Cancer Research Institute

About: Cancer Research Institute is a nonprofit organization based out in New York, New York, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Cancer & Population. The organization has 1061 authors who have published 754 publications receiving 26712 citations.

Clinical implications of MTA proteins in human cancer.

Abstract: Metastasis-associated gene or metastasis tumor antigen 1 (MTA1) is a new member of cancer progression-related gene family. It was first identified in rat mammary adenocarcinoma and later recognized as an important constituent of nucleosomal remodeling complex (NuRD), displaying dual regulatory functions as a co-repressor and co-activator for a large number of genes. Chromatin remodelers are ATP-dependent multi-protein chromatin modifying machines. These complexes alter the nucleosome positioning regulating the accessibility of genomic DNA to various transcription factors and thus modulate eukaryotic gene transcription. Since its identification two decades ago, MTA1 has been reported to be overexpressed in many cancers. Moreover, its overexpression has also been correlated with transformation and tumor progression. Furthermore, MTA1 has been shown to modulate the response of several tumor suppressor genes like p53 and oncogenes like c-myc. Taken together, current literature suggests that MTA proteins, especially MTA1, act as a master co-regulatory molecule involved in the carcinogenesis and progression of various malignant tumors. The primary focus of this review is to provide an overview of the MTA proteins with special emphasis on its role in cancer and use as a marker for cancer progression and potential target for therapy.

Cell cycle effects and induction of apoptosis caused by infection of HL‐60 cells with human granulocytic ehrlichiosis pathogen measured by flow and laser scanning cytometry

Abstract: Human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) is an occasionally severe and even fatal disease caused by an agent closely related to Ehrlichia equi and Ehrlichia phagocytophila, which is transmitted by ticks. Little is known about the pathogen itself, which only very recently has been isolated. The agent can be cultivated in vitro because it replicates in human promyelocytic leukemic HL-60 cells. Using multiparameter flow cytometry and laser scanning cytometry (LSC) we have investigated changes in HL-60 cells following their infection with the pathogen. Its presence within the infected HL-60 cells was detected and its intracellular level measured inmmunocytochemically using antibodies obtained from HGE-infected patients. The percentage of the infected cells measured by flow cytometry or LSC correlated well with the estimates by microscopy on the Giemsa-stained specimens. In the infected cultures, the cells had diminished levels of cyclins D3 and E as well as the cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor p21WAF1/CIP1 and were arrested predominantly in G0/1. The apoptosis-associated regulatory proteins were also affected by cell infection: expression of Bcl-2 was decreased in the infected cells whereas expression of Bax become more variable, with some cells showing higher levels of this protein. The infected cells developed numerous DNA strand breaks characteristic of apoptosis. The presence of the pathogen was also detected by LSC in cells from peripheral blood of the infected patients; after relocation and visual inspection ("CompuSort") the pathogen-positive cells were identified as leukocytes. This unique ability of LSC to detect, quantify, and visualize HGE in infected cells made this instrument particularly useful to measure the degree of infection in peripheral blood of the patients and study effects of the infectious agent on the cell cycle and apoptosis of the host cells.

Lentiviral mediated transgenesis by in vivo manipulation of spermatogonial stem cells.

Abstract: This report describes a technique for the generation of transgenic mice by in vivo manipulation of spermatogonial stem cells with a high rate of success. Spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) in pre-pubescent animals were infected in vivo with recombinant lentiviruses expressing EGFP-f and mated with normal females. All male pre-founder mice produced transgenic pups with an overall success rate of over 60%. The transgene was heritable and the pre-founder mice could be used in multiple mating experiments. This technology could be used to perform overexpression/knockdown screens in vivo using bar-coded lentiviruses, thus permitting the design of genetic screens in the mouse. Further, this technology could be adapted to other laboratory animals resulting in the generation of model systems that closely approximate human development and disease.