MGN-3 arabinoxylan rice bran modulates innate immunity in multiple myeloma patients.

Dendritic cells (DCs) and natural killer (NK) cells are central components of innate immunity for controlling tumor growth. The therapeutic effects of certain anti-myeloma drugs are partially mediated by targeting the innate immune response. In addition, novel types of natural compounds have been developed that efficiently modulate the activity of both the cellular and humoral compartments of immunity.

Stem cell based glioblastoma gene therapy.

There is no curative therapy for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) thus far. Combined therapies including surgery, followed by concomitant irradiation and chemotherapy with the DNA alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ), slightly improves patients' survival but the prognosis remains poor. The fatal nature of glioblastoma is caused by tumor-initiating glioblastoma cells.

Glioblastoma and stem cells.

This review presents compelling evidence that human glioblastoma is a heterogenous tumor composed from tumor cells and small portion of cancer stem cells -- tumor-initiating cells, which have a high tumorigenic potential and a low proliferation rate. Glioma cancer stem cells are phenotypically similar to the normal stem cells, they express CD133 gene and other genes characteristic of neural stem cells and posses the self-renewal potential. Cancer stem cells derived from glioblastoma are capable recapitulate original polyclonal tumors when xenografted to nude mice.

Radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cell lines: the impact of polymorphisms in DNA repair genes.

The aim of this study was to evaluate radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells in vitro and to assess the relationship between genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair genes and the response of cells to ionizing radiation. The alkaline comet assay as a predictive assay of radiosensitivity was used to examine the susceptibility of four human cervical cancer cell lines (CaSki, C-33A, HeLa and SiHa) to radiation damages. The initial DNA damage and the residual DNA damage at 15, 30, 45 and 60 min after irradiation were assessed.

Sensitivity of different endpoints for in vitro measurement of genotoxicity of extractable organic matter associated with ambient airborne particles (PM10).

Sensitivity and correlations among three endpoints were evaluated to assess the genotoxic potential of organic complex mixtures in vitro. This study was focused on DNA adduct formation, DNA single strand break induction and tumour suppressor p53 protein up-regulation produced by extractable organic matter (EOM) absorbed on respirable particulate matter PM(10) (particulate matter<10microm) collected in three European cities (Prague, Sofia, Kosice) during winter and summer period. To compare the sensitivity of particular endpoints for in vitro measurement of complex mixture genotoxicity, the metabolically competent human hepatoma cell line Hep G2 was treated with equivalent EOM concentration of 50microg/ml.

Effects of dietary intake of a fungal beta-D-glucan derivative on the level of DNA damage induced in primary rat hepatocytes by various carcinogens.

Water-soluble derivative of chitin-glucan complex used in our study, carboxymethyl chitin-glucan (CM-CG), enables oral administration without harmful side-effects, which can occur upon parenteral administration of the insoluble fungal beta-D-glucans. The aim of this study was to determine in ex vivo experiments the effects of dietary CM-CG on the level of DNA lesions in primary rat hepatocytes induced by various indirectly acting carcinogens. Multiorgan carcinogen benzo[a]pyrene (BaP); two hepatocarcinogens, dimethyldibenzocarbazole (diMeDBC) and N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR); as well as a complex mixture of organic compounds adsorbed on ambient air particles (TP-S) were used for this purpose.

Comparative evaluation of DNA damage by genotoxicants in primary rat cells applying the comet assay.

Various compounds known to cause DNA damage (hydrogen peroxide, visible light-excited methylene blue, N-nitrosomorpholine and benzo[a]pyrene) were tested with different primary rat cells (lymphocytes, testicular cells, type II pneumocytes and hepatocytes) to determine the range of induced DNA damage applying the comet assay. A dose-dependent increase of DNA breaks was observed after treatment with hydrogen peroxide in all cell types studied. The most prominent effect was observed in lymphocytes, whereas only a slight increase of DNA breaks was observed in hepatocytes.

Novel germline mutation in the transmembrane region of RET gene close to Cys634Ser mutation associated with MEN 2A syndrome.

Two mutations on the same allele of RET gene were revealed in a family with predisposition to multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2A. The first mutation changes codon 634 from cysteine to serine. The second, a novel mutation in codon 641, changes alanine to serine in the transmembrane domain of the RET protein.