DOI:10.1097/MOL.0b013e32835ec608 Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory reaction of the arterial wall characterized by the infiltration of inflammatory cells into the nascent atherosclerotic lesions leading to its growth and eventual destabilization [1,2]. Transforming growth factor beta (TGFb), an anti-inflammatory cytokine, is centrally involved in balancing the immune response in atherosc...

Background: There is some evidence suggesting a close relationship between polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and renal inflammation and fibrosis, which are crucial stages in chronic kidney disease. Methods: To verify the role of PUFAs in renal fibrosis processes, we investigated the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) on the gene expres...

Radiation-induced genomic instability, in which the progeny of irradiated cells display a high frequency of nonclonal genomic damage, occurs at a frequency inconsistent with mutation. We investigated the mechanism of this nontargeted effect in human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) exposed to low doses of radiation. We identified a centrosome-associated expression signature in irradiated HMEC an...

Genetic alterations in the TGFb signaling pathway in combination with oncogenic alterations lead to cancer development in the intestines. However, the mechanisms of TGFb signaling suppression in malignant progression of intestinal tumors have not yet been fully understood. We have examined Apc Tgfbr2 compound mutant mice that carry mutations in Apc and Tgfbr2 genes in the intestinal epithelial ...

PURPOSE Febrile seizures (FS) are the most common convulsive event in children. Inflammatory elements and genetics seem to have major roles in their pathogenesis. METHODS Seventy nine patients with FS were enrolled in this study and compared with 140 controls. Cytokine genotyping was performed, using polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers. The allele and genotype frequency o...

PURPOSE Keratin 19 (K19) is a known marker of poor prognosis and invasion in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the relationship between K19 and cancer stem cells (CSCs) is unclear. Here, we determined whether K19 can be used as a new CSC marker and therapeutic target in HCC. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN HCC cell lines were transfected with a K19 promoter-driven enhanced green fluorescence...

Transgenic mice overexpressing a constitutively active human TGFb 1 under control of the rat phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase regulatory sequences developed fibrosis of the liver, kidney, and adipose tissue, and exhibited a severe reduction in body fat. Expression of the transgene in hepatocytes resulted in increased collagen deposition, altered lobular organization, increased hepatocyte turno...

Purpose:Keratin 19 (K19) is a knownmarker of poor prognosis and invasion in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the relationship between K19 and cancer stem cells (CSCs) is unclear. Here, we determinedwhether K19 can be used as a new CSC marker and therapeutic target in HCC. Experimental Design: HCC cell lines were transfected with a K19 promoter–driven enhanced green fluorescence pr...

The efficacy of radiotherapy in many tumor types is limited by normal tissue toxicity and by intrinsic or acquired radioresistance. Therefore, it is essential to understand the molecular network responsible for regulating radiosensitivity/resistance. Here, an unbiased functional screen identified four microRNAs (miR1, miR125a, miR150, andmiR425) that induce radioresistance. Considering the clin...

Increased expression of TGFb isoforms in human endometrial cancer correlates with decreased survival and poor prognosis. Progesterone has been shown to exert a chemoprotective effect against endometrial cancer, and previous animal models have suggested that these effects are accompanied by changes in TGFb. The goal of this study was to characterize the effect of progesterone on TGFb signaling p...