Endotoxin-neutralizing peptides as gram-negative sepsis therapeutics.

Bacterial endotoxin [e.g. lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] can trigger systemic hyper-inflammatory that subsequently leads to multiple organ failure and lethality (gram-negative sepsis).

Comparative proteomic analysis of mouse livers from embryo to adult reveals an association with progression of hepatocellular carcinoma.

To identify potential oncofetal biomarkers that distinguish hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from healthy liver tissues, we compared and analyzed the proteomic profiles of mouse livers at different developmental stages. Fetal (E13.5, E16.

Immunochemical characterization of the functional constituents of Tripterygium wilfordii contributing to its anti-inflammatory property.

1. Tripterygium wilfordii (TW) contains bioactive compounds that possess immunosuppressive properties. These compounds are considered to be potential drugs in the treatment of acute graft rejections.

Oncoproteomics of hepatocellular carcinoma: from cancer markers' discovery to functional pathways.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a heterogeneous cancer with no promising treatment and remains one of the most prevailing and lethal malignancies in the world. Researchers in many biological areas now routinely identify and characterize protein markers by a mass spectrometry-based proteomic approach, a method that has been commonly used to discover diagnostic biomarkers for cancer detection. The proteomic research platforms span from the classical two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE) to the latest Protein Chip or array technology, which are often integrated with the MALDI (matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionization), SELDI (surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization) or tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS).

Response of human dendritic cells to different immunomodulatory polysaccharides derived from mushroom and barley.

Polysaccharides derived from fungi and plants have been increasingly used as dietary supplement with therapeutic intention for cancer. However, whether these polysaccharides from different sources and structures can elicit similar immunological effects remain unknown. This study aims to investigate and compare the effects of selected groups of purified and crude polysaccharides on human dendritic cells (DCs), the most potent antigen-presenting cells.

Characterization of two novel LPS-binding sites in leukocyte integrin betaA domain.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a bacterial endotoxin, triggers deleterious systemic inflammatory responses when released into blood circulation, causing organ dysfunction and death. In response to LPS stimulation, CD14 and toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 elicit inflammatory signaling cascades. Although leukocyte integrins (CD11b/CD18 and CD11c/CD18) were reported to bind LPS and induce NF-kappaB translocation, the evidence on such epitope location remains elusive.

Tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 as a frequently silenced tumor suppressor gene in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Unlabelled: In HCC, inactivation of tumor suppressor genes plays a significant role in carcinogenesis. Apart from deletions and mutations, growing evidence has indicated that epigenetic alterations including aberrant promoter methylation and histone deacetylation are also implicated in inactivation of tumor suppressor genes. The goal of this study was to identify epigenetically silenced candidate tumor suppressor genes in human HCC by comparing the changes in oligonucleotide microarray gene expression profiles in HCC cell lines upon pharmacological treatment with the demethylating agent 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-dC).

Acrosome-specific gene AEP1: identification, characterization and roles in spermatogenesis.

Spermatogenesis is a tightly regulated process leading to the development of spermatozoa. To elucidate the molecular spermatogenic mechanisms, we identified an acrosome-specific gene AEP1 in spermatids, which is located in rat chromosome 17p14 with a transcript size of 3,091 bp encoding a signal peptide, zinc finger-like motif, coiled-coil region, several predicted glycosylation and phosphorylation sites. Northern blot and RT-PCR analyses revealed the restricted expression of AEP1 to the testis only.

Homozygous L-SIGN (CLEC4M) plays a protective role in SARS coronavirus infection.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is caused by infection of a previously undescribed coronavirus (CoV). L-SIGN, encoded by CLEC4M (also known as CD209L), is a SARS-CoV binding receptor that has polymorphism in its extracellular neck region encoded by the tandem repeat domain in exon 4. Our genetic risk association study shows that individuals homozygous for CLEC4M tandem repeats are less susceptible to SARS infection.