Generation of Human Stomach Cancer iPSC-Derived Organoids Induced by Helicobacter pylori Infection and Their Application to Gastric Cancer Research.

There is considerable cellular diversity in the human stomach, which has helped to clarify cell plasticity in normal development and tumorigenesis. Thus, the stomach is an interesting model for understanding cellular plasticity and for developing prospective anticancer therapeutic agents. However, many questions remain regarding the development of cancers in vivo and in vitro in two- or three-dimensional (2D/3D) cultures, as well as the role of Helicobacter pylori (H. p.) infection. Here, we focus on the characteristics of cancer stem cells and their derived 3D organoids in culture, including the formation of stem cell niches. We define the conditions required for such organoid culture in vitro and examine the ability of such models for testing the use of anticancer agents. We also summarize the signaling cascades and the specific markers of stomach-cancer-derived organoids induced by H. p. infection, and their stem cell niches.

Therapeutic Strategies Targeting Tumor Suppressor Genes in Pancreatic Cancer.

The high mortality of pancreatic cancer is attributed to the insidious progression of this disease, which results in a delayed diagnosis and advanced disease stage at diagnosis. More than 35% of patients with pancreatic cancer are in stage III, whereas 50% are in stage IV at diagnosis. Thus, understanding the aggressive features of pancreatic cancer will contribute to the resolution of problems, such as its early recurrence, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Therefore, new therapeutic strategies targeting tumor suppressor gene products may help prevent the progression of pancreatic cancer. In this review, we discuss several recent clinical trials of pancreatic cancer and recent studies reporting safe and effective treatment modalities for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer.

Deletion of Jdp2 enhances Slc7a11 expression in Atoh-1 positive cerebellum granule cell progenitors in vivo.

BACKGROUND: The cerebellum is the sensitive region of the brain to developmental abnormalities related to the effects of oxidative stresses. Abnormal cerebellar lobe formation, found in Jun dimerization protein 2 (Jdp2)-knockout (KO) mice, is related to increased antioxidant formation and a reduction in apoptotic cell death in granule cell progenitors (GCPs). Here, we aim that Jdp2 plays a critical role of cerebellar development which is affected by the ROS regulation and redox control. OBJECTIVE: Jdp2-promoter-Cre transgenic mouse displayed a positive signal in the cerebellum, especially within granule cells. Jdp2-KO mice exhibited impaired development of the cerebellum compared with wild-type (WT) mice. The antioxidation controlled gene, such as cystine-glutamate transporter Slc7a11, might be critical to regulate the redox homeostasis and the development of the cerebellum. METHODS: We generated the Jdp2-promoter-Cre mice and Jdp2-KO mice to examine the levels of Slc7a11, ROS levels and the expressions of antioxidation related genes were examined in the mouse cerebellum using the immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The cerebellum of Jdp2-KO mice displayed expression of the cystine-glutamate transporter Slc7a11, within the internal granule layer at postnatal day 6; in contrast, the WT cerebellum mainly displayed Sla7a11 expression in the external granule layer. Moreover, development of the cerebellar lobes in Jdp2-KO mice was altered compared with WT mice. Expression of Slc7a11, Nrf2, and p21Cip1 was higher in the cerebellum of Jdp2-KO mice than in WT mice. CONCLUSION: Jdp2 is a critical regulator of Slc7a11 transporter during the antioxidation response, which might control the growth, apoptosis, and differentiation of GCPs in the cerebellar lobes. These observations are consistent with our previous study in vitro.

Characterization of pectinesterase inhibitor in jelly fig (Ficus awkeotsang Makino) achenes.

Pectinesterase inhibitor (PEI) extract prepared from intact jelly fig (Ficus awkeotsang Makino) achenes was separated by membrane (MWCO 3 and 10 kDa) and fractionated by a Sepharose G-50 gel permeation chromatography. Results from Sepharose G-50 gel permeation chromatography and concanavalin A Sepharose chromatography revealed PEI as polypeptides with molecular weights ranging from 3.5 to 4.5 kDa. Incubation of a PE (1 unit/mL)-PEI (2 mg/mL) mixture for 1 min decreased the PE activity by approximately 50%. On the basis of the results of Lineweaver-Burk double-reciprocal plots, Michaelis constant (K(m)) and V(max) values for jelly fig achenes PE (pH 6.0, 30 degrees C) were 0.78 mM -OCH3 and 1.09 microequiv of -COOH/min, respectively. In addition, PEI competitively inhibited both citrus and jelly fig achenes PEs.