1,721,069 research outputs found
FT-IR spectromicroscopy of mammalian cell cultures during necrosis and apoptosis induced by drugs
No full textFT-IR is used in the field of biology and medicine to detect bimolecular changes in disordered cells and tissues. In
this report, using FT-IR microscopy, we characterize changes in apoptotic and necrotic Jurkat cells with respect to normal cells.
The analysis of deconvoluted regions of the FT-IR spectra showed significant differences compared to the controls in three
spectral regions. In particular, the apoptotic cells were characterized by an increase in the absorption at 2925 cm−1, due to the asymmetric CH2-stretching (νasCH2) of membrane lipids whereas the spectral areas ratio (A1654/A1629) of the amide I region indicated an increase in apoptotic cells of more α-helical structures with respect to of β-sheet content. Interestingly, apoptotic cells showed the appearance of a peak around 1743 cm−1, ν(C=O) assigned to acid ester. Because no other similar increase for lipid bands was observed, the increase of A1745 is not simply due to an increase in the number of lipid molecules or their density but could also be indicative as marker of apoptosis. These spectral changes were not observed in necrotic Jurkat cells
CD40 and B chronic lymphocytic leukemia cell response to fludarabine: the influence of NF-kappaB/Rel transcription factors on chemotherapy-induced apoptosis.
No full textThe levels of tumour necrosis factor receptor (TNF-R) superfamily members can be altered in lymphoid leukemias, indicating a possible role of such molecules in the biology of these neoplasias. In B chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells, the CD40/CD40L system has been shown to be effective in inhibiting the apoptotic response to fludarabine. The modulation of apoptosis relied on the CD40-induced activity of NF-kappaB/Rel transcription factors. The anti-apoptotic effect of CD40 was abolished using a phosphorothioate kappaB decoy oligodeoxynucleotide. These findings illustrate an example of the biological activity of TNF-R-like molecules in leukemias. They also show the influence of NF-kappaB/Rel activity on leukemic cell response to apoptogenic agen
A long Acidic Domain Affects the Chromatographic Behaviour of a Neuronal Adaptor Protein on DEAE-Sepharose
No full textA long Acidic Domain Affects the Chromatographic Behaviour of a Neuronal Adaptor Protein on DEAE-Sepharose
No full textNanoparticles Design for Theranostic Approach in Cancer Disease
No full textPresently, there are no conclusive treatments for many types of cancer, mainly due to the advanced phase of the disease at the time of diagnosis and to the side effects of existing therapies. Present diagnostic and therapeutic procedures need to be improved to supply early detection abilities and perform a more specific therapy with reduced systemic toxicity. In this review, improvements in nanotechnology allowing the design of multifunctional nanoparticles for cancer detection, therapy, and monitoring are reported. Nanoparticles, thanks to the nanomaterials they are made of, can be used as contrast agents for various diagnostic techniques such as MRI, optical imaging, and photoacoustic imaging. Furthermore, when used as drug carriers, they can accumulate in tumor tissues through the passive or/and active targeting, protect encapsulated drugs from degradation, raise tumor exposure to chemotherapeutic agents improving treatment effects. In addition, nanocarriers can simultaneously deliver more than one therapeutic agent enhancing the effectiveness of therapy and can co-deliver imaging and therapy agents to provide integration of diagnostics, therapy, and follow-up. Furthermore, the use of nanocarriers allows to use different therapeutic approaches, such as chemotherapy and hyperthermia to exploit synergistic effects. Theranostic approach to diagnose and treat cancer show a great potential to improve human health, however, despite technological advances in this field, the transfer into clinical practice is still a long way off
Translational Control in Tumour Progression and Drug Resistance
No full textProtein biosynthesis is a multi-step process that starts with the transcription of nuclear
DNA, depository of genetic information, into messenger RNA (mRNA) that is used as
template for the following polypeptide chain synthesis, also known as translation. Each step
of this essential process is highly controlled in order to modulate any specific protein
requirement of the cell in response to different stimuli and cellular events. This regulatory
process is called translational control. Deregulation of the core signalling network in
translational control, the phosphatidyl inositol trisphosphate kinase (PI3K), Protein Kinase B
(PKB or Akt), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and RAS mitogen-activated protein
kinase (MAPK)/MAPK-interacting Kinases (MNK) pathways, frequently occurs in human
cancers and leads to aberrant modulation of mRNA translation. However, investigations on
the contribution of these two pathways to translational regulation led to the interesting
finding that translation factors are also substrate of signalling molecules. Post-translational
modifications, including cleavage and phosphorylation, usually affect translational factors
activity in protein biosynthesis; on the other hand, direct interaction of translational
components with signalling mediators can either activate the pathway in which the
mediator is involved or redirect translation factors to other activities, such as cytoskeletal
rearrangements. These findings shed light on new functions of translation factors, different
from their canonical role in protein synthesis. Taken together, these new functions are an
intriguing step forward to the discovery of molecular mechanisms at the base of cellular
response during “special” conditions such as cancer and drug resistance
Interfacing the nanostructured biosilica microshells of the marinediatom Coscinodiscus wailesii with biological matter
No full textBiosilicified nanostructured microshells from the marine diatom Coscinodiscus wailesii have been properly functionalised to bind a
molecular probe which specifically recognises a target analyte. The chemical modification process has been characterised by Fourier
transformed infrared spectroscopy. Fluorescence measurements demonstrate that the antibodies we used, even if linked to the
amorphous silica surface of C. wailesii microshells, still efficiently recognise their antigens. These low cost and largely available natural
materials can be thus used as transducers elements for optical biosensors or as targeting microcapsules for drug deliver
Cloning, expression and evolution of the gene encoding the elongation factor 1a from a low thermophilic Sulfolobus solfataricus strain.
No full textRapamycin enhances doxorubicin-induced apoptosis in human melanoma and hematopoietic cells in a way independent of PI3K/Akt inhibition
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