Mice lacking nucleotide sugar transporter SLC35A3 exhibit lethal chondrodysplasia with vertebral anomalies and impaired glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis.

SLC35A3 is considered an uridine diphosphate N-acetylglucosamine (UDP-GlcNAc) transporter in mammals and regulates the branching of N-glycans. A missense mutation in SLC35A3 causes complex vertebral malformation (CVM) in cattle. However, the biological functions of SLC35A3 have not been fully clarified.

Radiosensitization by PARP inhibition to proton beam irradiation in cancer cells.

The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 regulates DNA damage responses and promotes base excision repair. PARP inhibitors have been shown to enhance the cytotoxicity of ionizing radiation in various cancer cells and animal models. We have demonstrated that the PARP inhibitor (PARPi) AZD2281 is also an effective radiosensitizer for carbon-ion radiation; thus, we speculated that the PARPi could be applied to a wide therapeutic range of linear energy transfer (LET) radiation as a radiosensitizer.

Proteomic analysis of cellular response induced by boron neutron capture reaction in human squamous cell carcinoma SAS cells.

To understand the mechanism of cell death induced by boron neutron capture reaction (BNCR), we performed proteome analyses of human squamous tumor SAS cells after BNCR. Cells were irradiated with thermal neutron beam at KUR after incubation under boronophenylalanine (BPA)(+) and BPA(-) conditions. BNCR mainly induced typical apoptosis in SAS cells 24h post-irradiation.

MicroRNA-296 is enriched in cancer cells and downregulates p21WAF1 mRNA expression via interaction with its 3' untranslated region.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of noncoding small RNAs that act as negative regulators of gene expression. To identify miRNAs that may regulate human cell immortalization and carcinogenesis, we performed comparative miRNA array profiling of human normal and SV40-T antigen immortalized cells. We found that miR-296 was upregulated in immortalized cells that also had activation of telomerase.

Construction of Japanese BAC library Yamato-2 (JY2): a set of 330K clone resources of damage-minimized DNA taken from a genetically established Japanese individual.

A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library referred to as Yamato-2 (JY2), was constructed from a Japanese individual and contained 330,000 clones. Library construction was based on 2 concepts: Japanese pedigree and non-immortalization. Genomic DNA was extracted from white blood cells from umbilical cord blood of a Japanese male individual.

Use of BAC array CGH for evaluation of chromosomal stability of clinically used human mesenchymal stem cells and of cancer cell lines.

Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) using bacterial artificial chromosomes (BAC) is a powerful method to analyze DNA copy number aberrations of the entire human genome. In fact, CGH and aCGH have revealed various DNA copy number aberrations in numerous cancer cells and cancer cell lines examined so far. In this report, BAC aCGH was applied to evaluate the stability or instability of cell lines.

Breast cancer cell lines carry cell line-specific genomic alterations that are distinct from aberrations in breast cancer tissues: comparison of the CGH profiles between cancer cell lines and primary cancer tissues.

Background: Cell lines are commonly used in various kinds of biomedical research in the world. However, it remains uncertain whether genomic alterations existing in primary tumor tissues are represented in cell lines and whether cell lines carry cell line-specific genomic alterations. This study was performed to answer these questions.

High frequency of common DNA copy number abnormalities detected by bacterial artificial chromosome array comparative genomic hybridization in 24 breast cancer cell lines.

Breast cancer is a widespread disease in Japan and across the world. Breast cancer cells, as well as most other types of cancer cells, have diverse chromosomal aberrations. Clarifying the character of these chromosomal aberrations should contribute to the development of more suitable therapies, along with the predictions of metastasis and prognosis.

The genetic differences between gallbladder and bile duct cancer cell lines.

Biliary tract cancers carry dismal prognoses. It is commonly understood that chromosomal aberrations in cancer cells have prognostic and therapeutic implications. However, in biliary tract cancers the genetic changes have not yet been sufficiently studied.

Suppression of centrosome amplification after DNA damage depends on p27 accumulation.

The centrosome plays a fundamental role in cell division, cell polarity, and cell cycle progression. Centrosome duplication is mainly controlled by cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2)/cyclin E and cyclin A complexes, which are inhibited by the CDK inhibitors p21Cip1 and p27Kip1. It is thought that abnormal activation of CDK2 induces centrosome amplification that is frequently observed in a wide range of aggressive tumors.

[A good course of retinopathy of prematurity in an infant weighting 398 g at birth].

Background: Recently neonatal mortality of ELBW infants has improved remarkably, but the difficulty in preventing severe retinopathy of prematurity(ROP) or blindness implies that fundamental causes are still not resolved.

Case: We encountered a case of ROP with a very good natural course in a very low birth weight(398 g) infant.

Conclusion: This case suggests the possibility of predicting the course of ROP in extremely low birth weight(ELBW) infants weighing less than 500 g, and of improving their management.