Because HER-2/neu overexpression is important in cancer development, we looked for a method of suppressing the cell transformation mediated by HER-2/neu overexpression. We have identified that the DNA-binding protein PEA3, which is encoded by a previously isolated gene of the ets family, specifically targeted a DNA sequence on the HER-2/neu promoter and downregulated the promoter activity. Expression of PEA3 resulted in preferential inhibition of cell growth and tumor development of HER-2/neu-overexpressing cancer cells. This is a new approach to targeting HER-2/neu overexpression and also provides a rationale to the design for repressors of diseases caused by overexpression of pathogenic genes.

ObjectivesPneumoconiosis remains a major global occupational health hazard and illness. Accurate data on the incidence of pneumoconiosis are critical for health resource planning and development of health policy.MethodsWe collected data for the period between 1990 and 2017 on the annual incident cases and the age-standardised incidence rates (ASIR) of pneumoconiosis aetiology from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. We calculated the average annual percentage changes of ASIR by sex, region and aetiology in order to determine the trends of pneumoconiosis.ResultsGlobally, the number of pneumoconiosis cases increased by a measure of 66.0%, from 36 186 in 1990 to 60 055 in 2017. The overall ASIR decreased by an average of 0.6% per year in the same period. The number of pneumoconiosis cases increased across the five sociodemographic index regions, and there was a decrease in the ASIR from 1990 to 2017. The ASIR of silicosis, coal workers’ pneumoconiosis and other pneumoconiosis decreased. In contrast, measures of the ASIR of asbestosis displayed an increasing trend. Patterns of the incidence of pneumoconiosis caused by different aetiologies were found to have been heterogeneous for analyses across regions and among countries.ConclusionIncidence patterns of pneumoconiosis which were caused by different aetiologies varied considerably across regions and countries of the world. The patterns of incidence and temporal trends should facilitate the establishment of more effective and increasingly targeted methods for prevention of pneumoconiosis and reduce associated disease burden.

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Biglycan, an extracellular matrix protein, has been implicated in the oncogenesis and cancer development in various types of human cancer. The clinical significance of biglycan in colorectal cancer, however, remains unclear. In the present study, biglycan mRNA expression was analyzed in 110 samples (primary colorectal tumor and matched adjacent normal tissue) derived from 55 patients with colorectal cancer using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The correlations between biglycan up-regulation and the clinicopathological data were also evaluated. We found that the up-regulation of biglycan occurred in 61.8% (34/55) of colorectal cancer tissues, and biglycan expression in colorectal cancer tissues was markedly higher than that in corresponding normal tissues (P = 0.0264). Moreover, statistical analysis displayed a significant correlation in biglycan up-regulation with poor tumor differentiation (P = 0.009), lymph node metastasis (P = 0.041), and distant metastasis (P = 0.036). However, there was no significant correlation between biglycan up-regulation and other clinicopathological factors (all P > 0.05). In conclusion, biglycan may be a potential marker for the malignancy of colorectal cancer.