Upregulation of Periostin expression in the pathogenesis of ameloblastoma

Functions of Matricellular Proteins in Dental Tissues and Their Emerging Roles in Orofacial Tissue Development, Maintenance, and Disease

Matricellular proteins (MCPs) are defined as extracellular matrix (ECM) associated proteins that are important regulators and integrators of microenvironmental signals, contributing to the dynamic nature of ECM signalling. There is a growing understanding of the role of matricellular proteins in cellular processes governing tissue development as well as in disease pathogenesis. In this review, the expression and functions of different MP family members (periostin, CCNs, TSPs, SIBLINGs and others) are presented, specifically in relation to craniofacial development and the maintenance of orofacial tissues, including bone, gingiva, oral mucosa, palate and the dental pulp. As will be discussed, each MP family member has been shown to have non-redundant roles in development, tissue homeostasis, wound healing, pathology and tumorigenesis of orofacial and dental tissues.

Upregulation of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit a promotes cell survival in ameloblastoma

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to detect the expression of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit a (eIF3a) in ameloblastoma (AB) tissues compared with normal oral mucosa (NOM) tissues and investigate the roles of eIF3a in the immortalized ameloblastoma cell line (AM-1) cell proliferation and apoptosis.

STUDY DESIGN

We performed immunohistochemistry to determine the expression of eIF3a in AB tissues (n = 83) and NOM tissues (n = 20). Real time-quantitative polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analyses were conducted with AB tissues (n = 30) and NOM tissues (n = 6). The correlation between eIF3a expression and the clinical/pathologic features of patients with AB is also presented. The functional role of eIF3a in AM-1 cells was assessed with lentiviral vector-mediated shRNA (small hairpin RNA).

RESULTS

Our results indicated that eIF3a was significantly upregulated in AB. Additionally, eIF3a knockdown in AM-1 cells significantly inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that eIF3a facilitates the survival of AB cells and may serve as a promising therapeutic target in AB.