Project description:Primary objectives: The primary objective is to investigate circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) via deep sequencing for mutation detection and by whole genome sequencing for copy number analyses before start (baseline) with regorafenib and at defined time points during administration of regorafenib for treatment efficacy in colorectal cancer patients in terms of overall survival (OS).
Primary endpoints: circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) via deep sequencing for mutation detection and by whole genome sequencing for copy number analyses before start (baseline) with regorafenib and at defined time points during administration of regorafenib for treatment efficacy in colorectal cancer patients in terms of overall survival (OS).
Project description:The original sepal color of Hydrangea macrophylla is blue, although it is well known that sepal color easily changes from blue through purple to red. All the colors are due to a unique anthocyanin, 3-O-glucosyldelphinidin, and both aluminum ion (Al3+) and copigments, 5-O-caffeoyl and/or 5-O-p-coumaroylquinic acid are essential for blue coloration. A mixture of 3-O-glucosyldelphinidin, 5-O-acylquinic acid, and Al3+ in a buffer solution at pH 4 produces a stable blue solution with visible absorption and circular dichroism spectra identical to those of the sepals, then, we named this blue pigment as 'hydrangea blue-complex'. The hydrangea blue-complex consists of 3-O-glucosyldelphinidin, Al3+, and 5-O-acylquinic acid in a ratio 1:1:1 as determined by the electrospray ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. To map the distribution of hydrangea blue-complex in sepal tissues, we carried out cryo-time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis. The spectrum of the reproduced hydrangea blue-complex with negative mode-detection gave a molecular ion at m/z = 841, which was consistent with the results of ESI-TOF MS. The same molecular ion peak at m/z = 841 was detected in freeze-fixed blue sepal-tissue. In sepal tissues, the blue cells were located in the second layer and the mass spectrometry imaging of the ion attributable to hydrangea blue-complex overlapped with the same area of the blue cells. In colorless epidermal cells, atomic ion of Al3+ was hardly detected and potassium adduct ion of 5-O-caffeoyl and/or 3-O-acylquinic acid were found. This is the first report about the distribution of aluminum, potassium, hydrangea blue-complex, and copigment in sepal tissues and the first evidence that aluminum and hydrangea blue-complex exist in blue sepal cells and are involved in blue coloration.
Project description:Fetal spina bifida can associate with reduced fetal growth. However, little is known about placental development and function in pregnancies with fetal spina bifida, despite that the placenta is a critical regulator of fetal growth. We used data from a case-control study to determine how the placental transcriptome differs in fetuses with isolated spina bifida (cases), compared to fetuses without any congenital anomalies (controls).
Project description:Amplicon sequencing of ITS and cpDNA regions for molecular phylogenetic analysis of Hydrangea serrata complex (Hydrangeaceae) in western Japan
Project description:Background The vitamin A derivative, retinoic acid (RA), is a potent teratogenic agent that induces a variety of congenital abnormalities including neural tube defects. The embryopathology of RA has been extensively investigated and retinol receptors play important roles during organogenesis, development and neural tube closure. Still, the mechanisms by which RA influences these processes are not completely understood. Methods We used a custom-made mouse genome 32K oligonucleotide microarray to determine the gene expression profiles of mouse embryo spinal cord samples that had been exposed to vehicle or RA. Then, we performed a GSEA (gene set enrichment analysis) on the gene expression data by searching MSigDB (v2.5) c2 gene sets (canonical pathways) and c5 gene sets (curated GO terms), with set size restraints on the range to avoid over-narrow or over-broad categories. Results Using microarray technology, the present study identifies 85 genes in the spinal cord that exhibit at least a 1.5-fold change between control samples and samples with spina bifida aperta. A gene set enrichment analysis showed that maternal exposure to RA induced spinal bifida that were associated with altered expression of genes involved in pro- or anti-apoptosis, cell proliferation, migration, cytoskeleton components, and cell or focal adhesion, indicating that defective functions of these cell components and biological processes preceded the abnormal development of neural tube. Conclusions Maternal exposure to RA induced spinal bifida that were associated with altered expression of genes involved in pro- or anti-apoptosis, cell proliferation, migration, cytoskeleton components, and cell or focal adhesion. As shown in previous reports, defective functions of these cell components and biological processes preceded the abnormal development of the neural tube. Our study will help the understanding of the etiology and pathology of spinal bifida. However, it should be noted that the changes in gene expression induced by RA exposure may not be an effect on events other than neural tube closure; further study is required to fully understand the molecular mechanisms and consequence of neural tube defects in embryos exposed to RA. Our study provides a global analysis of gene expression patterns in spina bifida and will help the understanding of the etiology and pathology of neural tube defects. We assessed the changes in gene expression that coincide with spina bifida in RA-treated mouse fetuses. After generating an independent list of regulated genes, we analyzed samples by gene set enrichment analysis to expand our results. A pool of spinal cord tissue from spina bifida fetuses whose mothers were exposed to RA was compared to a pool of spinal cord tissue from fetuses whose mothers were exposed to olive oil vehicle. Three replicates each.
Project description:Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) is a significant complication of premature infants. With improved preterm infant survival, there is increased incidence of severe IVH, and the potential for lifelong neurodevelopmental deficits. Neurological complications are high in babies that develop hydrocephalus as a result of IVH and require a permanent ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt. Spina bifida is a congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closure of the neural tube. Hydrocephalus is also a common complication of spina bifida, presenting in 15 to 25% of cases. Often, when spina bifida is identified and surgically repaired, CSF shunting mechanisms are placed in a high percentage of cases. A better understanding of the events leading to the development of hydrocephalus will help clinicians make more informed decisions about the need for CSF shunting and other interventions. Extracellular RNAs (exRNAs) may be indicators of the multiple pathological events surrounding the development of hydrocephalus in subjects with intraventricular hemorrhage or spina bifida. exRNAs may also be indicators for the presence and magnitude of neurodevelopmental outcomes. Under that premise, we sequenced the total exRNA in CSF from children that had IVH or spina bifida, some of which developed hydrocephalus and/or had reported developmental delays.