CCR2 promotes hepatic fibrosis in mice

Ekihiro Seki, Samuele de Minicis, Sayaka Inokuchi, Kojiro Taura, Katsumi Miyai, Nico van Rooijen, Robert F. Schwabe, David A. Brenner – 23 June 2009 – Chemokines and chemokine receptors contribute to the migration of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and Kupffer cells, two key cell types in fibrogenesis. Here, we investigate the role of CCR2, the receptor for monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)‐1, MCP‐2, and MCP‐3, in hepatic fibrosis. Hepatic CCR2, MCP‐1, MCP‐2, and MCP‐3 messenger RNA expression was increased after bile duct ligation (BDL).

Mutations in the hepatitis C virus polymerase that increase RNA binding can confer resistance to cyclosporine A

Zhe Liu, John M. Robida, Sreedhar Chinnaswamy, Guanghui Yi, Jason M. Robotham, Heather B. Nelson, Andre Irsigler, C. Cheng Kao, Hengli Tang – 23 June 2009 – Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection leads to acute and chronic liver diseases, and new classes of anti‐HCV therapeutics are needed. Cyclosporine A (CsA) inhibits HCV replication and CsA derivatives that lack the immunosuppressive function are currently in clinical trials as candidate anti‐HCV drugs.

MicroRNA‐195 suppresses tumorigenicity and regulates G1/S transition of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells

Teng Xu, Ying Zhu, Yujuan Xiong, Yi‐Yuan Ge, Jing‐Ping Yun, Shi‐Mei Zhuang – 23 June 2009 – Growing evidence indicates that deregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) contributes to tumorigenesis. Down‐regulation of miR‐195 has been observed in various types of cancers. However, the biological function of miR‐195 is still largely unknown. In this study we aimed to elucidate the pathophysiologic role of miR‐195. Our results showed that miR‐195 expression was significantly reduced in as high as 85.7% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and in all of the five HCC cell lines examined.

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