Experiments using siRNA-induced knock down of the isoforms indicated a central role for Akt3 during myeloma cell migration and adhesion to stroma GDC-0941 molecular weight cells, highlighting for the first time a crucial implication for Akt3 during myeloma progression. Further analyses on bone marrow of myeloma patients are currently performed to elucidate the this website clinical rationale of distinct Akt isoforms for targeted therapeutic intervention. Poster No. 92 Generation of Breast Cancer Cell Lines Stably Overexpressing EpCAM Agnieszka Martowicz 1 ,

Martin Wurm1, Johanna Gostner1, Florian Lehne1, Dominic Fong2, Guenther Gastl2, Gilbert Spizzo3 1 Tyrolean Cancer Research Institute, Innsbruck, Austria, 2 Department of Haematology and Oncology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria, 3 Oncology and Haematology Day Hospital, Franz Tappeiner Hospital, Merano, Italy The Epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is a calcium-independent homophilic cell adhesion molecule and is over expressed

in a variety of tumours, such as breast and colon cancer. EpCAM, a cell surface antigen with oncogenic features can modulate cell-cell contacts by antagonizing E-cadherins and therefore support invasion and metastasis. To gain insights into molecular changes following EpCAM overexpression, we decided to establish breast cancer cell selleck inhibitor line models stably overexpressing EpCAM. Therefore, two EpCAM negative human epithelial breast cancer cell lines, Hs578t and MDAMB-231 were selected. Both Palmatine cell lines Hs578t and MDA-MB231 were transfected with the pIRESpuro3_EpCAM plasmid and after selection the resulting cell lines were named Hs_EpCAM and MDA_EpCAM. Cells were also transfected with the pIRESpuro3 empty vector and resulting cells were named Hs_control and MDA_control, respectively. After selection of stable lines, EpCAM gene expression was compared to that of the positive control breast cancer cell lines MCF-7 and SkBr-3. The localisation of EpCAM protein in Hs_EpCAM and MDA_EpCAM cell lines was analysed by immunofluorescence and confocal fluorescence microscopy. Expression was compared with positive controls MCF-7 and SkBr-3. Notably, cell density was very important for the localization

of EpCAM. Highly dense cultures showed high membranous EpCAM staining, while cells lacking interactions with neighbouring cells exhibited weaker membrane but stronger cytosolic staining. The findings obtained by analyzing EpCAM overexpressing breast cancer cell line models suggest that EpCAM tumour promoting function is specific for each distinct cell type and can be mediated by different strategies depending on the cellular microenvironment. Poster No. 93 Alterations in Levels of Circulating Plasmacytoid and Myeloid Dendritic Cells in Colorectal Cancer Patients Pre and Post Surgery Adriana Michielsen 1 , Blathnaid Nolan1, Elizabeth Ryan2, John Hyland1, Kieran Sheahan1, Diarmuid O’Donoghue1, Hugh Mulcahy1, Jacintha O’Sullivan1 1 Centre for Colorectal Disease, St.