Wnt/β-catenin signalling plays a prominent role in maintaining self-renewal and pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). microRNAs (miRNAs) have critical roles in maintaining pluripotency and directing reprogramming. To investigate the effect of GSK3 inhibitors on miRNA expression, we analysed the miRNA expression profile of J1 mESCs in the absence or presence of CHIR99021 (CHIR) or ...

The chicken leukocyte receptor complex located on microchromosome 31 encodes the chicken Ig-like receptors (CHIR), a vastly expanded gene family which can be further divided into three subgroups: activating CHIR-A, bifunctional CHIR-AB and inhibitory CHIR-B. Here, we investigated the presence of CHIR homologues in other bird species. The available genome databases of turkey, duck and zebra finc...

PURPOSE To evaluate the therapeutic and biological effects of CHIR-258, an orally bioavailable, potent inhibitor of class III-V receptor tyrosine kinases, in colon cancer models. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN The pharmacologic activity of CHIR-258 was characterized by monitoring target modulation as well as by evaluating the antitumor and antiangiogenic effects in human colon xenograft models. RESULT...

PURPOSE Chk1 kinase is a critical regulator of both S and G(2)-M phase cell cycle checkpoints in response to DNA damage. This study aimed to evaluate the biochemical, cellular, and antitumor effects of a novel Chk1 inhibitor, CHIR124. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN CHIR-124 was evaluated for its ability to abrogate cell cycle checkpoints, to potentiate cytotoxicity, and to inhibit Chk1-mediated signalin...

The use of human pluripotent cell progeny for cardiac disease modeling, drug testing and therapeutics requires the ability to efficiently induce pluripotent cells into the cardiomyogenic lineage. Although direct activation of the Activin-A and/or Bmp pathways with growth factors yields context-dependent success, recent studies have shown that induction of Wnt signaling using low molecular weigh...

The t(4;14) translocation that occurs uniquely in a subset (15%) of patients with multiple myeloma (MM) results in the ectopic expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3). Inhibition of activated FGFR3 in MM cells induces apoptosis, validating FGFR3 as a therapeutic target in t(4;14) MM and encouraging the clinical development of FGFR3 inhibitor...

Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) directed against lineage-specific B-cell antigens have provided clinical benefit for patients with hematologic malignancies, but to date no antibody-mediated immunotherapy is available for multiple myeloma. In the present study, we assessed the efficacy of a fully human anti-CD40 mAb CHIR-12.12 against human multiple myeloma cells. CHIR-12.12, generated in XenoMouse ...

CHIR-AB1 is a newly identified avian immunoglobulin (Ig) receptor that includes both activating and inhibitory motifs and was therefore classified as a potentially bifunctional receptor. Recently, CHIR-AB1 was shown to bind the Fc region of chicken IgY and to induce calcium mobilization via association with the common gamma-chain, a subunit that transmits signals upon ligation of many different...

In mammals, the cell surface receptors encoded by the leukocyte receptor complex (LRC) regulate the activity of T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes, as well as that of natural killer cells, and thus provide protection against pathogens and parasites. The chicken genome encodes many Ig-like receptors that are homologous to the LRC receptors. The chicken Ig-like receptor (CHIR) genes are members of a...

The UDP-3-O-(R-3-hydroxyacyl)-N-acetylglucosamine deacetylase LpxC is an essential enzyme of lipid A biosynthesis in Gram-negative bacteria and a promising antibiotic target. CHIR-090, the most potent LpxC inhibitor discovered to date, displays two-step time-dependent inhibition and kills a wide range of Gram-negative pathogens as effectively as ciprofloxacin or tobramycin. In this study, we re...