http://www.cellandbioscience.com The latest research articles published by Cell & Bioscience 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z Background: Recent studies have suggested that a functional cure for HIV-1 infection, purportedly resultant from allogeneic bone marrow transplantation, may be possible. Additionally, the first such patient was treated with whole-body irradiation, immunosuppressants, and the chemotherapeutic, cytarabine. However, the precise role of the coinciding medical interventions in diminishing detectable HIV reservoirs remains unstudied.FindingsIn this article, we demonstrate that the immunosuppressants, mycophenolic acid and cyclosporin, and the chemotherapeutic, cytarabine, are potent antiretroviral agents at clinically relevant dosages. These drugs strongly inhibit HIV-1 replication in a GFP indicator T cell line and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Conclusions: Our study suggests that certain clinical immunosuppressants and chemotherapeutic agents may act combinatorially to inhibit HIV infection. Additionally, chemotherapy-mediated cytotoxicity may also affect the stability of viral reservoirs. Thus, further study is needed to examine potential therapeutic value of these interventions in patients. http://www.cellandbioscience.com/content/3/1/22 Todd Hawley Mark Spear Jia Guo Yuntao Wu Cell & Bioscience 2013, null:22 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2045-3701-3-22 /content/figures/2045-3701-3-22-toc.gif Cell & Bioscience 2045-3701 ${item.volume} 22 2013-05-14T00:00:00Z PDF Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) are novel engineered DNA nucleases, and have been proven to be effective for gene specific targeting in various species. Recently we reported gene disruptions in Xenopus embryos by using TALENs. Here we summarize the protocol that is used in our studies for gene disruption. This protocol covers selection of TALEN targeting sites, TALEN assembly with a modified Golden Gate method, and injection of TALEN mRNAs into Xenopus tropicalis embryos. We also provide details for detection of somatic and germ line transmitted mutations. And finally, we briefly describe establishment of knockout Xenopus lines. This protocol will facilitate broader applications of TALENs in studies of Xenopus biology. http://www.cellandbioscience.com/content/3/1/21 Yong Lei Xiaogang Guo Yi Deng Yonglong Chen Hui Zhao Cell & Bioscience 2013, null:21 2013-05-10T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2045-3701-3-21 /content/figures/2045-3701-3-21-toc.gif Cell & Bioscience 2045-3701 ${item.volume} 21 2013-05-10T00:00:00Z PDF Cell division in mitosis is tightly regulated via a group of protein kinases. Activation of these mitotic kinases is inhibited by the DNA damage checkpoint that arrests the cell cycle in interphase and prevents mitotic entry. Interestingly, it has been shown that the DNA damage checkpoint is feedback regulated by several mitotic kinases. These kinases are reactivated from checkpoint arrest to deactivate the checkpoint and restart cell cycle progression, thereby allowing the cell to recover from the DNA damage checkpoint. The emerging role of mitotic kinases in the DNA damage pathway provides important insights into cancer progression and treatment. http://www.cellandbioscience.com/content/3/1/20 Aimin Peng Cell & Bioscience 2013, null:20 2013-04-23T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2045-3701-3-20 /content/figures/2045-3701-3-20-toc.gif Cell & Bioscience 2045-3701 ${item.volume} 20 2013-04-23T00:00:00Z XML GABAergic interneurons are inhibitory neurons of the nervous system that play a vital role in neural circuitry and activity. They are so named due to their release of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and occupy different areas of the brain. This review will focus primarily on GABAergic interneurons of the mammalian cerebral cortex from a developmental standpoint. There is a diverse amount of cortical interneuronal subtypes that may be categorized by a number of characteristics; this review will classify them largely by the protein markers they express. The developmental origins of GABAergic interneurons will be discussed, as well as factors that influence the complex migration routes that these interneurons must take in order to ultimately localize in the cerebral cortex where they will integrate with the neural circuitry set in place. This review will also place an emphasis on the transcriptional network of genes that play a role in the specification and maintenance of GABAergic interneuron fate. Gaining an understanding of the different aspects of cortical interneuron development and specification, especially in humans, has many useful clinical applications that may serve to treat various neurological disorders linked to alterations in interneuron populations. http://www.cellandbioscience.com/content/3/1/19 Corey Kelsom Wange Lu Cell & Bioscience 2013, null:19 2013-04-23T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2045-3701-3-19 /content/figures/2045-3701-3-19-toc.gif Cell & Bioscience 2045-3701 ${item.volume} 19 2013-04-23T00:00:00Z PDF The mammalian intestine has long been used as a model to study organ-specific adult stem cells, which are essential for organ repair and tissue regeneration throughout adult life. The establishment of the intestinal epithelial cell self-renewing system takes place during perinatal development when the villus-crypt axis is established with the adult stem cells localized in the crypt. This developmental period is characterized by high levels of plasma thyroid hormone (T3) and T3 deficiency is known to impair intestinal development. Determining how T3 regulates adult stem cell development in the mammalian intestine can be difficult due to maternal influences. Intestinal remodeling during amphibian metamorphosis resembles perinatal intestinal maturation in mammals and its dependence on T3 is well established. A major advantage of the amphibian model is that it can easily be controlled by altering the availability of T3. The ability to manipulate and examine this relatively rapid and localized formation of adult stem cells has greatly assisted in the elucidation of molecular mechanisms regulating their formation and further revealed evidence that supports conservation in the underlying mechanisms of adult stem cell development in vertebrates. Furthermore, genetic studies in Xenopus laevis indicate that T3 actions in both the epithelium and the rest of the intestine, most likely the underlying connective tissue, are required for the formation of adult stem cells. Molecular analyses suggest that cell-cell interactions involving hedgehog and BMP pathways are critical for the establishment of the stem cell niche that is essential for the formation of the adult intestinal stem cells. http://www.cellandbioscience.com/content/3/1/18 Takashi Hasebe Liezhen Fu Thomas Miller Yu Zhang Yun-Bo Shi Atsuko Ishizuya-Oka Cell & Bioscience 2013, null:18 2013-04-01T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2045-3701-3-18 /content/figures/2045-3701-3-18-toc.gif Cell & Bioscience 2045-3701 ${item.volume} 18 2013-04-01T00:00:00Z XML China’s new leadership has been on board recently and they will face a great challenge, how to control the spread of HIVAIDS in China. Recent studies have shown that sexual transmission has become the main route of HIV spread in China. Therefore, more strong and effective measures have to be taken to protect people from HIV infection via sexual transmission in order to reduce the mortality and morbidity of HIV infection and AIDS in China. http://www.cellandbioscience.com/content/3/1/17 Shibo Jiang Weihua Li Lu Lu Cell & Bioscience 2013, null:17 2013-03-19T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2045-3701-3-17 /content/figures/2045-3701-3-17-toc.gif Cell & Bioscience 2045-3701 ${item.volume} 17 2013-03-19T00:00:00Z XML Background: Metastasis-associated in colon cancer-1 (MACC1) was first identified as a transcriptional activator for proto-oncogene c-MET expression, and its overexpression is frequently associated with metastatic progression for multiply tumor types. In the present study, we analyzed for the first time the expression of MACC1 in breast cancer and its correlation with clinicopathologic features, including metastasis and patient survival. Results: MACC1 protein expression was analyzed in two cohorts of clinicopathologically characterized breast cancer using immunohistochemistry. Statistical analysis showed a significant correlation of MACC1 expression with the primary tumor, lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis classifications as well as the clinical staging in breast cancer patients. Moreover, overexpression of MACC1 was associated with both a reduced recurrence-free survival (RFS) and poorer patients' overall survival (OS). Multivariate analysis with a Cox proportional-hazards model suggested that MACC1 expression was an independent prognostic indicator for RFS and OS. Stratification of breast cancer patients according to the estrogen receptor (ER) status revealed that MACC1 was prognostic for both ER-negative and ER-positive patients. Conclusions: MACC1 may represent a potentially useful biomarker for the prognosis of breast cancer patients and might be involved in progression of breast cancer. http://www.cellandbioscience.com/content/3/1/16 Yongbo Huang Huizhong Zhang Junchao Cai Lishan Fang Jueheng Wu Caisheng Ye Xun Zhu Mengfeng Li Cell & Bioscience 2013, null:16 2013-03-18T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2045-3701-3-16 /content/figures/2045-3701-3-16-toc.gif Cell & Bioscience 2045-3701 ${item.volume} 16 2013-03-18T00:00:00Z XML The classical pluripotency factors Oct4, Klf4, Sox2, and Nanog are required for the maintenance of pluripotency and self-renewal of embryonic stem (ES) cells and can reprogram terminally differentiated cells into a pluripotent state. Alteration in the levels of these factors in ES cells will cause differentiation into different lineages, suggesting that they are critical determinants of cell fates. These factors show dynamic expression patterns during embryogenesis, in particular in the pluripotent or multipotent cells of an early stage embryo, implying that they are involved in the cell fate decision during early embryonic development. Functions and the underlying molecular mechanisms have been extensively studied for these factors in ES cells under cultured conditions. However, this does not mean that the results also hold true for intact embryos. In the review, I have summarized and discussed the findings on the functions and the underlying mechanisms of the classical pluripotency factors during early embryogenesis, in particular during germ layer formation. http://www.cellandbioscience.com/content/3/1/15 Ying Cao Cell & Bioscience 2013, null:15 2013-03-11T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2045-3701-3-15 /content/figures/2045-3701-3-15-toc.gif Cell & Bioscience 2045-3701 ${item.volume} 15 2013-03-11T00:00:00Z XML N/A http://www.cellandbioscience.com/content/3/1/14 Paul Liu Chou-Zen Giam Zhi-Ming Zheng Cell & Bioscience 2013, null:14 2013-02-28T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2045-3701-3-14 /content/figures/2045-3701-3-14-toc.gif Cell & Bioscience 2045-3701 ${item.volume} 14 2013-02-28T00:00:00Z XML N/A http://www.cellandbioscience.com/content/3/1/13 Dong-Yan Jin Yun-Bo Shi T-C Wu Cell & Bioscience 2013, null:13 2013-02-28T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/2045-3701-3-13 /content/figures/2045-3701-3-13-toc.gif Cell & Bioscience 2045-3701 ${item.volume} 13 2013-02-28T00:00:00Z XML