[Health-related quality of life from a new perspective - The role of illness representations in patients with breast cancer].

In the modern oncology care the subject of quality of life has an emphasized importance. In our research we assessed aspects which may predict the quality of life. We hypothesized that after controlling the demographical and some medical factors, psychological distress and illness representations would have significant roles as predictors.

TOX3 regulates neural progenitor identity.

The human genomic locus for the transcription factor TOX3 has been implicated in susceptibility to restless legs syndrome and breast cancer in genome-wide association studies, but the physiological role of TOX3 remains largely unknown. We found Tox3 to be predominantly expressed in the developing mouse brain with a peak at embryonic day E14 where it co-localizes with the neural stem and progenitor markers Nestin and Sox2 in radial glia of the ventricular zone and intermediate progenitors of the subventricular zone. Tox3 is also expressed in neural progenitor cells obtained from the ganglionic eminence of E15 mice that express Nestin, and it specifically binds the Nestin promoter in chromatin immunoprecipitation assays.

Protein kinase inhibitor β enhances the constitutive activity of G-protein-coupled zinc receptor GPR39.

GPR39 is a G-protein-coupled zinc receptor that protects against diverse effectors of cell death. Its protective activity is mediated via constitutive activation of Gα13 and the RhoA pathway, leading to increased SRE (serum-response element)-dependent transcription; the zinc-dependent immediate activation of GPR39 involves Gq-mediated increases in cytosolic Ca2+ and Gs coupling leading to increased cAMP levels. We used the cytosolic and soluble C-terminus of GPR39 in a Y2H (yeast-2-hybrid) screen for interacting proteins, thus identifying PKIB (protein kinase A inhibitor β).

Effects of dimethyl fumarate on neuroprotection and immunomodulation.

Background: Neuronal degeneration in multiple sclerosis has been linked to oxidative stress. Dimethyl fumarate is a promising novel oral therapeutic option shown to reduce disease activity and progression in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. These effects are presumed to originate from a combination of immunomodulatory and neuroprotective mechanisms.

TOX3 is a neuronal survival factor that induces transcription depending on the presence of CITED1 or phosphorylated CREB in the transcriptionally active complex.

TOX3 is a nuclear protein containing a high mobility group (HMG)-box domain, which regulates Ca(2+)-dependent transcription in neurons through interaction with the cAMP-response-element-binding protein (CREB). TOX3 appears to be associated with breast cancer susceptibility and was previously shown to be expressed downstream of a cytoprotective cascade together with CITED1, a transcriptional regulator that does not bind directly to DNA. In the present study we show that TOX3 is predominantly expressed in the brain, forms homodimers and interacts with CITED1.

Impact of venlafaxine on gene expression profile in lymphocytes of the elderly with major depression--evolution of antidepressants and the role of the "neuro-immune" system.

Antidepressive drugs offer considerable symptomatic relief in mood disorders and, although commonly discovered by screening with single biological targets, most interact with multiple receptors and signaling pathways. Antidepressants require a treatment regimen of several weeks before clinical efficacy is achieved in patient populations. While the biochemical mechanisms underlying the delayed temporal profile remain unclear, molecular adaptations over time are likely involved.