Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P31749 (AKT)
 22,954 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Osteoblastic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) in monolayer culture is artefactual, lacking an organized bone-like matrix. We present a highly reproducible microwell protocol generating three-dimensional ex vivo multicellular aggregates of telomerized hMSC (hMSC-telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT)) with improved mimicry of in vivo tissue-engineered bone. In osteogenic induction medium the hMSC were transitioned with time-dependent specification toward the osteoblastic lineage characterized by production of alkaline phosphatase, type I collagen, osteonectin, and osteocalcin. Introducing a 1-2 mm(3) crystalline hydroxyapatite/beta-tricalcium phosphate scaffold generated osteospheroids with upregulated gene expression of transcription factors RUNX2/CBFA1, Msx-2, and Dlx-5. An organized lamellar bone-like collagen matrix, evident by birefringence of polarized light, was deposited in the scaffold concavities. Here, mature osteoblasts stained positively for differentiated osteoblast markers TAZ, biglycan, osteocalcin, and phospho-AKT. Quantification of collagen birefringence and relatively high expression of genes for matrix proteins, including type I collagen, biglycan, decorin, lumican, elastin, microfibrillar-associated proteins (MFAP2 and MFAP5), periostin, and tetranectin, in vitro correlated predictively with in vivo bone formation. The three-dimensional hMSC-TERT/hydroxyapatite-tricalcium phosphate osteospheroid cultures in osteogenic induction medium recapitulated many characteristics of in vivo bone formation, providing a highly reproducible and resourceful platform for improved in vitro modeling of osteogenesis and refinement of bone tissue engineering.
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PMID:Parameters in three-dimensional osteospheroids of telomerized human mesenchymal (stromal) stem cells grown on osteoconductive scaffolds that predict in vivo bone-forming potential. 2019 44

Bidirectional communication between cells and their microenvironment is crucial for both normal tissue homeostasis and tumor growth. During the development of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) create a supporting niche by maintaining a bidirectional crosstalk with cancer cells, mediated by classically secreted factors and various nanometer-sized vesicles, termed as extracellular vesicles (EVs). To better understand the role of CAFs within the tumor stroma and elucidate the mechanism by which secreted proteins contribute to OTSCC progression, we isolated and characterized patient-derived CAFs from resected tumors with matched adjacent tissue fibroblasts (AFs). Our strategy employed shotgun proteomics to comprehensively characterize the proteomes of these matched fibroblast populations. Our goals were to identify CAF-secreted factors (EVs and soluble) that can functionally modulate OTSCC cells in vitro and to identify novel CAF-associated biomarkers. Comprehensive proteomic analysis identified 4247 proteins, the most detailed description of a pro-tumorigenic stroma to date. We demonstrated functional effects of CAF secretomes (EVs and conditioned media) on OTSCC cell growth and migration. Comparative proteomics identified novel proteins associated with a CAF-like state. Specifically, MFAP5, a protein component of extracellular microfibrils, was enriched in CAF secretomes. Using in vitro assays, we demonstrated that MFAP5 activated OTSCC cell growth and migration via activation of MAPK and AKT pathways. Using a tissue microarray of richly annotated primary human OTSCCs, we demonstrated an association of MFAP5 expression with patient survival. In summary, our proteomics data of patient-derived stromal fibroblasts provide a useful resource for future mechanistic and biomarker studies.
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PMID:Proteomic Analysis of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Reveals a Paracrine Role for MFAP5 in Human Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma. 2968 Nov 58