Reviews & Analysis

One hazard of gene therapy is that the vector will insert into an inappropriate location, causing aberrant expression of genes that can lead to disease. A new study reveals how such events occurred in a recent gene therapy trial using a vector that has now fallen out of favor (pages 198–204).

Researchers have long known that the peptide angiotensin II is central to blood pressure control—but there is yet more to learn. A new study shows how angiotensin II cooperates with the JAK2 kinase, better known for its role in cytokine signaling, to regulate blood vessel contraction and influence blood pressure (pages 183–190).

Innate immune signals and p53 contribute to the 5q– myelodysplastic syndrome, an acquired bone marrow failure disorder (pages 49–58 and 59–66).

Susceptibility to Crohn's disease has been linked to polymorphisms in genes involved in two pathophysiological pathways: autophagy and the recognition of bacterial peptidoglycan by nucleotide oligomerization domain-2 (NOD2), an intracellular receptor. Two studies link these pathways by showing that recognition of bacterial peptidoglycans by NOD2 induces autophagy and bacterial clearance.

The neuronal accumulation of mutant huntingtin is a hallmark of Huntington's disease. New research shows that post-translational modifications of the mutant protein promote its clearance, uncovering new therapeutic targets for this disorder.

A common retrovirus encases itself in an extracellular matrix, enabling its transfer between T4 cells. The discovery of this new mode of infectivity has the potential to lead to new ways to combat the virus, human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1), which is associated with cancers and inflammatory disorders (pages 83–89).

Blood pressure oscillates with the circadian rhythm, and a molecular mechanism has now been discovered (pages 67–74). The results point to a new genetic risk factor for hypertension and to a potential new target against this condition.

In newborn infants, permanent closure of a major blood vessel connecting the main pulmonary artery to the aorta is essential to allow adequate circulation of blood to major organs. Platelet aggregation now emerges as a crucial step in this process in newborn mice and, possibly, in preterm infants (pages 75–82).

Tumors use many strategies to evade the immune system. A new study adds a new trick to the list—inhibiting the migration of dendritic cells from tumors toward lymph nodes (pages 98–105).