niversity of Tokyo aimed their studies at the TGF-beta1 cytokine pathway and in the January 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation show that cytokine signaling is indeed a key player in the molecular pathogenesis of this fibrotic disorder. TGF-beta1 is regulated by a negative feedback loop whereby an inhibitory molecule, Smad7, blocks activation of this pathway and promotes degradation of the TGF-beta receptor complex. Comparisons between normal and scleroderma fibroblasts reveal that Smad7 expression is elevated in diseased fibroblasts, but its ability to promote degradation of the receptor complex through recruitment of enzymes known as Smurfs, is impaired. These results further implicate autocrine TGF-beta signaling in the pathogenesis of scleroderma.
TITLE: Impaired Smad7-Smurfmediated negative regulation of TGF-beta signaling in scleroderma fibroblasts
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Hironobu Ihn
University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
Phone: 81-3-3815-5411
Fax: 81-3-3814-1503
E-mail: IN-DER@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
View the PDF of this article at: https://www.the-jci.org/press/16269.pdf
Independent roles for insulin in metabolism and cellular growth
Insulin regulates how we store and use our food as fuel, and also controls cellular proliferation. A question that remains is does insulin promote cell growth independent of metabolism or are the two processes interdependent? In the January 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation Domenico Accili and colleagues from Columbia University in New York addressed this question by generating mice that lacked the gene encoding the insulin receptor (Insr) in a varying percentage of their body's cells. The authors characterized mouse strains with 80% (_80) and 98% (_98) reduction in Insr levels and found that both strains exhibited severely stunted gro
'"/>
Contact: Brooke Grindlinger
science_editor@the-jci.org
212-342-9006
Journal of Clinical Investigation
15-Jan-2004
Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Related biology news :1.
JCI Table of Contents, 15 July 20042.
JCI Table of Contents, November 3, 20033.
JCI Table of Contents, 1 October, 20034.
JCI Table of Contents, September 15, 20035.
JCI Table of Contents6.
JCI Table of Contents, 15 August 20037.
JCI Table of Contents, May 1, 20038.
JCI Table of Contents, April 1, 20039.
JCI Table of Contents, March 14, 200310.
JCI Table of Contents, January 2, 200311.
JCI Table of Contents, December 2, 2002