Biomedical subjects

S Planitzer

Publications and source records attributed to S Planitzer.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

DNA microarray technology and antimicrobial drug discovery.

The genomics era is providing us with vast amounts of information derived from whole-genome sequencing. This will doubtlessly revolutionise biology and the way novel medicines will be discovered. To leverage this information efficiently, however, technologies in addition to high-throughput sequencing are required. DNA microarray technology is one technology that has already shown great potential for both basic research and drug discovery. With particular emphasis on antibacterial research we will summarise in this review the key technological aspects and most important applications of DNA microarrays demonstrated so far.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

PubMed1999

SEMP1, a senescence-associated cDNA isolated from human mammary epithelial cells, is a member of an epithelial membrane protein superfamily.

We have cloned a human cDNA, SEMP1 (senescence-associated epithelial membrane protein 1), using differential display (DD) of mRNA. We compared mRNA expression profiles between cultured normal senescent human mammary epithelial cells (HMECs) and proliferating, early passage HMECs. From the amino acid sequence of the open reading frame (ORF) of the cDNA, we infer that the protein belongs to a family of membrane-associated, epithelial cell-specific proteins. The translation product has 91% identity to a mouse protein, claudin-1, a tight junction (TJ)-associated protein. SEMP1 mRNA is expressed in human tissues, including adult and fetal liver, pancreas, placenta, adrenals, prostate and ovary but at low or undetectable levels in a number of human breast cancer cell lines. SEMP1 is a member of a superfamily of epithelial membrane proteins (EMPs), which may have multiple potential functions, including maintenance and regulation of cell polarity and permeability, perhaps through mechanisms involving tight junctions.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

A novel, membrane receptor-based retroviral vector for Fanconi anemia group C gene therapy.

Retroviral vectors are effective shuttle systems by introducing therapeutically relevant genes stably into the genome of proliferating cells. The majority of vectors applied for research or clinical applications use neomycin for cell selection and identification. To circumvent the time consuming and potentially toxic G418 selection process in transduction studies we constructed a novel marker vector using I-NGFR as a cell surface marker to identify DNA repair defective Fanconi anemia cells complemented with the FAC gene. The new vector constructed is based on a MoMLV backbone, a signal peptide-deleted I-NGFR receptor gene under control of a LTR promoter and the therapeutically relevant FAC gene placed downstream of a SV40 promoter. Supernatants containing high titers of amphotropic viruses from FACS cloned cell cultures were obtained and tested for primary transduction rates, rapid detection of transduced cells within 48 h and correction of mitomycin C-induced cell cycle G2 phase accumulation in a single assay using multiparameter, dual laser flow cytometry. Primary transduction efficiency detected via (I-NGFR) antibody was between 5% and 30% with Fanconi cell lines, 5% with CD34+ cells and 15% with PBLs. MMC-induced G2 phase cell cycle disturbances were fully complemented in Fanconi anemia B cell lines of complementation group C but not in B cell lines of another FA complementation group (D). In addition to the normalization of the G2 phase arrest, induction of cell death in the FAC cell line was also decreased three to 10-fold at different MMC concentrations.

Cell Survival↗