The expression of the activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM and CD166) is increased in various types of cancer. We aimed to evaluate its role as a prognostic marker for esophageal cancer (EC). We retrospectively analyzed ALCAM expression in 299 primary lesions, 147 lymph node and 46 distant metastases from EC patients, on a tissue microarray using immunohistochemistry. »
08/19/11

The aim of our study was to investigate whether dietary fat and meat intakes are associated with reflux esophagitis (RE), Barrett's esophagus (BE) and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). In this all-Ireland case-control study, dietary intake data were collected using a food frequency questionnaire in 219 RE patients, 220 BE patients, 224 EAC patients and 256 frequency-matched controls between 2002 and 2005. »
09/15/11

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate expression of many cancer-related genes through posttranscriptional repression of their mRNAs. In this study we investigate the proto-oncogene MYCN as a target for miRNA regulation. »
07/12/11

With recent approval of the first dendritic cell (DC) vaccine for patient use, many other DC vaccine approaches are now being tested in clinical trials. Many of these DC vaccines employ tumor cell lysates (TLs) generated from cells cultured in atmospheric oxygen (~20% O2) that greatly exceeds levels found in tumors in situ. »
09/09/11

NDRG2, a member of the N-Myc downstream-regulated gene family, was shown to be a putative tumor suppressor gene in glioblastoma and other cancers. Through a bioinformatic analysis, we found that NDRG2 protein contains an acyl carrier domain. In the current study, we therefore hypothesized that NDRG2 may play an important role in the regulation of histone acetylation. »
09/13/11

Early diagnosis represents the best opportunity for cure of colorectal cancer. Current screening programmes use faecal occult blood testing for screening, which has limited sensitivity and poor specificity. »
07/12/11

To elucidate the role of Semaphorin-3F (SEMA3F), originally described as an axon guiding chemorepulsant implicated in nerve development, in the progression of colorectal carcinoma. »
05/01/11

STAT3 is constitutively activated in colon cancer but its contributions in cancer-initiating cells have not been explored. In this study, we characterized STAT3 in ALDH-positive (ALDH+) and CD133-positive (CD133+) subpopulations of human colon tumor cells that exhibited more potent tumor-initiating ability than ALDH-/CD133- cells in tumor xenograft assays in mice. »
09/07/11

Although there is consent concerning a higher risk for colorectal cancer (CRC) amongst patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), there remains uncertainty regarding potential sex differences in the strength of this association. We reviewed and summarised epidemiological studies assessing the sex-specific association of T2DM with the risk for CRC. »
08/31/11

Some cancer cells have activities that are similar to those of stem cells from normal tissues, and cell dedifferentiation correlates with poor prognosis. Little is known about the mechanisms that regulate the stem cell-like features of cancer cells; we investigated genes associated with stem cell-like features of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. »
07/01/11