objective(s): lipocalin2 (lcn2) gene is highly expressed in response to various types of cellular stresses. the precise role of lcn2 has not been fully understood yet. however, it plays a key role in controlling vital cellular processes such as proliferation, apoptosis and metabolism. recently it was shown that lcn2 decreases senescence and increases proliferation of mesenchymal stem cells (msc...

Mechanisms of progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), a major health care burden, are poorly understood. EGFR stimulates CKD progression, but the molecular networks that mediate its biological effects remain unknown. We recently showed that the severity of renal lesions after nephron reduction varied substantially among mouse strains and required activation of EGFR. Here, we utilized two m...

Adipose tissue-derived cytokines (adipokines) are associated with the development of inflammation and insulin resistance. However, which adipokine(s) mediate this linkage and the mechanisms involved during obesity is poorly understood. Through proteomics and microarray screening, we recently identified lipocalin 2 (LCN 2) as an adipokine that potentially connects obesity and its related adipose...

A key feature of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is the remodeling of small pulmonary arteries due to abnormal pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation and resistance to apoptosis. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying how PASMCs in the pathological condition of pulmonary hypertension become resistant to apoptosis remain unknown. It was recently reported that lipocalin 2 (Lcn...

Thrombolysis remains the only effective therapy to reverse acute ischaemic stroke. However, delayed treatment may cause serious complications including hemorrhagic transformation and reperfusion injury. The level of lipocalin-2 (LCN2) is elevated in the plasma of ischaemic stroke patients, but its role in stroke is unknown. Here, we show that LCN2 was acutely induced in mice after ischaemic str...

In the October 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Viau et al. [1] provided primary evidence for lipocalin-2 ([Lcn2; also known as neutrophil gelatinaseassociated lipocalin [(NGAL)], 24p3 protein, α1-microglobulin-related protein, or uterocalin]) as a central effector of progressive renal tissue damage upon acute kidney injury. Their studies are based on two experimental mouse ...

Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) has been implicated in promoting apoptosis and neuroinflammation neurological disorders; however, its role neural transplantation remains unknown. In this study, we cultured differentiated Lund human mesencephalic (LUHMES) cells into dopaminergic-like neurons found that LCN2 mRNA was progressively induced mouse brain after the intrastriatal of neurons. The induction protein d...

Hypoxic tumors have been identified as appropriate indicators of tumor malignancy. However, no convenient plasma marker for hypoxic tumors has been described. Therefore, to identify a novel, convenient plasma marker for hypoxic tumors, we used microarray analysis to compare gene expression profiles of normoxic and hypoxic tumor tissues of mice bearing melanomas. Among the upregulated genes dete...

Macrophages play a key role in responding to pathogens and initiate an inflammatory response to combat microbe multiplication. Deactivation of macrophages facilitates resolution of the inflammatory response. Deactivated macrophages are characterized by an immunosuppressive phenotype, but the lack of unique markers that can reliably identify these cells explains the poorly defined biological rol...

Myelofibrosis (MF) is characterized by cytopenias, constitutional symptoms, splenomegaly, and marrow histopathological abnormalities (fibrosis, increased microvessel density, and osteosclerosis). The microenvironmental abnormalities are likely a consequence of the elaboration of a variety of inflammatory cytokines generated by malignant megakaryocytes and monocytes. We observed that levels of a...