In Silico Analyses of COMT, an Important Signaling Cascade of Dopaminergic Neurotransmission Pathway, for Drug Development of Parkinson's Disease

Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology. Jun, 2012  |  Pubmed ID: 22622642

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) has a vital role for degradation of dopamine, a neurotransmitter, and this dopamine performs an important function in our mental and physical health. The scarcity of dopamine may lead to Parkinson's disease, and inhibition of COMT can stop dopamine metabolism. Here, we have carried out genomics and proteomics analyses of COMT in order to facilitate new inhibitors of COMT. For genomics analyses, we performed codon composition investigation of COMT gene which shows A+T content which is 53.3 %. For proteomics analyses, conservation patterns and residues (highly conserved amino acids GLU64, LEU65, GLY66, CYS69, GLY70, ALA77, GLU90, THR99, SER119, ASP136, LEU140, ASP141, THR164, ASN170, VAL171, and ILE172), binding grooves, binding pockets, binding and conformation with substrate, evaluation of amino acid composition (15 % leucine rich), high scoring hydrophobic segments, high scoring transmembrane segments, tandem and periodic repeats, and disulfide bonds (three numbers), sequence logos (maximum stack height of 3 b and minimum stack height of <0.5 b) have been investigated for COMT protein. Furthermore, using COMT sequences of different species (class Mammalia, class Amphibia, and class Pisces), a phylogenetic tree has been constructed to examine the evolutionary relationship among different species.

Multicenter Phase II Study of Rituximab and Temozolomide in Recurrent Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma

Leukemia & Lymphoma. Jun, 2012  |  Pubmed ID: 22656234

We initiated a prospective multicenter phase II trial using rituximab and temozolomide in immunocompetent patients with progressive or recurrent primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) based on activity observed in retrospective studies. Treatment consisted of an induction phase with rituximab (750 mg/m(2)) on days 1, 8, 15 and 22 and temozolomide (150 mg/m(2)) days 1-7 and 15-21, followed by six cycles of consolidation temozolomide (150-200 mg/m(2) × 5/28 days), followed by maintenance with methylprednisolone (1 g IV every 28 days) until progression. Sixteen patients were enrolled, and a complete response was seen in 2/14 (14%) evaluable patients. The median progression-free survival was 7 weeks and median overall survival was not reached (median follow-up: 37 months). Treatment was well tolerated, but due to slow accrual and preliminary analysis suggesting futility, the trial was closed early. Given the overall modest activity, this regimen should be reserved for patients who are not candidates for other, more aggressive salvage treatments.

A Marine Anthraquinone SZ-685C Overrides Adriamycin-resistance in Breast Cancer Cells Through Suppressing Akt Signaling

Marine Drugs. Apr, 2012  |  Pubmed ID: 22690138

Breast cancer remains a major health problem worldwide. While chemotherapy represents an important therapeutic modality against breast cancer, limitations in the clinical use of chemotherapy remain formidable because of chemoresistance. The HER2/PI-3K/Akt pathway has been demonstrated to play a causal role in conferring a broad chemoresistance in breast cancer cells and thus justified to be a target for enhancing the effects of anti-breast cancer chemotherapies, such as adriamycin (ADR). Agents that can either enhance the effects of chemotherapeutics or overcome chemoresistance are urgently needed for the treatment of breast cancer. In this context, SZ-685C, an agent that has been previously shown, as such, to suppress Akt signaling, is expected to increase the efficacy of chemotherapy. Our current study investigated whether SZ-685C can override chemoresistance through inhibiting Akt signaling in human breast cancer cells. ADR-resistant cells derived from human breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, MCF-7/ADR and MCF-7/Akt, were used as models to test the effects of SZ-685C. We found that SZ-685C suppressed the Akt pathway and induced apoptosis in MCF-7/ADR and MCF-7/Akt cells that are resistant to ADR treatment, leading to antitumor effects both in vitro and in vivo. Our data suggest that use of SZ-685C might represent a potentially promising approach to the treatment of ADR-resistant breast cancer.

Two New Diterpenoids from Croton Crassifolius

Journal of Asian Natural Products Research. Jun, 2012  |  Pubmed ID: 22694251

Two new clerodane-type diterpenoids were isolated from the roots of Croton crassifolius Geisel. The structures of these compounds were elucidated as 9-[2-(2(5H)-furanone-4-yl)ethyl]-4,8,9-trimethyl-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydronaphthalene-4-carboxylic acid (1) and methyl 9-[2-(2(5H)-furanone-4-yl)ethyl]-4,8,9-trimethyl-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydronaphthalene-4-carboxylic ester (2) by spectroscopic methods.

ERG Rearrangement for Predicting Subsequent Cancer Diagnosis in High-grade Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia and Lymph Node Metastasis

Clinical Cancer Research : an Official Journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. Jun, 2012  |  Pubmed ID: 22696228

We aimed to analyze whether ERG rearrangement in biopsies could be used to assess subsequent cancer diagnosis in high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) and the risk of lymph node metastasis in early prostate cancer.

Spin Relaxation in Single-layer Graphene with Tunable Mobility

Nano Letters. Jun, 2012  |  Pubmed ID: 22725628

Graphene is an attractive material for spintronics due to theoretical predictions of long spin lifetimes arising from low spin-orbit and hyperfine couplings. In experiments, however, spin lifetimes in single-layer graphene (SLG) measured via Hanle effects are much shorter than expected theoretically. Thus, the origin of spin relaxation in SLG is a major issue for graphene spintronics. Despite extensive theoretical and experimental work addressing this question, there is still little clarity on the microscopic origin of spin relaxation. By using organic ligand-bound nanoparticles as charge reservoirs to tune the mobility between 2700 and 12 000 cm(2)/(V s), we successfully isolate the effect of charged impurity scattering on spin relaxation in SLG. Our results demonstrate that, while charged impurities can greatly affect mobility, the spin lifetimes are not affected by charged impurity scattering.

[Analysis of the Case About Allergic Reaction to Death During Perioperation]

Lin Chuang Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi = Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology, Head, and Neck Surgery. Apr, 2012  |  Pubmed ID: 22730828

Increased Tumor Homing and Tissue Penetration of the Filamentous Plant Viral Nanoparticle Potato Virus X

Molecular Pharmaceutics. Jun, 2012  |  Pubmed ID: 22731633

Nanomaterials with elongated architectures have been shown to possess differential tumor homing properties compared to their spherical counterparts. Here, we investigate whether this phenomenon is mirrored by plant viral nanoparticles that are filamentous (Potato virus X) or spherical (Cowpea mosaic virus). Our studies demonstrate that Potato virus X (PVX) and Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV) show distinct biodistribution profiles and differ in their tumor homing and penetration efficiency. Analogous to what is seen with inorganic nanomaterials, PVX shows enhanced tumor homing and tissue penetration. Human tumor xenografts exhibit higher uptake of PEGylated filamentous PVX compared to CPMV, particularly in the core of the tumor. This is supported by immunohistochemical analysis of the tumor sections, which indicates greater penetration and accumulation of PVX within the tumor tissues. The enhanced tumor homing and retention properties of PVX along with its higher payload carrying capacity make it a potentially superior platform for applications in cancer drug delivery and imaging applications.

Observation of Electron-antineutrino Disappearance at Daya Bay

Physical Review Letters. Apr, 2012  |  Pubmed ID: 22680853

The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment has measured a nonzero value for the neutrino mixing angle θ(13) with a significance of 5.2 standard deviations. Antineutrinos from six 2.9 GWth reactors were detected in six antineutrino detectors deployed in two near (flux-weighted baseline 470 m and 576 m) and one far (1648 m) underground experimental halls. With a 43,000 ton-GWth-day live-time exposure in 55 days, 10,416 (80,376) electron-antineutrino candidates were detected at the far hall (near halls). The ratio of the observed to expected number of antineutrinos at the far hall is R=0.940±0.011(stat.)±0.004(syst.). A rate-only analysis finds sin(2)2θ(13)=0.092±0.016(stat.)±0.005(syst.) in a three-neutrino framework.

Search for Scalar Bottom Quark Pair Production with the ATLAS Detector in Pp Collisions at Sqrt[s]=7  TeV

Physical Review Letters. May, 2012  |  Pubmed ID: 22681057

The results of a search for pair production of the scalar partners of bottom quarks in 2.05  fb(-1) of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7  TeV using the ATLAS experiment are reported. Scalar bottom quarks are searched for in events with large missing transverse momentum and two jets in the final state, where both jets are identified as originating from a bottom quark. In an R-parity conserving minimal supersymmetric scenario, assuming that the scalar bottom quark decays exclusively into a bottom quark and a neutralino, 95% confidence-level upper limits are obtained in the b(1) - χ(1)(0) mass plane such that for neutralino masses below 60 GeV scalar bottom masses up to 390 GeV are excluded.

Current Clinical Development of PI3K Pathway Inhibitors in Glioblastoma

Neuro-oncology. Jul, 2012  |  Pubmed ID: 22619466

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common and lethal primary malignant tumor of the central nervous system, and effective therapeutic options are lacking. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is frequently dysregulated in many human cancers, including GBM. Agents inhibiting PI3K and its effectors have demonstrated preliminary activity in various tumor types and have the potential to change the clinical treatment landscape of patients with solid tumors. In this review, we describe the activation of the PI3K pathway in GBM, explore why inhibition of this pathway may be a compelling therapeutic target for this disease, and provide an update of the data on PI3K inhibitors in clinical trials and from earlier investigation.