According to the different sensitivity of their bone marrow CD34+ cells to in vitro treatment with Etoposide or Mafosfamide, Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) patients in apparent complete remission (CR) after chemotherapy induction may be classified into three groups: (i) normally responsive; (ii) chemoresistant; (iii) highly chemosensitive. This inversely correlates with in vivo CD34+ mobilization and, interestingly, also with the prognosis of the disease: patients showing a good mobilizing activity are resistant to chemotherapy and subject to significantly higher rates of Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) and relapse than the others. Based on its known role in patients' response to chemotherapy, we hypothesized an involvement of the Apoptotic Machinery (AM) in these phenotypic features. »
07/19/10

Dasatinib, an inhibitor of Src/Abl family kinases, can inhibit tumor growth of several solid tumors. However, the effect and mechanism of action of dasatinib in human ovarian cancer cells remains unknown. »
07/13/10

There are few available treatments for hormone refractory prostate cancer. Through the inhibition of integrins, contortrostatin (CN) effects tumor cell growth directly as well as through the inhibition of angiogenesis. The effect of CN in combination with docetaxel on prostate cancer cell lines in vitro and in vivo is evaluated in the present study. »
05/26/10

Antagonistic or agonistic analogues of gonadotropin-releasing hormone are extensively used for the treatment of advanced hormone-dependent prostate cancer. However, the majority of recurrent prostate tumors is androgen independent. This study explored the in vitro effects on DU145 and PC3 cell lines, two models of androgen-independent prostate cancer, of a fourth generation GnRH antagonist (Ozarelix). »
04/05/10

Telomerase, which lengthens telomeres, is normally down-regulated in somatic cells and highly up-regulated in dividing cells, such as malignant cells. Human prostate cancer is androgen dependent. Estrogens, including the synthetic estrogen diethylstilbestrol (DES), are used in prostate cancer treatment to reduce androgen levels via feedback inhibition of the hypothalamic release of luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LH-RH). DES has also direct anticancer activities, such as apoptosis induction. We investigated in vitro the effect of DES on telomerase activity and on gene expression in the presence and absence of androgens. We used two prostate cancer cell lines: LNCaP (androgen dependent) and PC3 (androgen independent). »
04/05/10

Thymidylate synthase (TS), a key enzyme in the de novo synthesis of thymidine, is an important chemotherapeutic target for malignant tumours including lung cancer. Although inhibition of TS has an antiproliferative effect in cancer cells, the precise mechanism of this effect has remained unclear. »
07/13/10

MicroRNAs have emerged as important gene regulators and are recognised as key players in carcinogenesis. In the present study, we show that miR-126 was significantly down-regulated in gastric cancer tissues compared with matched normal tissues and was associated with clinicopathological features, including tumour size, lymph node metastasis, local invasion and tumour-node-metastasis (TNM) stage. »
07/07/10

We examined whether inhibition of Src tyrosine kinase, a downstream effector of the MET oncogene, can hinder the malignant properties of gastric tumors dependent on Met for growth and survival. »
07/13/10

Protease activated receptor-2 has been reported to promote the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of protease activated receptor-2 expression to clinicopathologic factors to clarify its role in tumor progression and patient survival in human colorectal cancer. »
08/01/10

MUTYH-associated polyposis syndrome is inherited as a recessive trait and is characterized by the presence of colorectal adenomas and cancer predisposition. Carriers of biallelic mutations in the base excision repair gene MUTYH are exposed to an increased risk of colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the pathogenicity of the 13-base-pair deletion, c.504 + 19_504 + 31del13, located on intron 6 of the MUTYH gene, which was identified in 2 unrelated Greek patients with MUTYH-associated polyposis. »
08/01/10