In vitro evolution of RNA aptamers recognizing carcinogenic aromatic amines.

The modification of cellular DNA by environmental substances is thought to be a crucial event in chemical induced carcinogenesis. Among the environmental carcinogens, aromatic amines are known for the fact that they can induce several types of cancers through the formation of so-called DNA adducts. We took advantage of the potential of the SELEX method to select for highly specific RNA ligands that recognize specific genotoxic aromatic amines.

Analyses of bulky DNA adduct levels in human breast tissue and genetic polymorphisms of cytochromes P450 (CYPs), myeloperoxidase (MPO), quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), and glutathione S-transferases (GSTs).

Environmental carcinogens are converted into DNA-reactive metabolites by phase I and phase II enzymes that are involved in the activation and detoxification of xenobiotics. Several of these enzymes display genetic polymorphisms that alter their activity leading to individual variation in DNA damage levels and thus cancer susceptibility. We investigated the relationship between DNA adduct levels and genetic polymorphisms in key enzymes of chemical carcinogenesis: CYP1A1, CYP1A2, GSTT1, GSTM1, GSTP1, NQO1 and MPO.

Immunoreactivity to cell surface syndecans in cytoplasm and nucleus: tubulin-dependent rearrangements.

Syndecans are transmembrane proteoglycans implicated in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation, by interacting with growth factors. Although syndecans play a major role in regulating cell morphology, little is known about their subcellular distribution and in vivo association with the cytoskeleton. To address this question, we investigated the subcellular distribution and dynamic rearrangement of syndecans-1, -2, and -4, using confocal laser microscopy.

An optimized battery of eight antibodies that can distinguish most cases of epithelial mesothelioma from adenocarcinoma.

An immunocytochemical battery comprising 9 antibodies specifically distinguishes 80% of the epithelial malignant mesotheliomas from adenocarcinomas. The discriminatory power of antibodies to calretinin was tested together with this battery to determine whether the performance thereby could be improved. The study comprises 119 mesotheliomas of epithelial or mixed phenotype and 57 adenocarcinoma metastases in the pleural cavity.

Growth parameters in the epiphyseal cartilage of brachymorphic (bm/bm) mice.

We studied kinetics in the epiphyseal cartilage of the brachymorphic (bm/bm) mouse, combining morphometry and labeling with halogenated nucleotides. The defective synthesis of the sulfate donor PAPS in these homozygous mutants is evident in tissues with a large production of glycosaminoglycans; these compounds become undersulfated. Compared with their heterozygous siblings, the longitudinal growth of the mutant mice was reduced by two-thirds.