Bone morphogenetic proteins and inner ear development / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are the largest subfamily of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily, and they play important roles in the development of numerous organs, including the inner ear. The inner ear is a relatively small organ but has a highly complex structure and is involved in both hearing and balance. Here, we discuss BMPs and BMP signaling pathways and then focus on the role of BMP signal pathway regulation in the development of the inner ear and the implications this has for the treatment of human hearing loss and balance dysfunction.

Molecular basis of basal cell carcinoma

Abstract: Basal cell carcinoma is the most common cancer, presenting low mortality but high morbidity, and it has as risk factor exposure to sunlight, especially UVB spectrum. The most important constitutional risk factors for basal cell carcinoma development are clear phototypes (I and II, Fitzpatrick classification), family history of basal cell carcinoma (30-60%), freckles in childhood, eyes and light hair. The environmental risk factor better established is exposure to ultraviolet radiation. However, different solar exposure scenarios probably are independent risk factors for certain clinical and histological types, topographies and prognosis of this tumor, and focus of controversy among researchers. Studies confirm that changes in cellular genes Hedgehog signaling pathway are associated with the development of basal cell carcinoma. The cellular Hedgehog signaling pathway is activated in organogenesis, but is altered in various types of tumors.

Wound healing - A literature review

Abstract: Regeneration and tissue repair processes consist of a sequence of molecular and cellular events which occur after the onset of a tissue lesion in order to restore the damaged tissue. The exsudative, proliferative, and extracellular matrix remodeling phases are sequential events that occur through the integration of dynamic processes involving soluble mediators, blood cells, and parenchymal cells. Exsudative phenomena that take place after injury contribute to the development of tissue edema. The proliferative stage seeks to reduce the area of tissue injury by contracting myofibroblasts and fibroplasia. At this stage, angiogenesis and reepithelialization processes can still be observed. Endothelial cells are able to differentiate into mesenchymal components, and this difference appears to be finely orchestrated by a set of signaling proteins that have been studied in the literature. This pathway is known as Hedgehog. The purpose of this review is to describe the various cellular and molecular aspects involved in the skin healing process.

Desarrollo de la Piel y sus Anexos en Vertebrados / Skin and Appendages Development in Vertebrates

La Piel y sus estructuras asociadas permiten a los seres vivos subsistir en los diferentes ambientes ecológicos. El desarrollo de la piel y sus anexos en diferentes especies repite patrones comunes. De suma importancia es la interacción epitelio-mesénquima como regulador inicial de este desarrollo. El evento crucial en la formación de anexos, es la aparición de una placoda ectodérmica, a la cual se le asocia una condensación de células dérmicas, expresándose proteínas como Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) y la proteína morfogenética del hueso (BMP) para luego dar forma al anexo de cada especie. En esta revisión describiremos las etapas sucesivas que transcurren en la formación de la dermis, epidermis y anexos, con énfasis en las proteínas que dirigen el proceso.

Skin and associated structures allow animals to survive in different ecological environments. The development of skin and appendages in different species has common patterns repeated. Of utmost importance is the epithelial-mesenchymal interaction as the initial controller development. The crucial event in the formation of appendages is the appearance of an ectodermal placode, which is associated with a condensation of dermal cells, expressing BMP and Sonic Hedgehog proteins and then give the way to each species appendages. In this review we describe the successive stages that take place in the formation of the dermis, epidermis and appendages, with emphasis on proteins that direct the process.

Sonic Hedgehog in cancer stem cells: a novel link with autophagy

The Sonic Hegdehog/GLI (SHH/GLI) pathway has been extensively studied for its role in developmental and cancer biology. During early embryonic development the SHH pathway is involved mainly in pattern formation, while in latter stages its function in stem cell and progenitor proliferation becomes increasingly relevant. During postnatal development and in adult tissues, SHH/GLI promotes cell homeostasis by actively regulating gene transcription, recapitulating the function observed during normal tissue growth. In this review, we will briefly discuss the fundamental importance of SHH/GLI in tumor growth and cancer evolution and we will then provide insights into a possible novel mechanism of SHH action in cancer through autophagy modulation in cancer stem cells. Autophagy is a homeostatic mechanism that when disrupted can promote and accelerate tumor progression in both cancer cells and the stroma that harbors tumorigenesis. Understanding possible new targets for SHH signaling and its contribution to cancer through modulation of autophagy might provide better strategies in order to design combined treatments and perform clinical trials.

Expression of sonic hedgehog signaling pathways in a rat model of chronic pancreatitis

To establish a rat model of chronic pancreatitis, and to prove the activation of sonic hedgehog [SHH] signaling pathways in chronic pancreatitis. This study was conducted between January and July 2008 in the Department of General Surgery, Wuhan General Hospital, Guangzhou Military Command, Wuhan, China. Thirty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group [A], experimental control group [B], and model group [C] [10 rats in each group]. Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid was infused into the pancreatic duct to induce chronic pancreatitis in the model group rats. In the experimental control group, we opened the abdominal cavity and infused with 0.9% sodium chloride solution. Serum levels of bilirubin and amylase were determined by radioimmunoassay. Histopathological alterations were studied using the optical microscopy. Expression of patched-1 [PTCH-1], smoothened [SMO], and SHH were detected by immunohistochemistry. Compared with the control group [A], the serum bilirubin and amylase in the model group increased significantly after 7 days of treatment, and fibrotic proliferation of pancreatic tissues were found after 35 days; the expression of PTCH-1, SMO, and SHH in the pancreatic tissue increased significantly in the model group. Trinitrobeneze sulfonic acid can induce chronic pancreatitis in rat. The SHH signaling pathway is activated in rats with chronic pancreatitis