Abstract:
Background. This purpose of this meta-analysis study was to identify the most frequent and potentially significant copy number alteration (CNA) in oral carcinogenesis. Methods. Seven oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)-related publications, corresponding to 312 samples, were identified for this meta-analysis. The data were analyzed in a 4-step process that included the genome assembly coordination of multiple platforms, assignment of chromosomal position anchors, calling gains and losses, and functional annotation analysis. Results. Gains were more frequent than losses in the entire dataset. High-frequency gains were identified in chromosomes 5p, 14q, 11q, 7p, 17q, 20q, 8q, and 3q, whereas high-frequency losses were identified in chromosomes 3p, 8p, 6p, 18q, and 4q. Ingenuity pathway analysis showed that the top biological function was associated with immortalization of the epithelial cells (p = 1.93E-04). Conclusion. This study has identified multiple recurrent CNAs that are involved in various biological annotations associated with oral carcinogenesis. (C) 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Source: HEAD AND NECK-JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES AND SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK Author: Vincent-Chong VK, Salahshourifar I, Razali R, Anwar A, Zain RB. Status: Full text available at Wiley
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Abstract:
Aptamers are single-stranded oligonucleotides that can be artificially generated by a method called Systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). The-generated aptamers have been assessed for high-performance sensing applications due to their appealing characteristics. With either aptamers alone or complementing with antibodies, several high sensitive and portable sensors have been demonstrated'for use in 'point-of-care testing'. Due to their high suitability and flexibility, aptamers are conjugated with nanostructures and utilized in field applications. Moreover, aptamers are more amenable to chemical modifications, making them capable of utilization with most developed sensors. In this overview, we discuss novel, portable, and aptamer-based sensing strategies that are suitable for 'point-of-care testing'. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Source: BIOTECHNOLOGY ADVANCES Author: Gopinath SCB, Lakshmipriya T, Chen Y, Phang WM, Hashim U. Status: Full text available at ScienceDirect Abstract:
Purpose: To assess the knowledge, attitude and utilisation regarding fissure sealants (FS) and preventive resin restorations (PRR) among Malaysian dentists. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire consisting of 35 questions was distributed by mail or an online survey to 425 registered dentists selected according to place of work by stratified random sampling. Results: One hundred fifty-three dentists responded to the survey. A positive attitude towards FS and PRR was noted among most Malaysian dentists. About half of the respondents used FS/PRR occasionally (48.4%), while few (13.7%) applied them routinely. The majority of the dentists agreed that minimally invasive dentistry is important and FS are effective in caries prevention, using them on high caries-risk individuals. Most of the dentists used pumice or paste to clean teeth before placing FS/PRR. A significant number of dentists used a bonding agent prior to placing FS. Although only 57.5% dentists were aware of guidelines for FS use, most dentists agreed that guidelines are important. Conclusion: Although there was a positive attitude towards FS/PRR, few dentists applied them routinely. Some of the steps undertaken for placement of FS and PRR were outdated. Updating local guidelines for dentists to ensure uniform practice of FS and PRR is justified. Source: ORAL HEALTH & PREVENTIVE DENTISTRY Author: Chin ZW, Chong WS, Mani SA. Status: Full text available at Quintessenz Abstract:
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a lethal disease with a 5-year mortality rate of around 50%. Molecular targeted therapies are not in routine use and novel therapeutic targets are required. Our previous microarray data indicated sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) metabolism and signalling was deregulated in OSCC. In this study, we have investigated the contribution of S1P signalling to the pathogenesis of OSCC. We show that the expression of the two major enzymes that regulate S1P levels were altered in OSCC: SPHK1 was significantly upregulated in OSCC tissues compared to normal oral mucosa and low levels of SGPL1 mRNA correlated with a worse overall survival. In in vitro studies, S1P enhanced the migration/invasion of OSCC cells and attenuated cisplatin-induced death. We also demonstrate that S1P receptor expression is deregulated in primary OSCCs and that S1PR2 is over-expressed in a subset of tumours, which in part mediates S1P-induced migration of OSCC cells. Lastly, we demonstrate that FTY720 induced significantly more apoptosis in OSCC cells compared to non-malignant cells and that FTY720 acted synergistically with cisplatin to induce cell death. Taken together, our data show that S1P signalling promotes tumour aggressiveness in OSCC and identify S1P signalling as a potential therapeutic target. Source: Scientific Reports Author: Pathmanathan SN, Johnson SP, Lai SL, Bernam SP, Lopes , Wei W, Ibrahim MH, Torta F, Narayanaswamy P, Wenk MR, Herr DR, Murray PG, Yap LF, Paterson IC. Status: Full text available at Nature Abstract:
Ototoxic drugs, such as platinum-based chemotherapeutics, often lead to permanent hearing loss through apoptosis of neuroepithelial hair cells and afferent neurons of the cochlea. There is no approved therapy for preventing or reversing this process. Our previous studies identified a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), S1P(2), as a potential mediator of otoprotection. We therefore sought to identify a pharmacological approach to prevent cochlear degeneration via activation of S1P(2). The cochleae of S1pr2(-/-) knockout mice were evaluated for accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) with a nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) assay. This showed that loss of S1P(2) results in accumulation of ROS that precedes progressive cochlear degeneration as previously reported. These findings were supported by in vitro cell-based assays to evaluate cell viability, induction of apoptosis, and accumulation of ROS following activation of S1P(2) in the presence of cisplatin. We show for the first time, that activation of S1P(2) with a selective receptor agonist increases cell viability and reduces cisplatin-mediated cell death by reducing ROS. Cumulatively, these results suggest that S1P(2) may serve as a therapeutic target for attenuating cisplatin-mediated ototoxicity. Source; Scientific Reports Author: Herr DR, Reolo MJY, Peh YX, Wang W, Lee CW, Rivera R, Paterson IC, Chun J. Status: Full text available at Nature Deceased Donor Organs: What Can Be Done to Raise Donation Rates Using Evidence From Malaysia?6/7/2016 Abstract:
Organ donation rates have continued to fall seriously short of needs worldwide, with the lowest rates recorded among developing economies. This study seeks to analyze evidence from a developing economy to explore the usefulness of social psychological theory to solve the problem. The study deployed a large survey (n = 10 412) using a convenience sampling procedure targeted at increasing the number of Malaysians registered with the Ministry of Health, Malaysia who are willing to donate organs upon death. Structural equation modeling was deployed to estimate simultaneously the relative influence of cognitive and noncognitive variables on willingness to donate deceased organs. The cognitive factors of donation perception, socioeconomic status and financial incentives, and the noncognitive factors of demography and fear showed a high statistically significant (1%) relationship with willingness to donate organs after death. While financial incentives were significant, cash rewards showed the least impact. Donation perception showed the highest impact, which shows that the development of effective pedagogic programs with simultaneous improvements to the quality of services provided by medical personnel engaged in retrieving and transplanting deceased donor organs can help raise organ donation rates. Using structural equation modelling from a large Malaysian survey, this study shows that it is possible to raise deceased organ donation rates through awareness campaigns that focus on developing the cognitive variables. Source: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION Author: Rasiah R, Manikam R, Chandrasekaran SK, Naghavi N, Mubarik S, Mustafa R, Pushparajan S. Status: Full-text available at Wiley |