The study of neurogenetic disorders such as Angelman, Rett and Fragile X syndromes as well as autism spectrum disorders has been challenging because of limited testing models. So far, these studies rely on the analysis of gene/protein expression in nonneuronal biospecimens like lymphoblast and fibroblast cell lines. Here we propose to use dental pulps from extracted primary teeth as a source of...

In vitro EBV infection of lymphocytes from different sources indicated that B-cells of adult peripheral or fetal cord blood transform with equal efficiency whether assayed by DNA synthesis induction or immortalization. Unfractionated adult lymphocytes transformed much less efficiently than those from fetal cord blood. This effect was due to the suppression of B-cell proliferation by adult T-lym...

Epstein Barr virus (EBV) is one of the most successful pathogens in humans with more than 95% human adult population persistently infected. EBV infects only and threatens these its potent growth transforming ability that readily allows for immortalization B cells culture. Accordingly, it also found around 1-2% tumors, primarily lymphomas epithelial cell carcinomas. Fortunately, however, our imm...

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGF-R) is frequently overexpressed in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated dysplasias and carcinomas, implying that it is important for the progression of keratinocytes to malignancy. We used mice with a targeted disruption of the EGF-R gene to directly examine its role in cell immortalization and tumor development. Epidermal keratinocytes were cultured fr...

The mechanistic contribution of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) EBNA-LP protein to B-cell immortalization remains an enigma. However, previous studies have indicated that EBNA-LP may contribute to immortalization by enhancing EBNA2-mediated transcriptional activation of the LMP-1 gene. To gain further insight into the potential role EBNA-LP has in EBV-mediated B-cell immortalization, we asked whet...