cancer, pancreatic cancer and ovarian cancer. However, the role of LCN2 promoter methylation in the formation of microvessels is poorly understood.

Influence of BCL2-938C>A and BAX-248G>A promoter polymorphisms in the development of AML: case-control study from South India.

B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL2) and BCL2-associated X protein (BAX) proteins are anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic determinants of mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis, and their relative expression determines the cell fate. The promoter polymorphisms in these genes were shown to alter the protein function or expression and exert an impact on apoptosis regulation. Deregulation in the expression of any of these genes leads to disruption of cellular homeostasis and malignant transformation.

Role of the MDM2 promoter polymorphism (-309T>G) in acute myeloid leukemia development.

Background: The human homologue of the mouse double minute 2 (MDM2) gene is a negative regulator of Tp53. MDM2-309T>G a functional promoter polymorphism was found to be associated with overexpression thereby attenuation of Tp53 stress response and increased cancer susceptibility. We have planned to evaluate the possible role of MDM2-309T>G polymorphism with risk and response to chemotherapy in AML.

HIF-1α (1772C>T) polymorphism as marker for breast cancer development.

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) is an important transcription factor that regulates different cellular responses to hypoxia. HIF-1α is rapidly degraded by von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) protein under normoxic conditions and stabilized under hypoxia. A common variant of HIF-1α (1772C>T) (rs 11549465) polymorphism, corresponding to an amino acid change from proline to serine at 582 position within the oxygen-dependent degradation domain, results in increased stability of the protein and altered transactivation of its target genes.

Rrp1B gene polymorphism (1307T>C) in metastatic progression of breast cancer.

Rrp1B (ribosomal RNA processing1 homolog B) is a novel candidate metastasis modifier gene in breast cancer. Functional gene assays demonstrated that a physical and functional interaction existing between Rrp1b and metastasis modifier gene SIPA1 causes reduction in the tumor growth and metastatic potential. Ectopic expression of Rrp1B modulates various metastasis predictive extra cellular matrix (ECM) genes associated with tumor suppression.

NRAS mutations in de novo acute leukemia: prevalence and clinical significance.

The activating mutations of the Ras gene or other abnormalities in Ras signaling pathway lead to uncontrolled growth factor-independent proliferation of hematopoietic progenitors. Oncogenic mutations in NRAS gene have been observed with variable prevalence in hematopoietic malignancies. In the present study, NRAS mutations were detected using bidirectional sequencing in 264 acute leukemia cases--129 acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and 135 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and 245 age- and gender-matched controls.

Association of CYP19 polymorphisms with breast cancer risk: A case-control study.

Background: The CYP19 gene is located on chromosome 15 and it plays an important role in aromatization, which results in production of estrogen from androgens. The mutation in this gene can result in either increased or decreased aromatase activity.

Materials And Methods: A case-control study was designed to compare 250 breast cancer cases with 250 age-matched healthy controls.

Germline mutations of TP53 gene in breast cancer.

Germline alterations of the TP53 gene encoding the p53 protein have been observed in the majority of families with the Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a rare dominantly inherited disorder with breast cancer. Genomic DNA samples of 182 breast cancer cases and 186 controls were sequenced for TP53 mutations in the exon 5-9 and intervening introns 5, 7-9. Direct sequencing was done using Applied Biosystem 3730 DNA analyzer.

Association of caspase9 promoter polymorphisms with the susceptibility of AML in south Indian subjects.

Abnormal apoptosis is one of the hallmarks of cancers including acute myeloid leukemia (AML), as it plays a pivotal role in precisely maintaining self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation properties of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Caspase9 (CASP9), an initiator caspase activated by mitochondrial-mediated apoptotic pathway (intrinsic pathway), triggers cascade of effector caspases and executes apoptosis. Functional SNPs in CASP9 might influence the gene expression leading to altered apoptosis which confer the risk to AML.