While antiretroviral therapy (ART) has improved the quality of life and increased the life span of many HIV-infected individuals, this therapeutic strategy has several limitations, including a lack of efficacy in fully restoring immune function and a requirement for life-long treatment. Two studies in this issue of the
Steven G. Deeks, Pamela M. Odorizzi, Rafick-Pierre Sekaly
Pancreatic β cells have one of the highest protein secretion burdens in the body, as these cells must synthesize and secrete insulin in proportion to postprandial rises in blood glucose. Remarkably, it is now becoming clear that adult β cells retain plasticity and can dedifferentiate into embryonic fates or adopt alternate islet endocrine cell identities. This property is especially important, because changes in cell fate alter β cell function and could form the basis for defects in insulin secretion that occur early in the pathogenesis of the most prevalent form of β cell dysfunction, type 2 diabetes. In this issue, three different studies provide complementary perspectives on how the transcription factors NK2 homeobox 2 (NKX2.2), paired box 6 (PAX6), and LIM domain–binding protein 1 (LDB1) serve to maintain mature adult β cell identity, revealing clues as to how adult β cells can partially dedifferentiate or become reprogrammed into other islet endocrine cells.
Peter Thompson, Anil Bhushan
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a complex disorder that manifests with an array of phenotypes, such as hypotonia and difficulties in feeding during infancy and reduced energy expenditure, hyperphagia, and developmental delays later in life. While the genetic cause has long been known, it is still not clear how mutations at this locus produce this array of phenotypes. In this issue of the
Joseph Polex-Wolf, Giles S.H. Yeo, Stephen O’Rahilly
Transfusion of rbc is a routine, often lifesaving procedure that depends on a stored supply of blood. In the US, 42 days is the maximum duration allowed for rbc storage; however, several lines of evidence indicate that patients that receive blood at the upper end of this storage limit are at a higher risk of morbidity and mortality. In this issue of the
Janet S. Lee, Daniel B. Kim-Shapiro
Preeclampsia is a common complication of pregnancy that is associated with an increased risk of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Currently, delivery is the only cure for preeclampsia; therefore, effective prevention and treatment options for this condition are sorely needed. In the current issue of the
Chad A. Grotegut
Nitric oxide (NO) is a potent mediator of blood vessel dilation and is released by several cell sources. Red blood cells (rbc) release NO when hemoglobin that has been S-nitrosylated at Cys93 of the β-chain (βCys93) transitions from the oxygenated form to the deoxygenated form. This transition occurs in response to reduced tissue oxygenation and is an important physiologic regulator of hypoxic vasodilation. In this issue of the
Claude A. Piantadosi
CD8+ T cells play a central role in eradicating intracellular pathogens, but also are important for noninfectious diseases, including cancer and autoimmunity. The ability to clinically manipulate CD8+ T cells to target cancer and autoimmune disease is limited by our ignorance of relevant self-peptide target antigens. In this issue of the
Devin Dersh, Jonathan W. Yewdell
Cognitive impairment, an underappreciated consequence of hypertension, is linked to cerebral arteriolar disease through poorly defined mechanisms. A study by Farco et al. in this issue of the
D.G. Harrison, Tomasz J. Guzik
An increasing amount of evidence suggests that metabolic alterations play a key role in chronic kidney disease (CKD) pathogenesis. In this issue of the
Szu Yuan Li, Katalin Susztak
Some autoimmune disorders are monogenetic diseases; however, clinical manifestations among individuals vary, despite the presence of identical mutations in the disease-causing gene. In this issue of the
Stuart G. Tangye
No posts were found with this tag.