Conclusion MYOF may serve as a diagnostic biomarker of tumor progression and a potential therapeutic target in ccRCC.Background/aim Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest forms of cancer and ranks among the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. The most common histological type is ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), accounting for approximately 95% of cases. Deregulation of protein synthesis has been found to be closely related to cancer. The rate-limiting step of translation is initiation, which is regulated by a broad range of eukaryotic translation initiation factors (eIFs). Patients and methods Human PDAC samples were biochemically analyzed for the expression of various eIF subunits on the protein level (immunohistochemistry, immunoblot analyses) in 174 cases of PDAC in comparison with non-neoplastic pancreatic tissue (n=10). Results Our investigation revealed a significant down-regulation of four specific eIF subunits, namely eIF1, eIF2D, eIF3C and eIF6. Concomitantly, the protein (immunoblot) levels of eIF1, eIF2D, eIF3C and eIF6 were reduced in PDAC samples as compared with non-neoplastic pancreatic tissue. Conclusion Members of the eIF family are of relevance in pancreatic tumor biology and may play a major role in translational control in PDAC. Consequently, they might be useful as potential new biomarkers and therapeutic targets in PDAC.Background/aim C-C motif chemokine ligand 18 (CCL18) is overexpressed in the microenvironment of tumors, promotes invasion and metastasis and is thus important for the therapeutic outcome of many tumor entities. The Gs-coupled seven-transmembrane receptor GPR30 is known as both a CCL18 and an estrogen receptor; its activation by estradiol leads to a transactivation of membrane-tethered pro-heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor and the MAPK/ERK pathway. We examined whether this signaling pathway remains the same under CCL18 stimulation, as opposed to estradiol stimulation. Materials and methods We investigated the effects of CCL18 on the lung cancer cell line A549, that show low GPR30 expression and the breast cancer cell lines MCF-7, that has high GPR30 expression and MDA-MB-231. These cells were stimulated in different media with CCL18 and then analyzed by qPCR, In-Cell Western®, western blot and ELISA. Results Many similarities on the effect of CCL18 on the already known estradiol-activated signaling pathwaused decreased ERK activation with simultaneous inhibition of adenylate cyclase in MCF-7. However, stimulation with CCL18 and simultaneous inhibition of cyclooxygenase in MCF-7 resulted in increased ERK activation. In A549, stimulation with CCL18 and co-incubation with dbcAMP resulted in decreased ERK activation in both ICW and Western blot. Conclusion In summary, the Gs-coupled receptor GPR30 plays an important role in the signaling pathway of CCL18.  https://www.selleckchem.com/CDK.html  CCL18 and estradiol may not lead to the same signaling pathway after activating GPR30.Background/aim Exosomes are produced by normal and cancer cells. Exosomes are found in the serum of cancer patients and have been used for diagnosis and prognosis. Recently tears from non-cancer patients have been found to contain exosomes. In the present report we describe tears from advanced breast-cancer patients. Materials and methods We found oncogenic miRNAs in the exosomes isolated from tear fluids obtained from five patients with metastatic breast cancer and compared them with tear exosomes form eight healthy volunteers. Results Tear exosomes had a significantly higher quantity of exosome markers than serum exosomes (CD9, CD63). Tear exosomes were subjected to quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase reaction (qRT-PCR), and western blot analysis to elucidate the status of miRNAs, previously reported in serum from patients with metastatic breast cancer. qRT-PCR and western-blot analysis revealed that breast-cancer-specific miR-21 and miR-200c were highly expressed in tear exosomes from metastatic breast cancer patients in contrast to tear exosomes from healthy volunteers. Conclusion Tear exosomes can be a potential source of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for metastatic breast cancer, and possibly other cancers or diseases.Background Grade I meningiomas are generally benign and non-invasive whereas Grade II (atypical) and Grade III (malignant) meningiomas tend to be invasive with a high risk of recurrence. SPARC, secreted protein, acidic and rich in cysteine, is a multifunctional glycoprotein which has been proposed to be a potential diagnostic marker of invasive meningiomas. There has been increased reporting of atypical meningiomas since the current World Health Organization (WHO) included brain invasion as a grading criterion for classification of these particular meningiomas. Materials and methods The aim of this study was to re-evaluate any correlation between immunohistochemical expression of SPARC in 34 meningiomas of various grades using the current classification (2016). We had previously classified these cases using the 2002 WHO criteria. Results There is no correlation between expression of SPARC and invasion in different grades of meningioma. Conclusion SPARC does not appear to be a good predictor of invasion in meningiomas.Background/aim Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma affects nearly 500,000 people annually. Augmenting PPARγ functional activation is linked with multiple anti-carcinogenic processes in aerodigestive cell lines and animal models. PPARγ/RXRα heterodimers may be key partners in this activation. Materials and methods CA 9-22 and NA cell lines were treated with the PPARγ agonist ciglitazone and/or the RXRα agonist 9-cis-retinoic acid. PPARγ functional activation, cellular proliferation, apoptosis activity, and phenotype were subsequently analyzed. Results Ciglitazone and 9-cis-retinoic acid independently activated PPARγ and down-regulated the carcinogenic phenotype in vitro. Combination treatment significantly augmented these effects, further decreasing proliferation (p less then 0.0001), and increasing PPARγ functional activation (p less then 0.0001), apoptosis (p less then 0.05), and adipocyte differentiation markers (p less then 0.0001). Conclusion The efficacy of the combination of ciglitazone and 9-cis-retinoic acid afforded lowering treatment concentrations while maintaining desired therapeutic outcomes, optimistically supporting the feasibility and practicality of this novel treatment option.