Publications

Objective. Activation of membrane receptor guanylate cyclase-C (GC-C) is implicated in gastrointestinal fluid and electrolyte balance, preservation of intestinal barrier integrity, anti-trophic effects and inhibition of pain sensation. To evaluate GC-C signaling, we examined the regulation of GC-C (GUCY2C/Gucy2c) and its endogenous ligands guanylin (GN/GUCA2A/Guca2a) and uroguanylin (UGN/GUCA2B/Guca2b) in colonic Crohn’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) and in rats with 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzene sulphonic acid (TNBS) colitis.

ADAM metallopeptidase domain 12 (ADAM12) is a promising biomarker because of its low expression in normal tissues and high expression in a variety of human cancers. However, ADAM12 levels in ovarian cancer have not been well characterized. We previously identified ADAM12 as one of the signature genes associated with poor survival in high grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC). Here we sought to determine if high levels of the ADAM12 protein and/or mRNA are associated with clinical variables in HGSOC.

A fox circovirus was identified in serum samples from foxes with unexplained neurologic signs by using viral metagenomics. Fox circovirus nucleic acid was localized in histological lesions of the cerebrum by in situ hybridization. Viruses from the family Circoviridae may have neurologic tropism more commonly than previously anticipated.

Background:
There is evidence that tumour–stroma interactions have a major role in the neoplastic progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Tumour budding is thought to reflect the process of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT); however, the relationship between tumour buds and EMT remains unclear. Here we characterize the tumour-budding- and stromal cells in PDAC at protein and mRNA levels concerning factors involved in EMT.

We hypothesized that the study of gene expression at 1, 2, 4, 6 and 16 weeks in the substantia nigra (SN) after intrastriatal 6-OHDA in the Sprague-Dawley rat (rattus norvegicus) would identify cellular responses during the degenerative process that could be axoprotective.

LGR5 is a known marker of embryonic and adult stem cells in several tissues. In a mouse model, Lgr5+ cells have shown tumour-initiating properties, while in human cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma and colon cancer, LGR5 expression levels are increased: however, the effect of increased LGR5 expression is not fully understood. To study the effects of elevated LGR5 expression levels we generated a novel tetracycline-responsive, conditional transgenic mouse line expressing human LGR5, designated TRELGR5.

Dietary carcinogens, such as 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), and chronic inflammation have each been implicated as etiological agents in prostate cancer. We hypothesized that bacterial prostatitis would accelerate PhIP-induced pre-invasive lesions in the rat prostate. Male Fischer 344 rats were assigned into 4 groups: Control (untreated), PhIP (200 ppm in the diet for 20 weeks), E. coli (prostatic inoculation in week 10), or PhIP+E. coli.

In recent years, considerable advances have been made in the characterization of protein-coding alterations involved in the pathogenesis of melanoma. However, despite their growing implication in cancer, little is known about the role of long non-coding RNAs in melanoma progression. We hypothesized that copy number alterations of intergenic non-protein coding domains could help identify long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) associated with metastatic cutaneous melanoma.

Introduction: Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) accounts for 15% of all lung cancers and has been understudied for novel therapies. Signaling through fibroblast growth factors (FGF2, FGF9) and their high-affinity receptor has recently emerged as a contributing factor in the pathogenesis and progression of non-small-cell lung cancer. In this study, we evaluated fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) and ligand expression in primary SCLC samples.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are dysregulated in many cancer types and are believed to play crucial roles in regulating several hallmarks of cancer biology. Currently, most studies support the concept that lncRNAs are involved in either transcriptional or post-transcriptional processes via binding/targeting epigenetic modifiers or hRNP complexes.