Junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) is a member of the immunoglobulin family with diverse functions in epithelial cells, including cell migration, cell contact maturation, and tight junction formation. In endothelial cells, JAM-A has been implicated in basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF)-regulated angiogenesis through incompletely understood mechanisms. In this paper, we identify tetraspan...

BACKGROUND Integrins are a family of transmembrane adhesion proteins that mediate cell adhesion and intracellular signaling. Integrin-αvβ3 is expressed on the surface of human glioblastoma cells, and can be further induced by chemical stress. The Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif-containing peptides are specifically bound to integrin-αvβ3, and to inhibit neovasculature underlying competition to normal ex...

We have previously reported the use of one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) combinatorial technology to develop a disulfide cyclic, Arg-Gly-Asp-containing octapeptide LXW7 (cGRGDdvc), that targets αvβ3 integrin with high affinity and specificity. αvβ3 integrin is known to be overexpressed in many cancers and in tumor vasculature, and it has been established as a cancer therapeutic target. To further op...

Although the tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in tumor progression and metastasis, the relationship between chemotherapy resistance and modulation of the tumor microenvironment remains unclear. Here, we report a novel mechanism showing how constitutive DNA damage signals in therapy-resistant tumor cells suppress antitumor immunity in an integrin-αvβ3-dependent manner. Integrin-αvβ3 ...

BACKGROUND Human tissue kallikrein (hTK) plays an essential role in the physiological and pathological mechanisms of blood vessels. This study aimed to determine whether angiogenesis induced by endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) transduced with the adenovirus-mediated hTK gene could improve blood flow in rat hindlimb ischemia in vivo and to establish a promising mechanism in vitro. METHODS E...

Interaction between integrin αvβ3 and extracellular matrix is crucial for endothelial cells sprouting from capillaries and for angiogenesis. Furthermore, integrinmediated outside-in signals co-operate with growth factor receptors to promote cell proliferation and motility. To determine a potential regulation of angiogenic inducer receptors by the integrin system, we investigated the interaction...

Integrins αvβ3 and αvβ5 regulate angiogenesis and invasiveness in cancer, potentially by modulating activation of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β pathway. The randomized phase III CENTRIC and phase II CORE trials explored the integrin inhibitor cilengitide in patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma with versus without O6-methylguanine DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation....

A rapid one-step (18)F labeling reaction with fluoridealuminum complex, which is based on chelation chemistry, has received a surge of interest for (18)F radiolabeling of peptides. In this study, a non-peptidic bivalent integrin αvβ3 antagonist (bivalent-IA) was conjugated with 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4-diiacetic acid (NODA). A novel (18)F labeled radiotracer, (18)F-bivalent-IA, was developed...

The prototypic acute phase reactant C-reactive protein (CRP) is not only a marker but also a potential contributor to inflammatory diseases. CRP exists as the circulating native, pentameric CRP (pCRP) and the monomeric isoform (mCRP), formed as a result of a dissociation process of pCRP. mCRP is highly pro-inflammatory, but pCRP is not. The mechanism of pro-inflammatory action of mCRP is unclea...

Integrins are transmembrane receptors that play important roles as modulators of cell behaviour through their adhesion properties and the initiation of signaling cascades. The αIIb integrin subunit (CD41) is one of the first cell surface markers indicative of hematopoietic commitment. αIIb pairs exclusively with β3 to form the αIIbβ3 integrin. β3 (CD61) also pairs with αv (CD51) to form the αvβ...