Fucosylation of HLA-DRB1 regulates CD4+ T cell-mediated anti-melanoma immunity and enhances immunotherapy efficacy.

Immunotherapy efficacy is limited in melanoma, and combinations of immunotherapies with other modalities have yielded limited improvements but also adverse events requiring cessation of treatment. In addition to ineffective patient stratification, efficacy is impaired by paucity of intratumoral immune cells (itICs); thus, effective strategies to safely increase itICs are needed. We report that dietary administration of L-fucose induces fucosylation and cell surface enrichment of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-II protein HLA-DRB1 in melanoma cells, triggering CD4+ T cell-mediated increases in itICs and anti-tumor immunity, enhancing immune checkpoint blockade responses. Melanoma fucosylation and fucosylated HLA-DRB1 associate with intratumoral T cell abundance and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1) responder status in patient melanoma specimens, suggesting the potential use of melanoma fucosylation as a strategy for stratifying patients for immunotherapies. Our findings demonstrate that fucosylation is a key mediator of anti-tumor immunity and, importantly, suggest that L-fucose is a powerful agent for safely increasing itICs and immunotherapy efficacy in melanoma.

Analysis of MRE11 and Mortality Among Adults With Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer Managed With Trimodality Therapy.

Importance: Bladder-preserving trimodality therapy can be an effective alternative to radical cystectomy for treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), but biomarkers are needed to guide optimal patient selection. The DNA repair protein MRE11 is a candidate response biomarker that has not been validated in prospective cohorts using standardized measurement approaches. Objective: To evaluate MRE11 expression as a prognostic biomarker in MIBC patients receiving trimodality therapy using automated quantitative image analysis. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prognostic study analyzed patients with MIBC pooled from 6 prospective phase I/II, II, or III trials of trimodality therapy (Radiation Therapy Oncology Group [RTOG] 8802, 8903, 9506, 9706, 9906, and 0233) across 37 participating institutions in North America from 1988 to 2007. Eligible patients had nonmetastatic MIBC and were enrolled in 1 of the 6 trimodality therapy clinical trials. Analyses were completed August 2020. Exposures: Trimodality therapy with transurethral bladder tumor resection and cisplatin-based chemoradiation therapy. Main Outcomes and Measures: MRE11 expression and association with disease-specific (bladder cancer) mortality (DSM), defined as death from bladder cancer. Pretreatment tumor tissues were processed for immunofluorescence with anti-MRE11 antibody and analyzed using automated quantitative image analysis to calculate a normalized score for MRE11 based on nuclear-to-cytoplasmic (NC) signal ratio. Results: Of 465 patients from 6 trials, 168 patients had available tissue, of which 135 were analyzable for MRE11 expression (median age of 65 years [minimum-maximum, 34-90 years]; 111 [82.2%] men). Median (minimum-maximum) follow-up for alive patients was 5.0 (0.6-11.7) years. Median (Q1-Q3) MRE11 NC signal ratio was 2.41 (1.49-3.34). Patients with an MRE11 NC ratio above 1.49 (ie, above first quartile) had a significantly lower DSM (HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.26-0.93; P = .03). The 4-year DSM was 41.0% (95% CI, 23.2%-58.0%) for patients with an MRE11 NC signal ratio of 1.49 or lower vs 21.0% (95% CI, 13.4%-29.8%) for a ratio above 1.49. MRE11 NC signal ratio was not significantly associated with overall survival (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.49-1.44). Conclusions and Relevance: Higher MRE11 NC signal ratios were associated with better DSM after trimodality therapy. Lower MRE11 NC signal ratios identified a poor prognosis subgroup that may benefit from intensification of therapy.

Utilizing digital pathology to quantify stromal caveolin-1 expression in malignant and benign ovarian tumors: Associations with clinicopathological parameters and clinical outcomes.

Loss of stromal caveolin-1 (Cav-1) is a biomarker of a cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) phenotype and is related to progression, metastasis, and poor outcomes in several cancers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of Cav-1 expression in invasive epithelial ovarian cancer (OvCa). Epithelial and stromal Cav-1 expression were quantified in serous OvCa and benign ovarian tissue in two, independent cohorts-one quantified expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and the other using multiplex immunofluorescence (IF) with digital image analysis designed to target CAF-specific expression. Cav-1 expression was significantly downregulated in OvCa stroma compared to non-neoplastic stroma using both the IHC (p = 0.002) and IF (p = 1.8x10-13) assays. OvCa stroma showed Cav-1 downregulation compared to tumor epithelium with IHC (p = 1.2x10-24). Conversely, Cav-1 expression was higher in OvCa stroma compared to tumor epithelium with IF (p = 0.002). There was moderate correlation between IHC and IF methods for stromal Cav-1 expression (r2 = 0.69, p = 0.006) whereas there was no correlation for epithelial expression (r2 = 0.006, p = 0.98). Irrespective of the staining assay, neither response to therapy or overall survival correlated with the expression level of Cav-1 in the stroma or tumor epithelium. Our findings demonstrate a loss of stromal Cav-1 expression in ovarian serous carcinomas. Studies are needed to replicate these findings and explore therapeutic implications, particularly for immunotherapy response.

Generating Discretionary Income in an Academic Department of Pathology.

The 2021 Association of Pathology Chairs Annual Meeting included a chairs' session and a premeeting discussion-group webinar sponsored by the Senior Fellows Group (former chairs of academic departments of pathology who have remained active in the Association of Pathology Chairs) focused on generating discretionary income for departments. Discretionary income was defined as revenue that can be used by the department with few, if any, restrictions. Such income is particularly desirable given limitations on departmental budgets. Four discussion-group panelists presented the funds-flow model in their respective institutions and how they derived and used discretionary income. Discretionary income was obtained from both external sources (eg, philanthropy, indirect cost recovery, partnerships with outside entities, medical education courses, research laboratory agreements, clinical trials) and internal sources (eg, core facilities, institutional programmatic support, institutional incentive programs). Significant departmental variations were associated with differences in institutional financial structure and policies, revenue-generating capabilities of the department and individual faculty, practice plan policies, donor intentions, and geographic market forces. Most finances were dependent upon a robust funds-flow model. Uses of discretionary funds included salary support, recruitment expenses (including start-up packages), research equipment, space renovation, social events, support of academic programs, and travel. Panelists also discussed particular challenges of discretionary-fund generation and use during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Notably, each institution had its own unique methodology for generating discretionary income, and no obvious standard approach was identified. The 2 moderators emphasized the importance of identifying and understanding opportunities, issues, and institutional culture surrounding generation and use of discretionary funds.

Role of Ki-67, MRE11, and PD-L1 as Predictive Biomarkers for Recurrence Pattern in Muscle-invasive Bladder Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is an aggressive disease with high rates of local recurrence following radical cystectomy (RC). Currently, there are no clinically validated biomarkers to predict local only recurrence (LOR) and guide adjuvant treatment decisions. This pilot study evaluated the role of Ki-67, MRE11 and PD-L1 as predictive biomarkers for recurrence patterns in patients undergoing RC for MIBC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Our institutional cystectomy database containing cases from 1992-2014 was queried for patients with local only recurrence (LOR), and case-matched to patients with distant recurrence (DR) and no recurrence (NR). Clinicopathological data were collected and a tissue microarray was analyzed for presence of Ki-67, MRE11, and PD-L1 using immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Pathologic specimens from 42 patients (18 NR, 16 LOR, and 8 DR) were reviewed. Compared to normal bladder tissue, tumors had increased expression of Ki-67 (p<0.01) and PD-L1 (p<0.05). High Ki-67 was associated with recurrence pattern (local vs. distant) on univariate analysis (p<0.05). Ki-67 cell density varied by recurrence type: LOR (1354 cells/mm2), DR (557 cells/mm2) and NR (1111 cells/mm2) (p=0.034). CONCLUSION: Our selected biomarkers could distinguish MIBC from normal bladder tissue but could not classify samples by recurrence pattern.

Storage Time and Temperature Effects on Histamine Production in Tuna Salad Preparations.

Scombrotoxin fish poisoning (SFP), also known as histamine (Hst) poisoning, has been associated with consumption of scombroid-type fish, including tuna and tuna fish products. Preparation of commercial tuna salad contaminated with Hstproducing bacteria (HPB), combined with time-temperature abuse, can present a food safety hazard. A potential source of HPB is raw ingredients, such as celery and onions. The objectives of this study were to determine whether raw ingredients can be a source of HPB and to ascertain the effects of storage time (up to 4 days or 4 weeks) and temperature (4, 10, 18, 25, 30°C) on growth and Hst production by high-HPB (>1,000 ppm of Hst) in tuna salad preparations. Pantoea-Erwinia, Erwinia persicinus, Erwinia spp., and Enterobacter pyrinus isolated from celery in this study were used to inoculate tuna salad and tuna salad with celery or onion. HPB numbers were 0.7 to 4.3 log most probable number per g higher in the presence of celery or onion versus plain tuna salad (3:1 tuna:mayonnaise). E. pyrinus-inoculated plain tuna salad and tuna salad with celery and onion had >500 ppm of Hst after 2 days at 30°C and 4 days at 25°C. E. pyrinus-inoculated salad with celery and onion had >500 ppm of Hst after 4 days at 18°C and 2 weeks at 10°C. Raw celery can introduce HPB into tuna salad, which can cause SFP if the product is time-temperature abused. Tuna salad products must be refrigerated at ≤4°C to prevent growth and Hst production by the HPB used in this study, to protect consumers from potential SFP.

Suppression of Reserve MCM Complexes Chemosensitizes to Gemcitabine and 5-Fluorouracil.

UNLABELLED: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest forms of cancer and is very difficult to treat with conventional chemotherapeutic regimens. Gemcitabine and 5-fluorouracil are used in the management of PDAC and act by indirectly blocking replicative forks. However, these drugs are not highly effective at suppressing disease progression, indicating a need for the development of innovative therapeutic approaches. Recent studies indicate that suppression of the MCM helicase may provide a novel means to sensitize cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents that inhibit replicative fork progression. Mammalian cells assemble more MCM complexes on DNA than are required to start S-phase. The excess MCM complexes function as backup initiation sites under conditions of replicative stress. The current study provides definitive evidence that cosuppression of the excess/backup MCM complexes sensitizes PDAC tumor lines to both gemcitabine and 5-FU, leading to increased loss of proliferative capacity compared with drugs alone. This occurs because reduced MCM levels prevent efficient recovery of DNA replication in tumor cells exposed to drug. PDAC tumor cells are more sensitive to MCM loss in the presence of gemcitabine than are nontumor, immortalized epithelial cells. Similarly, colon tumor cells are rendered less viable when cosuppression of MCM complexes occurs during exposure to the crosslinking agent oxaliplatin or topoisomerase inhibitor etoposide. IMPLICATIONS: These studies demonstrate that suppressing the backup complement of MCM complexes provides an effective sensitizing approach with the potential to increase the therapeutic index of drugs used in the clinical management of PDAC and other cancers.

Draft Genome Sequences of Histamine-Producing Photobacterium kishitanii and Photobacterium angustum, Isolated from Albacore (Thunnus alalunga) and Yellowfin (Thunnus albacares) Tuna.

Histamine-producing bacteria are responsible for scombrotoxin (histamine) fish poisoning, a leading cause of fish poisoning in the United States. We report here the draft genome sequences of four histamine-producing (HP) Photobacterium kishitanii strains and nine HP Photobacterium angustum strains isolated from tuna.

A genome-wide investigation of microRNA expression identifies biologically-meaningful microRNAs that distinguish between high-risk and low-risk intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas.

BACKGROUND: Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) are pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) precursors. Differentiating between high-risk IPMNs that warrant surgical resection and low-risk IPMNs that can be monitored is a significant clinical problem, and we sought to discover a panel of mi(cro)RNAs that accurately classify IPMN risk status. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In a discovery phase, genome-wide miRNA expression profiling was performed on 28 surgically-resected, pathologically-confirmed IPMNs (19 high-risk, 9 low-risk) using Taqman MicroRNA Arrays. A validation phase was performed in 21 independent IPMNs (13 high-risk, 8 low-risk). We also explored associations between miRNA expression level and various clinical and pathological factors and examined genes and pathways regulated by the identified miRNAs by integrating data from bioinformatic analyses and microarray analysis of miRNA gene targets. Six miRNAs (miR-100, miR-99b, miR-99a, miR-342-3p, miR-126, miR-130a) were down-regulated in high-risk versus low-risk IPMNs and distinguished between groups (P<10-3, area underneath the curve (AUC) = 87%). The same trend was observed in the validation phase (AUC = 74%). Low miR-99b expression was associated with main pancreatic duct involvement (P = 0.021), and serum albumin levels were positively correlated with miR-99a (r = 0.52, P = 0.004) and miR-100 expression (r = 0.49, P = 0.008). Literature, validated miRNA:target gene interactions, and pathway enrichment analysis supported the candidate miRNAs as tumor suppressors and regulators of PDAC development. Microarray analysis revealed that oncogenic targets of miR-130a (ATG2B, MEOX2), miR-342-3p (DNMT1), and miR-126 (IRS-1) were up-regulated in high- versus low-risk IPMNs (P<0.10). CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study highlights miRNAs that may aid in preoperative risk stratification of IPMNs and provides novel insights into miRNA-mediated progression to pancreatic malignancy. The miRNAs identified here and in other recent investigations warrant evaluation in biofluids in a well-powered prospective cohort of individuals newly-diagnosed with IPMNs and other pancreatic cysts and those at increased genetic risk for these lesions.

MicroRNA-147 induces a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) and reverses EGFR inhibitor resistance.

BACKGROUND: The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a key developmental program that is often activated during cancer progression and may promote resistance to therapy. An analysis of patients (n = 71) profiled with both gene expression and a global microRNA assessment (∼ 415 miRs) identified miR-147 as highly anti-correlated with an EMT gene expression signature score and postulated to reverse EMT (MET). METHODS AND FINDINGS: miR-147 was transfected into colon cancer cells (HCT116, SW480) as well as lung cancer cells (A-549). The cells were assessed for morphological changes, and evaluated for effects on invasion, motility, and the expression of key EMT markers. Resistance to chemotherapy was evaluated by treating cells with gefitinib, an EGFR inhibitor. The downstream genes regulated by miR-147 were assayed using the Affymetrix GeneChip U133 Plus2.0 platform. miR-147 was identified to: 1. cause MET primarily by increasing the expression of CDH1 and decreasing that of ZEB1; 2. inhibit the invasion and motility of cells; 3. cause G1 arrest by up-regulating p27 and down-regulating cyclin D1. miR-147 also dramatically reversed the native drug resistance of the colon cancer cell line HCT116 to gefitinib. miR-147 significantly repressed Akt phosphorylation, and knockdown of Akt with siRNA induced MET. The morphologic effects of miR-147 on cells appear to be attenuated by TGF-B1, promoting a plastic and reversible transition between MET and EMT. CONCLUSION: miR-147 induced cancer cells to undergo MET and induced cell cycle arrest, suggesting a potential tumor suppressor role. miR-147 strikingly increased the sensitivity to EGFR inhibitor, gefitinib in cell with native resistance. We conclude that miR-147 might have therapeutic potential given its ability to inhibit proliferation, induce MET, as well as reverse drug sensitivity.

Addressing information needs of vulnerable communities about incontinence: a survey of ten CALD communities.

Urinary incontinence is a common and distressing condition. Using focus groups, we explored the views of ten ethnic language groups in Melbourne about knowledge and awareness of incontinence. The 218 participants (with or without incontinence) spoke with trained interpreters. Twenty focus group discussions of single and mixed sex groups were audio-recorded and transcribed into English. Narratives were analyzed using thematic analysis with open coding and also incorporated themes from literature. Participants' knowledge of incontinence was low and incontinence was thought to be an inevitable consequence of ageing. There was little understanding of treatments or assistance available under government-funded programmes. No group was aware of the national continence programme or phone helpline. Sensitivities of the topic plus language barriers in immigrant culturally and linguistically diverse communities may impose barriers to accessing help. Several groups thought they would cope with incontinence by themselves, while all groups suggested they would be able to discuss the condition with a doctor. Various preferences voiced about social limitations and permissible communications with others are described. Nurses should be aware of the needs and communication preferences of ethnic language groups regarding continence information and continence service delivery.

Importance of histamine-producing Clostridium perfringens in scombrotoxin-forming fish.

It has been suggested that anaerobic histamine-producing bacteria (HPB) are important contributors to scombrotoxin fish poisoning (SFP). In order to assess the role of Clostridium perfringens in SFP, we developed a real-time PCR method for rapid detection of histamine-producing (HP) C. perfringens. The real-time PCR assay was 100% inclusive for detecting 23 HP C. perfringens and did not detect any of the other 116 HP or non-HP isolates examined. The efficiency of the assay with or without internal amplification control DNA was 102%; in the presence of background flora and inhibitory matrices, it was 90 to 99%. To investigate the importance of HP C. perfringens in SFP, we examined histamine production by C. perfringens in inoculated fish samples incubated under anaerobic conditions. C. perfringens produced low histamine levels in tuna (19 ppm) and Spanish mackerel (3 ppm), whereas gram-negative HPB produced high histamine levels (6,345 ppm in tuna; 1,223 ppm in Spanish mackerel) under the same conditions. When one bonito, two bigeye tuna, nine mahi-mahi, and five yellowfin tuna were examined for the presence of HPB, none (0 of 17) of the samples contained HP C. perfringens or other gram-positive HPB, whereas 86% of the samples contained gram-negative HPB. Our study indicates that histamine production by C. perfringens in scombrotoxin-forming fish was minimal compared with that by gram-negative HPB and that C. perfringens may not be an important bacterial species associated with SFP.

Metabolic reprogramming of the immune response in the tumor microenvironment.

A Division of Cancer Biology, NCI sponsored workshop, Metabolic Reprogramming of the Immune Response in the Tumor Microenvironment, was held October 2nd in Bethesda, MD. The purpose of the workshop was to bring together cancer cell biologists and immunologists to explore the mechanistic relationships between the metabolic pathways used by cancer cells and anti-tumor immune cells and how this information could be used to improve cancer immunotherapy. At the conclusion of the workshop a general discussion focused on defining the major challenges and opportunities concerning the impact of metabolism on anti-tumor immunity and cancer immunotherapy as well as what tools, technologies, resources or community efforts are required to accelerate research in this area. Overall, future studies need to consider how cancer cell metabolic pathways differ from activated lymphocytes in order to define a therapeutic window for cancer therapy. Further, studies aimed at reprogramming the metabolic qualities of T cells with the goal of improving immunotherapy were considered a promising avenue.

Complementary strand microRNAs mediate acquisition of metastatic potential in colonic adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Altered expression of specific microRNAs (miRNA) is known to occur during colorectal carcinogenesis. However, little is known about the genome-wide alterations in miRNA expression during the neoplastic progression of primary colorectal cancers. METHODS: Using a miRNA array platform, we evaluated the expression of 668 miRNA in primary colonic adenocarcinomas. Biological functions of selected miRNA were evaluated with in vitro invasion assays. RESULTS: RNA was extracted for miRNA analysis from 65 primary colon cancers. We identified a seven-miRNA expression signature that differentiated stage I and stage IV primary colon cancers. We then demonstrated this signature was able to discriminate between stage II and III primary colon cancers. Six differentially expressed miRNA were downregulated in association with the development of metastases, and all 7 miRNA were complementary strand miRNA. We transfected HCT-116, a highly invasive colon cancer cell line, with corresponding downregulated miRNA and demonstrated that overexpression of three miRNA (miR200c*, miR143*, and miR424*) significantly abrogated invasive potential. CONCLUSION: We have identified a seven-miRNA signature that is associated with metastatic potential in the primary tumor. Forced overexpression of three downregulated miRNA resulted in attenuation of in vitro invasion, suggesting direct tumor suppressive function and further supporting the biological importance of complementary strand miRNA.

Novel molecular markers of malignancy in histologically normal and benign breast.

To detect the molecular changes of malignancy in histologically normal breast (HNB) tissues, we recently developed a novel 117-gene-malignancy-signature. Here we report validation of our leading malignancy-risk-genes, topoisomerase-2-alpha (TOP2A), minichromosome-maintenance-protein-2 (MCM2) and "budding-uninhibited-by-benzimidazoles-1-homolog-beta" (BUB1B) at the protein level. Using our 117-gene malignancy-signature, we classified 18 fresh-frozen HNB tissues from 18 adult female breast cancer patients into HNB-tissues with low-grade (HNB-LGMA; N = 9) and high-grade molecular abnormality (HNB-HGMA; N = 9). Archival sections of additional HNB tissues from these patients, and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) tissues from six other patients were immunostained for these biomarkers. TOP2A/MCM2 expression was assessed as staining index (%) and BUB1B expression as H-scores (0-300). Increasing TOP2A, MCM2, and BUB1B protein expression from HNB-LGMA to HNB-HGMA tissues to IDCs validated our microarray-based molecular classification of HNB tissues by immunohistochemistry. We also demonstrated an increasing expression of TOP2A protein on an independent test set of HNB/benign/reductionmammoplasties, atypical-ductal-hyperplasia with and without synchronous breast cancer, DCIS and IDC tissues using a custom tissue microarray (TMA). In conclusion, TOP2A, MCM2, and BUB1B proteins are potential molecular biomarkers of malignancy in histologically normal and benign breast tissues. Larger-scale clinical validation studies are needed to further evaluate the clinical utility of these molecular biomarkers.

Proliferative genes dominate malignancy-risk gene signature in histologically-normal breast tissue.

Historical data have indicated the potential for the histologically-normal breast to harbor pre-malignant changes at the molecular level. We postulated that a histologically-normal tissue with "tumor-like" gene expression pattern might harbor substantial risk for future cancer development. Genes associated with these high-risk tissues were considered to be "malignancy-risk genes". From a total of 90 breast cancer patients, we collected a set of 143 histologically-normal breast tissues derived from patients harboring breast cancer who underwent curative mastectomy, as well as a set of 42 invasive ductal carcinomas (IDC) of various histologic grades. All samples were assessed for global gene expression differences using microarray analysis. For the purpose of this study we defined normal breast tissue to include histologically normal and benign lesions. Here we report the discovery of a "malignancy-risk" gene signature that may portend risk of breast cancer development in benign, but molecularly-abnormal, breast tissue. Pathway analysis showed that the malignancy-risk signature had a dramatic enrichment for genes with proliferative function, but appears to be independent of ER, PR, and HER2 status. The signature was validated by RT-PCR, with a high correlation (Pearson correlation = 0.95 with P < 0.0001) with microarray data. These results suggest a predictive role for the malignancy-risk signature in normal breast tissue. Proliferative biology dominates the earliest stages of tumor development.

Catalyzing community action within a national campaign: VERB community and national partnerships.

The VERB campaign used a social marketing approach to deliver its message through the mass media, school and community promotions, and partnerships to encourage children aged 9-13 years (tweens) to be physically active every day. This paper presents the VERB campaign's community and national partnership strategy, highlights three successful partnerships, and discusses challenges associated with the efforts. The national advertising generated awareness of and affinity for the product's brand and motivated the primary audience to seek out the product. The campaign's national and community partners were engaged to facilitate a product-distribution channel. The campaign developed a three-pronged partnership strategy to integrate the promotion with the placement of the campaign's product (physical activity): (1) reframe the way physical activity is positioned and delivered; (2) connect the brand to the point-of-purchase; and (3) refer (or drive) the audience to the action outlets, opportunities, places, spaces and programs to purchase the product. The VERB campaign provided partners with marketing training and resources to assist them as they leveraged tweens' brand awareness and supported regular physical activity among tweens. The method of technical assistance and the types of marketing tools were provided in relationship to four characteristics of the partner: (1) partner's network, (2) leaders and champions in the network, (3) partner's financial resources for community campaigns; and (4) partner's understanding of the marketing mindset. Coordinated, collaborative, and strong mass-media and community-based interventions within a national social marketing campaign can sustain the immediate effects of such campaigns.

Insig2 is associated with colon tumorigenesis and inhibits Bax-mediated apoptosis.

Insulin-induced gene 2 (Insig2) was recently identified as a putative positive prognostic biomarker for colon cancer prognosis. Insig2 has been previously reported to be an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane protein, and a negative regulator of cholesterol synthesis. Here we report that Insig2 was validated as a gene with univariate negative prognostic capacity to discriminate human colon cancer survivorship. To investigate the functional roles it plays in tumor development and malignancy, Insig2 was over-expressed in colon cancer cells resulting in increased cellular proliferation, invasion, anchorage independent growth and inhibition of apoptosis. Over-expression of Insig2 appeared to suppress chemotherapeutic drug treatment-induced Bcl2 associated X protein (Bax) expression and activation. Insig2 was also found to localize to the mitochondria/heavy membrane fraction and associate with conformationally changed Bax. Moreover, Insig2 altered the expression of several additional apoptosis genes located in mitochondria, further supporting its new functional role in regulating mitochondrial mediated apoptosis. Our findings show that Insig2 is a novel colon cancer biomarker, and suggest, for the first time, a reasonable connection between Insig2 and Bax-mediated apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway.

Provision of emergency contraceptive pills at college and university student health centers in Florida.

Provision of emergency contraceptive (EC) pills at Florida university and college student health centers was examined. Practices related to dosages, pill brands, advance prescriptions, restrictions, written policy, printed materials, routine contraceptive counseling, and publicity were identified. Barriers for centers not providing EC pills and practices were also determined.