Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) and its cleavage processes have been widely investigated in the past, in particular in the context of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Evidence of an increased expression of A Show more
Amyloid Precursor Protein (APP) and its cleavage processes have been widely investigated in the past, in particular in the context of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Evidence of an increased expression of APP and its amyloidogenic-related cleavage enzymes, β-secretase 1 ( Show less
Large-scale human exome sequencing can identify rare protein-coding variants with a large impact on complex traits such as body adiposity. We sequenced the exomes of 645,626 individuals from the Unite Show more
Large-scale human exome sequencing can identify rare protein-coding variants with a large impact on complex traits such as body adiposity. We sequenced the exomes of 645,626 individuals from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Mexico and estimated associations of rare coding variants with body mass index (BMI). We identified 16 genes with an exome-wide significant association with BMI, including those encoding five brain-expressed G protein-coupled receptors ( Show less
Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of many cancer types, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Identifying the critical players in this process might be crucial for the generation of novel and Show more
Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of many cancer types, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Identifying the critical players in this process might be crucial for the generation of novel and effective anti-neoplastic therapies. In the present investigation, we determined the importance of carbohydrate responsive element binding protein (ChREBP), a central player in the regulation of lipid and glucose metabolism in the liver, on the development of HCC in in vitro and in vivo models. We found that genetic deletion of ChREBP (that will be referred to as ChREBPKO mice) strongly delays or impairs hepatocarcinogenesis driven by AKT or AKT/c-Met overexpression in mice, respectively. In contrast, HCC development was found to be completely unaffected by ChREBP depletion in mice co-expressing AKT and N-Ras protooncogenes. In mouse and human HCC cell lines, suppression of ChREBP via specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) resulted in decreased proliferation and induction of apoptosis. Of note, these cellular events were strongly augmented by concomitant inhibition of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. The present data indicate that ChREBP activity might be required or dispensable for HCC growth, depending on the oncogenes involved. In particular, the activation of Ras/MAPK signaling might represent a possible mechanism of resistance to ChREBP depletion in this tumor type. Additional studies are needed to unravel the molecular mechanisms rendering HCC cells insensitive to ChREBP suppression. Show less
BAG3 is a co-chaperone of the heat shock protein (Hsp) 70, is expressed in many cell types upon cell stress, however, its expression is constitutive in many tumours. We and others have previously show Show more
BAG3 is a co-chaperone of the heat shock protein (Hsp) 70, is expressed in many cell types upon cell stress, however, its expression is constitutive in many tumours. We and others have previously shown that in neoplastic cells BAG3 exerts an anti-apoptotic function thus favoring tumour progression. As a consequence we have proposed BAG3 as a target of antineoplastic therapies. Here we identify a novel role for BAG3 in regulation of neo-angiogenesis and show that its downregulation results in reduced angiogenesis therefore expanding the role of BAG3 as a therapeutical target. In brief we show that BAG3 is expressed in endothelial cells and is essential for the interaction between ERK and its phosphatase DUSP6, as a consequence its removal results in reduced binding of DUSP6 to ERK and sustained ERK phosphorylation that in turn determines increased levels of p21 and p15 and cell-cycle arrest in the G1 phase. Show less