RASSF1A is a tumor suppressor gene that is epigenetically silenced in a wide variety of sporadic human malignancies. Expression of alternative RASSF1 isoforms cannot substitute for RASSF1A-promoted cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. Apoptosis can be driven by either activating Bax or by activation of MST kinases. The Raf1 proto-oncogene binds to MST2, preventing its activation and proapoptotic si...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent solid tumors worldwide, with limited treatment options and a dismal prognosis. Thus, there is a strong need to expand the basic and translational research on this deadly disease in order to improve the prognosis of HCC patients. Although the etiologic factors responsible for HCC development have been identified, the molecular pathogenes...

BACKGROUND Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies in the world. Studies have confirmed that there are many genes abnormally hypermethylated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The objective is to detect methylation of the RASSF1A gene promoter and the expression of the DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) protein in esophageal cancer tissue and discuss their rel...

Aberrant DNA methylation is critical for development and progression of breast cancer. We investigated the association of CpG island methylation in candidate genes and clinicopathological features in 65 African-American (AA) and European-American (EA) breast cancer patients. Quantitative methylation analysis was carried out on bisulfite modified genomic DNA and sequencing (pyrosequencing) for p...

The RASSF1A tumor suppressor gene is frequently inactivated by promoter methylation in human tumors. The RASSF1A protein forms an endogenous complex with tubulin and promotes the stabilization of microtubules. Loss of RASSF1A expression sensitizes cells to microtubule destabilizing stimuli. We have observed a strong correlation between the loss of RASSF1A expression and the development of Taxol...

PURPOSE RASSF1A, a recently identified candidate tumor suppressor gene, was found to be inactivated in lung cancer and other tumor types. We sought to understand the role of RASSF1A in head and neck cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We analyzed the status of RASSF1A and presence of high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) in head and neck cancer squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines and primary t...

Recent advances in the study of RASSF1A , the candidate tumor suppressor gene, indicate a possible role of RASSF1A in cell cycle regulation; however, very little is known regarding molecular mechanisms underlying this control. Using small interfering RNA to knockdown endogenous RASSF1A in the breast tumor cell line HB2 and in the cervical cancer cell line HeLa, we identify that a key player in ...

Background. Assessment of DNA methylation of specific genes is one approach to the diagnosis of cancer worldwide. Early stage detection is necessary to reduce the mortality rate of cancers, including those occurring in the stomach. For this purpose, tumor cells in circulating blood offer promising candidates for non-invasive diagnosis. Transcriptional inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, lik...

BACKGROUND Tumor suppressor gene (TSG) RASSF1A and candidate TSG BLU are two tandem head-to-tail genes located at 3p21.3. We hypothesized that there may be a concordance on their gene expression and promoter methylation status. If not, then there may be an insulator located between RASSF1A and BLU genes that provides a barrier activity. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We first identified poten...

PURPOSE Schistosoma haematobium is associated with chronic bladder damage and may subsequently induce bladder cancer in humans, thus posing a serious threat where the parasite is endemic. Here we evaluated aberrant promoter DNA methylation as a potential biomarker to detect severe bladder damage that is associated with schistosomiasis by analyzing urine specimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS A quan...