Silicon dioxide (SiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles are widely used in various applications, raising issues regarding the possible adverse effects of these metal oxide nanoparticles on human cells. In this study, we determined the cytotoxic effects of differently charged SiO2 and ZnO nanoparticles, with mean sizes of either 100 or 20 nm, on the U373MG human glioblastoma cell line. The ove...

Quercetin is a dietary flavonoid with known antitumor effects against several types of cancers by promoting apoptotic cell death and inducing cell cycle arrest. However, U373MG malignant glioma cells expressing mutant p53 are resistant to a 24 h quercetin treatment. In this study, the anticancer effect of quercetin was reevaluated in U373MG cells, and quercetin was found to be significantly eff...

Although crystallins are major structural proteins in the lens, α-crystallins perform non-lens functions, and αB-crystallin has been shown to act as an anti-apoptotic mediator in various cells. The present study was undertaken to examine whether αB-crystallin expressed in human malignant glioma cells exerts anti-apoptotic activity. In addition, we sought to elucidate the mechanism underlying an...

neurokinin 1 receptors (nk1r) are overexpressed on several types of important human cancer cells. substance p (sp) is the most specific endogenous ligand known for nk1rs. accordingly, a new sp analogue was synthesized and evaluated for detection of nk1r positive tumors. [6-hydrazinopyridine-3-carboxylic acid (hynic)-tyr8-met(o)11-sp] was synthesized and radiolabeled with 99mtc using ethylenedia...

U373MG astrocytoma cells endogenously express the full-length neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1R). Substance P (SP), the natural ligand for NK1R, triggers rapid and transient membrane blebbing and we report that these morphological changes have different dynamics and intracellular signaling as compared to the changes that we have previously described in HEK293-NK1R cells. In both cell lines, the SP-in...

Neurokinin 1 receptors (NK1R) are overexpressed on several types of important human cancer cells. Substance P (SP) is the most specific endogenous ligand known for NK1Rs. Accordingly, a new SP analogue was synthesized and evaluated for detection of NK1R positive tumors. [6-hydrazinopyridine-3-carboxylic acid (HYNIC)-Tyr8-Met(O)11-SP] was synthesized and radiolabeled with 99mTc using ethylenedia...

Co-infection of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is not uncommon in immunocompromised hosts. Importantly, organ transplant recipients concurrently infected with HSV-1 and HCMV have a worse clinical outcome than recipients infected with a single virus. However, factors regulating the pathologic response in HSV-1, HCMV co-infected tissues are unclear. We invest...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Rho GTPases are crucial regulators of the actin cytoskeleton, membrane trafficking and cell signaling and their importance in cell migration and invasion is well- established. The human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread pathogen responsible for generally asymptomatic and persistent infections in healthy people. Recent evidence indicates that HCMV gene products are expressed...

The ORF29 gene of varicella-zoster virus encodes a single-stranded DNA binding protein that is predominantly nuclear during lytic infection but appears to be restricted to the cytoplasm of latently infected neurons. Following reactivation, ORF29p accumulates in the nuclei of neurons, suggesting that its confinement to the cytosol may be critical for maintaining quiescence. When autonomously exp...

Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC, MIM# 604004) is an autosomal recessive inherited disease mostly resulting from MLC1 mutations. In this study, we finished the functional analysis of MLC1 mutations identified recently in Chinese patients, including five newly described missense mutations (R22Q, A32V, G73E, A275T, Y278H), one known nonsense mutation (Y198X), and tw...