Epithelial-mesenchymal transition induced by tumor cell-intrinsic PD-L1 signaling predicts a poor response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in PD-L1-high lung cancer.

Background: We investigated the role of tumor cell-intrinsic PD-L1 signaling in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the role of EMT as a predictive biomarker for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy.

Methods: PD-L1-overexpressing or PD-L1-knockdown NSCLC cells underwent RNA-seq and EMT phenotype assessment. Mouse lung cancer LLC cells were injected into nude mice.

Neuroprotective Effects of Licochalcone D in Oxidative-Stress-Induced Primitive Neural Stem Cells from Parkinson's Disease Patient-Derived iPSCs.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. Although the etiology of PD is still unclear, the death of dopaminergic neurons during PD progression was revealed to be associated with abnormal aggregation of α-synuclein, elevation of oxidative stress, dysfunction of mitochondrial functions, and increased neuroinflammation. In this study, the effects of Licochalcone D (LCD) on MG132-induced neurotoxicity in primitive neural stem cells (pNSCs) derived from reprogrammed iPSCs were investigated.

Deoxypodophyllotoxin Induces ROS-Mediated Apoptosis by Modulating the PI3K/AKT and p38 MAPK-Dependent Signaling in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Deoxypodophyllotoxin (DPT), a naturally occurring flavonolignan, possesses several pharmacological properties, including anticancer property. However, the mechanisms underlying DPT mode of action in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate the anticancer effects of DPT on OSCC and the underlying mechanisms.

Licochalcone H Induces Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in Human Skin Cancer Cells by Modulating JAK2/STAT3 Signaling.

Licochalcone H (LCH) is a phenolic compound synthetically derived from licochalcone C (LCC) that exerts anticancer activity. In this study, we investigated the anticancer activity of LCH in human skin cancer A375 and A431 cells. The 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol- 2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) cell viability assay was used to evaluate the antiproliferative activity of LCH.

Global Proteomic Analysis of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells via Connective Tissue Growth Factor Treatment under Chemically Defined Feeder-Free Culture Conditions.

Stem cells can be applied usefully in basic research and clinical field due to their differentiation and self-renewal capacity. The aim of this study was to establish an effective novel therapeutic cellular source and create its molecular expression profile map to elucidate the possible therapeutic mechanism and signaling pathway. We successfully obtained a mesenchymal stem cell population from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) cultured on chemically defined feeder-free conditions and treated with connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and performed the expressive proteomic approach to elucidate the molecular basis.

3'-UTR Polymorphisms in Thymidylate Synthase with Colorectal Cancer Prevalence and Prognosis.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality in Western countries. Polymorphisms in one-carbon metabolism and angiogenesis-related genes have been shown to play important roles in tumor development, progression, and metastasis for many cancers, including CRC. Moreover, recent studies have reported that polymorphisms in specific microRNA (miRNA)-binding regions, which are located in the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of miRNA-regulated genes, are present in a variety of cancers.

Quantitative Proteomic Analysis of Primitive Neural Stem Cells from LRRK2 G2019S-Associated Parkinson's Disease Patient-Derived iPSCs.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, causing movement defects. The incidence of PD is constantly increasing and this disease is still incurable. Thus, understanding PD pathophysiology would be pivotal for the development of PD therapy, and various PD models have thus been already developed.

Neuroprotective Effects of Cryptotanshinone in a Direct Reprogramming Model of Parkinson's Disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a well-known age-related neurodegenerative disease. Considering the vital importance of disease modeling based on reprogramming technology, we adopted direct reprogramming to human-induced neuronal progenitor cells (hiNPCs) for in vitro assessment of potential therapeutics. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effects of cryptotanshinone (CTN), which has been reported to have antioxidant properties, through PD patient-derived hiNPCs (PD-iNPCs) model with induced oxidative stress and cell death by the proteasome inhibitor MG132.

Iroquois Homeobox Protein 2 Identified as a Potential Biomarker for Parkinson's Disease.

The diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD) is initiated after the occurrence of motor symptoms, such as resting tremors, rigidity, and bradykinesia. According to previous reports, non-motor symptoms, notably gastrointestinal dysfunction, could potentially be early biomarkers in PD patients as such symptoms occur earlier than motor symptoms. However, connecting PD to the intestine is methodologically challenging.

Licochalcone C induces cell cycle G1 arrest and apoptosis in human esophageal squamous carcinoma cells by activation of the ROS/MAPK signaling pathway.

Along with changes in dietary habits and lifestyle, the incidence of esophageal cancer is increasing around the world. Since chemotherapy for esophageal cancer has significant side effects, phytochemicals have attracted attention as an alternative medicine. Licochalcone C (LCC) is a flavonoid compound extracted from Licorice, with a variety of clinical uses including anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects.

Direct Reprogramming to Human Induced Neuronal Progenitors from Fibroblasts of Familial and Sporadic Parkinson's Disease Patients.

In Parkinson's disease (PD) research, human neuroblastoma and immortalized neural cell lines have been widely used as models. The advancement in the field of reprogramming technology has provided tools for generating patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) as well as human induced neuronal progenitor cells (hiNPCs). These cells have revolutionized the field of disease modeling, especially in neural diseases.

Genomic analysis of Korean patients with advanced prostate cancer by use of a comprehensive next-generation sequencing panel and low-coverage, whole-genome sequencing.

Purpose: To analyze the characteristics of somatic mutations and copy number alterations (CNAs) in Korean patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa) by use of the Oncomine Comprehensive Panel (ThermoFisher Scientific) and low-coverage, whole-genome sequencing (LC-WGS).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed PCa tissues obtained from 14 patients with advanced PCa (metastatic tumor, 12 [85.7%]; nonmetastatic castration-resistant PCa, 1 [7.

ω3-polyunsaturated fatty acids induce cell death through apoptosis and autophagy in glioblastoma cells: In vitro and in vivo.

Among brain tumors, glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive type and is associated with the lowest patient survival rate. Numerous lines of evidence have established that omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3-PUFAs) have potential for the prevention and therapy of several types of cancers. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an ω3-PUFA, was reported to inhibit growth and induce apoptotic and autophagic cell death in several cancer cell lines; however, its effects on GBM cells are still unknown.

Esculetin exerts anti-proliferative effects against non-small-cell lung carcinoma by suppressing specificity protein 1 in vitro.

Esculetin, a coumarin derivative, is a phenolic compound isolated from Artemisia capillaris, Citrus limonia, and Euphorbia lathyris. Although it has been reported to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-proliferative activities in several human cancers, its anti-proliferative activity against non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and the molecular mechanisms involved have not been adequately elucidated. In this study, we used two NSCLC cell lines (NCI-H358 and NCI-H1299) to investigate the anti-proliferative activity and apoptotic effect of esculetin.

Proteomic Assessment of the Relevant Factors Affecting Pork Meat Quality Associated with Muscles in Duroc Pigs.

Meat quality is a complex trait influenced by many factors, including genetics, nutrition, feeding environment, animal handling, and their interactions. To elucidate relevant factors affecting pork quality associated with oxidative stress and muscle development, we analyzed protein expression in high quality muscles (HQLD) and low quality muscles (LQLD) from Duroc pigs by liquid chromatographytandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based proteomic analysis. Between HQLD (n = 20) and LQLD (n = 20) Duroc pigs, 24 differentially expressed proteins were identified by LC-MS/MS.

Kahweol induces apoptosis by suppressing BTF3 expression through the ERK signaling pathway in non-small cell lung cancer cells.

Kahweol, a diterpene molecule, has antiproliferative effects on several types of human cancer cells, but whether it has apoptotic effect in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is not known. To explore this possibility, we incubated cells from two NSCLC cell lines, NCI-H358 and NCI‑H1299, with different concentrations of kahweol and used the MTS assay, DAPI staining, propidium iodide staining, Annexin V staining, immunocytochemical test, and western blot analysis to characterize this molecule and the signaling pathway underlying its effects. The kahweol-treated cells showed significantly decreased cell viability, increased nuclear condensation, and an increased number of Annexin V-positive NSCLC cells.

Regional Differences of Proteins Expressing in Adipose Depots Isolated from Cows, Steers and Bulls as Identified by a Proteomic Approach.

Adipose tissue in the loin muscle area of beef cattle as a marbling factor is directly associated with beef quality. To elucidate whether properties of proteins involved in depot specific adipose tissue were sex-dependent, we analyzed protein expression of intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) and omental adipose tissue (OMAT) from Hanwoo cows, steers, and bulls of Korean native beef cattle by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based proteomic analysis, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and western blot analysis. Two different adipose depots (i.

β-lapachone suppresses the proliferation of human malignant melanoma cells by targeting specificity protein 1.

β-lapachone (β-lap), a novel natural quinone derived from the bark of the Pink trumpet tree (Tabebuia avellanedae) has been demonstrated to have anticancer activity. In this study, we investigated whether β-lap exhibits anti-proliferative effects on two human malignant melanoma (HMM) cell lines, G361 and SK-MEL-28. The effects of β-lap on the HMM cell lines were investigated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)‑5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)‑2-(4-sulfophenyl-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay, 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, Annexin V and Dead cell assay, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) assay and western blot analysis.

Comparative Analysis of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived From Bone Marrow, Placenta, and Adipose Tissue as Sources of Cell Therapy.

Various source-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with multipotent capabilities were considered for cell therapeutics of incurable diseases. The applicability of MSCs depends on the cellular source and on their different in vivo functions, despite having similar phenotypic and cytological characteristics. We characterized MSCs from different sources, including human bone marrow (BM), placenta (PL), and adipose tissue (AT), in terms of the phenotype, surface antigen expression, differentiation ability, proteome reference map, and blood flow recovery in a hindlimb ischemic disease model.

Esculetin Induces Apoptosis Through EGFR/PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway and Nucleophosmin Relocalization.

Esculetin, a coumarin compound, has anti-proliferative effects on various types of human cancer cells, but its effect on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is unknown. In this study, we determined whether esculetin had anti-proliferative effects on two oral squamous cell lines, HN22, and HSC2. We found that esculetin inhibited cell viability by inducing apoptosis, as evinced by apoptotic cell morphologies, nuclear fragmentation, and the multi-caspase/MMP activity.

Manumycin A from a new Streptomyces strain induces endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated cell death through specificity protein 1 signaling in human oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Manumycin A (Manu A) is a natural antibiotic produced by new Streptomyces strain, exhibiting antitumor and anticancer effects. However, the anticancer effects of Manu A on oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) have not been reported. OSCC is an aggressive type of cancer because of its poor prognosis and low survival rate despite advanced medical treatment.