Galectins as Modulators of Tumor Progression in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas (HNSCCs)

peer reviewedHead and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) remain a significant cause of morbidity worldwide. Biological therapies able to induce and/or upregulate antitumor immune responses could represent a complementary approach to conventional treatments for patients with HNSCC because, despite advances in surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, the overall survival rates for these patients have not changed over recent decades. Galectins are involved in the control of cell proliferation, cell death, and cell migration and in the modulation of various functions of the immune system. In this context, galectin-1 is known to protect HNSCCs from the immune system. The present review details the involvement of galectins in HNSCC biology and suggests a number of approaches to reduce the levels of expression of galectin-1 in HNSCCs, with the aim of improving the efficiency of HNSCC immunotherapy

Induction of α1-tubulin gene expression during development and regeneration of the fish central nervous system

The α1- and α2-tubulin encoding genes were cloned from a goldfish genomic DNA library. α1- and α2-tubulin RNA expression was examined in developing and adult retinas. These studies demonstrated increased α1-tubulin RNA in presumptive ganglion cells that grow axons early in retinal development and in adult retinal ganglion cells whose optic axons had been damaged. The α2-tubulin RNA was undetectable in developing retina and constitutively expressed in adult retinal ganglion cells regardless of optic nerve crush. To determine if these changes in α1-tubulin RNA reflected changes in α1-tubulin promoter activity, we introduced into zebrafish embryos and adult goldfish retinal explants expression vectors harboring the α1-tubulin gene's promoter. These studies showed that the α1-tubulin promoter confers a developmentally regulated, neuron-restricted pattern of reporter gene expression in vivo and its activity is increased in adult retinal neurons induced to regenerate their axons. Promoter deletions defined regions of α1-tubulin DNA necessary for this pattern of expression. These results suggest that DNA sequences necessary for α1-tubulin gene induction during central nervous system development and regeneration are contained within the α1-tubulin gene's 5′-flanking DNA and that this promoter will be useful for identifying these elements and their DNA binding proteins. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 37: 429–440, 1998Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/34478/1/8_ftp.pd

Galectin-7 (p53-Induced Gene-1): A New Prognostic Predictor of Recurrence and Survival in Stage IV Hypopharyngeal Cancer

peer reviewedBackground Eighty percent of hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma patients have advanced stages (III and IV) of the disease, and biological markers are required to predict high-risk head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients in need of highly aggressive treatments after surgery to improve the survival rate. We analyzed the potential prognostic value of galectin 7 in a series of 81 stage IV hypopharyngeal SCCs because galectin 7 is an emerging marker involved in the epidermal development of pluristratified epithelia and in epidermal cell migration. Methods.The immunohistochemical expression of galectin 7 was determined on a series of 81 stage IV hypopharyngeal SCCs and was compared with that of galectins 1 and 3. Results High levels of galectin 7 expression were associated with rapid recurrence rates and dismal prognoses in these 81 stage IV hypopharyngeal SCCs, a feature not observed with galectin 3 and one observed weakly, if at all, with galectin 1. Conclusions These data suggest that the immunohistochemical determination of galectin 7 expression in the case of high-risk hypopharyngeal cancers is a meaningful tool to identify patients who should benefit from aggressive postsurgical adjuvant therapy after surgery, including not only radiotherapy, but also chemotherapy

Contribution à l'étude de la pathobiologie des tumeurs astrocytaires humaines :caractérisation de divers facteurs ayant un rôle régulateur de la migration des astrocytes tumoraux

Doctorat en Sciencesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Etude du rôle régulateur de divers facteurs, hormonaux ou non, sur la croissance des tumeurs astrocytaires humaines

Doctorat en Sciencesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Contribution à l'étude de la pathobiologie des tumeurs astrocytaires humaines :caractérisation de divers facteurs ayant un rôle régulateur de la migration des astrocytes tumoraux

Doctorat en Sciencesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

In vitro estradiol-sensitivity characterization of the MCF-7, ZR-75, MDA-MB-231 and T47-D human breast neoplastic cell lines

SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Clone architecture and growth characterization in chemoradiosensitive, chemoresistant, radioresistant and chemoradioresistant neoplastic cell lines

SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Use of a galectin-1-targeted RNAi-based approach for the treatment of cancer (WO 2006/108474 A2)

The present invention relates to an RNAi molecule suitable for reducing the expression of galectin-1 containing any of the sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 1-33, and preferably the sequences of SEQ ID NO: 2, 3, or 4, and to the use thereof as a medicament, or for the manufacture of a medicament for treating and/or for delaying the progression of cancer, preferably glioma, pancreatic cancer, head and neck cancer, melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The present invention also relates to compositions and methods for treating and for delaying the progression of cancer, preferably glioma, pancreatic cancer, head and neck cancer, melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, for reducing the migration of tumor cells, preferably cells of glioma, pancreatic cancer, head and neck cancer, melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and/or for enhancing the efficacy of cancer therapies for the treatment of cancer, preferably glioma, pancreatic cancer, head and neck cancer, melanoma, non-small-cell lung cancer and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, selected from the group comprising chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and/or gene therapy

Lectin histochemistry of astrocytic tumors and in-vitro characterization of lectin-induced alterations on the proliferation of human astrocytic tumor cell lines.

info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe