Cytochrome P450-based suicide gene therapy for cancer using prodrugs such as cyclophosphamide (CPA) increases anti-tumor activity, both directly and via a bystander killing mechanism. Bystander cell killing is essential for the clinical success of this treatment strategy, given the difficulty of achieving 100% efficient gene delivery in vivo using current technologies. Previous studies have shown that the pan-caspase inhibitor p35 significantly increases CPA-induced bystander killing by tumor cells that stably express P450 enzyme CYP2B6 (Schwartz et al, (2002) Cancer Res. 62: 6928-37). »
09/13/10

Delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) to tumours remains a major obstacle for the development of RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutics. Following the promising pre-clinical and clinical results with the oncolytic herpes simplex virus (HSV) OncoVEX^GM-CSF, we aimed to express RNAi triggers from oncolytic HSV, which although has the potential to improve treatment by silencing tumour-related genes, was not considered possible due to the highly oncolytic properties of HSV. »
09/13/10

Increased mammographic breast density is a moderate risk factor for breast cancer. Different scales have been proposed for classifying mammographic density. This study sought to assess intra-rater agreement for the most widely used scales (Wolfe, Tabar, BI-RADS and Boyd) and compare them in terms of classifying mammograms as high- or low-density. »
09/13/10

Transcription factors and nuclear receptors constitute a link between exposure to heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from meat and tobacco smoke and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk. The aim of this study was to investigate if polymorphisms in nuclear factor kappa-B, pregnane X receptor, and liver X receptor were associated with risk of CRC, and to investigate possible interactions with lifestyle factors such as smoking, meat consumption, and NSAID use. »
09/13/10

Glycoprotein NMB (GPNMB), a transmembrane glycoprotein highly expressed in high-grade gliomas (HGGs), is an attractive target in cancer immunotherapy. We isolated a GPNMB-specific scFv clone, G49, from a human synthetic phage-display library. To obtain mutant single-chain variable-fragment antibodies (scFvs) with improved affinity and immunotoxins with increased activity, we subjected G49 to in vitro affinity maturation by a complementarity-determining-region (CDR) random-mutagenesis technique. »
09/07/10

This study aimed to identify microRNA species involved in the earliest metastatic event in cutaneous malignant melanoma (MM). »
09/06/10

The identification of somatic mutations in the gene encoding the serine-threonine protein kinase B-RAF (BRAF) in the majority of melanomas offers an opportunity to test oncogene-targeted therapy for this disease. »
08/26/10

To examine associations between reproductive history and urinary bladder cancer in Egyptian women. »
08/31/10

To assess the presence of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-7 in urine samples of patients with bladder cancer and to investigate the correlation between MMP-7 urine concentration and clinicopathological variables. »
09/03/10

The tumor suppressor Programmed Cell Death 4 (PDCD4) has been found to be under-expressed in several cancers and associated with disease progression and metastasis. There are no current studies characterizing PDCD4 expression and its clinical relevance in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC). Since nodal metastasis is a major prognostic factor in OSCC, we focused on determining whether PDCD4 under-expression was associated with patient nodal status and had functional relevance in OSCC invasion. We also examined PDCD4 regulation by microRNA 21 (miR-21) in OSCC. »
09/10/10