Multicenter evaluation of blood-based biomarkers for the detection of endometriosis and adenomyosis: A prospective non-interventional study.

Objective: To evaluate blood-based biomarkers to detect endometriosis and/or adenomyosis across nine European centers (June 2014-April 2018).

Methods: This prospective, non-interventional study assessed the diagnostic accuracy of 54 blood-based biomarker immunoassays in samples from 919 women (aged 18-45 years) with suspicion of endometriosis and/or adenomyosis versus symptomatic controls. Endometriosis was stratified by revised American Society for Reproductive Medicine stage.

Modulation of mesenchymal stromal cell characteristics by microcarrier culture in bioreactors.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are promising candidates for cell therapy. Their therapeutic use requires extensive expansion to obtain a sufficiently high number of cells for clinical applications. State-of-the-art expansion systems, that is, primarily culture flask-based systems, are limited regarding scale-up, automation, and reproducibility.

Mesenchymal stromal cell characteristics vary depending on their origin.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are rare progenitor cells that can be isolated from various tissues. They exhibit multilineage differentiation potential, support regenerative processes, and interact with various immune cells. Therefore, MSCs represent a promising tool for regenerative medicine.

EphA4-dependent axon guidance is mediated by the RacGAP alpha2-chimaerin.

Neuronal network formation in the developing nervous system is dependent on the accurate navigation of nerve cell axons and dendrites, which is controlled by attractive and repulsive guidance cues. Ephrins and their cognate Eph receptors mediate many repulsive axonal guidance decisions by intercellular interactions resulting in growth cone collapse and axon retraction of the Eph-presenting neuron. We show that the Rac-specific GTPase-activating protein alpha2-chimaerin binds activated EphA4 and mediates EphA4-triggered axonal growth cone collapse.

Structurally and functionally unique complexins at retinal ribbon synapses.

Ribbon synapses in retinal sensory neurons maintain large pools of readily releasable synaptic vesicles. This allows them to release several hundreds of vesicles per second at every presynaptic release site. The molecular components that cause this high transmitter release efficiency of ribbon synapses are unknown.

Divergent and convergent signaling by the diacylglycerol second messenger pathway in mammals.

Diacylglycerol is an essential second messenger in mammalian cells. The most prominent intracellular targets of diacylglycerol and the functionally analogous phorbol esters belong to the protein kinase C family, but at least five alternative types of high affinity diacylglycerol/phorbol ester receptors are known: protein kinase D, diacylglycerol kinases alpha, beta, and gamma, RasGRPs, chimaerins, and Munc13s. These function independently of protein kinase C isozymes, and form a network of signaling pathways in the diacylglycerol second messenger system that regulates processes as diverse as gene transcription, lipid signaling, cytoskeletal dynamics, intracellular membrane trafficking, or neurotransmitter release.