Publications by authors named "A L Rajala"
Article Synopsis
- Shp2 is a vital protein that regulates cellular functions and is linked to several health issues, including obesity and cancer.
- This research highlights Shp2's significant presence in rod photoreceptor cells and demonstrates that its absence leads to age-related degeneration of these cells.
- The study identifies that Shp2 influences the expression of occludin, a key protein for cell junctions, and affects cell cycle regulation and retinal metabolism when deleted in rod cells.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers studied chronic diarrhea in rhesus macaques, which is often linked to various gastrointestinal issues, and found that it occurs spontaneously in these primates.
- The study tracked stool consistency and assessed inflammation through various methods over 12 years, finding recurrent diarrhea and inflammation despite normal endoscopic results.
- By applying left vagal nerve stimulation for 9 weeks, the severity of diarrhea and inflammation significantly decreased, suggesting that this model can help in understanding diarrhea and its treatments in ways that human studies cannot.
Unlocking the role of lactate: metabolic pathways, signaling, and gene regulation in postmitotic retinal cells.
Front Ophthalmol (Lausanne)
November 2023
The Warburg effect, which was first described a century ago, asserts that mitotic tumor cells generate higher quantities of lactate. Intriguingly, even in typical physiological circumstances, postmitotic retinal photoreceptor cells also produce elevated levels of lactate. Initially classified as metabolic waste, lactate has since gained recognition as a significant intracellular signaling mediator and extracellular ligand.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrior studies have emphasized a bioenergetic crisis in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) as a critical factor in the development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The isoforms Fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase C (ALDOC) and pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) have been proposed to play a role in AMD pathogenesis. While PKM2 and ALDOC are crucial for aerobic glycolysis in the neural retina, they are not as essential for the RPE.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInsulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) plays a diverse role in the retina, exerting its effects in both normal and diseased conditions. Deficiency of IGF-1 in humans leads to issues such as microcephaly, mental retardation, deafness, and postnatal growth failure. IGF-1 is produced in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and activates the IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) in photoreceptor cells.
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