GenCLiP 2.0: a web server for functional clustering of genes and construction of molecular networks based on free terms.

UNLABELLED: Identifying biological functions and molecular networks in a gene list and how the genes may relate to various topics is of considerable value to biomedical researchers. Here, we present a web-based text-mining server, GenCLiP 2.0, which can analyze human genes with enriched keywords and molecular interactions. Compared with other similar tools, GenCLiP 2.0 offers two unique features: (i) analysis of gene functions with free terms (i.e. any terms in the literature) generated by literature mining or provided by the user and (ii) accurate identification and integration of comprehensive molecular interactions from Medline abstracts, to construct molecular networks and subnetworks related to the free terms. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: http://ci.smu.edu.cn. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Cortactin in Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition.

Cortactin, a member of the actin-binding protein family, plays an important role in cell movement involving the cytoskeleton, as cell movement mediated by cortactin may induce the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Cortactin participates in tumor proliferation, migration, and invasion and other related disease processes by binding to different proteins and participating in different pathways and mechanisms that induce the occurrence of these disease processes. Therefore, this article reviews the correlations between cortactin, the actin cytoskeleton, and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition and discusses its clinical importance in tumor therapy.

Prognostic power of abnormal cytogenetics for multiple myeloma: a multicenter study in China.

BACKGROUND: Chromosomal abnormalities have been shown to play an important prognostic role in multiple myeloma (MM). Interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (i-FISH) has been much more effective to identify cytogenetic aberrations in MM than conventional cytogenetic technique (CC). To clearly determine the cytogenetic features of Chinese MM patients and identify their prognostic implications, we designed a multicenter study based on i-FISH including 672 patients from 52 hospitals in China. METHODS: All 672 patients were systematically screened for the following genomic aberrations: del(13q), IgH rearrangement, del(p53) and 1q21 amplifications. RESULTS: The analysis showed that the chromosomal changes were detected in 22.1% patients by CC and in 82.3% patients by i-FISH. The most common abnormalities by CC were chromosome 1 aberrations (48.4%), -13/13q- (37.6%), hyperdiploidy (36.6%), hypodiploidy (30.1%) and IgH rearrangements (23.7%). The most frequent abnormalities by FISH was del(13q), which was found in 60.4% patients, whereas IgH rearrangement, 1q21 amplification and p53 deletions were detected in 57.6%, 49.0% and 34.7% cases, respectively. By statistical analysis, -13/13q- by CC was associated with low level of platelet (P = 0.015), hyperdiploidy was associated with low level of serum albumin (P = 0.028), and IgH rearrangement by FISH was associated with high level of ß2 microglobulin (P = 0.019). Moreover, 1q21 amplification and del(p53) by FISH conferred a high incidence of progressive disease (PD) after initial therapy. Metaphase detection of IgH rearrangements and chromosome 1 aberrations concurrently was associated with a short progression free survival (PFS) (P = 0.036). No significant prognostic implications of other cytogenetic abnormalities were found associated with overall survival and PFS. CONCLUSIONS: Chinese MM patients had similar cytogenetic abnormalities compared with the previous reported studies. However, the prognostic significance of FISH aberrations were not clearly determined and further study is required.