Building on our previous report that osteoblasts and increased bone formation have a negative impact on myeloma cell growth in a subset of patients, we investigated the role of decorin, the main small leucine-rich proteoglycan (SLRP) expressed and produced by osteoblasts, in the antimyeloma effects of osteoblasts. In coculture experiments with osteoblasts, primary myeloma cell survival was sign...

The aim of this study was to form a scaffold-free coculture spheroid model of colonic adenocarcinoma cells (CACs) and normal colonic fibroblasts (NCFs) and to use the spheroids to investigate the role of NCFs in the tumorigenicity of CACs in nude mice. We analysed three-dimensional (3D) scaffold-free coculture spheroids of CACs and NCFs. CAC Matrigel invasion assays and tumorigenicity assays in...

Macrophage polarization contributes to a number of human pathologies. This is exemplified for tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), which display a polarized M2 phenotype, closely associated with promotion of angiogenesis and suppression of innate immune responses. We present evidence that induction of apoptosis in tumor cells and subsequent recognition of apoptotic debris by macrophages partici...

Carbon monoxide-fermenting microorganisms can be used for the production of a wide range of commodity chemicals and fuels from syngas (generated by gasification of, e.g., wastes or biomass) or industrial off-gases (e.g., from steel industry). Microorganisms are normally more resistant to contaminants in the gas (e.g., hydrogen sulfide) than chemical catalysts, less expensive and self-regenerati...

Natural products produced by microorganisms are important starting compounds for drug discovery. Secondary metabolites, including antibiotics, have been isolated from different Streptomyces species. The production of these metabolites depends on the culture conditions. Therefore, the development of a new culture method can facilitate the discovery of new natural products. Here, we show that myc...

Radiotherapy represents a major treatment option for patients with pancreatic cancer, but recent evidence suggests that radiation can promote invasion and metastasis of cancer cells. Interactions between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells may play an important role in aggressive tumor progression. In the present study, we investigated the invasive phenotype of pancreatic cancer cells in...

background: several studies have demonstrated the immunosuppresive effects of mes-enchymal stem cells (mscs) in allogeneic or mitogenic interactions. cell-cell contact inhibition and secretion of suppressive soluble factors have been suggested in this re-gard. objective: to investigate if adipose derived mscs could inhibit jurkat lym-phoblastic leukemia t cell proliferation during coculture. me...

Background: Several studies have demonstrated the immunosuppresive effects of mes-enchymal stem cells (MSCs) in allogeneic or mitogenic interactions. Cell-cell contact inhibition and secretion of suppressive soluble factors have been suggested in this re-gard. Objective: To investigate if adipose derived MSCs could inhibit Jurkat lym-phoblastic leukemia T cell proliferation during coculture. Me...

We studied the effect of antiflammin-2 (AF-2) on adhesion molecule expression by HL-60 cells and endothelial (ECV304) cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharides (LPSs), and on leukocyte-endothelial cell interaction in an in vitro coculture system. The action of AF-2 on prostanoid production in these experimental conditions was also tested. LPS increased the adhesion molecule expression, such as ly...

Hippocampal neurons in culture develop extensive axonal and dendritic arbors and form numerous synapses. Presynaptic specializations occur at sites of contact between axons and somata or dendrites but they do not appear until day 3 in culture, even though numerous contacts between cells develop within the first 24 hr (Fletcher et al., 1991). To determine whether this delay in the appearance of ...