Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research
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Long regarded as proinflammatory molecules, prostaglandins (PGs) also have anti-inflammatory effects. Both prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) and its dehydration end product 15-deoxy-Delta-prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2) seem to play important roles in regulating inflammation, via both receptor-dependent (DP1 and DP2 receptors) and receptor-independent mechanisms. Intracellular effects of PGD2 and 15d-PGJ2 that may suppress inflammation include inhibition of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) by multiple mechanisms (IkappaB kinase inhibition and blockade of NF-kappaB nuclear binding) and activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma). ⋯ Indeed, classic inhibitors of PG synthesis such as nonselective and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) selective inhibitors (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) may actually prolong inflammation when administered during the resolution phase. These effects may regulate not only tissue inflammation but also vascular disease, possibly shedding light on the controversy surrounding nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug use and its relation to myocardial infarction. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of PGs as dichotomous molecules in the inflammatory process.
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Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is an inherited bone disease caused by mutations in collagen genes. Because these mutations occur at a wide variety of sites in the genes and differ among populations, we studied the COL1A1 gene in Chinese with OI and compared the results with findings form other populations. ⋯ We discuss the differences in phenotype related to the specific mutation sites. Although there have been many reports on mutations of COL1A1 and COL1A2, few cases have been reported in Chinese. Our data showed that the COL1A1 gene mutation might also play an important role in OI among Chinese. The Han Chinese represent a quarter of the world's population, and we believe that our new data contributes to fill in the type I collagen mutation map. We thought that the patient with OI could have 2 mutations in the same haplotypes, without limit to 1 mutation.
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Kidney disease is one of the most striking examples of health disparities in American public health. Disparities in the prevalence and progression of kidney disease are generally thought to be a function of group differences in the prevalence of kidney disease risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. ⋯ We believe that the social environment is an important element in the pathway from CKD risk factors to CKD and end-stage renal disease. This review of the literature draws heavily from social science and social epidemiology to present a conceptual frame specifying how social, economic, and psychosocial factors interact to affect the risks for and the progression of kidney disease.
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The rise of interdisciplinary research programs in recent years has spawned numerous questions regarding the best way to organize interdisciplinary programs and how to best train new interdisciplinary scientists in ways that will catalyze novel discoveries in biology. Systems biology, a relatively new branch of science, can be considered in many respects a poster child for modern interdisciplinary science. ⋯ Therefore, it is useful for scientists interested in building interdisciplinary research programs to consider the merits of successful systems biology initiatives. Institute for Systems Biology is one such example, and in the following, several key aspects of Institute for Systems Biology that make it both a unique and successful interdisciplinary science and training center are discussed.
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The falling percentage of doctors of medicine applying for National Institute of Health-funded research grants is 1 indicator that physician-scientists are a disappearing breed. This is occurring at a time when increased translational, disease-oriented, patient-oriented, and clinical research are national goals. One of the keys to providing sufficient numbers of physician-scientists to support this goal is the active targeting of medical students. We hypothesize that an improved research program infrastructure and responsiveness to changing student needs will increase student participation in research-oriented electives. ⋯ Although structured programs can provide step-wise research experiences of increasing intensity, students may not experience a training pipeline in which each stage relies on those before and after, and instead may sample an a la carte selection of research-based enrichment opportunities.