Anti-proliferative and anti-invasive effects of garcinol from on gallbladder carcinoma cells.

Garcinol, a natural histone acetyltransferase inhibitor, has been reported to exhibit significant anti-proliferative activity in various cancer cell types. However, no information is available about the anti-cancer effects of garcinol on gallbladder carcinoma cells (GBC). In this study, GBC cells (GBC-SD and NOZ) were treated by garcinol and subjected to Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), and GBC-SD cells were selected for further transwell chamber assay, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot analysis.

In vitro activity of cepharanthine hydrochloride against clinical wild-type and lamivudine-resistant hepatitis B virus isolates.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection causes major public health problems worldwide. The clinical limitation of current antiviral drugs for HBV, such as lamivudine, is the emergence of drug-resistant viral strains during prolonged antiviral therapy. Cepharanthine hydrochloride (CH), a natural alkaloid-derived compound, has been reported to possess potent activity against various viruses.

[Screening and analysis of genes encoding hepatocellular carcinoma associated tumor antigens].

Objectives: To screen and clone the genes encoding hepatocellular carcinoma associated tumor antigens.

Methods: A hepatocellular carcinoma cDNA express library was constructed with ZAP vector and analyzed by serological analysis of recombinant cDNA expression library (SEREX) with sera from autologous and allogenous patients. Monoclonalized positive phage clones were converted into pBK-CMV phagemid forms by in vivo excision.

Immunohistochemical analysis of the expression of FATE/BJ-HCC-2 antigen in normal and malignant tissues.

FATE/BJ-HCC-2 is a newly identified cancer/testis (CT) antigen, which was detected in tumor tissues and testis. As previous studies of FATE/BJ-HCC-2 expression pattern were mainly based on messenger RNA (mRNA) analysis, it is necessary to investigate its actual protein expression pattern in tumor tissues for the evaluation of its application value. In this study, we produced specific polyclonal antibody (pAb) to the recombinant FATE/BJ-HCC-2 protein and analyzed the FATE/BJ-HCC-2 antigen expression in normal and malignant tissues by the immunohistochemical approach.

BJ-HCC-20, a potential novel cancer-testis antigen.

In an effort to identify novel Cancer-Testis genes, we analyzed the sequence in the q26-28 region of human X chromosome by several on-line tools. The candidate sequences were then confirmed by experiments. We have obtained a novel Cancer-Testis gene, BJ-HCC-20.

Detection of antibodies against SARS-CoV in serum from SARS-infected donors with ELISA and Western blot.

Recombinant fragments of S proteins from the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SARA-CoV) were generated and used in a Western blot (WB) assay that was compared to a commercial SARS ELISA method. In 85% of confirmed SARS cases (n = 20), the S2 recombinant fragment based WB was positive and this was comparable to the commercial ELISA using heat killed SARS-CoV. WB using the other four recombinant fragments in confirmed SARS cases generated lower rates of detection (S1--75%, S1-N--25%, S1-C--55%).

[The cloning, expression, purification and identification of SARS virus S2 gene and study on its immunological characteristics].

Aim: To express S2 protein of SARS virus fused with Trx and then detect its reactivity to the sera from convalescent SARS patients.

Methods: The Trx-S2 fusion protein was expressed in E.coli.

[Expression and purification of recombinant N-terminal protein of SARS S1 subunit expressed in E. Coli].

Objective: To express and purify the recombinant N-terminal protein of SARS virus S1 subunit and to study its role in SARS immune response.

Methods: The gene encoding N-terminal 334 amino acid residuals of SARS virus S1 subunit was cloned and expressed in E. Coli.

Purification and refolding of a novel cancer/testis antigen BJ-HCC-2 expressed in the inclusion bodies of Escherichia coli.

BJ-HCC-2 is one of the cancer/testis antigens that may be the most promising targets for tumor immunotherapy. To investigate the expression of BJ-HCC-2 protein in tumor cells and its capacity to elicit CTL response, the recombinant protein of BJ-HCC-2 was expressed in the inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli. The inclusion bodies were solubilized effectively with 0.