The loss of microRNA-26b promotes aortic calcification through the regulation of cell-specific target genes.

Aims: Vascular calcification is the abnormal deposition of calcium phosphates within blood vessels. This condition is significantly associated with the development of cardiovascular disease, yet the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) may be crucial in initiating vascular calcification by regulating a network of specific cellular targets.

Disruption of P2Y2 Signaling Promotes Breast Tumor Cell Dissemination by Reducing ATP-Dependent Calcium Elevation and Actin Localization to Cell Junctions.

The tumor microenvironment and healing wounds both contain extremely high concentrations of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) compared to normal tissue. The P2Y2 receptor, an ATP-activated purinergic receptor, is typically associated with pulmonary, endothelial, and neurological cell signaling. Here, we examine ATP-dependent signaling in breast epithelial cells and how it is altered in metastatic breast cancer.

Determination of protein transporter function using Raman spectroscopy.

Transporter proteins are essential across the tree of life as they provide a cell with a means of exchanging vital metabolites with the external milieu. Characterizing the function of transporters is challenging and traditionally uses methods involving radiolabelled substrates, which requires prolonged exposure times and specialist equipment. Here, we provide an alternative method to the classical uptake assay using Raman spectroscopy to detect the uptake of alkyne-labelled substrates and determine transporter function.

Palliative Care Spiritual Assessment and Goals-of-Care Discussions in the Neurocritical Care Unit: Collaborating with Chaplains.

Introduction: Neuropalliative care is an emerging subspecialty of palliative care designed to address the unique supportive care needs of patients with serious neurological illness, including those receiving neurocritical care in intensive care units. Spiritual care is a vital component in the provision of holistic and humanized care to these patients. A chaplain who is specially trained and credentialed in care for those with serious illness is the health care professional responsible for making spiritual assessments and contributes to the plan of care, facilitating decision making, and guiding other clinicians in the provision of generalist spiritual care.

Tubulin-Based Microtentacles Aid in Heterotypic Clustering of Neutrophil-Differentiated HL-60 Cells and Breast Tumor Cells.

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) travel through the vasculature to seed secondary sites and serve as direct precursors of metastatic outgrowth for many solid tumors. Heterotypic cell clusters form between CTCs and white blood cells (WBCs) and recent studies report that a majority of these WBCs are neutrophils in patient and mouse models. The lab discovered that CTCs produce tubulin-based protrusions, microtentacles (McTNs), which promote reattachment, retention in distant sites during metastasis and formation of tumor cell clusters.