Current Molecular Medicine - Volume 14, Issue 3, 2014

Aberrant expression of a zinc transporter ZIP4 in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has been shown to contribute to tumor progression and is a potential target for individualized therapy. The overall objective of this study was to determine whether ZIP4 could serve as a novel diagnostic and prognostic marker in human PDAC, and if it can be assessed by minimally invasive sampling using endoscopic ultrasound Read More

Accumulating evidence indicates that microRNAs (miRNAs) have great potential as tumor biomarkers and therapeutic agents owing to their functions in tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Aberrant expression of miR-1247 has been found in several cancers and is predicted to play an important role in the pathological processes of pancreatic cancer by miRNA-regulated network analysis. We investigated the expression Read More

Stathmin (STMN) has been known as a p53-regulated protein and has been shown to play an oncogenic role in a range of human malignancies. Paradoxically, most recent studies demonstrated that stathmin has a dual function as both an oncogene and a metastasis suppressor. Stathmin is a member of microtubule dynamic destabilizing proteins and stathmin-regulated microtubule disruption could lead to a variety of cell dysf Read More

Objective: To detect mutations of trypsinogen gene (PRSS1) in patients with autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) and to determine the underlying pathogenesis. Methods: DNA sequencing was used to detect full-length of PRSS1, cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), and pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (SPINK1) genes mutations in an AIP family and a sporadic case and 520 normal controls. Furtherm Read More

Bone marrow stromal cell antigen 2 (BST-2, also known as tetherin, CD317, or HM1.24) has recently been identified as a host restriction factor against diverse families of enveloped viruses. However, the effects of BST-2 on the life cycle of hepatitis C virus (HCV), an enveloped RNA virus, remain unclear and controversial. Here we demonstrated that human hepatocytes including Huh7.5.1 cells, primary human hepatocytes Read More

Normal liver has a great potential of regenerative capacity after partial hepatectomy. In clinic, however, most patients receiving partial hepatectomy are usually suffering from chronic liver diseases with severely damaged hepatocyte population. Under these conditions, activation of hepatic progenitor cell (oval cell in rodents) population might be considered as an alternative mean to enhance liver functional recovery. Read More

The fast and slow skeletal muscle fibers in fish are separated to a much greater degree than in mammals. MyoD is required for the maintenance of normal fiber type balance in muscles. So far, the upstream regulatory factors of MyoD in terms of controlling muscle phenotype are poorly understood. In the present study, we used Siniperca chuatsi as a model system and demonstrated that miR-143 expression was negativ Read More

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of blindness in the working population worldwide. Vascular leakage, angiogenesis and neuronal degeneration are key features of DR. Current effective interventions for DR include treatment of systemic risk factors such as elevated blood glucose, blood pressure and dyslipidemia. Ocular treatments include vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) inhibitors, lase Read More

Despite significant efforts to control tuberculosis (TB), the disease remains a major global threat, with an estimated 8.6 million new cases and 1.3 million deaths in 2012 alone. Significant treatment challenges include HIV co-infection, the dramatic rise of multidrug-resistant TB and the vast reservoir of latently infected individuals, who will develop active disease years after the initial infection. The long duration of chemother Read More

Chlamydia trachomatis is the most common sexually transmitted bacterial infection worldwide. The impact of this pathogen on human reproduction has intensified research efforts to better understand chlamydial infection and pathogenesis. Whilst there are animal models available that mimic many aspects of human chlamydial infection, the mouse is regarded as the most practical and widely used of the models. St Read More