Lopes et al. examine centrosomes in human samples progressing from premalignant to metastatic lesions from patients with Barrett’s esophagus. They find that centrosome amplification can occur before transformation during human tumorigenesis, being repressed by p53, suggesting that centrosome amplification contributes to tumor initiation before p53 mutation.
Lectins hold great promise not only as reagents for diagnostics and drug discovery but also as a novel class of biopharmaceutical products. In fact, new research directions in the last years have led to major developments in the uses of plant lectins as therapeutic agents against numerous diseases in an ageing society. It is even expected that lectins may occupy an important place in the biopharmaceutical industry next to monoclonal antibodies. All these new trends are placing a tremendous emphasis on the development of new approaches for faster lectins development, selection, and optimization, including alternatives methods of purification. This article reviews the isolation and purification methods used for lectins purification. Origins and applications of lectins are described, highlighting the special features of this class of proteins, such as the carbohydrated-binding domains and their importance in the development of affinity methodologies to increase and facilitate lectins purification. Published strategies for the purification of lectins from different sources are analyzed in relation to the purification methods used, their sequence, and the number of times they are used in a purification procedure. The purity of lectins is analyzed in relation to the average overall yield and purification factors obtained for each purification scheme for these proteins and the purification steps necessary. New directions are described for improving lectins separation and purification.
Empowerment is usually defined as a process of promoting the sense of competence and control as a means of capacitating individuals to improve their life conditions. The aim of this study was to describe the psychometric qualities of the Portuguese Rheumatic Disease Empowerment Scale (P-RES-8), an 8-item measure of empowerment for patients with rheumatic disease. The study enrolled 81 patients with rheumatic diseases. Participants filled in the P-RES-8, the Portuguese validated version of the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36), and a questionnaire including sociodemographic data and disease-related variables. To evaluate the dimensionality of the P-RES-8 scale, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted, and its reliability was assessed by Cronbach’s α. The validity of this measure was assessed by analyzing the correlations between empowerment, quality of life, and other relevant variables (education level and illness duration). The P-RES-8 proved to be a reliable 1-dimensional measure of empowerment in patients with rheumatic disease (Cronbach’s α = 0.94). Empowerment was positively related to quality of life. Particularly, the findings showed positive associations between empowerment, assessed by the P-RES-8, and each of the 8 domains of the MOS SF-36. The associations were stronger for mental health and general health perception. The results also revealed that empowerment is positively associated with a higher education and more years after the diagnosis. The findings provide support for the adequacy of the P-RES-8 as a measure of empowerment in patients with rheumatic disease. Moreover, empowerment showed to be an important variable in the assessment of patients’ quality of life.
<b><i>Background:</i></b> Pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) is among the most active therapies for recurrent/progressive ovarian cancer (OC). Low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1B (LRP1B) is one of the 10 most significantly deleted genes in human cancers. It mediates endocytosis of several factors from the cellular environment including liposomes. Although the LRP1B role in cancer has not been fully disclosed, its contribution to resistance to liposomal therapies has been hypothesized. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of LRP1B protein as a possible marker of response to PLD in patients with OC. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> LRP1B expression and response to PLD were analyzed in OC cell lines by qRT-PCR and PrestoBlue viability assay, respectively. LRP1B protein expression was evaluated for the first time, in tumor samples from PLD-treated patients and controls (other chemotherapies) by immunohistochemistry. Association of LRP1B staining score (determined based on intensity and percentage of positively stained cells) with clinicopathological features, response to therapy and survival outcomes was evaluated. <b><i>Results:</i></b> OC cells with increased expression of LRP1B were more sensitive to PLD. LRP1B staining score was associated with clinicopathological features, response to therapy, and survival outcomes. Higher LRP1B levels were associated with prolonged progression-free survival. This association was more evident in patients treated with PLD and in responders to PLD. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Our results support a possible role of LRP1B as a predictor of response to PLD in patients with OC.
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