Cancer

The p14ARF (Alternative Reading Frame) tumor suppressor is a protein product of the alternative reading frame (ARF) of the human INK4a locus which regulates a series of cell cycle regulatory proteins to promote cell cycle arrest in response to abnormal hyper-proliferative growth stimuli. p14ARF alterations are common in human cancers and, when inherited, confer susceptibility to cutaneous melanoma (1).

MCP1, also known as CCL2, is a small chemokine factor belonging to the CC chemokine family. It is predominantly produced by endothelial cells and macrophages, and specifically is a chemoattractant for monocytes and basophils. It is produced by a wide range of cell types in reaction to diverse inflammatory stimuli including tissue injury, infection, and inflammation.

Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule, also known as PECAM1 or cluster differentiation 31 (CD31), is an 82 kDa adhesion molecule that is expressed on platelets and leukocytes. Six isoforms are produced by alternative splicing and this protein undergoes post translation modification. PECAM -1 is found on chromosome 17. This protein is concentrated at the borders between endothelial cells.

Perforin, also known as the pore-forming protein, pfp, is a 70 kD cytolytic protein expressed in the cytoplasmic granules of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells.

Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases (ERK) also known as the Mitogen-activated Protein Kinase (MAPK), MAPK/ERK proteins are a family of protein-serine/threonine kinases that are activated via the phosphorylation of tyrosine. MAPK/ERK are activated by diverse mechanisms.

Nuclear Factor kappa B (NFkB) binds to the kappa-beta site of the immunoglobulin kappa light chain gene enhancer. Thus NFkB has become one of the widely studied transcription factors in innate and adaptive immune responses.

Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a major transcription factor that is composed of two subunits: HIF-1 alpha and HIF-1 beta, the latter being a constitutively-expressed aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear transporter (ARNT).

APE1 (aka. HAP1, /Ref-1 or APEX) the mammalian ortholog of Escherichia coli Xth is a multifunctional protein possessing both DNA repair and transcriptional regulatory activity. APE1 acts essentially as master regulator of controlling cellular response to oxidative stress, and contributes to the genome stability (1).

Jumonji domain-containing protein 3 (JMJD3), identified as H3K27me3 demethylase, controls the expression of key regulators and markers of neurogenesis, and is required for commitment to the neural lineage. Nevertheless, the precise molecular targets of JMJD3 remain largely uncharacterized. The regulation of JMJD3 appears to be highly gene- and context- specific, suggesting interplay with specific molecules to promote fine-tuning more than the on/off alternation of methylation status.

Glucose is the principal fuel source for the brain and GLUT1 is the only vehicle by which glucose enters the brain. In case of GLUT1 deficiency, the risk of clinical manifestations is increased in infancy and childhood, when the brain glucose demand is maximal.