The latent membrane protein-1 (LMP1) encoded by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is an oncoprotein which acts by constitutive activation of various signalling pathways, including NF-kappaB. In so doing it leads to deregulated cell growth intrinsic to the cancer cell as well as having extrinsic effects upon the tumour microenvironment. These properties and that it is a foreign antigen, lead to the proposition that LMP1 may be a good therapeutic target in the treatment of EBV associated disease. LMP1 is expressed in several EBV-associated malignancies, notably in Hodgkin's lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). However, the viral protein is only detected in approximately 30%-50% of NPC samples, as such its role in carcinogenesis and tumour maintenance can be questioned and thus its relevance as a therapeutic target. »
07/09/10

Cadmium has been classified as a human carcinogen, affecting health through occupational and environmental exposure. Cadmium has a long biological half-life (>25 years), due to the flat kinetics of its excretion. The prostate is one of the organs with highest levels of cadmium accumulation. Importantly, patients with prostate cancer appear to have higher levels of cadmium both in the circulation and in prostatic tissues. »
07/09/10

NF-kappa B is a transcription factor that promotes inhibition of apoptosis and resistance to chemotherapy. It is commonly believed that inhibition of NF-kappa B activity can increase sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapy. However, there is evidence that NF-kappa B activation can sensitize cells to apoptosis and that inhibition of NF-kappa B results in resistance to chemotherapy. In prostate cancer, it is not clear in the different cell types (androgen-dependent and castration-resistant) if activation or inhibition of NF-kappa B is required for stimulation of apoptosis by chemotherapy. »
07/09/10

The homeobox gene TLX1 (for T-cell leukemia homeobox 1, previously known as HOX11) is inappropriately expressed in a major subgroup of T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) where it is strongly associated with activating NOTCH1 mutations. Despite the recognition that these genetic lesions cooperate in leukemogenesis, there have been no mechanistic studies addressing how TLX1 and NOTCH1 functionally interact to promote the leukemic phenotype. »
07/09/10

Overexpression of the RON receptor tyrosine kinase contributes to pathogenesis of epithelial cancers and disruption of RON signals has potential for therapeutic intervention. Here, we report the inhibitory effects of monoclonal antibodies (Zt/g4, Zt/f2 and Zt/c9) on RON expression and tumorigenic activities in colon cancer cells. »
08/01/10

>Cancer of the colon and rectum is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and accounts for approximately 10% of all cancer-related deaths. Although surgical resection or radiotherapy are potentially curative for localized disease, advanced colon cancer is currently associated with poor prognosis. »
08/01/10

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs comprising 21-23 nucleotides that regulate gene expression by transcriptionally repressing their complementary mRNAs. In particular, let-7 miRNA has been postulated to function as a tumor suppressor in various cancer cells, but not yet in glioblastoma. »
07/07/10

Aberrant activation of Akt is a common finding in adult malignant gliomas, resulting in most cases from mutations or deletions involving PTEN, which allows constitutive Akt phosphorylation. In contrast, we have previously reported that pediatric malignant gliomas, which are morphologically similar to lesions arising in adults, have a substantially lower incidence of genomic alterations of PTEN. »
07/04/10

Recent studies suggest that HIV-1 protease inhibitors may have anti-neoplastic effects on some malignancies. The anti-neoplastic effects of lopinavir have not been established or studied in brain tumors. »
07/02/10

Thymidine phosphorylase (TP), an enzyme catalyzing the reversible phospholysis of thymidine, deoxyuridine and their analogs at their respective bases and 2-deoxyribose-1-phosphate, thus promoting angiogenesis, is often expressed in macrophages present in tumor stroma. In this study, we investigated whether infiltration of TP-positive macrophages as well as tumor-associated macrophages affected tumor angiogenesis. »
08/01/10