iNKT cells are CD1d-restricted T cells that are rapidly activated in response to antigen and play a key role in promoting adaptive anti-tumor immunity. Surprisingly, we found that mice bearing 4T1 breast cancer CD8+ T cells inhibited spontaneous metastases in the absence of iNKT cells, suggesting that iNKT cells were suppressing the onset of CD8 + anti-tumor T cell responses. iNKT-deficient (iN...

Cancer cells adapt their metabolism during tumorigenesis. We studied two isogenic breast cancer cells lines (highly metastatic 4T1; nonmetastatic 67NR) to identify differences in their glucose and glutamine metabolism in response to metabolic and environmental stress. Dynamic magnetic resonance spectroscopy of (13)C-isotopomers showed that 4T1 cells have higher glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid...

Although it may sound unpleasant, camel urine has been consumed extensively for years in the Middle East as it is believed to be able to treat a wide range of diseases such as fever, cold, or even cancer. People usually take it by mixing small drops with camel milk or take it directly. The project aims to study the effects of camel urine in inhibiting the growth potential and metastatic ability...

BACKGROUND Metastasis is the major cause of cancer related death and targeting the process of metastasis has been proposed as a strategy to combat cancer. Therefore, to develop candidate drugs that target the process of metastasis is very important. In the preliminary studies, we found that schisandrin B (Sch B), a naturally-occurring dibenzocyclooctadiene lignan with very low toxicity, could s...

Early detection of breast cancer is the most effective way to improve the survival rate in women. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers high spatial resolution and good anatomic details, and its lower sensitivity can be improved by using targeted molecular imaging. In this study, AS1411 aptamer was conjugated to Fe3O4@Au nanoparticles for specific targeting of mouse mammary carcinoma (4T1) ce...

Epidemiological and experimental observations support the hypothesis that chronic inflammation contributes to cancer development and progression; however, the mechanisms underlying the relationship between inflammation and cancer are poorly understood. To study these mechanisms, we have transfected the mouse 4T1 mammary carcinoma with the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1beta to produce a chronic i...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a Lipofectamine2000 (Life2000) Transfection Reagent transfected psiRNA-STAT3 plasmid on 4T1 breast cancer cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS MTT was used to detect the cell proliferation of breast cancer 4T1 cells at different periods (0h, 6h, 8h, 10h); the cell cycle was assessed by flow cytometry; variation of apoptosis and mitocho...

"Training" the host immune system to recognize and systemically eliminate residual tumor lesions and micrometastases is a promising strategy for cancer therapy. In this study, we investigated whether integrin αvβ6-targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT) of tumors using a phthalocyanine dye-labeled probe (termed DSAB-HK) could trigger the host immune response, and whether PDT in combination with ant...

The irreversible ERBB1/2/4 inhibitor neratinib has been shown in vitro to rapidly reduce the expression of ERBB1/2/4 and RAS proteins via autophagic/lysosomal degradation. We have recently demonstrated that neratinib and valproate interact to suppress the growth of 4T1 mammary tumors but had not defined whether the [neratinib + valproate] drug combination, in a mouse, had altered the biology of...

PR39, a porcine cathelicidin rich in the amino acids proline and arginine can interact with the negatively charged component of the cell surface, and rapidly penetrate cell membranes. Therefore, we hypothesized that PR39, as a membrane penetrating peptide (MPP), could be exploited as a novel carrier to deliver siRNA into the cell cytoplasm in orde...