More than 50 percent of the children enrolled in 80 elementary schools in Salt Lake, Davis and Tooele counties are living in poverty. Those children, who reside in low-income households, usually suffer from significant amounts of tooth decay and lack of oral health care. Dental Select recognizes the need of Utah’s underprivileged children in the community and has committed to financially supporting Sealants for Smiles, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing oral-health education and dental sealants to underserved children.

Recently honored as the title sponsor at Sealants for Smiles 2nd Annual Gala Benefit held at the Grand America in Salt Lake City, Dental Select was recognized for its 2009 contribution of more than $400,000. This commitment will allow Sealants for Smiles to expand school visits into more Utah counties, increase the number of oral health presentations, and ultimately place more sealants on the 2nd and 6th grade children who need them.

During the 2007 and 2008 school year, Dental Select contributed more than $420,000 to Sealants for Smiles. As the sole administrator for this program, Dental Select continually provides Sealants for Smiles with necessary technology expenses, an office facility, staff wages and salaries in order to allow 100% of donations to go directly toward advancing program services.

In the past two years, Sealants for Smiles has placed more than 31,000 dental sealants on children who were screened with moderate to urgent dental needs. Because of Dental Select’s contributions, Sealants for Smiles can continue to expand and see a larger percentage of underprivileged children each year to improve Utah’s community youth.

Dental Select, headquartered in Salt Lake City, is the largest dental provider in the state of Utah, and provides benefits to more than 5,000 client groups across Utah, Texas and Nevada. Dental Select specializes in affordable and flexible dental plans, offering a wide array of discount, PPO, Indemnity, and self-funded dental plans. With over 20 years experience, Dental Select has been a recurring Utah 100 company, and on the Inc. 500 list of America’s fastest growing companies. More information regarding Dental Select is available by visiting the company’s web site at www.dentalselect.com or by calling 800-999-9789.

Financial services information and intelligence provider BAI has put a finger on the pulse of the banking industry and its findings come today in the form of a new economic measure – the BAI & Finacle Banking Confidence Index(TM). The new index, sponsored by NewGround, looks at the extent to which upheaval in the financial services industry in the last six months has affected consumers’ views across five areas: Financial Stress and the Economy; Access to Credit; Managing Personal Finances; Consumer Trust; and, Fees & Disclosure. The index also projects how consumers expect to feel about these areas in six month’s time. To develop its new biannual index, BAI conducted 2,501 interviews across a representative sample of U.S. households in late August 2009 (see also <http://www.newsrx.com/library/topics/BAI.html> BAI).

“This is the first index we know of to focus exclusively on consumer sentiments vis-a-vis retail banking,” said Debbie Bianucci, president and CEO of BAI. “We designed this research with a rigorous methodology, so the index will have maximum value to executives who are focused on measuring consumer trust and confidence in retail banking.”

“In today’s fast-changing scenario, consumer opinion counts more than ever before and technology has made the consumer highly empowered,” said Haragopal Mangipudi, global head – Finacle, Infosys Technologies Ltd. “Presented with diverse and ever-dynamic consumer segments, banks need to anticipate changing requirements and fine-tune business strategy. Finacle with BAI has launched this index for banks to gain insight into consumer trends for innovation on future business strategy and differentiated product offerings.” Among the index’s findings were the following: Financial Stress and the Economy: One-third of consumers feel their financial situation has deteriorated in recent months, but few expect things to grow worse then now. When asked if they thought the current overall employment situation in the country was better, worse or the same as compared to six months ago, 73 percent of respondents said it was worse, 21 percent said things had remained the same and 5 percent felt the situation was better. But 40 percent felt the overall economic condition of the country would be better in six months. When asked which items among a list of behaviors respondents had altered to address their financial concerns, 71 percent said they had trimmed spending on entertainment, 60 percent had changed eating habits to save money, and 34 percent had postponed medical or dental care. Access to Credit: Along with mortgage-related products, most consumers find accessing credit a challenge. Compared to six months ago, 31 percent of respondents feel access to mortgages is worse; 5 percent say it is better, and the remainder saw no change. Those surveyed showed optimism when asked if they thought access to mortgages would be better, stay the same or become worse in six months, with 12 percent saying things would be better and 15 percent saying it would be worse. When asked to look ahead six months and say how likely they were to take out a loan to purchase a car, buy a home, or open a line of credit, respondents who were not likely to do so tallied 71 percent, 82 percent and 80 percent, respectively. Managing Personal Finances: Consumers basically trust their banks, but are less certain about their bankers’ ability to truly understand what consumers are trying to accomplish financially. While 65 percent of consumers surveyed say they trust their primary financial institution and another 81 percent feel their bank will still be in business a year from now, only 35 percent of respondents felt their primary financial institution was concerned about their financial well-being. One out of three respondents said their primary financial institution understood their financial goals. When asked to look ahead six months and project whether they would feel differently about their primary financial institution in these areas, the numbers were largely unchanged.

“In spite of everything that’s happened to our economy, most people still trust their primary bank. And people surveyed said they have some willingness to take on more risk, but they’re concerned about their ability to make the right decisions,” remarked Ajay Nagarkatte, managing director, BAI Research. “For bankers, this is an opportunity to take a fresh approach to how they work with their customers, and develop an array of new products and services that will go further to help people with their financial decision-making.” Consumer Trust: The level of trust consumers expressed in their financial services institutions was largely based on how familiar they were with the organization. Fifty-three percent of respondents who were customers of large national banks said they trust their bank. The same measure rose to 63 percent for clients of regional banks, 82 percent for customers of community banks, and 83 percent for those banking at credit unions. Customers of community banks and credit unions were likely to recommend those institutions by a measure of 72 percent and 76 percent, respectively. Fees & Disclosure: Less than a third of respondents find overdraft fees fair or reasonable. When it comes to fees and disclosures, consumers appear to understand to some extent why banks charge overdraft fees. But only 30 percent of those surveyed believed banks needed to collect such fees to manage overdrawn accounts. Only half of respondents felt the disclosures that financial institutions give for accounts, terms, rates, and fees were easy to understand.

“Recent changes introduced by some of the nation’s large banks are a good initial step to address consumer concerns. But simplified disclosures and clarity around when fees are assessed will continue to be a central theme, unless meaningful, long-term changes are made,” added Nagarkatte. About the Index and Survey BAI and Finacle created this new index, in part, to help bankers and industry-watchers understand the level of trust consumers have in the U.S. banking system. Along with that, the index assesses potential changes in consumer behavior, tracks consumers’ attitudes about their financial service providers, and offers a view behind the trends affecting the financial industry.

Proctor & Gamble’s ongoing research indicates that nine out of ten children in the GCC region have decayed, missing or filled teeth. These statistics are extremely high compared to Europe indicating that dental hygiene and oral health is a topic that needs to be addressed. Mohammed Azzawe, Brand Manager for Crest & Oral-B at Proctor & Gamble Arabian Peninsula talks about the latest dental hygiene technologies developed to improve oral hygiene in the Middle East. These technologies will be showcased at the region’s largest dentistry event, Dentistry 2009, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 10 to 12 of November 2009.

At this year’s event, Oral-B will be exhibiting a new range of toothbrushes with Anti-Bacterial Bristle Protection, a technology which inhibits bacterial growth on bristles for up to three months. The new Oral-B Expert toothbrushes with Anti-Bacterial Bristle Protection use silver ion technology – a silver additive that is known to have antimicrobial properties. This allows for controlled silver-ion release and the constant introduction of new silver containing particles as the bristles wear during normal use. Silver ions are common antimicrobial agents and are used in a variety of different consumer and medical products.

Mr Azzawe believes Oral-B’s new technology will go along way to improving oral hygiene.

“Bacteria lives everywhere and in particular it grows on wet brushes after they have been used. Oral-B’s new technology helps to keep your brush clean and effective keeping acid erosion and cavities at bay.”

Oral-B works with dental professionals around the globe to develop products that are clinically proven to remove the most plaque and to promote oral hygiene. By showcasing this latest technology at Dentistry 2009, Oral-B will ensure that practitioners in the Middle East are aware of the most technologically advanced dental products and will be able to recommend the use of these products to their patients, saving time, money and unnecessary trips to the dentist.

“There will also be a corner devoted to Crest Expert Gum Protection, a new advanced toothpaste technology that shows improved product benefits that specifically addresses areas dentists care about enamel, gums and sensitivity,” says Mr Azzawe. “The toothpaste contains stannous fluoride which strengthens the enamel, in addition to reducing gum inflammation and tooth sensitivity. The formula is made novel with the addition of Sodium Hexa Meta Phosphate (SHMP) which protects teeth against staining.

“Dentistry 2009 is organised by IIR Middle East Life Sciences Division, the same organisation who brought the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress to Dubai. Oral-B associates itself with leading organisers in order to reach out to the industry professionals who attend an important meeting like this.” 2009 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

Halloween would not be Halloween without candy and sweets, but it is important to remember that the threat of cavities and tooth decay never takes a break. It is unrealistic for parents to expect their children not to indulge a little this time of year, but there are several tips the California Dental Association recommends to promote good oral health now and through the year.

– Offer healthier alternatives to candy – This does not have to mean

carrot sticks and toothbrushes, but treats sweetened with ‘xylitol,’ a

natural sugar substitute, help prevent plaque build up on teeth.

Offering sugar-free gum after eating candy is a great way to fight the

bacteria that causes tooth decay and the chewing motion also stimulates

the flow of saliva, which helps cleanse teeth.

– Monitor you child’s candy consumption – Parents should be in charge of

Halloween candy, not children. Establishing a candy bank is a popular

option and giving access to the bank after eating dinner helps to limit

the quantity of candy consumed. This is also an ideal opportunity to

teach about the importance of moderation.

– Better to eat two pieces at once than separately over the day – It is

the frequency that is the most important factor in tooth decay not the

quantity. This helps to limit exposure to acids that are left behind on

teeth after eating.

– Avoid sticky candies like taffy and gummy candies – Anything that stays

in the mouth or on the teeth for an extended period of time leaves acid

on teeth that causes tooth decay. This includes hard candies, lollipops,

caramel chews and the always dangerous jaw breaker.

– Reinforce positive oral health habits – Remind your child to brush their

teeth after every meal or at least twice a day and to floss each day.

Look at the labels of candy and other foods to show your child what to

look for on the packaging. Anything that ends in -ose like glucose,

fructose, and sucrose are sugars and should be avoided.

– Visit a CDA member dentist – In order to maintain proper oral and

overall health all children should visit a dentist twice a year starting

at age 1 or when their first tooth comes in.

Go to www.cda.org for more information on maintaining your oral health or to find a CDA dentist in your area.

The California Dental Association is the non-profit organization representing organized dentistry in California. Founded in 1870, CDA supports its members in their practices and service to the public through innovation in education, advocacy and related programs. CDA also contributes to the oral health of Californians through various comprehensive programs and advocacy. CDA’s membership consists of more than 24,000 dentists, making it the largest constituent of the American Dental Association. For more information, visit cda.org

On Monday night, after 6-year-old Mackenzie Guy lost her third tooth, she left a letter for the tooth fairy with a special request.

She would appreciate it if the fairy could leave behind her tooth so she could save it in her baby book, but she would still like the cash, her mother, Amber, said.

When Mackenzie awoke in her grandparents’ motor home Tuesday morning, she was delighted to see the tooth was left behind, along with $3 — two more than she gets from the tooth fairy at home.

Her delight faded Thursday morning when she learned thieves stole her tooth fairy booty.

When her mom went out to the family’s Ford Excursion to bring Mackenzie’s twin brother, Logan, to his school, she discovered someone had broken into the SUV. Gone were a GPS, costume jewelry and Mackenzie’s dental dough.

Guy said she was supposed to deposit the $3 in her daughter’s savings account Wednesday, but they never made it to the bank.

“Mackenzie is saving her money because she wants to buy a computer,” her mother said.

The money — four quarters and two dollar bills — was taped to a letter written by the tooth fairy to Mackenzie.

“Dear Mackenzie, You have one of the best teeth that I saw tonight. You have an A-plus tooth. Here’s the tooth back and the money,” Guy recalled it saying.

Mackenzie planned on keeping the letter for her special book, too, her mother said.

The tooth, sealed in a baggie, had been attached to the 8-by-11 sheet of paper. When the thieves rummaged through the SUV, they took the letter and money but left the bag with Mackenzie’s pearly white.

“She’s happy that at least she has the tooth,” Guy said.

When Mom broke the news to her daughter, she was taken aback by her reaction.

“It is OK,” the Oakstead Elementary first-grader told her. “It’s only $3.”

“My heart sunk and broke at the same time,” Guy said.

Guy said when the family returned to their home in the Oakstead subdivision Wednesday night the children were asleep, so she got them inside and forgot to lock her passenger-side door.

“It’s Mom’s fault,” she said.

She said she also had a “false sense of security” in the gated community but has learned a valuable lesson, as has Mackenzie.

“It’s a new low for criminals,” Guy said. “I would’ve given the guy the $3 if he had knocked on my door. I would’ve given it to him. Unfortunately, criminals aren’t that nice.”

Mackenzie plans on writing a new letter to the tooth fairy in hopes of getting another $3 toward her mini-laptop computer.

She might soon get even more cash toward the computer. The tooth directly next to her new empty space in her mouth is loose, her mother said.

“The tooth fairy is going to be busy with trips to our house,” Guy said.

Reporter Lisa A. Davis can be reached at (727) 815-1083.

Credit: Tampa Tribune, Fla.

Declining student interest and scholastic abilities in the sciences are concerns for the health professions. Additionally, the National Institutes of Health is committed to promoting more research on health behaviors among US youth, where one of the most striking contemporary issues is obesity. This paper reports findings on the impact of a partnership between Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry linked to a 17-week exhibition of BodyWorlds3 and designed to inform rural underserved youth about science and health research. Self-administered survey measures included health knowledge, attitudes, intended health behaviors, and interest in the health professions. Four hundred four surveys (88% of participants) were included in analyses. Ninety percent or more found both the BodyWorlds (n = 404) and OHSU (n = 239) exhibits interesting. Dental care habits showed the highest level of intended behavior change (Dental = 45%, Exercise = 34%, Eating = 30%). Overall, females and middle school students were more likely than male and high school students, respectively, to state an intention to change exercise, eating and dental care habits. Females and high school students were more likely to have considered a career in health or science prior to their exhibit visit and, following the exhibit, were more likely to report that this intention had been reinforced. About 6% of those who had not previously considered a career in health or science (n = 225) reported being more likely to do so after viewing the exhibits. In conclusion, high quality experiential learning best created by community-academic partnerships appears to have the ability to stimulate interest and influence intentions to change health behaviors among middle and high school students.

Like just about every other American chick, Ashlie Southard made Facebook and MySpace her second home. So when she discovered a stranger was impersonating her online, it was as invasive — and terrifying — -as a break-in.

Until recently, Ashlie Southard, 19, logged on to MySpace and Facebook as casually as she brushed her teeth or went to class. Like millions of people around the world, she had that mildly addictive habit of signing on several times a day to share news and pics with her friends-never really stopping to think that what she posted might, quite literally, take on a life of its own.

But this past January, Ashlie’s easy relationship with the Internet came to a halt, replaced by a disturbing paranoia. She received a bizarre e-mail from a girlfriend asking her why she had two accounts on MySpace and Facebook. Ashlie thought her friend was confused until she clicked the links to the profiles. She couldn’t believe what she saw-it was her name and her face staring back at her on the screen. “Both profile pictures were photos I had taken on New Year’s Eve and posted on my accounts,” she recalls.

The idea that someone could assume her identity so easily, and so plausibly, made her feel almost sick. “I felt violated,” she says. “It’s like they’re playing a head game, and it’s scary not to know who’s behind it.”

Ashlie’s not alone. Although MySpace and Facebook declined to release information on how many users report fake profiles, Ashlie’s situation appears to be increasingly common as social-networking sites gain popularity, according to Jayne Hitchcock, president of Working to Halt Online Abuse, an organization that fights online harassment. This year, Facebook added its 200 millionth user-that’s almost 25 times the population of New York City -and MySpace has 130 million users. And like in any big community, the more people there are, the more likely it is that you’ll encounter individuals with shady intentions.

“And yet,” says Hitchcock, “people feel safe behind their computer. They let their guard down, even though they wouldn’t dream of trusting a stranger if they were walking around a big city.”

People who create fake profiles prey on the openness of the sites’ members. The perpetrators often fall into two categories: people who are dissatisfied with their lives and use the Web to “try on” the personas of others and socially awkward people who use the anonymity to act out.

“Both types crave power and control-things they don’t have in the real world,” says psychologist Eric Shaw, PhD, a former intelligence officer who specializes in psychological profiling using computer content. “Social-networking sites are perfect for them because they can create and delete the account as they see fit, take time to mull over their actions, or turn off the computer if it’s not going their way.”

In hindsight, Ashlie says she wishes she’d been more cautious when adding friends online. In fact, one of her girlfriends had previously had a run-in with an online imposter, which Ashlie admits should have put her on guard.

What creeps out Ashlie the most, though, is not knowing who’s doing this and, more disturbing, why. “It’s invasive, and it could be anyone, even someone I know,” Ashlie says. “It makes me never want to talk to anybody on those sites.”

And that may be exactly the imposters’ goal, Shaw says. “They want their target to feel anxious and alienated,” he says. “They get a power trip from knowing that they’re making her worry.”

The one-sided anonymity can make the situation not just annoying but also potentially dangerous. The imposters have the advantage-they know who Ashlie is, where she lives, who her friends are-and she knows nothing about them (or even if it’s only one person).

“The victims have no way of knowing if this person is creating fake profiles for fun or if they’re dealing with someone who may take it to the next level,” says Hitchcock. “Most fake profiles aren’t a crime, but they need to be dealt with quickly.”

Soon after Ashlie learned of the imposters, she contacted MySpace and requested that the profile on their site be removed. She says she didn’t report the fake on Facebook because she didn’t know how, which Hitchcock says is common on both networks. Ashlie’s friends messaged the imposters, letting them know that they were onto them and asking them to delete their profiles. About a month later, the profiles on both MySpace and Facebook were gone, but Ashlie says she’s not sure if they were deleted by the sites or the imposters themselves.

That wasn’t the end of it though. Recently, another fake profile of Ashlie popped up on MySpace, except this one uses just her picture and not her name. “Whoever is behind it periodically changes the profile picture to be different people,” she says. And creepily, the picture up as of press time is just of Ashlie’s torso (she can see her tattoo and recognizes the photo).

Although Ashlie hasn’t deleted her online accounts, she says she’s more cautious now. “I rarely post pictures, and if I do, I put the settings on private so only the people I want seeing them have access,” she says.

Hitchcock says there are other ways you can protect yourself. “Make your profile as generic as possible- switch your picture to one that doesn’t have you in it, like a scenic shot,” she says. You also can use your initials or middle name so your identity is less obvious. The next step is to delete anyone you don’t know from your friend list.

“Now I tell all my friends to be careful about who they’re adding,” Ashlie says. “I don’t want this to happen to them.”

How to Take Down a Fake

If someone’s impersonating you online, you’ll want to get rid of that imposter-pronto. But it’s not so easy to figure out how. Here are step-by-step instructions.

ON MYSPACE

1 Scroll to the bottom of the homepage, and click on FAQ.

2 Choose the Contact MySpace tab, and fill in your e-mail address.

3 Select Imposter Profile/Account as the category.

4 In your message, explain that someone is posing as you, and include the URL to the fake profile.

5 Attach a photo salute to verify your identity. Here’s how: Write your MySpace URL or Friend ID clearly on a piece of paper. Take a picture of yourself holding it in front of you. Then upload it to your computer, and attach it to the form. Hit send, and you’ll receive a confirmation number.

ON FACEBOOK

1 Scroll to the bottom of the homepage, and click on Help.

2 In the search box, type report.

3 Select “I need to report an imposter profile” (the third option underneath Privacy: Report Abuse).

4 Fill in all the required info on the form. No salute is necessary.

5 After Facebook receives your message, they will evaluate the fake and delete it if it’s obviously an imposter. If they need more verification, they will ask you to fax or e-mail them a copy of government-issued ID.

Trajectories of dental anxiety in a birth cohort,’ is now available (see also <http://www.newsrx.com/library/topics/Dentistry.html> Dentistry). “To examine predictors of dental anxiety trajectories in a longitudinal study of New Zealanders. Prospective study of a complete birth cohort born in 1972/73 in Dunedin, New Zealand, with dental anxiety scale (DAS) scores and dental utilization determined at ages 15, 18, 26 and 32 years,” scientists in Dunedin, New Zealand report.

“Personality traits were assessed at a superfactor and (more fine-grained) subscale level via the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire at age 18 years. Group-based trajectory analysis was used to identify dental anxiety trajectories. DAS scores from at least three assessments were available for 828 participants. Six dental anxiety trajectories were observed: stable nonanxious low (39.6%); stable nonanxious medium (37.9%); recovery (1.6%); adult-onset anxious (7.7%); stable anxious (7.2%) and adolescent-onset anxious (5.9%). Multivariate analysis showed that males and those with higher DMFS at age 15 years were more likely to be in the stable nonanxious low trajectory group. Membership of the stable nonanxious medium group was predicted by the dental caries experience at age 15 years. Participants who had lost one or more teeth between ages 26 and 32 years had almost twice the relative risk for membership of the adult-onset anxious group. Personality traits predicted group membership. Specifically, high scorers (via median split) on the ’stress reaction’ subscale had over twice the risk of being in the stable anxious group; low scorers on the traditionalism subscale were more likely to be members of the recovery trajectory group; and high scorers on the ’social closeness’ subscale had half the risk of being in the stable anxious group. Dental caries experience at age 5 years was also a predictor for the stable anxious group. Membership of the late-adolescent-onset anxious group was predicted by higher dental caries experience by age 15 years, but none of the other predictors was significant. Six discrete trajectories of dental anxiety have been observed. Some trajectories (totalling more than 90% of the cohort) had clear associations with external influences, but others were more strongly associated with characteristics such as personality traits,” wrote W.M. Thomson and colleagues, University of Otago, Faculty of Dentistry.

The researchers concluded: “A mix of both influences was observed with only the stable anxious dental anxiety trajectory.”

Thomson and colleagues published their study in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology (Trajectories of dental anxiety in a birth cohort. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 2009;37(3):209-19).

For additional information, contact W.M. Thomson, University of Otago, Dept. of Oral Sciences, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, Faculty of Dentistry, Dunedin, New Zealand.

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Data detailed in ‘Racial/ethnic variations in associations between socioeconomic factors and tooth loss’ have been presented (see also <http://www.newsrx.com/library/topics/Tooth-Loss.html> Tooth Loss). In this recently published study, investigators in the United States conducted a study “To compare the associations between socioeconomic factors and tooth loss among White, Black, and Mexican-American people. Analyses were conducted on 16,821 adults, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-III.”

“Age-and multivariate-adjusted negative binomial regressions were used to explore the relation of socioeconomic factors, region of residence, gender, and foreign birth with the number of missing teeth. Effect modification by race/ethnicity was assessed by the inclusion of interaction terms. In multivariate-adjusted analyses, non-Hispanic White people with 9-12 years of education exhibited 71% higher mean number of missing teeth than those with >12 years of education [incidence rate ratio (IRR)=1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.52-1.92]. Education was unrelated to the number of teeth among non-Hispanic Black people (IRR=1.16; 95% CI: 1.00-1.35) or Mexican-Americans (IRR=1.10, 95% CI: 0.93-1.31). The poorest White people exhibited 39% more missing teeth, on average, than the most affluent White people, but no association between poverty and number of teeth was observed among Black or Mexican-American people. The associations between socioeconomic factors and tooth loss vary across race/ethnicity,” wrote M. Jimenez and colleagues, Harvard University.

The researchers concluded: “This suggests that the health benefits associated with high socioeconomic status are not equally shared across racial/ethnic groups.”

Jimenez and colleagues published their study in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology (Racial/ethnic variations in associations between socioeconomic factors and tooth loss. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 2009;37(3):267-75)
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New research, ‘HuR is exported to the cytoplasm in oral cancer cells in a different manner from that of normal cells,’ is the subject of a report (see also <http://www.newsrx.com/library/topics/Oral-Cancer.html> Oral Cancer). According to recent research published in the British Journal of Cancer, “HuR, a ubiquitously expressed member of the Hu protein family that binds and stabilizes an AU-rich element (ARE)-containing mRNAs, is known to shuttle between the nucleus and the cytoplasm via several export pathways. When normal cells were treated with heat shock, HuR was exported to the cytoplasm in a chromosome maintenance region 1 (CRM1)-dependent manner.”

“However, in this study, we demonstrate that HuR is exported to the cytoplasm in oral cancer cells even if the cells were treated with the inhibitor of the CRM1-independent export pathway. Immunohistochemical and biochemical analyses showed that HuR existed in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus in oral cancer cells, such as HSC-3 and Ca9.22, but existed entirely inside the nucleus in normal cells. AU-rich element-mRNAs were also exported to the cytoplasm and stabilised in the oral cancer cells, which were inhibited by HuR knockdown. This export of HuR was not affected by at least 7 h of treatment of leptomycin B (LMB), which is an inhibitor of the CRM1-dependent export pathway,” wrote H. Hasegawa and colleagues, Hokkaido University.

The researchers concluded: “These findings suggest that HuR is exported to the cytoplasm in oral carcinoma cells in a different manner from that of normal cells, and is likely to occur through the perturbation of a normal export pathway.”

Hasegawa and colleagues published their study in British Journal of Cancer (HuR is exported to the cytoplasm in oral cancer cells in a different manner from that of normal cells. British Journal of Cancer, 2009;100(12):1943-8).

For additional information, contact H. Hasegawa, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Dental Medicine, Dept. of Oral Pathology and Biology, North 13 West 7, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8586, Japan.

The publisher’s contact information for the British Journal of Cancer is: Nature Publishing Group, 345 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1707, USA.

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