The thymus is not only extremely sensitive to damage but also has a remarkable ability to repair itself. However, the mechanisms underlying this endogenous regeneration remain poorly understood, and this capacity diminishes considerably with age. We show that thymic endothelial cells (ECs) comprise a critical pathway of regeneration via their production of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) EC...

Malignant melanoma cells are known to have altered expression of growth factors compared with normal human melanocytes. These changes probably favor tumor growth and progression and influence the tumor environment. The induction of transforming growth factor B1 (TGF-B1), TGF-B2, and TGF-B3 expression in malignant melanoma has been reported before, whereas the expression of related bone morphoge...

BACKGROUND The major disadvantage of using a stem cell-based bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP4) gene therapy for skull defect is the overgrowth of generated bone tissue in situ. In the present study, to overcome bony overgrowth of stem cell based-gene therapy, a new strategy of two-stage bone tissue engineering by an adeno-associated virus containing BMP4 gene (AAV-BMP4) gene therapy was used....

Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) induces, whereas epidermal growth factor (EGF) inhibits chondrogenesis. We hypothesize that BMP4 and EGF mediated intracellular signals are both coupled in the regulation of Meckel's cartilage development. Two chondrogenic experimental model systems were employed to test the hypothesis: (1) an ex vivo, serum-free, organ culture system for mouse embryonic mand...

The production of mature cells necessitates that lineage-committed progenitor cells be constantly generated from multipotential progenitors. In addition, the ability to respond rapidly to physiologic stresses requires that the signals that regulate the maintenance of progenitor populations be coordinated with the signals that promote differentiation of progenitors. Here we examine the signals t...

In the mouse embryo, the generation of primordial germ cells (PGCs) from the epiblast requires a bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP4) signal from the adjacent extraembryonic ectoderm. In this study, we report that Bmp8b, a member of the Gbb-60A class of the BMP superfamily, is expressed in the extraembryonic ectoderm in pregastrula and gastrula stage mouse embryos and is required for PGC generat...

Animal embryos have diverse anatomy and vary greatly in size. It is therefore remarkable that a common signaling pathway, BMP signaling, controls development of the dorsoventral (DV) axis throughout the Bilateria. In vertebrates, spatially opposed expression of the BMP family proteins Bmp4 and Admp (antidorsalizing morphogenetic protein) can promote restoration of DV pattern following tissue re...

Background: Mutations of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and KRAS play essential roles in the development colorectal cancer (CRC) by forming an abnormal colon morphology. Despite intensive efforts to discover therapeutic strategies re-transform cells into normal cells, no effective approaches have been reported yet.Methods: In this study, we aimed identify for inducing morphological changes tu...

While white adipose tissue (AT) is an energy storage depot, brown AT is specialized in energy dissipation. Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1)-expressing adipocytes with a different origin than classical brown adipocytes have been found in white AT. These "brite" (brown-in-white) adipocytes may represent a therapeutic target to counteract obesity. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) play a role in the r...

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common visceral malignancies worldwide, with a very high incidence and poor prognosis. Bonemorphogenesis protein 4 (BMP4), which belongs to the TGF-b superfamily of proteins, is a multifunctional cytokine, which exerts its biologic effects through SMADand non-SMADdependent pathways, and is also known to be involved in human carcinogenesis. Howev...