Current Issue March 2012 | Vol.180 No. 3

The detection of residual inflammation-induced lymph node lymphangiogenesis might hamper identification of metastasized lymph nodes. A technique termed anti-LYVE-1 immuno-PET reveals that the lymphatic network regresses following resolution of inflammation. This technique might be a promising strategy for the early detection of cancer metastasis.

NF-κB activity is increased in the diseased heart. Mice deficient in the NF-κB subunit c-Rel have smaller hearts and are protected from developing cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis after chronic angiotensin infusion. c-Rel-dependent signaling is critical for both cardiac remodeling and hypertrophy, and targeting its activities could offer novel therapeutic strategies.

Stress-induced premature senescence (SIPS) contributes to global endothelial cell dysfunction, including lysosomal dysfunction. The effects of stressors could be partially mimicked by inducing lysosomal membrane permeabilization or inhibiting autophagy and are reversed by a cathepsin inhibitor. The cathepsin substrate sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) plays an important role, linking cell stress to apoptosis and SIPS.

The cytolytic virus coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) can persist within the neonatal central nervous system (CNS) and target neural stem cells. Long-term neurological sequelae can occur after neonatal enteroviral infections, yet antiviral treatment initiated long after the end of acute infection might limit virus-mediated neuropathology.

Tumor endothelial cells (TECs) differ from normal endothelial cells, and TECs from high metastatic tumors have a more proangiogenic phenotype than those from low metastatic tumors. Further studies on TEC heterogeneity will facilitate the selection of suitable anti-angiogenic therapies.