Inhibition of CD44 suppresses the formation of fibrotic scar after spinal cord injury via the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Fibrotic scar is one of the main impediments to axon regeneration following spinal cord injury (SCI). In this study, we found that CD44 was upregulated during the formation of fibrotic scar, and blocking CD44 by IM7 caused downregulation of fibrosis-related extracellular matrix proteins at both 2 and 12 weeks post-spinal cord injury. More Biotinylated dextran amine (BDA)-traced corticospinal tract axons crossed the scar area and extended into the distal region after IM7 administration.

Jasmonate perception: Ligand-receptor interaction, regulation, and evolution.

Phytohormones integrate external environmental and developmental signals with internal cellular responses for plant survival and multiplication in changing surroundings. Jasmonate (JA), which might originate from prokaryotes and benefit plant terrestrial adaptation, is a vital phytohormone that regulates diverse developmental processes and defense responses against various environmental stresses. In this review, we first provide an overview of ligand-receptor binding techniques used for the characterization of phytohormone-receptor interactions, then introduce the identification of the receptor COI1 and active JA molecules, and finally summarize recent advances on the regulation of JA perception and its evolution.

A staging table of embryonic development for a viviparous (live-bearing) lizard Eremias multiocellata (Squamata: Lacertidae).

As the only viviparous reptile in China that has both temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) and genetic-dependent sex determination (GSD) mechanisms, Eremias multiocellata is considered as an ideal species for studying the sex determination mechanism in viviparous lizards. However, studies on embryonic stage of viviparous lizards and morphological characteristics of each stage are limited. In the present study, the embryonic development process of E.

Analyzing Liver Surface Indentation for In Vivo Refinement of Tumor Location in Minimally Invasive Surgery.

Manual palpation to update the position of subsurface tumor(s) is a normal practice in open surgery, but is not possible through the small incisions of minimally invasive surgery (MIS). This paper proposes a method that has the potential to use a simple constant-force indenter and the existing laparoscopic camera for tumor location refinement in MIS. The indenter floats with organ movement to generate a static surface deformation on the soft tissue, resolving problems of previous studies that require complicated measurement of force and displacement during indentation.