pharmacology

SMO inhibition modulates cellular plasticity and invasiveness in colorectal cancer

Colon Cancer (CC) is the fourth most frequently diagnosed tumor and the second leading cause of death in the USA. Abnormalities of Hedgehog pathway have been demonstrated in several types of human cancers, however the role of Hedgehog (Hh) in CC remain controversial. In this study, we analyzed the association between increased mRNA expression of GLI1 and GLI2, two Hh target genes, and CC survival and recurrence by gene expression microarray from a cohort of 382 CC patients. We found that patients with increased expression of GLI1 showed a statistically significant reduction in survival.

Natural products inspired modulators of cancer stem cells-specific signaling pathways notch and hedgehog

It is nowadays widely accepted that some tumors have a niche of cells endowed with stemness features, which may cause resistance to conventional anticancer therapies and relapse/recurrence of the malignancy. These cells are usually referred to as cancer stem cells (CSCs) and, different from normal cancer cells, are rather quiescent. Targeting CSCs is thus a highly challenging but promising strategy to counteract tumor growth, and to develop innovative anticancer agents.

Phosphodiesterase 5 Associates With β2 Adrenergic Receptor to Modulate Cardiac Function in Type 2 Diabetic Hearts

Background: In murine heart failure models and in humans with diabetic-related heart hypertrophy, inhibition of phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) by sildenafil improves cardiac outcomes. However, the mechanism by which sildenafil improves cardiac function is unclear. We have observed a relationship between PDE5 and β2 adrenergic receptor (β2AR), which is characterized here as a novel mechanistic axis by which sildenafil improves symptoms of diabetic cardiomyopathy.

β-blockers reverse agonist-induced β2-AR downregulation regardless of their signaling profile

Altered β-adrenergic receptor (β-AR) density has been reported in cells, animals, and humans receiving β-blocker treatment. In some cases, β-AR density is upregulated, but in others, it is unaffected or even reduced. Collectively, these results would imply that changes in β-AR density and β-blockade are not related. However, it has still not been clarified whether the effects of β-blockers on receptor density are related to their ability to activate different β-AR signaling pathways.

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