— Early sign of Alzheimer's reversed in lab — One of the earliest known impairments caused by Alzheimer's disease - loss of sense of smell - can be restored by removing a plaque-forming protein in a mouse model of the disease,…
— Parental controls on embryonic development? — When a sperm fertilises an egg, each contributes a set of chromosomes to the resulting embryo, which at these very early stages is called a zygote. Early on, zygotic genes are inert,…
— Newly discovered heart stem cells make muscle and bone — Researchers have identified a new and relatively abundant pool of stem cells in the heart. The findings in the December issue of Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press publication, show that…
— BUSM researchers develop blood test to detect membranous nephropathy — Research conducted by a pair of physicians at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Centre (BMC) has led to the development of a test that can help diagnose…
— New hip implants no better than traditional implants — New hip implants appear to have no advantage over traditional implants, suggests a review of the evidence published on bmj.com today…
— Action needed to improve men's health in Europe — Policies aimed specifically at men are urgently needed to improve the health of Europe's men, say experts on bmj.com today…
— Probiotics reduce infections for patients in intensive care — Traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of the patient's ability to fight infection. At the same time the patient also often suffers hyper-inflammation, due…
— High blood sugar levels in older women linked to colorectal cancer — Elevated blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.…
— Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine — The most poisonous substance on Earth - already used medically in small doses to treat certain nerve disorders and facial wrinkles - could be re-engineered for an expanded role in helping…
Cancer cell survival is not 'miR-ly' dependent on p53
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common type of skin cancer. In this paper, Leif Ellisen and colleagues at Mass General Hospital investigated the p53-related proteins p63 and p73 in SCC cells, and discovered a feedback loop between p63, microRNAs (miRs), and p73. In a model of SCC, they found that inhibiting one of these miRs decreased tumour growth and made the cells more sensitive to chemotherapy, highlighting a new potential therapeutic target.
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a common type of skin cancer and remains one of the most resistant to available chemotherapies. Many cancer therapeutic strategies are directed at restoring the function of the tumour suppressor gene p53, because when active, cells are more sensitive to the DNA damage induced by chemotherapy. Other proteins related to p53, including p63 and p73, have also been implicated in cancer and cell sensitivity to chemotherapy. Both p63 and p73 are overexpressed in SCC, and are thought to play a role in chemoresistance. In new research, Leif Ellisen and colleagues at Mass General Hospital in Boston investigated the relationship between p63 and p73 in human and mouse SCC cells. They found that p63 negatively regulates the expression of a number of microRNAs (miRs), and that some of these miRs target p73 for inhibition. One of these, dubbed miR-193a, was also positively regulated by p73, suggesting a feedback loop that might promote chemoresistance in these cells. In a mouse model of SCC, the researchers found that inhibiting miR-193a decreased tumour growth and made the cells more sensitive to the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin. The researchers believe that these findings identify a pro-survival mechanism in SCC, and may highlight new therapeutic targets in the fight against cancer.
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