Current Issue February 2012 | Vol.180 No. 2

A novel proteomic technology has identified potential biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Such a biomarker profile, if validated, could be useful in studies of normal and pathological central nervous system aging.

Commensal bacterial colonization induces intestinal barrier function maturation by promoting claudin 3 expression, a key component of tight junctions. Such probiotic administration may benefit an immature gut, possibly preventing intestinal inflammatory diseases such as necrotizing enterocolitis.

Muscle-specific kinase (MuSK) is indispensable for the maintenance of neuromuscular junction structure and function, and disruption of MuSK activity by autoantibodies causes myasthenia gravis (MG). This novel experimental MG model could be useful in developing appropriate treatments for human disease.

Adult bone marrow (BM) cells expressing both type I collagen and CD45 exist in control and PPR*Tg BM fibrotic mice, supporting features of both mesenchymal and hematopoietic lineages. BM thus represents a permissive microenvironment for the differentiation of fibrocyte-like cells that may contribute to BM fibrosis.

FOXA1 expression is associated with tumor progression, dedifferentiation of prostate cancer cells, and poorer prognosis, as well as with cellular proliferation and migration and with androgen receptor signaling. Thus, FOXA1 represents a novel mechanism of castration resistance and a novel candidate therapeutic target.