Therapeutic avenues in bone repair: Harnessing an anabolic osteopeptide, PEPITEM, to boost bone growth and prevent bone loss.

The existing suite of therapies for bone diseases largely act to prevent further bone loss but fail to stimulate healthy bone formation and repair. We describe an endogenous osteopeptide (PEPITEM) with anabolic osteogenic activity, regulating bone remodeling in health and disease. PEPITEM acts directly on osteoblasts through NCAM-1 signaling to promote their maturation and formation of new bone, leading to enhanced trabecular bone growth and strength.

Interplay in galectin expression predicts patient outcomes in a spatially restricted manner in PDAC.

Background: Galectins (Gal's) are a family of carbohydrate-binding proteins that are known to support the tumour microenvironment through their immunosuppressive activity and ability to promote metastasis. As such they are attractive therapeutic targets, but little is known about the cellular expression pattern of galectins within the tumour and its neighbouring stromal microenvironment. Here we investigated the cellular expression pattern of Gals within pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Volume regulatory hormones and plasma volume in pregnant women with sickle cell disorder.

Background: Sickle cell disease (haemoglobin SS (HbSS)) mainly affects those of West African origin and is associated with hypervolaemia. Plasma volume rises by up to 50% in normal pregnancy but was previously found to be paradoxically contracted in late sickle cell pregnancy. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is activated very early in human pregnancy to support the plasma volume expansion.

Research productivity of junior academic staff at a tertiary medical college in south west, Nigeria.

Background: The research productivity of medical faculty has been well studied in developed countries, unlike in the developing countries.

Objectives: This study proposes to assess the level of research productivity over a 2 year period and identify the challenges to conducting research among junior academic staff of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos.

Methods: An observational cross-sectional study in which the 120 junior academic staff from both basic sciences and clinical sciences were evaluated between January and September 2005.