👤 Afsana Begum

Glioblastoma is the most lethal brain cancer in adults. These incurable tumors are characterized by profound heterogeneity, therapy resistance, and diffuse infiltration. These traits have been linked to cancer stem cells, which are important for glioblastoma tumor progression and recurrence. The fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) signaling pathway is a known regulator of therapy resistance and cancer stemness in glioblastoma. FGFR1 expression shows intertumoral heterogeneity and higher FGFR1 expression is associated with a significantly poorer survival in glioblastoma patients. The role of FGFR1 in tumor invasion has been studied in many cancers, but whether and how FGFR1 mediates glioblastoma invasion remains to be determined. Here, we investigated the distribution and functional relevance of FGFR1 and FGFR2 in human glioblastoma xenograft models. We found FGFR1, but not FGFR2, expressed in invasive glioblastoma cells. Loss of FGFR1, but not FGFR2, significantly reduced cell migration in vitro and tumor invasion in human glioblastoma xenografts. Comparative analysis of RNA-sequencing data of FGFR1 and FGFR2 knockdown glioblastoma cells revealed a FGFR1-specific gene regulatory network associated with tumor invasion. Our study reveals new gene candidates linked to FGFR1-mediated glioblastoma invasion. Show less

Maternal spiral arteries and newly formed decidual capillaries support embryonic development prior to placentation. Previous studies demonstrated that Notch signaling is active in endothelial cells of both decidual capillaries and spiral arteries, however the role of Notch signaling in physiologic decidual angiogenesis and maintenance of the decidual vasculature in early mouse pregnancy has not yet been fully elucidated. We used the Show less

The inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) cause significant morbidity and are increasing in prevalence among all populations, including African Americans. More than 200 susceptibility loci have been identified in populations of predominantly European ancestry, but few loci have been associated with IBD in other ethnicities. We performed 2 high-density, genome-wide scans comprising 2345 cases of African Americans with IBD (1646 with CD, 583 with UC, and 116 inflammatory bowel disease unclassified) and 5002 individuals without IBD (controls, identified from the Health Retirement Study and Kaiser Permanente database). Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated at P < 5.0 × 10 We detected SNPs at HLA-DRB1, and African-specific SNPs at ZNF649 and LSAMP, with associations of genome-wide significance for UC. We detected SNPs at USP25 with associations of genome-wide significance for IBD. No associations of genome-wide significance were detected for CD. In addition, 9 genes previously associated with IBD contained SNPs with significant evidence for replication (P < 1.6 × 10 We performed a genome-wide association study of African Americans with IBD and identified loci associated with UC in only this population; we also replicated IBD, CD, and UC loci identified in European populations. The detection of variants associated with IBD risk in only people of African descent demonstrates the importance of studying the genetics of IBD and other complex diseases in populations beyond those of European ancestry. Show less

Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) is an autosomal dominant skeletal disorder characterized by the presence of multiple osseous prominences. It can occur sporadically or within families (22 - 56%). Two genes, EXT1 and EXT2 located respectively at 8q24 and 11p11-p12, have been isolated to cause HME. It can cause gross deformity of limbs and growth disturbance which is quite a common complication. Malignant transformation to chondrosarcoma can also occur. Neurological presentations are rare and usually happened due to direct compression of a peripheral nerve or nerve root or less often the spinal cord. This case is possibly the first case of HME described from Bangladesh, presented with dorsal cord compression. Decompression was done and the complaints of myelopathy were improved. Show less

To evaluate the prognostic significance of six epigenetic biomarkers (AIM1, CDH1, KIF1A, MT1G, PAK3, and RBM6 promoter hypermethlation) in a homogeneous group of prostate cancer patients, following radical prostatectomy (RP). Biomarker analyses were performed retrospectively on tumors from 95 prostate cancer patients all with a Gleason score of 3 + 4 = 7 and a minimum follow-up period of 8 years. Using Quantitative Methylation Specific PCR (QMSP), we analyzed the promoter region of six genes in primary prostate tumor tissues. Time to any progression was the primary endpoint and development of metastatic disease and/or death from prostate cancer was a secondary endpoint. The association of clinicopathological and biomolecular risk factors to recurrence was performed using the Log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards model for multivariate analysis. To identify independent prognostic factors, a stepwise selection method was used. At a median follow-up time of 10 years, 48 patients (50.5%) had evidence of recurrence: Biochemical/PSA relapse, metastases, or death from prostate cancer. In the final multivariate analysis for time to progression, the significant factors were: Older age, HR = 0.95 (95% CI: 0.91, 1.0) (P = 0.03), positive lymph nodes HR = 2.11 (95% CI: 1.05, 4.26) (P = 0.04), and decreased hypermethylation of AIM1 HR = 0.45 (95% CI: 0.2, 1.0) (P = 0.05). Methylation status of AIM1 in the prostate cancer specimen may predict for time to recurrence in Gleason 3 + 4 = 7 patients undergoing prostatectomy. These results should be validated in a larger and unselected cohort. Show less

Dental caries is the most common chronic disease in children and a major public health concern due to its increasing incidence, serious health and social co-morbidities, and socio-demographic disparities in disease burden. We performed the first genome-wide association scan for dental caries to identify associated genetic loci and nominate candidate genes affecting tooth decay in 1305 US children ages 3-12 yrs. Affection status was defined as 1 or more primary teeth with evidence of decay based on intra-oral examination. No associations met strict criteria for genome-wide significance (p < 10E-7); however, several loci (ACTN2, MTR, and EDARADD, MPPED2, and LPO) with plausible biological roles in dental caries exhibited suggestive evidence for association. Analyses stratified by home fluoride level yielded additional suggestive loci, including TFIP11 in the low-fluoride group, and EPHA7 and ZMPSTE24 in the sufficient-fluoride group. Suggestive loci were tested but not significantly replicated in an independent sample (N = 1695, ages 2-7 yrs) after adjustment for multiple comparisons. This study reinforces the complexity of dental caries, suggesting that numerous loci, mostly having small effects, are involved in cariogenesis. Verification/replication of suggestive loci may highlight biological mechanisms and/or pathways leading to a fuller understanding of the genetic risks for dental caries. Show less