Kumamoto University

About: Kumamoto University is a education organization based out in Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 19602 authors who have published 35513 publications receiving 901260 citations. The organization is also known as: Kumamoto Daigaku.

Wnt5a regulates directional cell migration and cell proliferation via Ror2-mediated noncanonical pathway in mammalian palate development.

Abstract: Tissue and molecular heterogeneities are present in the developing secondary palate along the anteroposterior (AP) axis in mice. Here, we show that Wnt5a and its receptor Ror2 are expressed in a graded manner along the AP axis of the palate. Wnt5a deficiency leads to a complete cleft of the secondary palate, which exhibits distinct phenotypic alterations at histological, cellular and molecular levels in the anterior and posterior regions of the palate. We demonstrate that there is directional cell migration within the developing palate. In the absence of Wnt5a, this directional cell migration does not occur. Genetic studies and in vitro organ culture assays further demonstrate a role for Ror2 in mediating Wnt5a signaling in the regulation of cell proliferation and migration during palate development. Our results reveal distinct regulatory roles for Wnt5a in gene expression and cell proliferation along the AP axis of the developing palate, and an essential role for Wnt5a in the regulation of directional cell migration.

RNA interference targeting aurora kinase a suppresses tumor growth and enhances the taxane chemosensitivity in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Abstract: AURKA/STK15/BTAK , the gene encoding Aurora A kinase that is involved in the regulation of centrosomes and segregation of chromosomes, is frequently amplified and overexpressed in various kinds of human cancers, including pancreatic cancer. To address its possibility as a therapeutic target for pancreatic cancer, we employed the RNA interference technique to knockdown AURKA expression and analyzed its phenotypes. We found that the specific knockdown of AURKA in cultured pancreatic cancer cells strongly suppressed in vitro cell growth and in vivo tumorigenicity. The knockdown induced the accumulation of cells in the G2-M phase and eventual apoptosis. Furthermore, we observed a synergistic enhancement of the cytotoxicity of taxanes, a group of chemotherapeutic agents impairing G2-M transition, by the RNA interference–mediated knockdown of AURKA . These results indicate that inhibition of AURKA expression can result in potent antitumor activity and chemosensitizing activity to taxanes in human pancreatic cancer.

Activated protein C prevents LPS-induced pulmonary vascular injury by inhibiting cytokine production

Abstract: We investigated the effect of activated protein C (APC) on pulmonary vascular injury and the increase in tumor necrosis factor (TNF) levels in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated rats to determine whe...