The epigenetic changes in pituitary adenomas were identified by evaluating the methylation status of nine genes (RB1, p14ARF, p16INK4a, p73, TIMP-3, MGMT, DAPK, THBS1 and caspase-8) in a series of 35 tumours using methylationspecific PCR analysis plus sequencing. The series included non-functional adenomas (n=23), prolactinomas (n=6), prolactinoma plus thyroid-stimulating hormone adenoma (n=1),...

NLRP6, a member of the Nod-like receptor family, protects against chemically induced intestinal injury and colitis-associated colon cancer. However, the cellular mechanisms involved in this NLRP6-mediated protection remain unclear. Here, we show that NLRP6 was down-regulated in approximately 75% of primary gastric cancer cases and exhibited significant associations with advanced clinical-stage ...

PURPOSE Deregulation of mammalian Polycomb group (PcG) members may contribute to human carcinogenesis. p16INK4a and p14ARF tumor suppressors, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (h-TERT), and oncoprotein c-Myc have been implicated in the regulation of the cell cycle and proliferation mediated by PcG proteins, mainly Bmi-1, in mice and in cell culture experiments. Here, we examine whether the...

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood and adolescence. Despite advances in therapy, patients with a histologic variant of RMS known as alveolar (aRMS) have a 5-year survival rate of <30%. aRMS tissues exhibit a number of genetic changes, including loss-of-function of the p53 and Rb tumor suppressor pathways, amplification of MYCN, stabilization of telomeres,...

DNA methylation of CpG sites in promoter regions of several cancer related genes, such as O6-MGMT, hMLH1, p14ARF, p16INK4a, RASSF1A and APC1A, has been actively explored recently. Much of the data has been obtained using a variation of an allele-specific PCR assay known as methylation specific PCR. This technique is objectionable for a number of methodological limitations and drawbacks. We want...

Deregulation of the von Hippel-Lindau tumor suppressor protein (pVHL) is considered one of the main causes for malignant renal clear-cell carcinoma (ccRCC) insurgence. In human, pVHL exists in two isoforms, pVHL19 and pVHL30 respectively, displaying comparable tumor suppressor abilities. Mutations of the p53 tumor suppressor gene have been also correlated with ccRCC insurgence and ineffectivene...