In C. elegans, the anchor cell signal induces Pn.p cells to form the vulva by activating a conserved receptor tyrosine kinase pathway. lin-2 and lin-7 mutants exhibit a vulvaless phenotype similar to the phenotype observed when this signaling pathway is defective. We have found that LIN-7 is a cell junction-associated protein that binds to the LET-23 receptor tyrosine kinase. LET-23 is also loc...

Th17 cells have been reported to produce proinflammatory cytokines like Interleukin-17, IL-22, and regarded as important players in various inflammatory diseases. One of the IL-12 cytokine family cytokines, IL-23, composed of p19 and p40 subunit, is known for its potential to promote Th17 development and IL-17 producing, and the IL-23/IL-17 pathway is considered to be potential therapeutic targ...

The interleukin (IL)-12-type cytokines IL-12 and IL-23 are involved in T-helper (Th) 1 and Th17 immunity, respectively. They share the IL-12 receptor β1 (IL-12Rβ1) as one component of their receptor signaling complexes, with IL-12Rβ2 as second receptor for IL-12 and IL-23R for IL-23 signal transduction. Stimulation with IL-12 and IL-23 results in activation of receptor-associated Janus kinases ...

Objectives Recent studies have shown that interleukin-23 receptor (IL23R) polymorphisms confer susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and Crohn’s disease. The A allele of rs1004819 was found in a significantly higher frequency among patients suffering from these diseases compared to controls. We aimed to determine the affect of rs1004819 in M694V homozygote FMF...

Two papers in the Journal this month examine patterns of prescribing practice. With established clinical guidelines for the management of individuals with treatment-resistant schizophrenia in mind, Howes et al (pp. 481–485) reviewed prescribing practices prior to commencement of clozapine for a sample of patients managed within one mental health service. The authors found evidence of a signific...

background and objectives: presence of steroid hormone receptors (estrogen and progesterone) in the tumor tissues of various organs correlates with response to therapy and prognosis. since their role in ovarian cancer is still controversial, in this study we investigated the expression and prognostic value of the estrogen receptor (er) and progesterone receptors (pr) in ovarian papillary serous...