RNAscope

In addition to the traditional activation of resident receptors by release of local mediators, new evidence favors the existence of exosomes in cell-to-cell communication that mediates delivery of specific cargo to modulate recipient cell function.

The main function of the stomach is to digest ingested food. Gastric antrum muscular contractions mix ingested food with digestive enzymes and stomach acid and propel the chyme through the pyloric sphincter at a rate in which the small intestine can process the chyme for optimal nutrient absorption. Mfge8 binding to α8β1 integrins helps regulate gastric emptying by reducing the force of antral smooth muscle contractions. The source of Mfge8 within gastric muscles is unclear.

Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) is a Wnt signaling modulator promoting tumor growth, metastasis, angiogenesis, and immunosuppression by regulating innate immunity. DKK1 is over-expressed in gynecologic cancers and is associated with shortened survival.

Hepatic innate immune function plays an important role in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Importantly, a growing body of literature has firmly established the spatial heterogeneity of hepatocyte metabolic function; however, whether innate immune function is zonated remains unknown. To test this question, we exposed adult C57BL/6 mice to endotoxemia, and hepatic tissue was assessed for the acute phase response (APR).

The ability to explore life kingdoms is largely drive by innovations and breakthroughs in technology, from the invention of the microscope 350 years ago to the recent emergence of single cell sequencing, by which the scientific community has been able to visualize life at an unprecedented resolution.

Dedifferentiated vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) play an essential role in neointima formation, and we now aim to investigate the role of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) modulator BMPER (BMP endothelial cell precursor-derived regulator) in neointima formation. To assess BMPER expression in arterial restenosis, we used a mouse carotid ligation model with perivascular cuff placement. Overall BMPER expression after vessel injury was increased; however, expression in the tunica media was decreased compared to untreated control.

Primary cilia are nearly ubiquitous organelles that transduce molecular and mechanical signals. While the basic structure of the cilium and the cadre of genes that contribute to ciliary formation and function (the ciliome) are believed to be evolutionarily conserved, the presentation of ciliopathies with narrow, tissue-specific phenotypes and distinct molecular readouts suggests an unappreciated heterogeneity exists within this organelle.

In the past 25 years, the prevalence of Parkinson's disease (PD) has nearly doubled. Age remains the primary risk factor for PD and as the global aging population increases this trend is predicted to continue. Even when treated with levodopa, the gold standard dopamine (DA) replacement therapy, individuals with PD frequently develop therapeutic side effects. Levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID), a common side effect of long-term levodopa use, represents a significant unmet clinical need in the treatment of PD.

Preclinical studies have identified glial cells as pivotal players in the genesis and maintenance of neuropathic pain after nerve injury associated with diabetes, chemotherapy, major surgeries, and virus infections. Satellite glial cells (SGCs) in the dorsal root and trigeminal ganglia of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) express similar molecular markers and are protective under physiological conditions.

The axonal guidance cue netrin-1 serves a critical role in neural circuit development by promoting growth cone motility, axonal branching, and synaptogenesis. Within the adult mouse brain, expression of the gene encoding (Ntn1) is highly enriched in the ventral midbrain where it is expressed in both GABAergic and dopaminergic neurons, but its function in these cell types in the adult system remains largely unknown. To address this, we performed viral-mediated, cell-type specific CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis of Ntn1 in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of adult mice.