The 2;13 chromosomal translocation in alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma generates the chimeric protein PAX3-FKHR, which is a powerful transcriptional activator. We hypothesize that PAX3-FKHR regulates downstream effector genes involved in rhabdomyosarcoma tumorigenesis. We evaluated alterations in expression of MET and neural cell adhesion molecule that were proposed previously as downstream targets of...

Two-pore domain potassium channels, like KCNK2, are known to play an important role in inflammatory diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). Upregulation of cellular adhesion molecules in mouse brain microvascular endothelial cells (MBMECs) of Kcnk2-/- mice resulted in elevated leukocyte trafficking into the central nervous system under inflammatory conditions. The current project aims to gain...

BACKGROUND Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a potent and selective agonist for the GLP-1 receptor, ameliorates the symptoms of diabetes through stimulation of insulin secretion. Exenatide is a potent and selective agonist for the GLP-1 receptor. Cell adhesion molecules are members of the immunoglobulin superfamily and are involved in synaptic rearrangements in the mature brain. MATERIAL AND MET...

The neural cadherin (N-cadherin) is a Ca2+-dependent cell-cell adhesion molecule detected in neural tissues as well as in non-neural tissues. We report here the nucleotide sequence of the chicken N-cadherin cDNA and the deduced amino acid sequence. The sequence data suggest that N-cadherin has one transmembrane domain which divides the molecule into an extracellular and a cytoplasmic domain; th...

Background: Inflammation is involved in development, progression, and complications of atherosclerotic disease. Clinical studies have indicated that the level of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), IL-18, and adhesion molecules correlates with the severity of atherosclerosis and can predict future cardiovascular events. Experimental studies have shown pentoxifylline (PTX) reduces these ...

The addition of NT-3 (neurotrophin 3) or NT-4 to injured nerves improves their regeneration potential and may aid axon guidance. It is not well defined whether NTs (neurotrophins) influence other elements, such as the cell-adhesion molecules, which promote nerve guidance and regeneration. Using poly3-hydroxybutyrate conduits, we applied either NT-3 or NT-4 to axotomized rat sciatic nerves and m...

We investigated whether the L2/HNK-1 carbohydrate epitope, expressed by two unusual glycolipids and several neural adhesion molecules, including L1, neural cell adhesion molecule, J1, and the myelin-associated glycoprotein, is involved in adhesion. Monoclonal L2 antibodies, the L2/HNK-1-reactive, sulfate-3-glucuronyl residue carrying glycolipids (L2 glycolipid) and a tetrasaccharide derived fro...

hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (hspcs) which give rise to different blood cell types are present within the bone marrow microenvironment, especially in flat bones such as skull, vertebrae, pelvis and chest. interacting factors such as stromal derived factor-1/cxcr4, very late antigen-4/vascular cell adhesion molecule-1, lymphocyte function-associated antigen-1/ intercellular adhesion molec...

Previous studies in this laboratory have described a cell surface glycoprotein, called neural cell adhesion molecule or N-CAM, that appears to be a ligand in the adhesion between neural membranes. N-CAM antigenic determinants were also shown to be present on embryonic muscle and an N-CAM-dependent adhesion was demonstrated between retinal cell membranes and muscle cells in short-term assays. Th...