Previous our studies have shown that CD44, the principal receptor for hyaluronan, is present on cumulus cells during oocyte maturation. Although hyaluronan-CD44 interaction has been implicated in cumulus expansion and/or oocyte maturation, the full significance of CD44 remains unknown. The objective of the present study was to further investigate the role of CD44 in cumulus expansion and oocyte...

Microenvironmental interactions are crucial for the survival and proliferation of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells. CD4þ T cells that express CD40 ligand (CD40L), along with other accessory immune and stromal cells within CLL lymph nodes, provide signals needed for activation and outgrowth of the tumor clone. Furthermore, correct positioning of CLL cells within lymphoid subcompartments ...

Asthmatic attacks often follow viral infections with subsequent airway smooth muscle cell proliferation and the formation of an abnormal hyaluronan extracellular matrix with infiltrated leukocytes. In this study, we show that murine airway smooth muscle cells (MASM) treated with polyinosinic acid-polycytidylic acid (poly(I,C)), a double-stranded RNA that simulates a viral infection, synthesize ...

A new concept that attributes a pivotal role to the pericellular coat in the regulation of the early stages of cell adhesion is presented. Quick, adaptable, and transient adhesion through multiple cooperative weak interactions provides the cell with an additional level of modulation in the decision-making process that precedes the commitment to adhesion at a particular site. Hyaluronan emerges ...

Previous studies from several laboratories have provided evidence that interaction of hyaluronan (HA) with the surface of endothelial cells may be involved in endothelial cell behavior. We have recently characterized a mAb, mAb IVd4, that recognizes and neutralizes HA-binding protein (HABP) from a wide variety of cell types from several different species (Banerjee, S. D., and B. P. Toole. 1991....

The ubiquitous glycosaminoglycan (GAG) hyaluronan has diverse biological roles in vertebrates. These include acting as a vital structural component of connective tissues, the formation of loose hydrated matrices that allow cells to divide and migrate (e.g. during development), immune cell adhesion and activation, and a role in intracellular signaling (1–3). This wide range of activities may see...

Our objectives were to compare the expression of the hyaluronan receptors CD44 and RHAMM in knee synovial tissue of patients with and without advanced osteoarthritis (OA). Both receptors were detected immunohistochemically; the staining appeared more intense in the tissues from the patients with advanced OA. Expression of CD44 and RHAMM were each significantly increased (p < 0.05) in synovial t...

Identification of circulating autoantibodies to hyaluronan-receptors in lung cancer holds great promise and these HA-receptors might be a potential biomarker, but remains technically challenging. Interaction and involvement of hyaluronan with specific cell surface receptors such as CD44, RHAMM and with intracellular HABP in modulating cellular behavior has been predicted. In the present study, ...

BACKGROUND Chondrogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is important for osteoarthritis (OA) treatment. However, the specific mechanisms involved are undefined. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) downregulate protein synthesis by binding to the 3'UTR of target mRNA. METHODS Bone marrow aspirates were obtained from OA patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (n=8) to isolate MSCs. MiR-410 o...