BACKGROUND This study evaluated the cytotoxic and antiproliferative efficacy of two well-characterized members of the Cecropin-family of antimicrobial peptides against bladder tumor cells and benign fibroblasts. METHODS The antiproliferative and cytotoxic potential of the Cecropins A and B was quantified by colorimetric WST-1-, BrdU- and LDH-assays in four bladder cancer cell lines as well as...

Expression of recombinant proteins in mammalian cells is useful for obtaining products with normal post-translational modifications. We describe a simple and economical method for the production of milligram levels of proteins in murine fibroblasts. Retroviral or LIPOFECTAMINE (Gibco Laboratories) transduction was employed to generate stable murine-fibroblast producer cells. Confluent cultures ...

IL-25 (IL-17E) induces IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 production from an unidentified non-T/non-B cell population and subsequently induces Th2-type immune responses such as IgE production and eosinophilic airway inflammation. IL-25R is a single transmembrane protein with homology to IL-17R, but the IL-25R signaling pathways have not been fully understood. In this study, we investigated the signaling pat...

By virtue of their location within blood vessels and their ability to express foreign genes, endothelial cells are attractive vehicles for the delivery of therapeutic molecules in vivo. We wished to determine whether i.v.-injected, genetically modified endothelial cells can become incorpo rated into sites of active angiogenesis in vivo. To do so, we studied the fate of i.v.-injected, ¿acZ-expr...

Pathological fibrosis is driven by a feedback loop in which the fibrotic extracellular matrix is both a cause and consequence of fibroblast activation. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying this process remain poorly understood. Here we identify yes-associated protein (YAP) (homolog of drosophila Yki) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) (also known as Wwtr1), tra...

The new synthetically prepared quinolone derivative 7-ethyl 9-ethyl-6-oxo-6,9-dihydro[1,2,5]selenadiazolo [3,4-h]quinoline-7-carboxylate (E2h) showed in our previous study cytotoxic effects towards tumor cells and immunomodulatory activities on RAW 264.7 cell line murine macrophages. E2h may have a potential use as a novel chemotherapeutic agent with immunomodulatory properties and the ability ...

Tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) regulates apoptosis, proliferation and inflammation in renal epithelial cells and plays a role in acute kidney injury. However, there is little information on the chronic effects of TWEAK. We hypothesized that TWEAK may influence renal fibrosis and regulate kidney fibroblast biology, in part, through Ras pathway. We studied a chronic ...

Interleukin 1 (IL-1) is the major immunoregulatory molecule produced by macrophages and other related cells. It acts as the molecular orchestrator of nonspecific host defense mechanisms against multifarious insults. In this study we report the characterization of an IL-1-like protein from the starfish Asterias forbesi. IL-1-like activity was found in the coelomocytes of this invertebrate and wa...

The sensitivity of cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents varies according to circadian time. Most chemotherapeutic agents ultimately cause cell death through cell-intrinsic pathways as an indirect consequence of DNA damage. The p53 tumor suppressor gene (TRP53) configures the cell deaths induced by chemotherapeutic agents. In this study, we show that the transcription factor ATF4, a component...

Mast cells (MCs) are heterogeneous cells whose phenotype is modulated by signals received from the local microenvironment. Recent studies have identified the mesenchymal-derived cytokine IL-33 as a potent direct activator of MCs, as well as regulator of their effector phenotype, and have implicated this activity in the ability of mast cells to contribute to murine experimental arthritis. We exp...