Cyclin D1 extensively reprograms metabolism to support biosynthetic pathways in hepatocytes.

Cell proliferation requires metabolic reprogramming to accommodate biosynthesis of new cell components, and similar alterations occur in cancer cells. However, the mechanisms linking the cell cycle machinery to metabolism are not well defined. Cyclin D1, along with its main partner cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4), is a pivotal cell cycle regulator and driver oncogene that is overexpressed in many cancers.

Inhibition of Mitochondrial Antioxidant Defense and CDK4/6 in Mesothelioma.

Advanced mesothelioma is considered an incurable disease and new treatment strategies are needed. Previous studies have demonstrated that mitochondrial antioxidant defense proteins and the cell cycle may contribute to mesothelioma growth, and that the inhibition of these pathways may be effective against this cancer. We demonstrated that the antioxidant defense inhibitor auranofin and the cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor palbociclib could decrease mesothelioma cell proliferation alone or in combination.

Protein kinase CK2 - diverse roles in cancer cell biology and therapeutic promise.

The association of protein kinase CK2 (formerly casein kinase II or 2) with cell growth and proliferation in cells was apparent at early stages of its investigation. A cancer-specific role for CK2 remained unclear until it was determined that CK2 was also a potent suppressor of cell death (apoptosis); the latter characteristic differentiated its function in normal versus malignant cells because dysregulation of both cell growth and cell death is a universal feature of cancer cells. Over time, it became evident that CK2 exerts its influence on a diverse range of cell functions in normal as well as in transformed cells.

Cyclin-Dependent Kinase and Antioxidant Gene Expression in Cancers with Poor Therapeutic Response.

Pancreatic cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and mesothelioma are treatment-refractory cancers, and patients afflicted with these cancers generally have a very poor prognosis. The genomics of these tumors were analyzed as part of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) project. However, these analyses are an overview and may miss pathway interactions that could be exploited for therapeutic targeting.

Utilization of the Veterans Affairs Central Cancer Registry to evaluate lung cancer outcomes.

Lung cancer is one of the most common and difficult to treat cancers. Veterans are disproportionately affected by lung cancer, as approximately 20% of all cancers diagnosed within the Veteran Affairs health system are lung cancers. Many Veterans have extensive comorbidities, and thus they are often excluded from clinical trials based on this and other eligibility criteria.

Unusual presentation of a spinal epidural abscess.

A 59-year-old female patient presented with a 3-day history of abdominal pain and confusion. She had no significant medical history. On admission her Glasgow Coma Scale was 14/15; she was septic and examination revealed right upper quadrant tenderness.

Two components of the Myb complex, DMyb and Mip130, are specifically associated with euchromatin and degraded during prometaphase throughout development.

The Drosophila Myb protein, DMyb, is a transcription factor important for cell proliferation and development. Unlike the mRNAs produced by mammalian myb genes, Drosophila myb transcripts do not fluctuate substantially during the cell cycle. A comprehensive analysis of the localization and degradation of the DMyb protein has now revealed that DMyb is present in nuclei during S phase of all mitotically active tissues throughout embryogenesis and larval development.