A residual blood supply to the ischaemic brain is a crucial determinant for tissue survival. Early changes in the vascular network and subsequent angiogenesis may be mediated by short-lived molecules like nitric oxide (NO) or growth... more
A residual blood supply to the ischaemic brain is a crucial determinant for tissue survival. Early changes in the vascular network and subsequent angiogenesis may be mediated by short-lived molecules like nitric oxide (NO) or growth factors such as transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Although TGF-β1 can inhibit NO production, this interaction has not been studied after ischaemia in humans. Serum
Research Interests: Immunohistochemistry, Biological Sciences, Cerebrospinal Fluid, Humans, Nitric oxide, and 18 moreFemale, Negative Feedback, Male, Astrocyte, Brain Ischemia, CHEMICAL SCIENCES, Aged, Middle Aged, Adult, Nitric Oxide Synthase, Endothelial cell, Transforming Growth Factor Beta, Human Serum, Correlation coefficient, Growth Factor, Ischaemic Stroke, White Blood Cell, and Transforming Growth Factor
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Sclerotic skin manifestations of chronic graft-versus-host disease (ScGVHD) lead to significant morbidity, including functional disability from joint range of motion (ROM) restriction. No superior second-line therapy has been established... more
Sclerotic skin manifestations of chronic graft-versus-host disease (ScGVHD) lead to significant morbidity, including functional disability from joint range of motion (ROM) restriction. No superior second-line therapy has been established for steroid-refractory disease. Imatinib mesylate is a multi-kinase inhibitor of several signaling pathways implicated in skin fibrosis with in vitro antifibrotic activity. We performed an open label pilot Phase 2 trial of imatinib in children and adults with corticosteroid refractory ScGVHD. Twenty patients were enrolled in a 6 month trial. Eight received a standard dose (adult: 400 mg daily; children: 260 mg/m(2) daily). Due to poor tolerability, 12 additional patients underwent a dose escalation regimen (adult: 100 mg daily initial dose up to 200 mg daily maximum; children initial dose 65 mg/m(2) daily up to 130 mg/m(2) daily). Fourteen patients were evaluable for primary response, improvement in joint range of motion (ROM) deficit, at 6 months. Primary outcome criteria for partial response (PR) was met in 5/14 (36%), stable disease (SD) in 7/14 (50%), and progressive disease (PD) in 2/14 (14%) patients. Eleven (79%) patients, including 5 PR and 6 with SD, demonstrated a positive gain in ROM (range 3-94% improvement in deficit). Of 13 patients with measurable changes at 6 months, the average improvement in ROM deficit was 24.2% (IQR: 15.5% to 30.5%; p=0.011). This trial is registered at http://clinicaltrials.gov as NCT007020689.
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Research Interests: Psychopharmacology, Depression, Schizophrenia, Wound Healing, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, and 15 moreCell Division, Mice, Animals, Male, Clinical Sciences, General Anesthesia, Epithelial cells, Transforming Growth Factor Beta, Cell Proliferation, DNA binding proteins, Control Group, Gene Transfer, Gene Expression Regulation, Transient Expression, and Transforming Growth Factor
Research Interests: Biotechnology, Inflammation, Radiation Therapy, Autoimmune Disease, Mice, and 15 moreHead and Neck Cancer, Animals, Fibrosis, Laboratory, Clinical Sciences, Mouse Model, Digestive System, Xerostomia, Transforming Growth Factor Beta, Salivary Gland, Transgenic Mouse Technology, Salivary Gland Diseases, Salivary Glands, Mouse Mammary Tumor Virus, and Transforming Growth Factor
Research Interests: Retinal Pigment Epithelium, Extracellular Matrix, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Signal Transduction, Cell line, and 12 moreCell Differentiation, Humans, Mice, Animals, Retinal detachment, Clinical Sciences, Mouse Model, Swine, Transforming Growth Factor Beta, Biological markers, DNA binding proteins, and Transforming Growth Factor
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Damage to the cornea from chemical burns is a serious clinical problem that often leads to permanent visual impairment. Because transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta has been implicated in the response to corneal injury, we evaluated the... more
Damage to the cornea from chemical burns is a serious clinical problem that often leads to permanent visual impairment. Because transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta has been implicated in the response to corneal injury, we evaluated the effects of altered TGF-beta signaling in a corneal alkali burn model using mice treated topically with an adenovirus (Ad) expressing inhibitory Smad7 and mice with a targeted deletion of the TGF-beta/activin signaling mediator Smad3. Expression of exogenous Smad7 in burned corneal tissue resulted in reduced activation of Smad signaling and nuclear factor-kappaB signaling via RelA/p65. Resurfacing of the burned cornea by conjunctival epithelium and its differentiation to cornea-like epithelium were both accelerated in Smad7-Ad-treated corneas with suppressed stromal ulceration, opacification, and neovascularization 20 days after injury. Introduction of the Smad7 gene suppressed invasion of monocytes/macrophages and expression of monocyte/macrophage chemotactic protein-1, TGF-beta1, TGF-beta2, vascular endothelial growth factor, matrix metalloproteinase-9, and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-2 and abolished the generation of myofibroblasts. Although acceleration of healing of the burned cornea was also observed in mice lacking Smad3, the effects on epithelial and stromal healing were less pronounced than those in corneas treated with Smad7. Together these data suggest that overexpression of Smad7 may have effects beyond those of simply blocking Smad3/TGF-beta signaling and may represent an effective new strategy for treatment of ocular burns.
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Non-T small lymphocytic suppressor cells in murine allopregnancy release a potent immunosuppressive factor in vitro that is neutralized by rabbit anti-transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta. Previous studies have suggested that the... more
Non-T small lymphocytic suppressor cells in murine allopregnancy release a potent immunosuppressive factor in vitro that is neutralized by rabbit anti-transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta. Previous studies have suggested that the decidual suppressor factor (DSF) is smaller than TGF-beta 1, and in this paper, we show that DSF on HPLC-sieving columns also elutes later than TGF-beta 2. Nevertheless, DSF has the ability to promote anchorage-independent growth of NRK fibroblasts similar to TGF-beta s. Using turkey antibodies specific for TGF-beta 1 or beta 2, we show that DSF is related to TGF-beta 2 rather than TGF-beta 1, and this relationship was confirmed by using a panel of murine mAb to TGF-subtypes. PAGE and Western blotting showed that the TGF-beta 2-reactive molecules in HPLC-purified DSF was slightly smaller than TGF-beta 2 and approximately 20 to 23 kDa. The DSF molecule is therefore closely related to TGF-beta 2 but as released from decidua, differs in size. The TGF-beta 2-r...
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We report the results of a histochemical study, using polyclonal antipeptide antibodies to the different TGF beta isoforms, which demonstrates that retinoic acid regulates the expression of TGF beta 2 in the vitamin A-deficient rat. Basal... more
We report the results of a histochemical study, using polyclonal antipeptide antibodies to the different TGF beta isoforms, which demonstrates that retinoic acid regulates the expression of TGF beta 2 in the vitamin A-deficient rat. Basal expression of TGF beta 2 diminished under conditions of vitamin A deficiency. Treatment with retinoic acid caused a rapid and transient induction of TGF beta 2 and TGF beta 3 in the epidermis, tracheobronchial and alveolar epithelium, and intestinal mucosa. Induction of TGF beta 1 expression was also observed in the epidermis. In contrast to these epithelia, expression of the three TGF beta isoforms increased in vaginal epithelium during vitamin A deficiency, and decreased following systemic administration of retinoic acid. Our results show for the first time the widespread regulation of TGF beta expression by retinoic acid in vivo, and suggest a possible mechanism by which retinoics regulate the functions of both normal and pre-neoplastic epithelia.
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To delineate specific developmental roles of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) we have disrupted its cognate gene in mouse embryonic stem cells by homologous recombination to generate TGF-beta 1 null mice. These mice do not... more
To delineate specific developmental roles of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) we have disrupted its cognate gene in mouse embryonic stem cells by homologous recombination to generate TGF-beta 1 null mice. These mice do not produce detectable amounts of either TGF-beta 1 RNA or protein. After normal growth for the first 2 weeks they develop a rapid wasting syndrome and die by 3-4 weeks of age. Pathological examination revealed an excessive inflammatory response with massive infiltration of lymphocytes and macrophages in many organs, but primarily in heart and lungs. Many lesions resembled those found in autoimmune disorders, graft-vs.-host disease, or certain viral diseases. This phenotype suggests a prominent role for TGF-beta 1 in homeostatic regulation of immune cell proliferation and extravasation into tissues.
Research Interests: Inflammation, Multidisciplinary, Mutation, Mice, Animals, and 12 moreGenetic transformation, Lung, Phenotype, Myocardium, Transforming Growth Factor Beta, Homologous Recombination, Cell Proliferation, Base Sequence, Syndrome, Transforming Growth Factor, Inflammatory response, and Molecular Sequence Data
Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta 1) has been proposed as a mediator of tumour growth in a number of tumours and cell lines including prostate, and in a recent study was shown to be up-regulated in the stroma of breast cancer... more
Transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-beta 1) has been proposed as a mediator of tumour growth in a number of tumours and cell lines including prostate, and in a recent study was shown to be up-regulated in the stroma of breast cancer tissue following treatment with the anti-oestrogen tamoxifen. Immunolocalisation of the intracellular form of TGF-beta 1 confirmed that the source of the stromal TGF-beta 1 was the peritumoral fibroblasts. We present here the results of a study in which five patients with hormonally unresponsive prostatic carcinoma and seven patients responding to a luteinising hormone-releasing hormone analogue had prostate biopsies taken before and during treatment. These were stained for TGF-beta expression prior to treatment and at either relapse or 3 months later respectively. Six of seven clinically responding tumours and three of five relapsed tumours showed up-regulation of extracellular TGF-beta 1, again primarily in the stroma, with no apparent up-regulation...
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N epsilon-Acetimidoglucagon to be used for semisynthesis was prepared by reacting glucagon with methyl acetimidate hydrochloride at pH 10.2, favoring acetimidation of the sole epsilon-amino group. N epsilon-Acetimidoglucagon was isolated... more
N epsilon-Acetimidoglucagon to be used for semisynthesis was prepared by reacting glucagon with methyl acetimidate hydrochloride at pH 10.2, favoring acetimidation of the sole epsilon-amino group. N epsilon-Acetimidoglucagon was isolated from the crude acetimidoglucagon mixture by anion-exchange chromatography at pH 9.4, producing a derivative which was identical with native glucagon on isoelectric focusing and which by amino acid analysis had greater than 98% of the lysine blocked. The yield was greater than that obtained when tetrahydrophthalic anhydride was used as a chromatographic handle to remove peptides with unreacted amino groups. N epsilon-Acetimidoglucagon closely resembled native glucagon in its biological activity and binding affinity, eliminating the need for deprotection. Semisynthetic N alpha-biotinyl-N epsilon-acetimidoglucagon, prepared by reacting (N-hydroxysuccinimido)biotin with N epsilon-acetimidoglucagon and purified by cation-exchange chromatography, was homo...
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Smad3, a major intracellular mediator of TGFβ signaling, functions as both a positive and negative regulator in carcinogenesis. In response to TGFβ, the TGFβ receptor phosphorylates serine residues at the Smad3 C-tail. Cancer cells often... more
Smad3, a major intracellular mediator of TGFβ signaling, functions as both a positive and negative regulator in carcinogenesis. In response to TGFβ, the TGFβ receptor phosphorylates serine residues at the Smad3 C-tail. Cancer cells often contain high levels of the MAPK and CDK activities, which can lead to the Smad3 linker region becoming highly phosphorylated. Here, we report, for the first time, that mutation of the Smad3 linker phosphorylation sites markedly inhibited primary tumor growth, but significantly increased lung metastasis of breast cancer cell lines. In contrast, mutation of the Smad3 C-tail phosphorylation sites had the opposite effect. We show that mutation of the Smad3 linker phosphorylation sites greatly intensifies all TGFβ-induced responses, including growth arrest, apoptosis, reduction in the size of putative cancer stem cell population, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, and invasive activity. Moreover, all TGFβ responses were completely lost on mutation of the...
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Many tumors are hierarchically organized with a minority cell population that has stem-like properties and enhanced ability to initiate tumorigenesis and drive therapeutic relapse. These cancer stem cells (CSCs) are typically identified... more
Many tumors are hierarchically organized with a minority cell population that has stem-like properties and enhanced ability to initiate tumorigenesis and drive therapeutic relapse. These cancer stem cells (CSCs) are typically identified by complex combinations of cell-surface markers that differ among tumor types. Here, we developed a flexible lentiviral-based reporter system that allows direct visualization of CSCs based on functional properties. The reporter responds to the core stem cell transcription factors OCT4 and SOX2, with further selectivity and kinetic resolution coming from use of a proteasome-targeting degron. Cancer cells marked by this reporter have the expected properties of self-renewal, generation of heterogeneous offspring, high tumor- and metastasis-initiating activity, and resistance to chemotherapeutics. With this approach, the spatial distribution of CSCs can be assessed in settings that retain microenvironmental and structural cues, and CSC plasticity and response to therapeutics can be monitored in real time.
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Research Interests: Wound Healing, Multidisciplinary, Extracellular Matrix, Elasticity, Cellular mechanotransduction, and 13 moreTissue repair, Mice, Animals, Skin, Integrins, Mechanical Testing, Mechanical Stress, Bone Marrow Transplantation, Biological markers, Elastic Modulus, Elastic Properties, Knockout Mice, and Matrix Metalloproteinase
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Research Interests: Psychopharmacology, Depression, Schizophrenia, Cell Migration, Enzyme Inhibitors, and 15 moreSignal Transduction, Cell line, Humans, Mice, Animals, Male, Fibrosis, Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase, Clinical Sciences, Pyridines, Transforming Growth Factor Beta, Cell Proliferation, Imidazoles, Gene Transfer, and Transforming Growth Factor
Research Interests: Wound Healing, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Cell Division, Mice, Animals, and 11 moreMale, Clinical Sciences, General Anesthesia, Epithelial cells, Transforming Growth Factor Beta, Cell Proliferation, DNA binding proteins, Control Group, Gene Transfer, Gene Expression Regulation, and Transient Expression
Research Interests: Retinal Pigment Epithelium, Extracellular Matrix, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition, Signal Transduction, Cell line, and 11 moreCell Differentiation, Humans, Mice, Animals, Retinal detachment, Clinical Sciences, Mouse Model, Swine, Transforming Growth Factor Beta, Biological markers, and DNA binding proteins
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Abstract Prostate tissue samples from patients with prostatic carcinoma (PC) and/or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were examined for expression of transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGF-β 1) using an immunohistochemical technique.... more
Abstract Prostate tissue samples from patients with prostatic carcinoma (PC) and/or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were examined for expression of transforming growth factor-β 1 (TGF-β 1) using an immunohistochemical technique. Tissues were stained with CC and ...
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Loss of transforming growth factor beta type II receptor (TGFbeta-RII) expression has been associated with resistance to TGFbeta-mediated inhibition of cell proliferation and tumour progression. We investigated whether the expression of... more
Loss of transforming growth factor beta type II receptor (TGFbeta-RII) expression has been associated with resistance to TGFbeta-mediated inhibition of cell proliferation and tumour progression. We investigated whether the expression of TGFbeta-RII is related to the progression of human breast cancer and whether there is a correlation between TGFbeta-RII expression and phenotypic markers of biological aggressiveness. Immunohistochemical methods were used to detect TGFbeta-RII in archival breast samples including benign proliferative lesions, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive mammary carcinomas (IMC). Neoplastic cells showed reduced expression of TGFbeta-RII in comparison to the normal breast tissue and benign lesions. There was a significant inverse correlation between loss of TGFbeta-RII expression and tumour grade within both DCIS (P = 0.004) and IMC (P = 0.001) groups. There was an inverse correlation between TGFbeta-RII expression and both mitotic count (P = 0.001) and clinical stage (P = 0.004). Oestrogen receptor (P = 0.07) and lymph node status (P = 0.10) were not significantly associated with TGFbeta-RII expression. These data indicate that decreased expression of TGFbeta-RII may contribute to breast cancer progression and is related to a more aggressive phenotype in both in-situ and invasive carcinomas.
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