MDR1-P-glycoprotein behaves as an oncofetal protein that promotes cell survival in gastric cancer cells

P-glycoprotein (P-gp), traditionally linked to cancer poor prognosis and multidrug resistance, is undetectable in normal gastric mucosa and overexpressed in gastric cancer (GC). We propose that P-gp may be involved in Helicobacter pylori (Hp)-related gastric carcinogenesis by inhibiting apoptosis. Aim of the study was to evaluate the expression of P-gp in fetal stomach and in Hp-related gastric carcinogenesis, the epigenetic control of the multi-drug resistance-1 (MDR1) gene, the localization and interaction between P-gp and Bcl-x(L) and the effect of the selective silencing of P-gp on cell survival. P-gp and Bcl-xl expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry on 28 spontaneously abortive human fetuses, 66 Hp-negative subjects, 138 Hp-positive chronic gastritis (CG) of whom 28 with intestinal metaplasia (IM) and 45 intestinal type GCs. P-gp/Bcl-x(L) colocalization was investigated by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy and protein-protein interaction by co-immunoprecipitation, in basal conditions and after stress-induced apoptosis, in GC cell lines AGS and MKN-28 and hepatocellular carcinoma cell line Hep-G2. The role of P-gp in controlling apoptosis was evaluated by knocking down its expression with a specific small interfering RNAs in stressed AGS and MKN-28 cell lines. P-gp is expressed in the gastric mucosa of all human fetuses while, it is undetectable in adult normal mucosa and re-expressed in 30/110 Hp-positive non-IM-CG, 28/28 IM-CG and 40/45 GCs. P-gp expression directly correlates with that of Bcl-x(L) and with the promoter hypomethylation of the MDR1 gene. In GC cell lines, P-gp is localized on the plasma membrane and mitochondria where it colocalizes with Bcl-x(L). Co-immunoprecipitation confirms the physical interaction between P-gp and Bcl-x(L) in AGS, MKN-28 and Hep-G2, at both basal level and after stress-induced apoptosis. The selective silencing of P-gp sensitizes GC cells to stress-induced apoptosis. P-gp behaves as an oncofetal protein that, by cross-talking with Bcl-x(L), acts as an anti-apoptotic agent in Hp-related gastric carcinogenesis.     

Inhibitory effects of a specific phage-displayed peptide on high peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer

Peritoneal dissemination in gastric cancer is the most frequent cause of the noncurative resection and recurrence after curative resection. We, therefore, evaluated the feasibility of a peptide, which was obtained by screening a random phage display library, in the treatment of peritoneal metastases of gastric cancer. In this study, a novel cell line, GC9811-P, with a high potential peritoneal metastasis of gastric cancer derived from its parental cell line, GC9811, was established. Using a phage display library, we isolated a specific peptide that selectively bound to GC9811-P cells rather than its parental GC9811cells. The isolated phage-displaying peptide, SMSIASPYIALE (named peptide PIII), was obtained after four rounds of selection, showing a tendency to preferentially bind to GC9811-P cells compared with a panel of other gastric cancer cell lines, and preferentially accumulate in peritoneal metastasis tumor tissue in comparison with control organs, peritoneum, liver, pancreas, spleen, lung, and kidney. Further study showed that synthetic peptide PIII could significantly inhibit adhesive and invasional ability of GC9811-P cells and could effectively block the corresponding phage binding to the GC9811-P cells, whereas, exposure of the cells to various concentrations of peptide PIII showed no obvious cell growth inhibition. Furthermore, a highly reproducible animal experimental model of gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination was established in nude mice by injecting a suspension of the cell line into the gastric wall of nude mice. Animals intraperitoneally treated with peptide PIII in this model or another animal model of gastric cancer with peritoneal dissemination established using MKN45 cells showed suppressed tumor metastasis to peritoneum and significantly prolonged survival. In conclusion, the selected peptide PIII was a biologically active peptide and could effectively inhibit peritoneal dissemination of gastric cancer.     

Selection of Potential Therapeutic Human Single-Chain Fv Antibodies against Cholecystokinin-B/Gastrin Receptor by Phage Display Technology

Background and Objective

Gastric/gastrointestinal cancers are associated with high mortality worldwide. G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily members such as gastrin/cholecystokinin-B receptor (CCK-BR) are involved in progression of gastric tumors, thus CCK-BR is considered as a potential target for immunotherapy. However, production of functional monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against GPCR seems to be very challenging, in part due to its integration in cell membranes and inaccessibility for selection. To tackle this problem, we implemented phage display technology and a solution-phase biopanning (SPB) scheme for production of mAbs specific to the native conformation of CCK-BR.

Methods

To perform the SPB process, we utilized a synthetic biotinylated peptide corresponding to the second extracellular loop (ECL2) of CCK-BR and a semi-synthetic phage antibody library. After enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) screening, the CCK-BR specificity of the selected single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) were further examined using immunoblotting, whole-cell ELISA, and flow cytometry assays.

Results

After performing four rounds of selection, we identified nine antibody clones which showed positive reactivity with the CCK-BR peptide in an ELISA assay. Of these, eight clones were unique scFv antibodies and one was a V_L single domain antibody. Specificity analysis of the selected scFvs revealed that five of the selected scFvs recognized a denatured form of CCK-BR, while the majority of the selected scFvs were able to recognize the native conformation of CCK-BR on the surface of human gastric adenocarcinoma cells and cervical carcinoma HeLa cells.

Conclusion

For the first time, we report on the establishment of a diverse panel of scFv antibody fragments that are specific to the native conformation of CCK-BR. Based on these results, we suggest the selected scFv antibody fragments as potential agents for diagnosis, imaging, targeting, and/or immunotherapy of cancers that overexpress CCK-BR.     

MicroRNA-301b-3p accelerates the growth of gastric cancer cells by targeting zinc finger and BTB domain containing 4

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be aberrantly expressed and exert essential roles in the tumorigenesis and progression of gastric cancer (GC). miR-301b-3p has been recognized as a cancer-related miRNA in lung cancer, bladder cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the function of miR-301b-3p in GC progression and its underlying mechanism have not been studied yet. In this study, we found that miR-301b-3p expression was up-regulated in GC tissues compared to adjacent noncancerous tissues. Furthermore, the elevated levels of miR-301b-3p were detected in GC cell lines (SGC-7901, AGS, MKN-45 and MGC-803) as compared with GES-1 cells. Interestingly, GC tissues from patients with tumor size ≥ 5 cm and advanced tumor stages showed obvious higher levels of miR-301b-3p compared to matched controls. Functionally, miR-301b-3p knockdown prominently inhibited cell proliferation, and induced cell cycle arrest at G1 phase and apoptosis in MGC-803 cells. Meanwhile, ectopic expression of miR-301b-3p conversely regulated these biological behaviors of MKN-45 cells. Next, we found that miR-301b-3p knockdown increased, whereas miR-301b-3p overexpression reduced the expression of zinc finger and BTB domain containing 4 (ZBTB4) in GC cells. Accordingly, luciferase reporter assay identified ZBTB4 as a direct target of miR-301b-3p. ZBTB4 overexpression markedly restrained the growth of MGC-803 cells. More importantly, ZBTB4 silencing partially reversed miR-301b-3p knockdown-induced tumor suppressive effects on MGC-803 cells. In conclusion, we firstly revealed that miR-301-3p was highly expressed in GC and contributed to tumor progression via attenuating ZBTB4, which might provide a novel molecular-targeted strategy for GC treatment.     

稳定过表达Smac基因对胃癌细胞株凋亡活性的调控作用

目的　探讨稳定过表达Smac基因对胃癌细胞凋亡的影响。方法　脂质体介导Smac基因转染MKN- 45细胞,G418筛选阳性克隆。逆转录聚合酶链反应(RT -PCR)和Western印迹鉴定Smac表达,同时以丝裂霉素作为凋亡诱导因子,采用锥虫蓝活细胞拒染法检测癌细胞体外生长活性,透射电镜、吖啶橙溴化乙啶荧光染色法、末端TdT酶标记技术(TUNEL)观察癌细胞凋亡及比率;Western印迹、比色法检测细胞内caspase- 3表达。结果　所获胃癌亚克隆细胞MKN -45 /Smac的SmacmRNA、蛋白表达水平均显著高于MKN -45(P<0 01)。10μg/ml丝裂霉素作用6 ~24h后,与MKN -45细胞比较,MKN 45 /Smac细胞生长活性减弱10 .0% ~30 8% (P<0 .01),部分MKN- 45 /Smac细胞发生典型的凋亡形态学改变,凋亡率增高21 .2% (P<0. 01 )。丝裂霉素作用后,MKN -45 /Smac细胞内caspase- 3的表达和活性均较MKN- 45细胞显著增强(P<0 .01)。结论　胃癌细胞中Smac基因的过表达,能提高丝裂霉素作用后细胞中caspase 3的表达和活性,显著诱导癌细胞凋亡,为调控胃癌细胞凋亡活性提供了新的途径。     

KIF18B在胃癌细胞增殖、迁移中的作用及机制研究

目的 探究驱动蛋白超家族18B(KIF18B)对胃癌细胞增殖、 迁移的影响及潜在调控机制.方法 采用qRT-PCR和Western印迹分析胃癌组织和细胞(MKN-28、AGS、HGC-27)中KIF18B的表达水平;通过CCK-8、克隆形成以及划痕实验检测胃癌细胞的增殖、迁移情况;Western印迹法检测迁移蛋白(E-...     

Long non-coding RNA MSC-AS1 facilitates the proliferation and glycolysis of gastric cancer cells by regulating PFKFB3 expression

Long non-coding RNA musculin antisense RNA 1 (lncRNA MSC-AS1) has been recognized as an oncogene in pancreatic cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and renal cell carcinoma. However, the functional significance of MSC-AS1 and its underlying mechanism in gastric cancer (GC) progression remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that the expression of MSC-AS1 in GC tissues was significantly higher than that in non-tumor tissues. Moreover, the elevated level of MSC-AS1 was detected in GC cells (MKN-45, AGS, SGC-7901, and MGC-803) compared to normal GES-1 gastric mucosal cells. The cancer genome atlas (TCGA) data further indicated that the high level of MSC-AS1 was closely correlated with advanced tumor stage and poor prognosis of GC. Next, we revealed that MSC-AS1 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, glucose consumption, lactate production, and pyruvate production of MGC-803 cells. Conversely, MSC-AS1 overexpression enhanced the proliferation and glycolysis of AGC cells. Mechanistically, modulating MSC-AS1 level affected the expression of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-biphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3), but did not impact the levels of hexokinase 2 (HK2) and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) in GC cells. Based on this, we reversed the MSC-AS1 knockdown-induced the inhibition of cell proliferation and glycolysis by restoring PFKFB3 expression in MGC-803 cells. In conclusion, MSC-AS1 facilitated the proliferation and glycolysis of GC cells by maintaining PFKFB3 expression.     

Molecular genetics of gastric adenocarcinoma in clinical practice

The molecular genetics of gastric carcinoma (GC) dictates their biology and clinical behavior. The two morphologically distinct types of gastric carcinoma by Lauren classification, i.e., intestinal and diffuse cell types, have a significant difference in clinical outcome. These two types of GC have different molecular pathogenetic pathways with unique genetic alterations. In addition to environmental and other etiologies, intestinal type GC is associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and involves a multistep molecular pathway driving the normal epithelium to intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and malignant transformation by chromosomal and/or microsatellite instability (MSI), mutation of tumor suppressor genes, and loss of heterozygosity among others. Diffuse type shows no clear causal relationship with H. pylori infection, but is commonly associated with deficiency of cell-cell adhesion due to mutation of the E-cadherin gene (CDH1), and a manifestation of the hereditary gastric cancer syndrome. Thus, detection of CDH1 mutation or loss of expression of E-cadherin may aid in early diagnosis or screening of diffuse type GC. Detection of certain genetic markers, for example, MSI and matrix metalloproteinases, may provide prognostic information, particularly for intestinal type. The common genetic alterations may offer therapeutic targets for treatment of GC. Polymorphisms in Thymidylate synthase to metabolize 5-fluorouracil, glutathione S-transferase for degradation of Cisplatin, and amplification/overexpression of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 targeted by monoclonal antibody Trastuzumab, are a few examples. P13K/Akt/mTOR pathway, c-Met pathways, epidermal growth factor receptor, insulin-like growth factor receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor fibroblast growth factor receptor, and micro RNAs are several potential therapeutic biomarkers for GC under investigation.     

Interleukin 6 gene polymorphism ‐174 is associated with the diffuse type gastric carcinoma

The aim of this study was to assess the significance of the interleukin 6 gene polymorphism ‐174 in gastric cancer risk. The interleukin 6 ‐174 G/C (rs1800795) gene polymorphisms was analyzed in gastric cancer, peptic ulcer, and nonulcer dyspepsia patients and in healthy control subjects and the data were correlated with the histopathological features of the patients' biopsies. The interleukin 6 ‐174 GG and GC genotypes have been previously associated with high interleukin 6 serum levels. We discovered that the interleukin 6 ‐174 GG and GC genotypes are associated with an increased risk of the diffuse histologic subtype of gastric carcinomas (OR: 6.809, P = 0.034), but absent in the intestinal type carcinomas (OR: 1.109, P = 0.908). No significant associations with peptic ulcer, gastric atrophy, or intestinal metaplasia were seen. Our results demonstrate that the interleukin 6 ‐174 GG and GC genotypes increase the risk of the diffuse type gastric carcinoma, but not the intestinal type gastric carcinoma or its precursor conditions, including atrophy or intestinal metaplasia. Thus, interleukin 6 seems to be an important carcinogenetic factor in the diffuse type gastric adenocarcinoma and its carcinogenetic effect could be noninflammatory. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Bromodeoxyuridine induces p53-dependent and -independent cell cycle arrests in human gastric carcinoma cell lines.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to clarify the effects of bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) on cell cycle progression and induction of apoptosis, and to demonstrate the role of P53 in these processes. METHODS: We continuously exposed four human gastric carcinoma cell lines with different P53 status (P53 wild-type AGS and MKN-45, P53-mutated MKN-28 and P53-deleted KATO-III) to BrdU in asynchronous and synchronous culture conditions, and analyzed DNA histograms of apoptotic and nonapoptotic cells determined by static DNA cytofluorometry. RESULTS: Continuous exposure to 20 microM BrdU after synchronization with hydroxyurea resulted in S phase delay and G1 arrest in MKN-45 and an increase of apoptosis in the first S/G(2) phase in AGS and MKN-45. In the second S phase, a delay of 3-6 h was observed in all the four cell lines. In asynchronous cultures, continuous exposures to 20 and 200 microM BrdU for 72 h or more caused growth suppression with G(1) and G(2) arrests, respectively, in all the cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggested that the BrdU-induced growth suppression of the cell lines examined was mainly caused by cell cycle arrest rather than cell death, and that the cell cycle arrests in the first S and G(1) phases (elicited by BrdU in the single DNA strand) and those in the second S, G(2) and G(1) phases (elicited by BrdU in the double DNA strands) were mediated by p53-dependent and -independent pathways, respectively.     

MiR-451, a potential prognostic biomarker and tumor suppressor for gastric cancer

Background: The expression of microRNA-451 (miR-451) and its association with clinical pathological factors in GC remain still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate if miR-451 is a potential prognostic biomarker and tumor suppressor for gastric cancer. Methods: Real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was applied to detect miR-451 expression in GC cell lines and primary tumor and paired non-cancerous tissues. The association of miR-451 expression with clinicopathological factors and prognosis was statistically analyzed. Results: We found that miR-451 showed decreased expression in GC tissues and cell lines, and its down-regulation tended to be positively correlated with lymphatic metastasis, clinical staging and shorter overall survival of patients. In addition, forced expression of miR-451 in BGC-823 and MKN-45 cells did not impact on cell proliferation, but did reduce migration and invasion rates in BGC-823 cells. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that miR-451 may act as a novel prognostic marker and potential therapeutic target in human GC.     

运用亚细胞蛋白质组学方法发现胃腺癌潜在标志物UCHL1

目的:通过对胃腺癌细胞系SGC7901和永生化胃正常上皮细胞系GES胞浆组分蛋白进行差异蛋白质组学分析,为胃腺癌诊断提供候选生物标志物,进而为阐明胃腺癌发病机理提供新的线索和思路。方法:运用亚细胞蛋白组份分离结合双向凝胶电泳和基质辅助激光解吸电离飞行时间质谱(MALD I-TOF-MS)技术筛选鉴定出SGC7901和GES细胞系胞浆蛋白组分间的差异蛋白质,并且利用免疫印迹和半定量RT-PCR方法对得到的差异蛋白进行验证。结果:筛选得到10个差异蛋白,进一步证实,差异蛋白泛素羧基末端水解酶-L1(UCHL1)在蛋白质和mRNA水平上,在胃癌细胞系SGC7901、AGS、BGC823和MKN45中的表达水平均低于胃正常上皮细胞系GES;其在胃癌组织中的表达水平也远远低于癌旁正常胃组织中的水平。结论:UCHL1蛋白质分子具有作为胃腺癌诊断检测标志物的潜在应用价值,为开发胃腺癌诊断标志物提供了新的候选蛋白。     

Enhancement of scFv fragment reactivity with target antigens in binding assays following mixing with anti-tag monoclonal antibodies

The phage display Ab library technology has been found to be a useful method to isolate antigen-specific Ab fragments, since the repertoire of antibody specificities is broad and since it bypasses the need of immunization. However, when screening clones isolated from a phage display Ab library, the yield of isolating antigen-specific Ab fragments is low and the rate of false negative results is high. This limitation reflects the low affinity/avidity of Ab fragments and/or the low density of the target antigen. To facilitate the isolation of Ab fragments with a broad range of affinities to antigens of interest from phage display Ab libraries, we have developed a simple method to increase the sensitivity of binding assays to detect the reactivity of single-chain fragments of antibody variable regions (scFv) with target antigens. This method involves the mixing of scFv fragments, expressing a c-myc epitope tag, with anti-tag mAb 9E10 prior to their use in binding assays in order to form stable dimeric Ab fragment-anti-tag mAb complexes. The increase in the reactivity of scFv fragments with the corresponding antigen is observed over a broad range of scFv fragment (6-800 microg/ml) and mAb 9E10 (0.5-30 microg/ml) concentrations, thereby facilitating the testing of scFv fragment preparations with unknown scFv fragment concentrations. Use of this method in binding assays resulted in a twofold increase in the reactivity of low-affinity purified scFv fragments with the corresponding antigen. Moreover, application of this method to screen clones isolated from phage display scFv libraries resulted in a reproducible increase in both the yield of antigen-specific scFv clones and the titer of scFv fragment preparations by a factor of 5 and 2- to 32-fold, respectively. Lastly, this method can be applied in both ELISA and flow cytometry and is independent of the characteristics of the antigen (i.e. whole cells, carbohydrates and purified protein) and/or of the library (synthetic scFv Library (#1), a large semi-synthetic phage display scFv library and the human synthetic VH+VL scFv library (Griffin.1 library)) used. Therefore, the method we have described represents a sensitive, simple and reproducible technique that will facilitate the isolation and use of scFv fragments.     

Induction of hRAD9 is required for G2/M checkpoint signal transduction in gastric cancer cells.

DNA damage triggers the activation of checkpoints that delay cell cycle progression to allow for DNA repair. Loss of G2 checkpoints provides a growth advantage for tumor cells undergoing aberrant mitosis. However, the precise mechanisms of G2 checkpoints acting in gastric cancer are unknown. Here, we analyzed the G2 checkpoint function in two gastric cancer cells, MKN-28 cells containing a mutant p53 gene and MKN-45 cells which have wild-type p53. Two agents damaging DNA, camptothecin (CPT) or ultraviolet light (UV), were utilized to trigger a G2 phase cell cycle checkpoint response in these tumor cells. Both CPT and UV inhibited the growth of MKN-45 cells, whereas they did not affect the growth of MKN-28 cells. CPT induced cell cycle arrest at the G2/M phase and enhanced the expression of human RAD9 (hRAD9) in MKN-45 cells. In addition, hRAD9 showed perinuclear staining and similar localization with Bcl-2 in MKN-45 cells but not in MKN-28 cells after having applied CPT or UV light. These results suggest that besides p53 activity, the induction of hRAD9 is required for G2/M checkpoint signal transduction in gastric cancer cells.     

Separation of E. coli expressing functional cell-wall bound antibody fragments by FACS

Background: The rapid development of recombinant antibody technology in the last few years has facilitated the generation of antibody libraries in bacteria. Recombinant antibodies against various antigens have been selected from these libraries by presenting each antibody on the surface of a phagemid particle that contains the antibody's gene. An alternative screening system is the display of antibody fragments on bacteria. A major advantage is the possibility to select single cells directly from a large number of bacteria by using fluorescently labeled antigens and fluorescence assisted cell sorting (FACS). Objectives: pAP is an expression vector for the bacterial display of antibody fragments. E. coli transformed with pAP express a single chain antibody (scFv) fused to the peptidoglycan-associated-lipoprotein (PAL). This fusion protein binds strongly to the cell wall. To employ this system for screening, we have investigated the possibility of selecting antigen-specific clones by FACS. Study design and results: Several DNA fragments coding for various scFvs were inserted into the pAP expression vector. E. coli were transformed with these plasmids and immunostained with fluorescent antigens under given conditions. We were able to select stained E. coli expressing a specific scFv from unstained E. coli expressing a non-binding scFv by FACS. The specific selection of the bacteria was demonstrated by amplifying their genes by PCR. Conclusions: Conditions are described for separating E. coli containing scFv bound to their cell wall by FACS using fluorescently labeled antigens. These studies provide a basis for screening libraries of scFv antibodies.     

Preferential up‐regulation of heparanase and cyclooxygenase‐2 in carcinogenesis of Barrett’s oesophagus and intestinal‐type gastric carcinoma

Sonoda R, Naomoto Y, Shirakawa Y, Fujiwara Y, Yamatsuji T, Noma K, Tanabe S, Takaoka M, Gunduz M, Tsujigiwa H, Nagatsuka H, Ohara N, Yoshino T, Takubo K, Vieth M & Tanaka N
(2010) Histopathology 57 , 90–100
Preferential up‐regulation of heparanase and cyclooxygenase‐2 in carcinogenesis of Barrett’s oesophagus and intestinal‐type gastric carcinoma Aims: Metaplastic changes secondary to chronic inflammation at the gastro–oesophageal junction and at the pyloric antrum are recognized as the premalignant conditions of Barrett’s oesophageal adenocarcinoma and intestinal‐type gastric carcinoma (GC), respectively. Heparanase (HPSE) and cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 have been proved to play critical roles in inflammation as well as in cancer. The aim was to examine the meaning of their expression in inflammation‐related carcinogenesis. Methods and results: First, expression of HPSE and COX‐2 in 78 clinical tissues of Barrett’s oesophagus was examined by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Their expression was increased during the metaplasia–dysplasia sequence with increased neovascularization. Successively, their expression in Barrett’s dysplasia was compared with that of GC (22 cases of diffuse‐type and 10 of intestinal‐type). Interestingly, the expression pattern in Barrett’s dysplasia was similar to that in intestinal‐type GC, which mainly arises from chronic inflammation. Furthermore, cultured cell lines isolated from differentiated GC tissues, which are often found to be of intestinal‐type, revealed up‐regulated mRNA expression of HPSE and COX‐2. Conclusions: HPSE and COX‐2 are preferentially up‐regulated in Barrett’s oesophagus and intestinal‐type GC. These molecules may play an important role during the development of inflammation‐related adenocarcinoma of the upper gastrointestinal tract.     

胃癌干细胞对5-氟尿嘧啶的敏感性

背景：5-氟尿嘧啶是一种常用的胃癌化疗药物,但临床治疗过程中较易出现耐药现象,影响治疗效果。研究表明肿瘤干细胞对化疗药敏感性较低,可能是导致化疗耐药的重要原因。 目的：体外环境下分析胃癌干细胞对5-氟尿嘧啶的敏感性,了解胃癌化疗耐药相关机制。 方法：基于克隆形态的分选策略,从人胃癌AGS细胞系内分离胃癌干细胞克隆,采用免疫细胞化学染色分析不同克隆CD44和胸苷酸合成酶的表达,克隆形成实验评估不同类型克隆的自我更新能力,CCK-8法检测不同浓度5-氟尿嘧啶作用下人胃癌AGS细胞克隆生长抑制率。 结果与结论：人胃癌AGS细胞经低密度接种培养后,可形成32个不同形态的克隆,其中,副克隆、次克隆、全克隆所占比例分别为19%(6/32)、66%(21/32)、16%(5/32)。全克隆高表达CD44和胸苷酸合成酶,接种后可再次形成大量二代克隆;次克隆弱表达CD44和胸苷酸合成酶,接种后形成少量的二代克隆;副克隆不表达或弱表达CD44和胸苷酸合成酶,接种后未形成二代克隆。在不同浓度5-氟尿嘧啶的作用下,次克隆以及人胃癌AGS细胞的生长抑制率均显著高于全克隆(P均 < 0.05)。结果表明,在体外条件下,胃癌干细胞对5-氟尿嘧啶敏感性较低,推测其可能为临床化疗耐药的重要机制。中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点：干细胞;骨髓干细胞;造血干细胞;脂肪干细胞;肿瘤干细胞;胚胎干细胞;脐带脐血干细胞;干细胞诱导;干细胞分化;组织工程     

Chicken single-chain variable fragments against the SARS-CoV spike protein

The major concern for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), caused by the SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), is the lack of diagnostic and therapeutic agents. Using a phage display technology in a chicken system, high-affinity monoclonal antibody fragments against the SARS-CoV spike protein were characterized. Ten truncated spike protein gene fragments were expressed in Escherichia coli cells. Following the immunization of chickens with these recombinant spike proteins, two single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibody libraries were established with short or long linkers to contain 5x10(7) and 9x10(6) transformants, respectively. After four rounds of panning selection, the scFv antibodies of randomly chosen clones were demonstrated by Coomassie blue staining, and verified by western blot analysis. In a comparison of nucleotide sequences with the chicken germline gene, we found that all clones varied in the complementarity-determining regions, that two scFv antibodies reacted significantly with SARS-CoV-infected Vero cells, and that those two specific scFv antibodies recognized the same region of the spike protein spanning amino acid residues 750-1000. In conclusion, the results suggest that the chicken scFv phage display system can be a potential model for mass production of high-affinity antibodies against the SARS-CoV spike protein.     

Is co-expression of USP22 and HSP90 more effective in predicting prognosis of gastric cancer?

The ubiquitin-specific peptidase 22 (USP22) belongs to the largest subfamily of deubiquitylases and recent studies indicate that overexpression of USP22 may promote gastric cancer progression and predict prognosis. But little is known about the interaction network of USP22 in gastric cancer. In this study, we applied bioinformatics methods and found that USP22 was correlated with the heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) which is now considered to be a biomarker to predict the prognosis of gastric cancer. Then the siRNA transfection and western blotting were used to testify the correlation of USP22 and HSP90 in gastric cancer cells. The immunohistochemistry staining of the microarrays was applied to confirm the correlation of USP22 and HSP90 expression in gastric cancer tissue and further analysis showed that co-expression of USP22 and HSP90 was related to lymph node metastasis and more effective in predicting the prognosis of gastric cancer. In summary, our data demonstrate that correlation exists between USP22 and HSP90 expressions in gastric cancer and co-expression of USP22 and HSP90 may be more effective in predicting prognosis of gastric cancer.