TWIST1 interacts with β/δ-catenins during neural tube development and regulates fate transition in cranial neural crest cells.

Cell fate determination is a necessary and tightly regulated process for producing different cell types and structures during development. Cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs) are unique to vertebrate embryos and emerge from the neural plate borders into multiple cell lineages that differentiate into bone, cartilage, neurons and glial cells. We have previously reported that Irf6 genetically interacts with Twist1 during CNCC-derived tissue formation.

Protein arginine methylation promotes therapeutic resistance in human pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease with limited treatment options for cure. A high degree of intrinsic and acquired therapeutic resistance may result from cellular alterations in genes and proteins involved in drug transportation and metabolism, or from the influences of cancer microenvironment. Mechanistic basis for therapeutic resistance remains unclear and should profoundly impact our ability to understand pancreatic cancer pathogenesis and its effective clinical management.

DNA-Methyltransferase 1 Induces Dedifferentiation of Pancreatic Cancer Cells through Silencing of Krüppel-Like Factor 4 Expression.

The dismal prognosis of pancreatic cancer has been linked to poor tumor differentiation. However, molecular basis of pancreatic cancer differentiation and potential therapeutic value of the underlying molecules remain unknown. We investigated the mechanistic underexpression of Krüppel-like factor 4 (KLF4) in pancreatic cancer and defined a novel epigenetic pathway of its activation for pancreatic cancer differentiation and treatment.

Interrelationships of circulating tumor cells with metastasis and thrombosis: role of microRNAs.

Metastasis and thrombosis are serious threats to cancer patients and generally associated with poor prognosis. The elusive mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of metastasis and thrombosis have been subjects of extensive investigations. The presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is closely related to tumor metastasis, and these cells play an important role in thrombosis in cancer patients.