Role of ATG16L,NOD2 and IL23R in Crohn's disease pathogenesis

Inflammatory bowel disease is a group of diseases that includes Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis.CD is characterized as a chronic inflammatory disease of the gastrointestinal tract,ranging from the mouth to the anus.Although there are gross pathological and histological similarities between CD and Johne's disease of cattle,the cause of CD remains controversial.It is vital to understand fully the cause of this disease because it affects approximately 500 000 people in North America and Europe.It ranges from 27 to 48 cases per 100 000 people.There are many theories on the cause of CD ranging from possible association with environmental factors including microorganisms to imbalance in the intestinal normal flora of the patients.Regardless of the environmental trigger,there is strong evidence that a genetic disposition is a major key in acquiring CD.Many studies have proven the link between mutations in the ATG16L,NOD2/CARD15,IBD5,CTLA4,TNFSF15 and IL23R genes,and CD.The purpose of this review is to examine all genetic aspects and theories of CD,including up to date multiple population studies performed worldwide.

Correlation between rpoB gene mutation in Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis and clinical rifabutin and rifampicin resistance for treatment of Crohn’s disease

AIM: To investigate overlapping regions of the rpoB gene previously involved with rifamycin resistance in M. tuberculosis and seek correlation between rpoB mutations in clinical MAP strains with susceptibility to RIF and RFB. METHODS: We designed a molecular-based PCR method for the evaluation of rifabutin (RFB) and rifampicin (RIF) resistance based on probable determinant regions within the rpoB gene of MAP, including the 81 bp variable site located between nucleotides 1363 and 1443. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for RIF was also determined against 11 MAP isolates in attempt to seek correlation with rpoB sequences. RESULTS: We determined that MAP strain 18 had an MIC of > 30 mg/L and ≤ 5 mg/L for RIF and RFB respectively, and a significant and novel rpoB mutation C1367T, compared to an MIC of ≤ 1.0 mg/L for both drugs in the wild type MAP. The 30-fold increase in the MIC was a direct result of the rpoB mutation C1367T, which caused an amino acid change Thr456 to Ile456 in the drug’s binding site. In addition, MAP strain 185 contained five silent rpoB mutations and exhibited an MIC comparable to the wild-type. Moreover, our in vitroselected mutation in MAP strain UCF5 resulted in the generation of a new resistant strain (UCF5-RIF16r) that possessed T1442C rpoB mutation and an MIC > 30 mg/L and > 10 mg/L for RIF and RFB respectively. Sequencing of the entire rpoB gene in MAP strains UCF4, 18, and UCF5-RIF16r revealed an rpoB mutation A2284C further downstream of the 81 bp variable region in UCF4, accounting for observed slight increase in MIC. In addition, no other significant mutations were found in strains 18 and UCF-RIF16r. CONCLUSION: The data clearly illustrates that clinical and in vitro-selected MAP mutants with rpoB mutations result in resistance to RIF and RFB, and that a single amino acid change in the beta subunit may have a significant impact on RIF resistance. Unconventional drug susceptibility testing such as our molecular approach will be beneficial for evaluation of antibiotic effectiveness. This molecular approach may also serve as a model for other drugs used for treatment of MAP infections.

STAT3 as a target for inducing apoptosis in solid and hematological tumors

过去几年里的研究在恶意的转变和 tumorigenesis 为异常信号变换器的关键角色和抄写 3 的使活跃之物(STAT3 ) 提供了引人注目的证据。因此， STAT3 是在人的癌症形成的批评播放器之一并且为新奇的反癌症药设计代表一个有效目标，这现在通常被接受。这评论在支持肿瘤房间幸存并且支持恶意的显型集中于异常 STAT3 和它的角色。对怀有组成地活跃的 STAT3 的人的肿瘤为新奇的反癌症代理人的发展指向 STAT3 的当前的策略的简短评估将也被介绍。

Sensitive detection of HIV-1 resistance to Zidovudine and impact on treatment outcomes in low-to middle-income countries

Background:Thymidine analogs,namely AZT(Zidovudine or Retrovir^(TM))and d4T(Stavudine or Zerit^(TM))are antiretroviral drugs still employed in over 75%of first line combination antiretroviral therapy(cART)in Kampala,Uganda despite aversion to prescribing these drugs for cART in high income countries due in part to adverse events.For this study,we explored how the continued use of these thymidine analogs in cART could impact emergence of drug resistance and impact on future treatment success in Uganda,a low-income country.Methods:We examined the drug resistance genotypes by Sanger sequencing of 262 HIV-infected patients failing a first line combined antiretroviral treatment containing either AZT or d4T,which represents approximately 5%of the patients at the Joint Clinical Research Center receiving a AZT or d4T containing treatment.Next generation sequencing(DEEPGEN^(TM)HIV)and multiplex oligonucleotide ligation assays(AfriPOLA)were then performed on a subset of patient samples to detect low frequency drug resistant mutations.CD4 cell counts,viral RNA loads,and treatment changes were analyzed in a cohort of treatment success and failures.Results:Over 80%of patients failing first line AZT/d4T-containing cART had predicted drug resistance to 3TC(Lamivudine)and non-nucleoside RT inhibitors(NNRTIs)in the treatment regimen but only 45%had resistance AZT/d4T associated resistance mutations(TAMs).TAMs were however detected at low frequency within the patients HIV quasispecies(1-20%)in 21 of 34 individuals who were failing first-line AZT-containing cART and lacked TAMs by Sanger.Due to lack of TAMs by Sanger,AZT was typically maintained in second-line therapies and these patients had a low frequency of subsequent virologic success.Conclusions:Our findings suggest that continued use of AZT and d4T in first-line treatment in low-to-middle income countries may lead to misdiagnosis of HIV-1 drug resistance and possibly enhance a succession of second-and third-line treatment failures.

The lncRNA BORG: a novel inducer of TNBC metastasis, chemoresistance, and disease recurrence

Although greater than 90% of breast cancer-related mortality can be attributed to metastases, the molecular mechanisms underpinning the dissemination of primary breast tumor cells and their ability to establish malignant lesions in distant tissues remain incompletely understood. Genomic and transcriptomic analyses identified a class of transcripts called long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), which interact both directly and indirectly with key components of gene regulatory networks to alter cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. We identified a pro-metastatic lncRNA BMP/OP-Responsive Gene (BORG) whose aberrant expression promotes metastatic relapse by reactivating proliferative programs in dormant disseminated tumor cells (DTCs). BORG expression is broadly and strongly induced by environmental and chemotherapeutic stresses, a transcriptional response that facilitates the survival of DTCs. Transcriptomic reprogramming in response to BORG resulted in robust signaling via survival and viability pathways, as well as decreased activation of cell death pathways. As such, BORG expression acts as a (1) marker capable of predicting which breast cancer patients are predisposed to develop secondary metastatic lesions;and (2) unique therapeutic target to maximize chemosensitivity of DTCs. Here we review the molecular and cellular factors that contribute to the pathophysiological activities of BORG during its regulation of breast cancer metastasis, chemoresistance, and disease recurrence.