An appropriate DNA input for bisulfite conversion reveals LINE-1 and Alu hypermethylation in tissues and circulating cell-free DNA from cancers.

The autonomous and active Long-Interspersed Element-1 (LINE-1, L1) and the non-autonomous Alu retrotransposon elements, contributing to 30% of the human genome, are the most abundant repeated sequences. With more than 90% of their sequences being methylated in normal cells, these elements undeniably contribute to the global DNA methylation level and constitute a major part of circulating-cell-free DNA (cfDNA). So far, the hypomethylation status of LINE-1 and Alu in cellular and extracellular DNA has long been considered a prevailing hallmark of ageing-related diseases and cancer.

Killed Bacillus subtilis spores expressing streptavidin: a novel carrier of drugs to target cancer cells.

Carriers of drugs in cancer therapy are required to reduce side-effects of the drugs to normal cells. Here we constructed killed recombinant Bacillus subtilis spores (SA1) that expressed streptavidin as a chimeric fusion to the spore coat protein CotB and used the spores as bioparticle carrier. When bound with biotinylated cetuximab these spores could specifically target to the epidermal growth factor receptor on HT 29 colon cancer cells, thereby delivered paclitaxel to the cells with 4-fold higher efficiency, as indicated by fluorescent intensity of paclitaxel Oregon Green 488 bound to HT29 cells.

Genetic evidence of functional ficolin-2 haplotype as susceptibility factor in cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Background: Ficolin-2 coded by FCN2 gene is a soluble serum protein that plays an important role in innate immunity. In this study, we analyzed five functional polymorphisms of the FCN2 gene for their possible association with cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Methods: Initially we screened 40 Syrian Arabs for the entire FCN2 gene.