Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0699790 (colon cancer)
 28,837 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We report here a cancer drug therapy use of a gene involved in Down's syndrome. Using bioinformatics approaches, we recently predicted Single Minded 2 gene (SIM2) from Down's syndrome critical region to be specific to certain solid tumors. Involvement of SIM2 in solid tumors has not previously been reported. Intrigued by a possible association between a Down's syndrome gene and solid tumors, we monitored SIM2 expression in solid tumors. Isoform-specific expression of SIM2 short-form (SIM2-s) was seen selectively in colon, prostate, and pancreatic carcinomas but not in breast, lung, or ovarian carcinomas nor in most normal tissues. In colon tumors, SIM2-s expression was seen in early stages. Antisense inhibition of SIM2-s expression in a colon cancer cell line caused inhibition of gene expression, growth inhibition, and apoptosis. The administration of the antisense, but not the control, oligonucleotides caused a pronounced inhibition of tumor growth in nude mice with no major toxicity. Our findings provide a strong rationale for the genes-to-drugs paradigm, establish SIM2-s as a molecular target for cancer therapeutics, and may further understanding of the cancer risk of Down's syndrome patients.
 ...
PMID:Identification of Down's syndrome critical locus gene SIM2-s as a drug therapy target for solid tumors. 1267 91

Information currently available to the public is inadequate to support those deciding to consent to a genetic test. As genetic knowledge continues to evolve, more people will be forced to consider the complex issues raised by genetic testing. We developed and tested criteria to guide the production and appraisal of information resources produced for the public on genetic testing. Lay people with and without experience of a genetic condition, and providers and producers of health information appraised and listed the criteria they used to rate the quality of a sample of information on cystic fibrosis, Down's syndrome, familial breast cancer, familial colon cancer, haemochromatosis, Huntington's disease, sickle cell disease, and thalassaemia. These genetic conditions represent different populations, disease pathways, and treatment decisions. The information medium could be written, electronic, CD, audio or video. The quality criteria were tested iteratively (using the weighted kappa statistic) for the level of agreement between users applying successive drafts of the criteria to different samples of information. The final set of criteria consisted of 19 questions plus an overall quality rating. Chance corrected agreement (weighted kappa) among the appraisers for the overall quality rating was 0.61 (0.60-0.62). The criteria cover the scope of the information resources, information on the condition, the test procedure and results, decision making, and the reliability of the information. The DISCERN-Genetics criteria will guide the production and appraisal of information produced for the public, and will facilitate the involvement of the public in decisions around genetic screening and testing.
 ...
PMID:DISCERN-Genetics: quality criteria for information on genetic testing. 1686 57

Although cell fusion is an omnipresent process in life, to date considerably less is still known about the mechanisms and the molecules being involved in this biological phenomenon in higher organisms. Cell Fusion in Health and Disease Volume 2 is covering the dark side of cell fusion: namely its role in pathophysiological processes. International leading experts will present up-to-date overviews about cell fusion mediated horizontal gene transfer in bacteria and viruses, class III viral membrane fusion proteins, trophoblast fusion in trisomy 21, and the role of microvesicles in malignancies. Particular attention is paid on cell fusion in cancer and how this biological phenomenon may initiate the origin of (recurrence) cancer stem cells as well as drive the progression of multiple myeloma, colon cancer, breast cancer, and malignant melanoma. Thus, Cell Fusion in Health and Disease Volume 2 represents a state-of-the-art work for researchers, physicians or professionals being interested in reflecting the dark side of cell fusion.
 ...
PMID:Cell fusion in health and disease. Volume II: cell fusion in disease. Introduction. 2150 6

The ventral midline of the embryonic neural tube, the floor plate, has a profound role in guiding axons during embryonic development. Floor plate-derived guidance cues attract or repel axons, depending on the neuronal subtype and developmental stage. Netrin-1 and its receptor, Deleted in Colon Carcinoma (DCC), are the key constituents of commissurral axons guidance cues toward the floor plate. Recent studies have implicated Down Syndrome Cell Adhesion Molecule (Dscam) as an additional Netrin-1 receptor. In this study, we examined the role of Dscam in guiding defined spinal dorsal interneuron populations. In vivo knockdown and ectopic expression of Dscam were performed in the dorsal dI1, dI2 and dI3 interneurons of chick embryos, by separately increasing or decreasing Dscam expression in each of these three specific interneuronal populations. Neuron-specific gain and loss of function of Dscam had no effect on the axonal trajectories of dI1-3 neurons. The commissural neurons, dI1c and dI2, crossed the midline, and the ipsilaterally projecting neurons, dI1i and dI3, projected ipsilaterally. However, the fasciculation of dI1 axons was diminished when Dscam expression was attenuated. Dscam is not required for either attraction to or repulsion from the floor plate. In contrast, Dscam is required for the fasciculation of axons, probably via homophilic interaction.
 ...
PMID:Roles of DSCAM in axonal decussation and fasciculation of chick spinal interneurons. 2862 21