News & Views in 2002

In mammals, unfertilized eggs and corpora lutea originate from Graafian follicles in the ovary. Two recent reports support the view that to produce Graafian follicles, oocytes and surrounding granulosa cells must communicate with each other. However, there is evidence to suggest that oocyte development can take place in the absence of granulosa cells.

The cell-cycle inhibitor p27 is phosphorylated by the Akt kinase in breast cancer, according to three new studies. This phosphorylation keeps p27 in the cytoplasm and correlates with cancer aggressiveness (pages 1136–1144, 1145–1152 and 1153–1160.)

The stomach and the intestine respond differently to inflammation. Work on the cytokine receptor gp130 helps explain why cancer develops in the stomach and inflammatory bowel disease hits the intestine (pages 1089–1097).

Numerous pathological stimuli lead to cardiac hypertrophy. The winding roads to pathological cardiac growth now seem to converge on one protein, histone deacetylase (HDAC).

Thrombin leads to blood clotting through activation of specialized G protein–coupled receptors. In mice, small peptides call pepducins inhibit thrombin receptors and prevent blood clotting (pages 1161–1165).

Treatment with an oxidized phospholipid markedly reduces tissue damage in a mouse model of sepsis. But will the approach be feasible in humans?

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) is associated with the development of several types of cancers. Now, gene-expression profiling suggests that EBV-driven B-cell proliferation may actually drive progression to Burkitt lymphoma (pages 1098–1104).

In multiple sclerosis, the myelin sheath is heavily damaged. New evidence suggests that inhibitory signals mediated by the Notch pathway suppress remyelination (pages 1115–1121).

Stroke and irradiation can cause severe brain damage, with consequences for neuronal replacement. The results of two new studies may help us understand the barriers to effective therapies to restore injured brain tissue (pages 955–962 and 963–970).

Abnormal vessel growth in the eyes is a major cause of blindness. In mice, injection of stem cells from the bone marrow can alter vessel growth (pages 1004–1010).

A new study shows that TERT, a component of telomerase, shuttles between nuclear compartments during the cell cycle. TERT localization is disrupted in cancer and following ionizing radiation, perhaps affecting genome stability.

Accumulation of Aβ peptide in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer disease leads to an inflammatory response. New data suggest that this response may not always be harmful.

The most invasive types of brain tumors can release neurotoxic quantities of glutamate. A new study shows that changing the properties of glutamate receptors can shrink brain tumors in rats (pages 971–978).

The 1997 flu in Hong Kong infected only 18 patients, but killed 6 of them. Now, reverse genetics experiments have pinpointed the NS1 gene as a primary culprit.

Asthma can originate via diverse causal and mechanistic pathways. A small bioactive lipid takes on this heterogeneity and offers the possibility of a broad-based treatment (pages 1018–1023).