Current Molecular Medicine - Volume 16, Issue 6, 2016

Prostate cancer is highly prevalent among men in developed countries, but a significant proportion of detected cancers remain indolent, never progressing into aggressive carcinomas. This highlights the need to develop refined biomarkers that can distinguish between indolent and potentially dangerous cases. The prostate-specific G-protein coupled receptor (PSGR, or OR51E2) is an olfactory receptor family membe Read More

Hypoxia is a major hallmark of the tumor microenvironment that is strictly associated with rapid cancer progression and induction of metastasis. Hypoxia inhibits disulfide bond formation and impairs protein folding in the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER). The stress in the ER induces the activation of Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) pathways via the induction of protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK). As a res Read More

Skin and corneal wounds in diabetics are a major healthcare burden. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate the expression of proteincoding genes. Studies have identified microRNAs involved in all phases of wound healing. The dysregulation of microRNAs can contribute to impaired or delayed skin and corneal wound healing in diabetics. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the literatur Read More

Stem cell therapy is a promising therapeutic approach for retinal degeneration (RD). Our study investigated the effects of human adipose derived stem cell (hADSCs) on Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats. Methods: Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled hADSCs were transplanted subretinally into RCS rats at postnatal (PN) 21 days to explore potential therapeutic effects, while adeno-associated viral vector (AAV2)-v Read More

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have a therapeutic role in retinal degeneration (RD). However, heterogeneity of BMSCs may be associated with differential therapeutic effects in RD. In order to confirm this hypothesis, two subsets of rat BMSCs, termed rBMSC1 and rBMSC2, were obtained, characterized and functionally evaluated in the treatment of RD of Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats. Both subpopula Read More

Longevity Assurance 5 (LASS5), a member of the LASS/Ceramide Synthases family, synthesizes C16-ceramide and is implicated in tumor biology. However, its precise role is not yet well understood. A yeast two-hybrid screen was performed using a human cDNA library to identify potential LASS5- interaction partners. One identified clone encodes succinate dehydrogenase subunit B (SDHB). Mammalian two-hybrid assays sh Read More

The normal function of pancreatic beta cells is vital to the control of blood glucose. Earlier research suggests that the traditional Chinese medicine Cortex Lycii Radicis may help protect pancreatic beta cells and improve insulin sensitivity. However, the specific effects and molecular mechanism of this herb have not been described. Thus, we investigated the role of Cortex Lycii Radicis in regulating the proliferation, apoptosis, and Read More

Follistatin-related protein (FSRP), which belongs to a member of the follistatin family, has been postulated to be a new negative regulator of myostatin (MSTN) and is involved in muscle development. In this study, we cloned the complete cDNA sequence of FSRP-1 from Chinese perch muscle. FSRP-1 mRNA was highly expressed in the fast muscle and brain tissue of adult fish. The expression of FSRP-1 rapidly increased Read More