The Uptake of Heparanase into Mast Cells Is Regulated by Its Enzymatic Activity to Degrade Heparan Sulfate.

Mast cells take up extracellular latent heparanase and store it in secretory granules. The present study examined whether the enzymatic activity of heparanase regulates its uptake efficiency. Recombinant mouse heparanase mimicking both the latent and mature forms (L-Hpse and M-Hpse, respectively) was internalized into mastocytoma MST cells, peritoneal cell-derived mast cells, and bone marrow-derived mast cells.

Glycosylation profiles of breast cancer cells may represent clonal variations of multiple organ metastases.

Glycosylation changes of cancer cells are known to be associated with malignant progression and metastases and potentially determine the organ-selective nature of metastasis as theorized by Paget (Lancet 1:571-573, 1889). Cellular glycans play a variety of roles in the processes of metastasis and may be unique to the cells that metastasize to different organs. We analyzed the glycosylation profiles of the primary tumor and tumors metastasized to lymph node, liver, lung, brain, bone, thyroid, kidney, adrenal, small intestine and pancreas in an autopsy case of breast cancer employing a lectin microarray with 45 lectins.

A CRISPR activation screen identifies MUC-21 as critical for resistance to NK and T cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Background: Immunotherapy has significantly advanced cancer treatments, but many patients do not respond to it, partly due to immunosuppressive mechanisms used by tumor cells. These cells employ immunosuppressive ligands to evade detection and elimination by the immune system. Therefore, the discovery and characterization of novel immunosuppressive ligands that facilitate immune evasion are crucial for developing more potent anti-cancer therapies.

Possible correlation of apical localization of MUC1 glycoprotein with luminal A-like status of breast cancer.

Adjuvant chemotherapy has played a major role in the treatment of hormone receptor-positive breast cancer for many years. To better determine which patient subsets need adjuvant chemotherapy, various gene expression analyses have been developed, but cost-effective tools to identify such patients remain elusive. In the present report, we retrospectively investigated immunohistochemical expression and subcellular localization of MUC1 in primary tumors and examined their relationship to tumor malignancy, chemotherapy effect and patient outcomes.

Prevention of Inflammation-Driven Colon Carcinogenesis in Human MUC1 Transgenic Mice by Vaccination with DNA and Dendritic Cells.

The preventive efficacy of -specific DNA immunization on inflammation-driven colon carcinogenesis in human MUC1 transgenic (MUC1.Tg) mice was investigated. Mice were vaccinated with DNA mixed with autologous bone-marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs), and then colonic tumors were induced by azoxymethane (AOM) injection and oral administration of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS).