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Identification of epitopes recognized by leukemic B cells could provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of B cell transformation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). The aim of this paper was to compare nucleotide sequences of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region (IGHV) genes in CLL with known sequences directed against antigens of different origins available in public databases.Analysis was performed in the groups of 412 unselected CLL patients with productive IGHV gene using polymerase chain reaction followed by direct sequencing.Homology between CLL Ig sequences and antibodies directed against autoantigens was found in 12 patients (2.9%), homology between CLL Ig sequences and antiviral antibodies - in 35 patients (8.5%). Most of these sequences belonged to stereotypical clusters. Among the sequences that have homology to antiviral antibodies, the most prevalent were cases homologous with antibodies against HIV (14 cases, 3.4%) and SARS-CoV-2 antigens (10 cases, 2.4%). None of the patients in our cohort was HIV-infected and the study was conducted before the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 virus.Suggestions could be made about the possible impact of past infection of SARS-CoV-2 virus on the pathogenesis of CLL. In particular, an increase in the proportion of CLL cases with the expression of some stereotyped BCR and/or an increase of CLL risk in the long-term period after SARS-CoV-2 virus infection is not excluded. This assumption needs to be verified by epidemiological data.

The review analyzes in detail the data on cytomegalovirus (CMV) as the cause of the development of malignant brain tumors. The use of modern methods of immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction makes it possible to detect both individual proteins and CMV genes in tumor tissue, while virus cannot be isolated from tumor tissue using classical virological methods. The paper discusses the theories of "hit-and-run" and "microinfections", which explain the mechanism of action of CMV. The data on various molecular mechanisms of transformation of normal cells into tumor cells under the action of CMV are presented. The presence of CMV was shown not only in tumor cells, but also in neural stem cells, monocytes and macrophages. The possibility of using immunotherapy with T-lymphocytes and CMV-based dendritic cellular vaccines for the treatment of cancer patients is discussed in detail. Clinical data on their effectiveness are presented. Three possible mechanisms of the action of immunotherapeutic drugs containing CMV antigens are considered.

A new round of molecular oncology development in the post-genomic era significantly changes the conventional understanding of the nature and origin of the malignant process. Increasingly, fundamental phenomena are emerging that change the "canonical" views of the dominant role of gene mutations that contribute to the uncontrolled proliferation and emergence of heterogeneous malignant cells. Recent numerous studies have shown that significant variability in the initiation, proliferation and control of the apoptotic program of tumor cells is due to numerous epigenetic processes, including the level of expression of microRNAs (miRNAs). This paper reviews the literature data and presents the results of own research in which miRNAs have been found to form a molecular phenotype for malignancy. Their role as a "conductor" of the functioning of a genetic-epigenetic orchestra that coordinates various aspects of malignancy has been suggested. MiRNAs have been shown to be an active participant in balancing mechanisms in the development of controversial processes in breast cancer cell lines of varying degrees of malignancy. The analysis of the literature data and the own studies of the expression profile of only a few miRNAs suggests that scientists and clinicians have received a new marker and a target that simultaneously plays the role of an active insider in both the oncogene-oncosuppressor relationship and in the globalization of this process at the tumor-host level. Further investigation of the "alarm" marker in this network will allow to reconsider the molecular genetic classification of neoplastic disease, which will provide the development of a new strategy for cancer therapy.

Investigating the distinctions pharmacokinetics of chlorin e6 conjugated with polyvinyl pyrrolidone photosensitizer (Ce6CPPPS)in healthy and tumor tissues of rat brain and evaluating the antitumor efficacy of combination treatment for C6 rat glioma including photodynamic (PDT) and antiangiogenic therapy (AAT).The study was performed on 50 white random-bred rats in subcutaneous and intracranial models of C6 glioma. Photosensitizer (PS) Ce6CPPPS single injection at a dose of 2.5 mg/kg was made into the animal's caudal vein. The PS accumulation level in brain tissues and C6 rat glioma was measured with spectral fluorescence technique using LESA-01-Biospek spectrum analyser (Russian Federation, Moscow; λ = 632.8 nm). Photoirradiation of intracranial and subcutaneous C6 glioma was carried out with a light exposure dose of 50 J/cm(2) (IMAF-Axicon, Republic of Belarus; λ = 661 nm). AAT drug bevacizumab, single injection was made intravenously at a dose of 10 mg/kg 24 h after tumor photoirradiation. The criteria for efficacy evaluation were mean survival time (MST) and median survival of the animals in the study group vs the control and the -percentage of tumor necrosis areas induced by the above-mentioned treatment.The optimal time for photoirradiation of intracranial C6 glioma is 0.5 h after Ce6CPPPS injection. The combination therapy group demonstrated a statistically significant MST increase (38.4 ± 4.39 days) compared with the PDT group (29.2 ± 3.5 days) (p = 0.02) and the AAT group (27.1 ± 2.74 days) (p = 0.02). Necrosis areas in tumor tissue were as follows: the intact control - 10.0 ± 2.55%, PDT - 54.87 ± 6.95% (p = 0.003), AAT - 57.83 ± 6.53% (p = 0.003) and combination therapy - 89.43 ± 5.57% (p = 0.001).This paper is the first report about feasibility of efficient use of PDT with a PS of chlorin series and AAT with bevacizumab for the treatment of brain tumors in experimental models.

Despite male breast cancer is rare in occurrence, it is a serious problem. In 2012, 130 men in Ukraine got breast cancer that constituted 0.74% from all patients with mentioned pathology detected in the course of year. Every year in Ukraine approximately 100 men die from breast cancer. Still many aspects of male breast cancer remain unstudied. It occurs since information about mentioned disease is mainly based on retrospective analysis of small groups. Treatment of men, who got breast cancer, is based on knowledge, which has been obtained in treatment of women with this pathology. This article is based on the results of analysis of 168 cases of breast cancer in men, who have been examined and treated in the period from 1956 to 2012. In paper the peculiarities of clinical manifestations of male breast cancer have been determined, the optimal volume of diagnostic procedures in men with suspicion of breast cancer has been established, the mammographic signs have been detected and the possible histological variants of disease have been determined, clinical course peculiarities of male breast cancer have been defined, the most essential factors of prognosis of the disease have been fixed. Furthermore, in article optimal volume of surgical treatment of male breast cancer has been substantiated, the role and place of radiotherapy in treatment of this pathology has been determined. It has been proved that adjuvant polychemotherapy should be applied to the patients with male breast cancer independently from stage of process. Also optimal schemes of this kind of treatment have been determined. The efficacy of hormonal therapy with antiestrogen in patients with positive receptors of steroid hormones and at presence of unfavorable prognostic factors of disease has been demonstrated. The inefficiency of orchiectomy as one of the widespread kinds of hormonal therapy of male breast cancer has been defined.

The paper deals with the analysis of literary data on the tumor cell heterogeneity. Phenotypic, genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of heterogeneity are considered. The heterogeneity of metastasis is considered too. The importance for the biology of populations of tumor cells and the sensitivity of tumors to therapeutic treatment are discussed.

In research of the last decade, rhythmic (circadian) variations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) production by tumors were discovered. The present paper authors have earlier synthesized and characterized a new derivative photosensitizer - an immunoconjugate of hematoporphyrin with antiVEGF antibodies.To elaborate and to test a novel modification of the photodynamic therapy of tumors (PDT) method, founding upon a timed introduction of the immunoconjugated photosensitizer to tumor-bearing animals, so that this coincides with a maximum content of VEGF in tumor tissues.Circadian variations of VEGF contents in murine transplanted tumors, Lewis lung carcinoma and sarcoma 180, were determined by ELISA method. Immunoconjugated photosensitizer concentrations in tumors were estimated by spectrofluorometry. Photoirradiation of the tumors was carried out with a red light (wavelength of 635 nm) from a semiconductor laser. Light doses were chosen, calculating on a partial inhibition of tumor growth, in order that a dependence of PDT efficiency on a daily time-moment (circadian rhythm phase) of the treatment could be observed distinctly.Circadian variations of the VEGF levels in Lewis lung carcinoma and sarcoma 180 were demonstrated with the maximum at 14:00 h and the minimum at 02:00 h. Intra-abdominal introduction into tumor-bearing mice of the immunoconjugated photosensitizer resulted in a greater accumulation of the immunoconjugate in tumors at 14:00 h than at 02:00 h. Laser irradiation of carcinomas and sarcomas at 14:00 h or 02:00 h after introduction of the immunoconjugated photosensitizer to mice the day before at the same time points, induced a significantly enhanced inhibition of tumor growth in animals treated at day-time versus those treated at night-time.The obtained results justify further attempts to transfer principles of tumor chronochemotherapy onto photodynamic therapy.

Forty years ago, the term "apoptosis" was introduced to describe a form of programmed cell death. Key players that mediate apoptosis at the molecular level such as caspases, death receptors, Bcl-2 family members have since been identified and their regulation remains a research focus of many laboratories. In 1993, approximately 20 years after the introduction of apoptosis, the sphingolipid ceramide was first linked to this form of cell death. Sphingolipids are bioactive components of cellular membranes that are involved in numerous physiological functions. In this paper, we discuss the inherent complexities of sphingolipid signaling and elaborate on how sphingolipids, primarily ceramide, influence apoptotic events such as death receptor aggregation in the plasma membrane and pore formation at the mitochondria. Possible roles of sphingolipids in other subcellular compartments, such as the nucleus, endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes are also discussed. We conclude by summarizing the recent developments in sphingolipid based cancer therapy. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Apoptosis: Four Decades Later".

This paper reviews research on cell death in the 19th C. The first report of cell death was by Vogt in 1842, which was remarkably soon after the establishment of the cell theory by Schleiden and Schwann between 1838 and 1842. Initial studies on cell death, including that of Vogt, focused on its occurrence in metamorphosis (Vogt, 1842; Prévost and Lebert, 1844; Weismann, 1863-1866) or in blatant pathology (Virchow, 1858), but as histological techniques improved it was found to be involved in more subtle roles in numerous situations including endochondral ossification (Stieda, 1872), ovarian follicle atresia (Flemming, 1885), cell turnover (Nissen, 1886), the wholesale loss of a population of sensory neurons in fish (Beard, 1889), and the naturally occurring histogenetic death of myocytes (Felix, 1889) and neurons (Collin, 1906). The current categorization of cell death into about three main morphological types has 19th century roots in that apoptosis was well described by Flemming (1885), who called it chromatolysis, and various authors including Noetzel (1895) proposed a threefold classification. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Apoptosis: Four Decades Later".

Proteins tightly bound to DNA (TBP) comprise a group of proteins that remain bound to DNA even after harsh deproteinization procedures. The amount of these proteins is 20-100 μg for mg of DNA depending on eukaryotic source. This experimental paper examines the possibility to use some TBP for clinical biomarker discovery, e.g. for identification of prognostic and diagnostic cancer markers. The main aim of this study was to designate differences between tightly DNA binding protein patterns extracted from rat liver and rat experimental hepatomas (Zajdela ascites hepatoma and hepatoma G-27) and to evaluate possibility that some of these proteins may be used as biomarkers for cell cancer transformation.We used proteomics aproach as a tool for comparison of pattern of TBP from rat experimental hepatomas and normal liver cells. Combination of 2DE fractionation with mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF-MS) suitable for parallel profiling of complex TBP mixtures.Intriguingly 2DE protein maps of TBP from rat liver and rat experimental hepatomas (Zajdela acites hepatoma and hepatoma G-27) were quite different. We identified 9 proteins, some of them shared in all TBP patterns. Among identified tightly bound to DNA proteins there were three proteins considered as nuclear matrix proteins (lamin B1, scaffold attachment factor B1, heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein). Also we identified DNA repair protein RAD50, coiled-coil domain-containing protein 41, structural maintenance of chromosomes protein1A and some ATP -dependent RNA helicases indicating that TBP are of interest with respect to their potential involvement in the topological organization and/ or function of genomic DNA.We suppose that proteomic approach for TBP identification may be promising in development of biomarkers, also obtained results may be valuable for further understanding TBP functions in genome.

Some prostate cancers are clinically significant (i.e. life-threatening) but others are not. Small proportion of elderly men dies of prostate cancer while most of them harbor tumor lesions in their prostates. The aim of this paper was to present late-life form of the prostate cancer, which differs from its aggressive counterpart that affects men between 55-65 years old and younger. The differences can be found in carcinogenesis risk factors, cancer biology and finally patients' survival. The most important is that these two clinical (age-related) forms of the prostate cancer are still undistinguishable in clinico-pathology reports and patients bearing different diseases are offered the same treatment. Potential mechanisms leading to development of the late-life clinically indolent prostate cancer are discussed. It seems that the key abnormalities are proteins involved in control of regenerative potential and cell senescence.We postulate that late-life low-grade (clinically indolent) prostate cancer subcategory should be established. This type of «cancer» should rather be viewed as a senescence-related feature and probably not treated at all.

Epstein - Barr virus (EBV) is a lymphotropic virus that infects more than 90% of the human population, and targets B cells for infection. Infection of human B cells leads to the malignant transformation and eventual immortalization. In latency III infection six EBV-encoded nuclear antigens (EBNAs) and three latent membrane proteins (LMPs) are expressed in the transformed cells that can grow as a lymphoblastoid cell lines in vitro . These proteins hijack the normal B cell growth pathways by activating the constitutive growth promotion and external survival signals. We have determined a set of the nuclear receptors that are up- (and down-) regulated in the latency III infected cells at the mRNA level. In the present paper we discussed the possible role of these receptors in B cell transformation upon EBV infection based on the literature data.

Although oral cancer is rare and attracts little attention, it ranks 12th among all cancers and constitutes the most life threatening of all dental conditions. The aetiology of oral cancer is multi-factorial and like other types of cancer, the key to decreasing the suffering of patients and increasing their survival rate is early detection. The global increase in frequency and mortality of oral cancer has intensified current research efforts in the field of prevention and early detection of this disease. Therefore, scientists have been searching for alternative approaches to biopsy. A number of molecular-based diagnostic markers have been used to detect the presence of oral cancer with varying degrees of sensitivity and specificity. In this paper, incidence, mortality, risk factors, prevention, and diagnostic of oral cancer have been reviewed.

The main aim of our paper is to contribute to objectification of currently widely discussed results of overall survival (OS), disease free survival (DFS) and time from relapse to tumor progression (TTP) in women with breast cancer.Forty consecutive patients fulfilling the eligibility criteria were admitted to the study. Fifty-six women were included in the control group. All patients received 6 cycles of adjuvant intensive cyclic combined chemotherapy with epirubicin 150 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide 1250 mg/m(2) (EC) applied each 14 days. To overcome haematological toxicity transplantations of autologous peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) or whole blood enriched of PBPC were used.We found statistically significant difference in OS regardless of the stage of the disease to the benefit of women treated by intensive cyclic EC chemotherapy when compared with the control group. In evaluation of DFS no statistically significant difference was found in survival between the control group and the group with all stages of the disease. TTP in women without relation to the stage was statistically significantly longer than in the control group.In our study intensive cyclic EC chemotherapy did not show better curative effect when compared with conventional dosage chemotherapy.

Development of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies against recombinant GST-fused proteins including correspondingly N- and C-terminal parts of Ruk/CIN85 adaptor protein. Analysis of Ruk/CIN85 expression patterns in cell lines of various tissue origins and human melanoma.Recombinant GST-fused fragments of Ruk/CIN85 were expressed in bacterial system and affinity purified. Monoclonal antibodies against SH3A domain of Ruk/CIN85 were produced using hybridoma technique. The specificity of generated antibodies was examined by ELISA. Polyclonal antibodies against C-terminal coiled-coil region of Ruk/CIN85 were affinity purified from serum of immunized rabbit. Expression patterns of Ruk/CIN85 isoforms and their subcellular localization in cell lines of various tissue origins and human melanoma samples were analyzed by immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescence microcopy.Ruk/CIN85 is ubiquitously expressed SH3-containing adaptor/scaffold protein which plays important roles in signalling processes. N-terminal half of Ruk/CIN85 molecule, including three SH3 domains, and its C-terminal coiled-coil region were used as antigens to produce monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, respectively. Hybridoma cell lines secreting monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) to SH3 fragment of Ruk/CIN85 were established. One of the mAbs was extensively characterized and designated as MISh-A1. It was shown that this mAb recognizes an epitope, which resides within first SH3A domain. Polyclonal anti-Ruks Abs affinity purified from serum of immunized rabbit specifically recognized main Ruk/CIN85 isoforms, both endogenous and recombinant, in lysates of HEK293 cells. Notably, produced Abs did not cross-react with CD2AP, the member of the same family of adaptor/scaffold proteins. Multiple molecular forms of Ruk/CIN85 with apparent molecular weights of 130, 80-85, 70-75, 50-56, 34-40 and 29 kD were detected in cell lyzates of NIH3T3, Cos1, L1210, HEK293, Ramos, HeLa S3, MDCK, C6, A549 and U937 using anti-Ruk antibodies. Oligomerization between p85 and p50-56 forms of Ruk/CIN85 was revealed in C6 and NIH3T3 cells, but not in HeLa S3 and HEK293 cells by immunoprecipitation using MISh-A1 antibody following anti-Ruk Western-blot analysis. Using immunofluorescent microscopy and anti-Ruk antibodies, endogenous Ruk-variates were found mostly in cytoplasm of C6, NIH3T3, HEK293 cells and at lower level - in nuclei.Patterns of Ruk/CIN85 molecular forms expression are cell-specific and determined by cellular context. Assembly of oligomeric complexes between p85 and p50-56 Ruk/CIN85 isoforms in C6 and NIH3T3 cells but not in HeLa S3 and HEK293 cells may reflect their specific biological roles in different cell lines. High level of full-length Rukl/CIN85 form expression was revealed in extracts of human melanoma samples. Abs described in this paper may prove useful in future studies of Ruk/CIN85 expression and function in normal and transformed cells.

About 30-40% of breast cancers lack steroid receptors (ER and/or PR) at diagnosis that worsen prognosis and limit the usage of hormone therapy. The aim of this paper has been to study the role of DNA-damaging factors as the potential modifiers of the receptor-negative tumors incidence.The investigation consisted of two principal parts. In one of them ER and PR content was measured in breast cancer samples from 2284 primary patients (350 of them - current or previous smokers). In separately studied subgroup of 1010 patients 95 suffered with diabetes mellitus type II.As it was shown, smokers and diabetics carry more frequently (p = or0.05) tumors with phenotypes ER+PR- and PR- only in the group of women with conserved menstrual cycle that is in case of relatively higher estrogenic stimulation. In another part of the investigation immunohistochemical study of DNA damage marker - 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) in 16 R(-) and 18 R(+) breast cancer specimens demonstrated more frequent positive staining in the former group of samples (p = 0.05). Besides, as it was revealed in breast cancer cell line MCF-7 the combination of estradiol with aryl hydrocarbonic receptors agonist beta-naphtoflavone induced pronounced genotoxic damage (by 8-OH-dG content) in association with the loss of ER.Thus, pro-genotoxic status (smoking, diabetes) and direct signs of genotoxic injury, in accordance with regularities of the phenomenon of switching of estrogen effects can be reckoned among the factors promoting the development of receptor-negative breast cancer.