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Lenz G. Heterogeneity generating capacity in tumorigenesis and cancer therapeutics. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167226. [PMID: 38734320 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
Cells of multicellular organisms generate heterogeneity in a controlled and transient fashion during embryogenesis, which can be reactivated in pathologies such as cancer. Although genomic heterogeneity is an important part of tumorigenesis, continuous generation of phenotypic heterogeneity is central for the adaptation of cancer cells to the challenges of tumorigenesis and response to therapy. Here I discuss the capacity of generating heterogeneity, hereafter called cell hetness, in cancer cells both as the activation of hetness oncogenes and inactivation of hetness tumor suppressor genes, which increase the generation of heterogeneity, ultimately producing an increase in adaptability and cell fitness. Transcriptomic high hetness states in therapy-tolerant cell states denote its importance in cancer resistance to therapy. The definition of the concept of hetness will allow the understanding of its origins, its control during embryogenesis, its loss of control in tumorigenesis and cancer therapeutics and its active targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guido Lenz
- Departamento de Biofísica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Centro de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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2
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Pan Q, Mercker M, Klimovich A, Wittlieb J, Marciniak-Czochra A, Böttger A. Genetic interference with HvNotch provides new insights into the role of the Notch-signalling pathway for developmental pattern formation in Hydra. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8553. [PMID: 38609434 PMCID: PMC11014954 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58837-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The Notch-signalling pathway plays an important role in pattern formation in Hydra. Using pharmacological Notch inhibitors (DAPT and SAHM1), it has been demonstrated that HvNotch is required for head regeneration and tentacle patterning in Hydra. HvNotch is also involved in establishing the parent-bud boundary and instructing buds to develop feet and detach from the parent. To further investigate the functions of HvNotch, we successfully constructed NICD (HvNotch intracellular domain)-overexpressing and HvNotch-knockdown transgenic Hydra strains. NICD-overexpressing transgenic Hydra showed a pronounced inhibition on the expression of predicted HvNotch-target genes, suggesting a dominant negative effect of ectopic NICD. This resulted in a "Y-shaped" phenotype, which arises from the parent-bud boundary defect seen in polyps treated with DAPT. Additionally, "multiple heads", "two-headed" and "ectopic tentacles" phenotypes were observed. The HvNotch-knockdown transgenic Hydra with reduced expression of HvNotch exhibited similar, but not identical phenotypes, with the addition of a "two feet" phenotype. Furthermore, we observed regeneration defects in both, overexpression and knockdown strains. We integrated these findings into a mathematical model based on long-range gradients of signalling molecules underlying sharply defined positions of HvNotch-signalling cells at the Hydra tentacle and bud boundaries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Pan
- Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
| | - Moritz Mercker
- Institute of Applied Mathematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 205, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Klimovich
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Jörg Wittlieb
- Zoological Institute, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, 24118, Kiel, Germany
| | - Anna Marciniak-Czochra
- Institute of Applied Mathematics, Heidelberg University, Im Neuenheimer Feld 205, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Angelika Böttger
- Biocenter, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
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Zhang Y, Zhang G, Wang Y, Ye L, Peng L, Shi R, Guo S, He J, Yang H, Dai Q. Current treatment strategies targeting histone deacetylase inhibitors in acute lymphocytic leukemia: a systematic review. Front Oncol 2024; 14:1324859. [PMID: 38450195 PMCID: PMC10915758 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1324859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Acute lymphocytic leukemia is a hematological malignancy that primarily affects children. Long-term chemotherapy is effective, but always causes different toxic side effects. With the application of a chemotherapy-free treatment strategy, we intend to demonstrate the most recent results of using one type of epigenetic drug, histone deacetylase inhibitors, in ALL and to provide preclinical evidence for further clinical trials. In this review, we found that panobinostat (LBH589) showed positive outcomes as a monotherapy, whereas vorinostat (SAHA) was a better choice for combinatorial use. Preclinical research has identified chidamide as a potential agent for investigation in more clinical trials in the future. In conclusion, histone deacetylase inhibitors play a significant role in the chemotherapy-free landscape in cancer treatment, particularly in acute lymphocytic leukemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjun Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Ge Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Yuefang Wang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Lei Ye
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Luyun Peng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Rui Shi
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Siqi Guo
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Jiajing He
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Hao Yang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Qingkai Dai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children, Sichuan University, Ministry of Education, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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Vujovic F, Hunter N, Farahani RM. Notch ankyrin domain: evolutionary rise of a thermodynamic sensor. Cell Commun Signal 2022; 20:66. [PMID: 35585601 PMCID: PMC9118731 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-022-00886-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Notch signalling pathway plays a key role in metazoan biology by contributing to resolution of binary decisions in the life cycle of cells during development. Outcomes such as proliferation/differentiation dichotomy are resolved by transcriptional remodelling that follows a switch from Notchon to Notchoff state, characterised by dissociation of Notch intracellular domain (NICD) from DNA-bound RBPJ. Here we provide evidence that transitioning to the Notchoff state is regulated by heat flux, a phenomenon that aligns resolution of fate dichotomies to mitochondrial activity. A combination of phylogenetic analysis and computational biochemistry was utilised to disclose structural adaptations of Notch1 ankyrin domain that enabled function as a sensor of heat flux. We then employed DNA-based micro-thermography to measure heat flux during brain development, followed by analysis in vitro of the temperature-dependent behaviour of Notch1 in mouse neural progenitor cells. The structural capacity of NICD to operate as a thermodynamic sensor in metazoans stems from characteristic enrichment of charged acidic amino acids in β-hairpins of the ankyrin domain that amplify destabilising inter-residue electrostatic interactions and render the domain thermolabile. The instability emerges upon mitochondrial activity which raises the perinuclear and nuclear temperatures to 50 °C and 39 °C, respectively, leading to destabilization of Notch1 transcriptional complex and transitioning to the Notchoff state. Notch1 functions a metazoan thermodynamic sensor that is switched on by intercellular contacts, inputs heat flux as a proxy for mitochondrial activity in the Notchon state via the ankyrin domain and is eventually switched off in a temperature-dependent manner. Video abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Vujovic
- IDR/Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Neil Hunter
- IDR/Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Ramin M Farahani
- IDR/Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia. .,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
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Vujovic F, Rezaei-Lotfi S, Hunter N, Farahani RM. The fate of notch-1 transcript is linked to cell cycle dynamics by activity of a natural antisense transcript. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:10419-10430. [PMID: 34520549 PMCID: PMC8501981 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A core imprint of metazoan life is that perturbations of cell cycle are offset by compensatory changes in successive cellular generations. This trait enhances robustness of multicellular growth and requires transmission of signaling cues within a cell lineage. Notably, the identity and mode of activity of transgenerational signals remain largely unknown. Here we report the discovery of a natural antisense transcript encoded in exon 25 of notch-1 locus (nAS25) by which mother cells control the fate of notch-1 transcript in daughter cells to buffer against perturbations of cell cycle. The antisense transcript is transcribed at G1 phase of cell cycle from a bi-directional E2F1-dependent promoter in the mother cell where the titer of nAS25 is calibrated to the length of G1. Transmission of the antisense transcript from mother to daughter cells stabilizes notch-1 sense transcript in G0 phase of daughter cells by masking it from RNA editing and resultant nonsense-mediated degradation. In consequence, nAS25-mediated amplification of notch-1 signaling reprograms G1 phase in daughter cells to compensate for the altered dynamics of the mother cell. The function of nAS25/notch-1 in integrating G1 phase history of the mother cell into that of daughter cells is compatible with the predicted activity of a molecular oscillator, slower than cyclins, that coordinates cell cycle within cell lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Vujovic
- IDR/Westmead Institute for Medical Research, NSW 2145, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | | | - Neil Hunter
- IDR/Westmead Institute for Medical Research, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Ramin M Farahani
- IDR/Westmead Institute for Medical Research, NSW 2145, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
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Interplay of autophagy and cancer stem cells in hepatocellular carcinoma. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 48:3695-3717. [PMID: 33893928 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06334-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths in the world. The most common type of liver cancers is hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Autophagy is the cellular digestion of harmful components by sequestering the waste products into autophagosomes followed by lysosomal degradation for the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. The impairment of autophagy is highly associated with the development and progression of HCC although autophagy may be involved in tumour-suppressing cellular events. In regards to its protecting role, autophagy also shelters the cells from anoikis- a programmed cell death in anchorage-dependent cells detached from the surrounding extracellular matrix which facilitates metastasis in HCC. Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) have the ability for self-renewal and differentiation and are associated with the development and progression of HCC by regulating stemness, resistance and angiogenesis. Interestingly, autophagy is also known to regulate normal stem cells by promoting cellular survival and differentiation and maintaining cellular homeostasis. In this review, we discuss the basal autophagic mechanisms and double-faceted roles of autophagy as both tumour suppressor and tumour promoter in HCC, as well as its association with and contribution to self-renewal and differentiation of LCSCs.
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Context Matters: NOTCH Signatures and Pathway in Cancer Progression and Metastasis. Cells 2021; 10:cells10010094. [PMID: 33430387 PMCID: PMC7827494 DOI: 10.3390/cells10010094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 12/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway is a critical player in embryogenesis but also plays various roles in tumorigenesis, with both tumor suppressor and oncogenic activities. Mutations, deletions, amplifications, or over-expression of Notch receptors, ligands, and a growing list of downstream Notch-activated genes have by now been described for most human cancer types. Yet, it often remains unclear what may be the functional impact of these changes for tumor biology, initiation, and progression, for cancer therapy, and for personalized medicine. Emerging data indicate that Notch signaling can also contribute to increased aggressive properties such as invasion, tumor heterogeneity, angiogenesis, or tumor cell dormancy within solid cancer tissues; especially in epithelial cancers, which are in the center of this review. Notch further supports the “stemness” of cancer cells and helps define the stem cell niche for their long-term survival, by integrating the interaction between cancer cells and the cells of the tumor microenvironment (TME). The complexity of Notch crosstalk with other signaling pathways and its roles in cell fate and trans-differentiation processes such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) point to this pathway as a decisive player that may tip the balance between tumor suppression and promotion, differentiation and invasion. Here we not only review the literature, but also explore genomic databases with a specific focus on Notch signatures, and how they relate to different stages in tumor development. Altered Notch signaling hereby plays a key role for tumor cell survival and coping with a broad spectrum of vital issues, contributing to failed therapies, poor patient outcome, and loss of lives.
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Barati M, Akhondi M, Mousavi NS, Haghparast N, Ghodsi A, Baharvand H, Ebrahimi M, Hassani SN. Pluripotent Stem Cells: Cancer Study, Therapy, and Vaccination. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2021; 17:1975-1992. [PMID: 34115316 PMCID: PMC8193020 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-021-10199-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are promising tools for modern regenerative medicine applications because of their stemness properties, which include unlimited self-renewal and the ability to differentiate into all cell types in the body. Evidence suggests that a rare population of cells within a tumor, termed cancer stem cells (CSCs), exhibit stemness and phenotypic plasticity properties that are primarily responsible for resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, metastasis, cancer development, and tumor relapse. Different therapeutic approaches that target CSCs have been developed for tumor eradication. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION In this review, we first provide an overview of different viewpoints about the origin of CSCs. Particular attention has been paid to views believe that CSCs are probably appeared through dysregulation of very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) which reside in various tissues as the main candidate for tissue-specific stem cells. The expression of pluripotency markers in these two types of cells can strengthen the validity of this theory. In this regard, we discuss the common properties of CSCs and PSCs, and highlight the potential of PSCs in cancer studies, therapeutic applications, as well as educating the immune system against CSCs. CONCLUSION In conclusion, the resemblance of CSCs to PSCs can provide an appropriate source of CSC-specific antigens through cultivation of PSCs which brings to light promising ideas for prophylactic and therapeutic cancer vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojgan Barati
- Department of Developmental Biology, School of Basic Sciences and Advanced Technologies in Biology, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Akhondi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Narges Sabahi Mousavi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Newsha Haghparast
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Asma Ghodsi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Baharvand
- Department of Developmental Biology, School of Basic Sciences and Advanced Technologies in Biology, University of Science and Culture, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Ebrahimi
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyedeh-Nafiseh Hassani
- Department of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
- Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product Technology Development Center (ATMP-TDC), Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
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Farahani RM, Rezaei-Lotfi S, Hunter N. Genomic competition for noise reduction shaped evolutionary landscape of mir-4673. NPJ Syst Biol Appl 2020; 6:12. [PMID: 32376854 PMCID: PMC7203229 DOI: 10.1038/s41540-020-0131-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The genomic platform that informs evolution of microRNA cascades remains unknown. Here we capitalised on the recent evolutionary trajectory of hominin-specific miRNA-4673, encoded in intron 4 of notch-1, to uncover the identity of one such precursor genomic element and the selective forces acting upon it. The miRNA targets genes that regulate Wnt/β-catenin signalling cascade. Primary sequence of the microRNA and its target region in Wnt modulating genes evolved from homologous signatures mapped to homotypic cis-clusters recognised by TCF3/4 and TFAP2A/B/C families. Integration of homologous TFAP2A/B/C cis-clusters (short range inhibitor of β-catenin) into the transcriptional landscape of Wnt cascade genes can reduce noise in gene expression. Probabilistic adoption of miRNA secondary structure by one such cis-signature in notch-1 reflected selection for superhelical curvature symmetry of precursor DNA to localise a nucleosome that overlapped the latter cis-cluster. By replicating the cis-cluster signature, non-random interactions of the miRNA with key Wnt modulator genes expanded the transcriptional noise buffering capacity via a coherent feed-forward loop mechanism. In consequence, an autonomous transcriptional noise dampener (the cis-cluster/nucleosome) evolved into a post-transcriptional one (the miRNA). The findings suggest a latent potential for remodelling of transcriptional landscape by miRNAs that capitalise on non-random distribution of genomic cis-signatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramin M Farahani
- IDR/Westmead Institute for Medical Research and Westmead Centre for Oral Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Saba Rezaei-Lotfi
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Neil Hunter
- IDR/Westmead Institute for Medical Research and Westmead Centre for Oral Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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