Issues

Summary: Extracellular matrix dynamics are emerging as a key feature of metastasis. We discuss the changes in matrix composition of the liver metastatic niche, how these impact disease progression, and the approaches to study this topic.

Summary: MicroRNAs are capable of self-targeting, which has implications on their biogenesis, their canonical role in gene regulation and on cancer development.

Summary: We report an automated and high-throughput screening platform to identify compounds relevant to motor neuron disease using younger, less-pigmented zebrafish embryos.

Summary: We performed a genetic screen in Col4a1 mutant mice to elucidate the mechanisms contributing to Gould syndrome. Our results implicate FN1 as a genetic modifier of some, but not all, aspects of Gould syndrome.

Editor's choice: In a mouse model of achondroplasia, targeting an Fgfr3-activating mutation to immature osteoblasts led to osteopenia and induced craniofacial membranous bone defects.

Summary: Analyses of HT29 cells after ATG16L1 knockdown reveal a novel biological mechanism for the association between the autophagy pathway and Crohn's disease, and could aid personalized medicine strategies in Crohn's disease therapy.

Summary: Embryonic movement post paralysis can partially recover specific aspects of joint development, which could inform therapeutic approaches to ameliorate the effects of restricted fetal movement in utero.

Summary: We established a prediabetic obese mouse model for studying sex dimorphism in peripheral neuropathy. Females retain early insulin sensitivity upon high-fat diet challenge, but develop the same degree of peripheral neuropathy as males.

Summary: We describe an integrated metabolomics and lipidomics method for analyzing metabolites in C. elegans using a single-sample preparation, which provides a robust way of obtaining comprehensive, high-quality metabolic data from biological samples.

Summary: We used a mass cytometry analysis pipeline to immunophenotype tumor immune infiltrate from two pancreatic and three breast cancer murine models, identifying a link to obesity in the E0771 breast cancer model.