Cancer

TREM1 is pro-inflammatory gene that stimulates neutrophil and monocyte-mediated inflammatory responses. This protein is highly expressed in adult liver, lung and spleen. It is also present in the lymph node, spinal cord and heart tissues. TREM-1 plays a critical role in acute inflammatory responses to bacteria. In organs such as the liver, damage occurring due to irritants such as alcohol causes TREM-1 to amplify the inflammatory response by mediating a signalling pathway.

AH receptor-interacting protein (AIP) is a 37 kD immunophilin-like factor found in a variety of tissues with expression levels ranging from high (spleen, thymus, pituitary heart, placenta and skeletal muscle) to low (liver, kidney and lung). It mediates aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling either through ligand receptivity and/or modulating nuclear targeting and has been shown to bind to both the AhR itself as well as the AhR nuclear translocator (ARNT).

NOX4 is an NADPH oxidase that generates superoxide within the cell. It is primarily found in vascular cells, fibroblasts, and osteoclasts, with abundant expression in the kidney. Unlike its family members NOX1 and NOX2, NOX4 is constitutively active, producing primarily H2O2 rather than O2. This different species generated triggers NOX4-specific actions in downstream cell signaling.

The Myc gene family of proto-oncogenes consists of nuclear transcription factors that include l-Myc, n-Myc and c-Myc. They are key players in fundamental processes such as cellular proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, metabolism, and adhesion.

The neurokinin 1 receptor (NK1), commonly referred to as tachykinin receptor 1, is a 401 amino acid, 46 kDA protein encoded by the TACR1 gene localized on chromosome 2 (2p13.1-p12).

Plumbagin (5-hydroxy-2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone) is a toxin, named after the plant genus Plumbago from which it was first isolated in 1968 (1). Since its discovery there have been a wide variety of publications describing its effects on fertility, hyperlipedaemia (high cholesterol) and its use as an anti-bacterial. More recently, there have been multiple efforts to synthesise derivatives and analogues of plumbagin in order to increase its potential as an anti-cancer agent.

Histones are highly conserved proteins that function in the organization of nuclear DNA to create chromatin in eukaryotic cells. Post-translational alterations of histones are critical to monitoring and regulating DNA structure, expression, and gene transcription.

Co-factor of BRCA1, also known as COBRA1, was first identified as a protein that binds to the tumour suppressor protein encoded by the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1 (1). It was subsequently found to be identical to subunit B of the Negative Elongation Factor (NELF) complex (2). NELF is composed of four subunits (A, B, C or D, and E) and plays a pivotal role in the transcriptional pausing of RNA polymerase II.

The SM047 antibody is an IgM monoclonal antibody that was developed by McCluggage's group at the UK Royal Group of Hospitals and recognizes a multivalent antigen from ovarian carcinoma (OvC) cells (1). Early studies indicate that the epitope is specifically expressed in the adenocarcinoma glycocalyx, and is most strongly expressed in serous OvC subtypes.