The Tumor-Associated Calcium Signal Transducer 2 (TACSTD2) oncogene is upregulated in cystic epithelial cells revealing a potential new target for polycystic kidney disease.

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an important cause of kidney failure, but treatment options are limited. While later stages of the disease have been extensively studied, mechanisms driving the initial conversion of kidney tubules into cysts are not understood. To identify genes with the potential to promote cyst initiation, we deleted polycystin-2 (Pkd2) in mice and surveyed transcriptional changes before and immediately after cysts developed.

CKLF instigates a "cold" microenvironment to promote MYCN-mediated tumor aggressiveness.

Solid tumors, especially those with aberrant MYCN activation, often harbor an immunosuppressive microenvironment to fuel malignant growth and trigger treatment resistance. Despite this knowledge, there are no effective strategies to tackle this problem. We found that chemokine-like factor () is highly expressed by various solid tumor cells and transcriptionally up-regulated by MYCN.

The Tumor-Associated Calcium Signal Transducer 2 (TACSTD2) oncogene is upregulated in pre-cystic epithelial cells revealing a new target for polycystic kidney disease.

Unlabelled: Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is an important cause of end stage renal disease, but treatment options are limited. While later stages of the disease have been extensively studied, mechanisms driving the initial conversion of renal tubules into cysts are not understood. To identify factors that promote the initiation of cysts we deleted polycystin-2 ( ) in mice and surveyed transcriptional changes before and immediately after cysts developed.

Microenvironmental GABA Signaling Regulates Melanomagenesis through Reciprocal Melanoma-Keratinocyte Communication.

GABA signaling by melanoma cells was found by Tagore and colleagues to trigger keratinocyte-driven growth of melanomas. This study reveals new roles for nonneuronal signaling by a neurotransmitter in regulating tumor initiation and outgrowth. See related article by Tagore et al.

Pigment cell progenitor heterogeneity and reiteration of developmental signaling underlie melanocyte regeneration in zebrafish.

Tissue-resident stem and progenitor cells are present in many adult organs, where they are important for organ homeostasis and repair in response to injury. However, the signals that activate these cells and the mechanisms governing how these cells renew or differentiate are highly context-dependent and incompletely understood, particularly in non-hematopoietic tissues. In the skin, melanocyte stem and progenitor cells are responsible for replenishing mature pigmented melanocytes.