University of Illinois at Chicago

About: University of Illinois at Chicago is a education organization based out in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 57071 authors who have published 110536 publications receiving 4264936 citations.

A senescence-like phenotype distinguishes tumor cells that undergo terminal proliferation arrest after exposure to anticancer agents

Abstract: Exposure of human tumor cell lines to different chemotherapeutic drugs, ionizing radiation, and differentiating agents induced morphological, enzymatic, and ploidy changes resembling replicative senescence of normal cells. Moderate doses of doxorubicin induced this senescence-like phenotype (SLP) in 11 of 14 tested cell lines derived from different types of human solid tumors, including all of the lines with wild-type p53 and half of p53-mutated cell lines. SLP induction seemed to be independent from mitotic cell death, the other major effect of drug treatment. Among cells that survived drug exposure, SLP markers distinguished those cells that became terminally growth-arrested within a small number of cell divisions from the cells that recovered and resumed proliferation. SLP induction in breast carcinoma cells treated with retinoids in vitro or in vivo was found to correlate with permanent growth inhibition under the conditions of minimal cytotoxicity, suggesting that this response may be particularly important for the antiproliferative effect of differentiating agents. The senescence-like program of terminal proliferation arrest may provide an important determinant of treatment outcome and a target for augmentation in cancer therapy.

Forkhead Box M1 Regulates the Transcriptional Network of Genes Essential for Mitotic Progression and Genes Encoding the SCF (Skp2-Cks1) Ubiquitin Ligase

Abstract: The Forkhead box m1 (Foxm1) gene is critical for G(1)/S transition and essential for mitotic progression However, the transcriptional mechanisms downstream of FoxM1 that control these cell cycle events remain to be determined Here, we show that both early-passage Foxm1(-)(/)(-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and human osteosarcoma U2OS cells depleted of FoxM1 protein by small interfering RNA fail to grow in culture due to a mitotic block and accumulate nuclear levels of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor (CDKI) proteins p21(Cip1) and p27(Kip1) Using quantitative chromatin immunoprecipitation and expression assays, we show that FoxM1 is essential for transcription of the mitotic regulatory genes Cdc25B, Aurora B kinase, survivin, centromere protein A (CENPA), and CENPB We also identify the mechanism by which FoxM1 deficiency causes elevated nuclear levels of the CDKI proteins p21(Cip1) and p27(Kip1) We provide evidence that FoxM1 is essential for transcription of Skp2 and Cks1, which are specificity subunits of the Skp1-Cullin 1-F-box (SCF) ubiquitin ligase complex that targets these CDKI proteins for degradation during the G(1)/S transition Moreover, early-passage Foxm1(-)(/)(-) MEFs display premature senescence as evidenced by high expression of the senescence-associated beta-galactosidase, p19(ARF), and p16(INK4A) proteins Taken together, these results demonstrate that FoxM1 regulates transcription of cell cycle genes critical for progression into S-phase and mitosis

FoxO proteins in insulin action and metabolism

Abstract: There is increasing evidence that Forkhead box 'Other' (FoxO) proteins, a subgroup of the Forkhead transcription factor family, have an important role in mediating the effects of insulin and growth factors on diverse physiological functions, including cell proliferation, apoptosis and metabolism. Genetic studies in Caenorhabditis (Caenorhabditis elegans) and Drosophila demonstrate that FoxO proteins are ancient targets of insulin-like signaling involved in the regulation of metabolism and longevity. Studies in mammalian cells reveal that FoxO proteins regulate cell cycle progression and promote resistance to oxidative stress; both in vivo and cell culture studies support the concept that FoxO proteins have an important role in mediating the effects of insulin on metabolism, including its effects on hepatic glucose production. Phosphorylation and acetylation modulate FoxO function and control nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling, DNA binding and protein-protein interactions. FoxO transcription factors exert positive and negative effects on gene expression, through direct binding to DNA target sites and protein-protein interactions with other transcription factors and coactivators. This paper provides an overview of studies leading to the identification of FoxO proteins as targets of insulin action and the mechanisms mediating the effects of insulin-like signaling on FoxO function, emphasizing the role of FoxO proteins in mediating the effects of insulin on metabolism.

Nanofluids: from vision to reality through research

Abstract: Nanofluids are a new class of nanotechnology-based heat transfer fluids engineered by dispersing and stably suspending nanoparticles with typical length on the order of 1-50 nm in traditional heat transfer fluids. For the past decade, pioneering scientists and engineers have made phenomenal discoveries that a very small amount (<1 vol %) of guest nanoparticles can provide dramatic improvements in the thermal properties of the host fluids. For example, some nanofluids exhibit superior thermal properties such as anomalously high thermal conductivity at low nanoparticle concentrations, strong temperature- and size-dependent thermal conductivity, a nonlinear relationship between thermal conductivity and concentration, and a threefold increase in the critical heat flux at a small particle concentration of the order of 10 ppm. Nanofluids are of great scientific interest because these unprecedented thermal transport phenomena surpass the fundamental limits of conventional macroscopic theories of suspensions. Therefore, numerous mechanisms and models have been proposed to account for these unexpected, intriguing thermal properties of nanofluids. These discoveries also show that nanofluids technology can provide exciting new opportunities to develop nanotechnology-based coolants for a variety of innovative engineering and medical applications. As a result, the study of nanofluids has emerged as a new field of scientific research and innovative applications. Hence, the subject of nanofluids is of great interest worldwide for basic and applied research. This paper highlights recent advances in this new field of research and shows future directions in nanofluids research through which the vision of nanofluids can be turned into reality.