The sequences were as follows: Mig6_1, 5′-CGAUAAUAGAACUAGUGACtt-3′ (sense), 5′-GUC- ACUAGUUCUAUUAUCGtt-3′ (antisense); Mig6_2, 5 ′-GCUAUGUGUCUGACCAAAAtt-3′

(sense), 5′-UUUUGGUCAGACACAUAGCtg-3′ (antisense). GL-2 siRNA (Dharmacon) was used as a negative control with the following sequence: 5′-CGUACGCGGAAUACUUCGAtt-3′ (sense), 5′-UCGAAGUAUUCCGCGUACGtt-3′ (antisense). siRNA buy Dabrafenib transfection was performed using Lipofectamine RNAiMax (Invitrogen, CA) according to the manufacturer’s recommendation. HepG2 cells were transfected with mig-6 or GL-2 siRNAs using RNAiMax. The cells were starved in medium containing 0.1% fetal bovine serum, stimulated with 50 ng/mL EGF for 24 hours, and 50,000 cells were seeded on to a membrane with 8-μm pores of a modified boyden chamber (Schubert and Weiss) containing learn more 600 μL serum-free medium. Fetal bovine serum (0.1%) alone or containing 100 ng/mL EGF served as chemoattractants. After 24 hours, migrated cells were fixed in methanol and stained with crystal

violet. Pictures were taken on a Zeiss Axiovert 300 microscope. For quantification, cells in at least 10 random fields were counted, and the data are expressed as the mean ± SD. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue of 111 primary HCCs was immunohistochemically analyzed for EGFR and mig-6. The samples used in this study were from the archives of the Institute of Pathology of the Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich. Study outlines conformed to the guidelines of the local ethics committee. The tissue microarrays were prepared as described.20 Serial 5-μm sections were prepared for immunohistochemical staining. For mig-6 immunohistochemistry, the sections were deparaffinized and pretreated in Retrievit 4 (DCS) in a microwave at 750 W for 30 minutes. Endogenous peroxidases were blocked with 7.5% H2O2 for 10 minutes at room temperature.

The mig-6 primary antibody (rabbit polyclonal cl. 上海皓元医药股份有限公司 1573; homemade; dilution 1:200) was applied for 60 minutes at room temperature and revealed with the ImmPRESS anti-rabbit immunoglobulin detection system (Vector Laboratories) according to manufacturer’s recommendations. Slides were counterstained with hematoxylin (Vector Laboratories), and AEC (Zytomed Systems) was used as chromogen. The specificity of the staining was controlled by using isotype antibody controls and nonimmunized rabbit serum. EGFR immunohistochemistry was performed using a Ventana Benchmark automated staining system (Ventana Medical Systems). For antigen retrieval, slides were pretreated with Protease 1 (Ventana Medical Systems) for 4 minutes. The primary antibody against EGFR (Ventana Medical Systems; mouse monoclonal; cl. 36C) was applied and revealed with the XT ultra View DAB detection kit (Ventana Medical Systems), yielding a brown reaction product. Slides were counterstained with hematoxylin prior to glass cover-slipping.