Liquid crystals on deformable surfaces.

Liquid crystals with molecules constrained to the tangent bundle of a curved surface show interesting phenomena resulting from the tight coupling of the elastic and bulk-free energies of the liquid crystal with geometric properties of the surface. We derive a thermodynamically consistent Landau-de Gennes-Helfrich model which considers the simultaneous relaxation of the -tensor field and the surface. The resulting system of tensor-valued surface partial differential equation and geometric evolution laws is numerically solved to tackle the rich dynamics of this system and to compute the resulting equilibrium shape.

Association between SNPs in defined functional pathways and risk of early or late toxicity as well as individual radiosensitivity.

Background And Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the impact of functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) pathways involved in the ROS pathway, DNA repair, or TGFB1 signaling on acute or late normal toxicity as well as individual radiosensitivity.

Materials And Methods: Patients receiving breast-conserving surgery and radiotherapy were examined either for erythema (n = 83), fibrosis (n = 123), or individual radiosensitivity (n = 123). The 17 SNPs analyzed are involved in the ROS pathway (GSTP1, SOD2, NQO1, NOS3, XDH), DNA repair (XRCC1, XRCC3, XRCC6, ERCC2, LIG4, ATM) or TGFB signaling (SKIL, EP300, APC, AXIN1, TGFB1).

Effect of irradiation on the expression of DNA repair genes studied in human fibroblasts by real-time qPCR using three methods of reference gene validation.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of ionizing radiation on gene expression by using for a first time a qPCR platform specifically established for the detection of 94 DNA repair genes but also to test the robustness of these results by using three analytical methods (global pattern recognition, ΔΔCq/Normfinder and ΔΔCq/Genorm). Study was focused on these genes because DNA repair is known primarily to determine the radiation response. Six strains of normal human fibroblasts were exposed to 2 Gy, and changes in gene expression were analyzed 24 h thereafter.

No effect of the transforming growth factor β1 promoter polymorphism C-509T on TGFB1 gene expression, protein secretion, or cellular radiosensitivity.

Purpose: To study whether the promoter polymorphism (C-509T) affects transforming growth factor β1 gene (TGFB1) expression, protein secretion, and/or cellular radiosensitivity for both human lymphocytes and fibroblasts.

Methods And Materials: Experiments were performed with lymphocytes taken either from 124 breast cancer patients or 59 pairs of normal monozygotic twins. We used 15 normal human primary fibroblast strains as controls.

Association of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the genes ATM, GSTP1, SOD2, TGFB1, XPD and XRCC1 with risk of severe erythema after breast conserving radiotherapy.

Purpose: To examine the association of polymorphisms in ATM (codon 158), GSTP1 (codon 105), SOD2 (codon 16), TGFB1 (position -509), XPD (codon 751), and XRCC1 (codon 399) with the risk of severe erythema after breast conserving radiotherapy.

Methods And Materials: Retrospective analysis of 83 breast cancer patients treated with breast conserving radiotherapy. A total dose of 50.

The potential role of G2- but not of G0-radiosensitivity for predisposition of prostate cancer.

Purpose: Comparing the chromosomal radiosensitivity of prostate cancer patients with that of healthy donors.

Materials And Methods: The study was performed on 81 prostate cancer patients characterised by a clinical stage of predominantly pT2c or pT3a and a median age of 67 years. As healthy donors 60 male monozygotic twin pairs were recruited with a median age of 28 years.

Organic anion transporting polypeptide 2B1 and breast cancer resistance protein interact in the transepithelial transport of steroid sulfates in human placenta.

The human placenta has both protective and nurturing functions for the fetal organism. Uptake and elimination of xenobiotics and endogenous substances are facilitated by various transport proteins from the solute carrier (SLC) and ABC families, respectively. A functional interaction of uptake and elimination, which is a prerequisite for vectorial transport across cellular barriers, has not been described for placenta.

Modification of OATP2B1-mediated transport by steroid hormones.

The family of the organic anion transporting polypeptides forms an increasing group of uptake transport proteins with a wide substrate spectrum. Although the expression of some members of this group, such as organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP)-A or C, is limited to special tissues (such as liver or brain), the organic anion transporting polypeptide 2B1 (OATPB/SLCO2B1) is expressed in many organs, including liver, placenta, mammary gland, brain, and intestine. However, little is known about its function in those tissues because only a limited number of compounds, such as dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS) and estrone-3-sulfate (E3S), have been characterized as OATP2B1 substrates.