Microscopy as a Tool in Understanding the Role of Growth Factors in Cardiac Development

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (S2) ◽  
pp. 1082-1083
Author(s):  
Robert L. Price ◽  
Thomas E. Thielen ◽  
Thomas K. Borg ◽  
Louis Terracio
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factors ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Normal Development ◽  
Cardiac Development ◽  
The Past ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Valve Formation ◽  
Factor Function

Over the past several years the central roles of several different growth factors in the normal development of the embryonic heart have been identified through a variety of techniques involving microscopy. Initially, most studies consisted of descriptions of gross changes in cardiac morphology associated with naturally occurring mutations that affected growth factor function. More recently the development of specific probes for growth factor receptors that can be used in confocal microscopy have aided in the identification of changes in the temporal and spatial distributions of receptors at various stages of development. The correlation of these changes with developmental events such as valve formation and trabeculation in the heart, in conjunction with biochemical studies and blocking agents for the growth factors have significantly increased our understanding of growth factor function in cardiac development.

scholarly journals Inflammatory Mechanisms of Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane Formation

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malav Joshi ◽  
Shivi Agrawal ◽  
John Byron Christoforidis
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factors ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Glial Cells ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Epiretinal Membranes ◽  
Ultrastructural Studies ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cells Of Origin ◽  
Immunohistochemical Techniques

The pathogenesis of idiopathic epiretinal membranes (iERMs), a common pathology found in retina clinics, still eludes researchers to date. Ultrastructural studies of iERMs in the past have failed to identify the cells of origin due to the striking morphologic changes of cells involved via transdifferentiation. Thus, immunohistochemical techniques that stain for the cytostructural components of cells have confirmed the importance of glial cells and hyalocytes in iERM formation. The cellular constituents of iERMs are thought to consist of glial cells, fibroblasts, hyalocytes, etc. that, in concert with cytokines and growth factors present in the vitreous, lead to iERM formation. Recently, research has focused on the role of the posterior hyaloid in iERM formation and contraction, particularly the process of anomalous PVD as it relates to iERM formation. Recent advances in proteomics techniques have also elucidated the growth factors and cytokines involved in iERM formation, most notably nerve growth factor, glial cell line-derived growth factor, and transforming growth factorβ1.

scholarly journals Antiproliferative function of glia maturation factor beta.

1990 ◽  
Vol 1 (10) ◽  
pp. 741-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Lim ◽  
W X Zhong ◽  
A Zaheer
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factors ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Target Cell ◽  
G1 Phase ◽  
Glia Maturation Factor ◽  
Pituitary Extract ◽  
Mitogenic Effect ◽  
Maturation Factor ◽  
Cultured Astrocytes

Recombinant human glia maturation factor beta (GMF-beta) reversibly inhibits the proliferation of neoplastic cells in culture by arresting the cells in the G0/G1 phase. This phenomenon is not target-cell specific, as neural and nonneural cells are equally inhibited. When tested simultaneously, GMF-beta suppresses the mitogenic effect of acidic fibroblasts growth factor (aFGF), but the two are synergistic in promoting the morphologic differentiation of cultured astrocytes. GMF-beta also counteracts the growth-stimulating effect of pituitary extract and cholera toxin on Schwann cells. The results underscore the regulatory role of GMF-beta and its intricate interaction with the mitogenic growth factors.

scholarly journals Contribution of Interleukin-6 to the Pathogenesis of Systemic Sclerosis

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (2_suppl) ◽  
pp. S6-S12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasushi Kawaguchi
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Growth Factors ◽  
Systemic Sclerosis ◽  
Interleukin 6 ◽  
Systemic Circulation ◽  
Unknown Etiology ◽  
Tissue Fibrosis ◽  
Biological Features ◽  
The Past

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease of unknown etiology, manifesting in patients as tissue fibrosis, endothelial dysfunction, and inflammation. The disease is characterized by autoantibodies, a hallmark of autoimmunity. Various cytokines and growth factors are elevated in the systemic circulation and fibrotic lesions of patients with SSc. In particular, several studies over the past 2 decades have shown that interleukin-6 (IL-6) appears to be involved in the pathogenesis of SSc. Based on the association between aberrant IL-6 production and tissue fibrosis in patients with SSc, the anti-IL-6 receptor antibody, tocilizumab, is being investigated in clinical trials. This article reviews the biological features of IL-6 and the IL-6 receptor; the role of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of SSc; and the potential for IL-6 inhibition to be used in the treatment of patients with SSc.

scholarly journals The Value of Citizen Science in Increasing Our Knowledge of Under-Sampled Biodiversity: An Overview of Public Documentation of Auchenorrhyncha and the Hoppers of North Carolina

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle D. Kittelberger ◽  
Solomon V. Hendrix ◽  
Çağan Hakkı Şekercioğlu
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
The United States ◽  
Undescribed Species ◽  
The Past ◽  
Global Biodiversity ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

Due to the increasing popularity of websites specializing in nature documentation, there has been a surge in the number of people enthusiastic about observing and documenting nature over the past 2 decades. These citizen scientists are recording biodiversity on unprecedented temporal and spatial scales, rendering data of tremendous value to the scientific community. In this study, we investigate the role of citizen science in increasing knowledge of global biodiversity through the examination of notable contributions to the understanding of the insect suborder Auchenorrhyncha, also known as true hoppers, in North America. We have compiled a comprehensive summary of citizen science contributions—published and unpublished—to the understanding of hopper diversity, finding over fifty previously unpublished country and state records as well as dozens of undescribed and potentially undescribed species. We compare citizen science contributions to those published in the literature as well as specimen records in collections in the United States and Canada, illuminating the fact that the copious data afforded by citizen science contributions are underutilized. We also introduce the website Hoppers of North Carolina, a revolutionary new benchmark for tracking hopper diversity, disseminating knowledge from the literature, and incorporating citizen science. Finally, we provide a series of recommendations for both the entomological community and citizen science platforms on how best to approach, utilize, and increase the quality of sightings from the general public.

scholarly journals Regulation of Cell Growth

1987 ◽  
Vol 80 (9) ◽  
pp. 591-593
Author(s):  
A J Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Growth Factors ◽  
Nerve Growth Factor ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Cell Growth ◽  
Cell Lines ◽  
Growth Regulation ◽  
Platelet Derived Growth Factor ◽  
Haemopoietic Stem Cells

At this meeting of the RSM's Section of Pathology, the regulation of haemopoietic stem cells and growth factors regulating various cell lines were described, and the role of oncogenes, platelet-derived growth factor and nerve growth factor in growth regulation was discussed.

Apoptosis in the haemopoietic system

1994 ◽  
Vol 345 (1313) ◽  
pp. 257-263 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Growth Factors ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Cell Survival ◽  
Lineage Differentiation ◽  
Haemopoietic Stem Cells ◽  
Underlying Causes ◽  
Membrane Bound ◽  
Survival Signals

Our previous studies have shown that haemopoietic stem cells undergo apoptotic death as a consequence of growth factor withdrawal. In this paper we review the new data that has accumulated since this observation and compare it with older data from the ‘pre-apoptotic’ age. Models of erythropoiesis and granulopoiesis that incorporate apoptosis as a normal physiological process controlling homeostasis are examined. The converse to cell death is cell survival, and we describe experiments which suggest that haemopoietic growth factors can not only act as mitogenic or differentiation stimuli but also act as survival signals. We, and others, have proposed that these growth factor-induced survival signals act through the membrane bound polypeptide receptors and share common features of signal transduction with proliferative responses. Enforced expression of bcl-2 in haemopoietic stem cells is able to overcome apoptosis following the withdrawal of growth factor, and the cells commit into different lineage differentiation programmes. Such cells spontaneously differentiate without cell division, suggesting a stochastic model of haemopoiesis in which the major role of haemopoietic growth factors is to suppress apoptosis and act as mitogens. We review the evidence that the underlying causes of some haematological diseases may be associated with change in the balance between cell survival and death.

The role of non-coding RNA/microRNAs in cardiac disease

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yolan J. Reckman ◽  
Yigal M. Pinto
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Cardiac Hypertrophy ◽  
Cardiac Disease ◽  
Cardiac Development ◽  
Rna Transcripts ◽  
The Past ◽  
Non Coding Rna ◽  
Organ Systems ◽  
Non Coding Rnas

In the past two decades, our knowledge about non-coding DNA has increased tremendously. While non-coding DNA was initially discarded as ‘junk DNA’, we are now aware of the important and often crucial roles of RNA transcripts that do not translate into protein. Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) play important functions in normal cellular homeostasis and also in many diseases across all organ systems. Among the different ncRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been studied the most. In this chapter we discuss the role of miRNAs and lncRNAs in cardiac disease. We present examples of miRNAs with fundamental roles in cardiac development (miR-1), hypertrophy (myomiRs, miR-199, miR-1/133), fibrosis (miR-29, miR-21), myocardial infarction (miR-15, miR17~92), and arrhythmias/conduction (miR-1). We provide examples of lncRNAs related to cardiac hypertrophy (MHRT, CHRF), myocardial infarction (ANRIL, MIAT), and arrhythmias (KCNQ1OT1). We also discuss miRNAs and lncRNAs as potential therapeutic targets or biomarkers in cardiac disease.

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