ependymoma/protease

Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is the major IGF in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), whereas IGF-I is only detectable in trace amounts. The major IGFBPs in CSF are IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4. Normally, IGFBP-3 is a minor component in CSF of healthy subjects, but may be increased in pathological

The presence and localization of bikunin (HI-30, or acid-stable protease inhibitor), a light chain of inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor, was examined in 30 brain tumors employing immunohistochemical methods. The brain tumors involved 13 kinds of histological diagnosis. Bikunin immunoreactivity was

Malignant gliomas infiltrate the brain preferentially along myelinated fiber tracts. Central nervous system (CNS) myelin, however, contains inhibitory proteins that block axon regeneration, neurite outgrowth, and cell spreading of astrocytes and fibroblasts. We tested 5 human brain tumor cell lines,

Cell death in the core of human brain tumors is triggered by hypoxia and lack of nutrients, but the mode of cell death whether necrosis or apoptosis is not clearly defined. To identify the role of apoptosis in brain tumor cell death, we investigated macromolecular (RNA and protein) synthesis and

Patients with primary brain tumors have bleak prognoses and there is an urgent desire to identify new markers for sensitive diagnosis and new therapeutic targets for effective treatment. A family of proteins, the disintegrin and metalloproteinases (ADAMs or adamalysins), are cell surface and