The detachment of normal epithelial cells from matrix triggers an apoptotic response known as anoikis, during homeostatic turnover. Metastatic tumor cells evade anoikis, by mechanisms that are only partly characterized. In particular, the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in a subset of invasive tumor cells confers anoikis-resistance. In some cases, EMT up-regulates the cancer stem cell m...

3 The abbreviations used are: ROS, reactive oxygen species; VSMC, vascular smooth muscle cells, HA, hyaluronic acid; DMEM, Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium; FBS, fetal bovine serum; Has2, hyaluronan synthase 2; Hyal3, hyaluronidase 3; LMW-HA, low-molecular-weight HA; HMW-HA, highmolecular-weight HA; DPI, diphenyleneiodonium chloride; DMNQ, 2,3-Dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone; GKT136901 (2-(2-chl...

During early heart development, Tbx2 gene expression is initiated in the cardiac crescent and then becomes restricted to the outflow tract and the atrioventricular region. We identified a Tbx2 regulatory region, enriched in multiple Smad sites, sufficient to reproduce Tbx2 expression patterns overlapping Bmp2 and Bmp4 gene activity in the heart. The role of Tbx2 in cardiogenesis was analyzed by...

Cell microenvironment has a critical role determining cell fate and modulating cell responses to injuries. Hyaluronan (HA) is a ubiquitous extracellular matrix glycosaminoglycan that can be considered a signaling molecule. In fact, interacting with several cell surface receptors can deeply shape cell behavior. In vascular biology, HA triggers smooth muscle cells (SMCs) dedifferentiation which c...

The two principal functions of ovarian follicles are developmental and endocrine. The cumulus cells surrounding the oocyte are specialized to serve the development of the oocyte and steroidogenesis is a principal role of mural granulosa cells that line the follicle wall. The findings in this report demonstrate that oocytectomy or treatment with an inhibitor of SMAD2/3 activation results in decr...

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in most vertebrate tissues and is thought to play a significant role during development, wound healing, and regeneration. In vitro studies have shown that HA enhances muscle progenitor cell recruitment and inhibits premature myotube fusion, implicating a role for this glycosaminoglycan in functional repair. However, the spati...

Hyaluronan (HA) a glycosaminoglycan with high affinity for water molecules stimulates local inflammatory reactions. Parturition causes a dramatic increase in the amount of HA fragments in the uterine cervix, thereby contributing to a rapid softening as well as opening of the cervical canal, i.e. cervical ripening. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible involvement of cyclic diste...