PURPOSE The aim of this study was to investigate whether cultured human corneal fibroblasts express functional chemokine CXCR4 receptors on their cell surface and to determine the presence of its specific ligand, SDF-1 (CXCL12), in human corneal fibroblasts. METHODS Human corneal fibroblast cultures were obtained using human donor corneas. CXCR4 receptors were characterized using binding stud...

The chemokine CXCL12 (also known as stromal cell-derived factor, SDF-1) is constitutively expressed by stromal resident cells and is involved in the homeostatic and inflammatory traffic of leukocytes. Binding of CXCL12 to glycosaminoglycans on endothelial cells (ECs) is supposed to be relevant to the regulation of leukocyte diapedesis and neoangiogenesis during inflammatory responses. To improv...

Ovarian carcinomas have a poor prognosis, often associated with multifocal i.p. dissemination accompanied by intense neovascularization. To examine tumor angiogenesis in the tumor microenvironment, we studied malignant ascites and tumors of patients with untreated ovarian carcinoma. We observed that malignant ascites fluid induced potent in vivo neovascularization in Matrigel assay. We detected...

Transplanted stem cells provide beneficial effects on regeneration/recovery after spinal cord injury (SCI) by the release of growth-promoting factors, increased tissue preservation, and provision of a permissive environment for axon regeneration. A rise in chemokine stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1/CXCL12) expression levels in central nervous system (CNS) injury sites has been shown to play...

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are multipotent fibroblast-like cells located in the bone marrow that localize to areas of tissue damage including wounds and solid tumors. Within the tumor microenvironment, MSCs adopt the phenotype of carcinoma-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) and stimulate tumor growth. Production of the chemokine CXCL12, also known as stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1), by M...

OBJECTIVE Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1/CXCL12), the main ligand for CXCR4, is overexpressed in human cancer. This study addressed the precise contribution of SDF-1 to gastric carcinogenesis. DESIGN SDF-1 transgenic mice were created and a Helicobacter-induced gastric cancer model was used in combination with H/K-ATPase-IL-1β mice. Gastric tissue was analysed by histopathology and cell...

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1 or CXCL12) is the physiologic ligand for the chemokine receptor CXCR4. CXCR4-mediated signalling regulates cell migration and apoptosis in certain haematopoietic and neuronal cells. Using gene profiling, we determined that CXCR4 is the only chemokine receptor for which mRNA expression is regulated during trophoblast differentiation in vitro. Based on the kno...

Migration of hemopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) is required for homing to bone marrow following transplantation. Therefore, it is critical to understand signals underlying directional movement of HSPC. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1)/CXCL12 is a potent chemoattractant for HSPC. In this study, we demonstrate that the serine-threonine protein phosphatase (PP)2A plays an important ...

OBJECTIVE Diabetes is caused by a deficiency of pancreatic beta-cells that produce insulin. Approaches to enhance beta-cell mass by increasing proliferation and survival are desirable. We determined whether stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1/CXCL12 and its receptor, CX chemokine receptor (CXCR)4, are important for the survival of beta-cells. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Mouse pancreata and cl...

Laryngeal and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas (LHSCCs) are common head and neck cancers with a high propensity for lymph node (LN) and lung metastasis. Here, we report that LHSCCs express high levels of functional CXCR4 receptors, native for chemokine stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1/CXCL12). Primary tumor immunohistochemistry from LHSCC patients has revealed significant expression ...