Category Archives: Pathology

The Big Picture : 5-hmC Content is Differentiation Dependent in Adult Tissues

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Nicole Kelesoglu

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For me, well done immunolocalization images demonstrate scientific artistry. Last week I was pleased to find this paper, Global 5-hydroxymethylcytosine content is significantly reduced in tissue stem/progenitor cell compartments and in human cancers Oncotarget Sept. 2, 2011 (Haffner et al), posted on the Dr. Denise O’Keefe lab blog (E3 member). This research showed that fully differentiated adult tissues had the highest levels of 5-hmC, while stem cells had very low levels. There was uniform loss of 5hmC in cancer tissues, matched to normal adult tissues. Reductions in 5-hmC can occur independently of 5mC in solid tumors. Global loss of 5-hmC could be an early event of carcinogenesis. The work came … Continue reading →

Posted in DNA Methylation, Flow Cytometry, Imaging, Immunofluorescence, Immunohistochemistry, Methyl-specific Antibodies, New Lab Methods, Oncology, Pathology, Stem Cells | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Cellular Trash to Treasure – Exosomes

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Nicole Kelesoglu

Blood-Based Gene Expression Signatures in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.Clin Cancer Res. 2011 May 15 Thomas Zander, Andrea Hofmann, Andrea Staratschek-Jox, et al has been big in the international news recently. The authors are aiming to develop an RNA-stabilized blood test for asymptomatic lung cancer, using gene expression profiles, from what they believe to be immune effector blood cells – not cancer cells. The prognosis for lung cancer once you already have symptoms, is terrible. Their work is great news because this kind of non-invasive diagnostic test is desperately needed. However, there is another promising approach to transcriptome signature diagnostics to be aware of…Microvesicle shuttled RNA. Microvesicles, (MV), were once considered just cellular debris. We now know that blood, and many … Continue reading →

Posted in Applications, Biomarkers, Clinical Studies, Diagnostics, Flow Cytometry, Genetics, History & Trends, Next Gen Sequencing, Oncology, Pathology, Real-time PCR, Virology, microRNA, siRNA | Leave a comment

Are your Allergies an Evolutionary Advantage?

Posted on May 13, 2011 by Nicole Kelesoglu

Many of my neighbors spent a long day outside on Mother’s day, in their running shoes…chasing a black bolt of lighting in and out of the woods, and down the road. But who could really blame that run away miniature schnauzer? It’s finally spring! Of course, there are some of us (up to 30%) who can’t enjoy spring time quite as much, due to our seasonal allergies.  The epigenetic inheritance of allergies makes sense conceptually.  Allergic disease overall, which includes atopic asthma, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis, anaphylactic reactions and food allergies, is on the rise generationally. Allergies have some genetic basis, but triggers and timing vary, even between twins. Allergy suffers can blame their high levels of total serum IgE antibodies, for … Continue reading →

Posted in Cellular Biology, Developmental Biology, Evolutionary Epigenetics, Genetics, Immunology, In Utero, Pathology | Leave a comment