Circulating myeloid-derived suppressor cells: An independent prognostic factor in patients with breast cancer

Evading immune destruction is a hallmark of cancer. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), a heterogeneous population of myeloid immune cells, are thought to foster the establishment of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, but it remains unclear how. This study aims to determine the levels of circulating MDSCs and their subpopulations and test their immunosuppressive functions in patients with breast cancer (BC). We analyzed the fractions of MDSCs in freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with BC and healthy donors using flow cytometry. Circulating MDSCs were further phenotyped using fluorescently labeled antihuman monoclonal antibodies. Coculture experiments revealed the effects of MDSCs on CD3⁺ T cell response. Moreover, we correlated circulating MDSC levels with clinicopathological features of patients with BC. We show that the fraction of HLA-DR ^– CD33 ⁺ MDSCs in peripheral blood is about 10-fold higher in patients with BC than in healthy control individuals. The levels of all MDSC subpopulations, including monocytic and granulocytic MDSCs, are significantly elevated. Coculture experiments of purified HLA-DR ^– CD33 ⁺ MDSCs and CD3 ⁺ T cells demonstrate that T cell proliferation is more effectively inhibited by BC patient-derived MDSCs than by healthy control MDSCs. Moreover, increased circulating MDSC levels robustly associate with advanced BC stage and positive lymph node status. By being more abundant and more effective T cell suppressors, BC patient-derived circulating MDSCs exert a dual immunosuppressive effect. Our findings pave the way to develop novel diagnostic and immunotherapeutic strategies, aimed at detecting and inhibiting MDSCs in patients with BC.     

The role of microRNAs in prostate cancer migration,invasion, and metastasis

Prostate cancer (PCa) is considered the most prevalent malignancy and the second major cause of cancer-related death in males from Western countries. PCa exhibits variable clinical pictures, ranging from dormant to highly metastatic cancer. PCa suffers from poor prognosis and diagnosis markers, and novel biomarkers are required to define disease stages and to design appropriate therapeutic approach by considering the possible genomic and epigenomic differences. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) comprise a class of small noncoding RNAs, which have remarkable functions in cell formation, differentiation, and cancer development and contribute in these processes through controlling the expressions of protein-coding genes by repressing translation or breaking down the messenger RNA in a sequence-specific method. miRNAs in cancer are able to reflect informative data about the current status of disease and this might benefit PCa prognosis and diagnosis since that is concerned to PCa patients and we intend to highlight it in this paper.     

Complete Genome Sequence and Genome Analysis of Eggplant mottled dwarf virus‐Iranian Isolate

The full‐length nucleotide sequence of the Iranian isolate of Eggplant mottled dwarf virus (EMDV), a phytorhabdovirus, was determined using the random polymerase chain reaction method (rPCR) followed by PCR with specific primers to fill in the gaps. The negative‐sense RNA genome of the Iranian isolate of EMDV contains 13154 nucleotides and seven open‐reading frames (ORFs) in the order 3′‐leader‐N‐X‐P‐Y‐M‐G‐L‐trailer‐5′. These ORFs encode the nucleocapsid, X protein (of unknown function), phosphoprotein, Y protein (putative movement protein), matrix protein, glycoprotein and RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase, respectively. EMDV has a 199 nt 3′ leader RNA and a 151 nt 5′ trailer, and the ORFs are separated by conserved intergenic sequences. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that EMDV is most closely related to Potato yellow dwarf virus, which has a distinctly different geographical distribution.     

Anatomical responses of leaves of Black Locust (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Robinia pseudoacacia</Emphasis> L.) to urban pollutant gases and climatic factors

This study investigates responses in the leaf anatomy of Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) to the atmospheric pollutants, SO₂, NO₂ and O₃ and climate in Tehran. The anatomical variables studied include thickness of the leaf lamina and of its main constituent tissues and the length and density of stomata. We present evidence that, in response to urban air pollution, the spongy mesophyll layer is thinner, the upper cuticle of the leaf thicker and stomatal density and the ratio of palisade parenchyma to spongy parenchyma are increased. Similar responses were also detected in relation to a climatic gradient. Stomatal density and thickness of the leaf lamina and of its mesophyll layer were all higher under warmer drier conditions. This overlap in anatomical response to two very different suites of environmental variables may reflect a functional overlap between mechanisms designed to restrict water loss in dry climates and those that minimize the uptake of toxic gases in polluted habitats.     

DNA binding, DNA cleavage, and cytotoxicity studies of two new copper (II) complexes

The DNA binding behavior of [Cu(phen)(phen-dione)Cl]Cl (1) and [Cu(bpy)(phen-dione)Cl]Cl (2) was studied with a series of techniques including UV-vis absorption, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and viscometric methods. Cytotoxicity effect and DNA unwinding properties were also investigated. The results indicate that the Cu(II) complexes interact with calf-thymus DNA by both partially intercalative and hydrogen binding. These findings have been further substantiated by the determination of intrinsic binding constants spectrophotometrically, 12.5?×?10(5) and 5?×?10(5) for 1 and 2, respectively. Our findings suggest that the type of ligands and structure of complexes have marked effect on the binding affinity of complexes involving CT-DNA. Circular dichroism results show that complex 1 causes considerable increase in base stacking of DNA, whereas 2 decreases the base stacking, which is related to more extended aromatic area of 1,10-phenanthroline in 1 rather than bipyridine in 2. Slow decrease in DNA viscosity indicates partially intercalative binding in addition to hydrogen binding on the surface of DNA. The second binding mode was also confirmed by additional tests: interaction in denaturation condition and acidic pH. Also, these new complexes induced cleavage in pUC18 plasmid DNA as indicated in gel electrophoresis and showed excellent antitumor activity against K562 (human chronic myeloid leukemia) cells.     

Detection and Characterization of Phytoplasmas Infecting Ornamental and Weed Plants in Iran

During field surveys in 2004, ornamental and weed plants showing symptoms resembling those caused by phytoplasmas were observed in Mahallat (central Iran). These plants were examined for phytoplasma infections by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays using universal phytoplasma primers directed to ribosomal DNA (rDNA). All affected plants gave positive results. The detected phytoplasmas were characterized and differentiated through restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequence analysis of PCR‐amplified rDNA. The phytoplasmas detected in diseased Asclepias curassavica and Celosia argentea were identified as members of clover proliferation phytoplasma group (16SrVI group) whereas those from the remaining plants examined proved to be members of aster yellow phytoplasma group (16SrI group) (‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’). In particular, following digestion with AluI, HaeIII and HhaI endonucleases, the phytoplasma detected in Limonium sinuatum showed restriction profiles identical to subgroup 16SrI‐C; phytoplasmas from Gomphocarpus physocarpus, Tanatacetum partenium, Lactuca serriola, Tagetes patula and Coreopsis lanceolata had the same restriction profiles as subgroup 16SrI‐B whereas Catharanthus roseus‐ and Rudbeckia hirta‐infecting phytoplasmas showed restriction patterns of subgroup 16SrI‐A. This is the first report on the occurrence of phytoplasma diseases of ornamental plants in Iran.