Neuropsychopharmacology (2012) 37, 2233-2243; doi:10.1038/npp.2012.74; Savolitinib in vitro published online 16 May 2012″
“Cohesins are mutated in a significant number of tumors of various types making them attractive targets for chemotherapeutic intervention.

However, cohesins have a spectrum of cellular roles including sister chromatid cohesion, transcription, replication, and repair. Which of these roles are central to cancer biology and which roles can be exploited for therapeutic intervention? Genetic interaction networks in yeast have identified synthetic lethal interactions between mutations in cohesin and replication fork mediators. These interactions are conserved in worms and in human cells suggesting that inhibition of replication fork stability mediators such as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) could result in the specific killing of tumors with cohesin Wortmannin purchase mutations. These findings also highlight the utility of genetic interaction networks in model organisms for the identification of clinically relevant interactions. Here, we review this type of approach, emphasizing the power of synthetic lethal interactions to reveal new avenues for developing cancer therapeutics.”
“We have developed an Escherichia coli expression vector that is particularly useful for construction and production of fusion proteins. Based on the synthetic biology pSB1C3 platform, the resulting

vector offers a combination of useful features: the strong T7 promoter combined with lac operator, OmpA signal sequence, a selection of cloning sites located at convenient positions and a 3′-terminal His-10 tag. Each of these regions is flanked by a restriction site that allows for easy vector modification, including removal of the signal sequence without perturbation of the reading frame. All the elements were assembled by stepwise addition of three cassettes for which the design was made de nova. To prove the efficiency of the new vector, named pMD204, we successfully produced a cysteine proteinase inhibitor variant in the periplasm and in 6-phosphogluconolactonase the cytoplasm of E.

coli, in both cases as a soluble and active protein. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.”
“Background/Aims: The role of vitamin D in the process of vascular calcification is unclear in patients with chronic kidney disease. We investigated whether serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] is associated with vascular calcification in predialysis and dialysis patients. Methods: We included 86 predialysis and 139 dialysis patients. The simple vascular calcification score (SVCS) was evaluated by examining plain Xrays of the pelvis and hands as described previously. The carotid-to-femoral pulse wave velocity (CF-PWV) was assessed with a commercially available device. Results: We found a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in our population (78.2%). Vascular calcification was present in 46.2% of all patients.