The role of foxg1 in the development of neural stem cells of the olfactory epithelium.

The olfactory epithelium (OE) of the mouse is an excellent model system for studying principles of neural stem cell biology because of its well-defined neuronal lineage and its ability to regenerate throughout life. To approach the molecular mechanisms of stem cell regulation in the OE, we have focused on Foxg1, also known as brain factor 1, which is a member of the Forkhead transcription factor family. Foxg1(-/-) mice show major defects in the OE at birth, suggesting that Foxg1 plays an important role in OE development.

Follistatin modulates a BMP autoregulatory loop to control the size and patterning of sensory domains in the developing tongue.

The regenerative capacity of many placode-derived epithelial structures makes them of interest for understanding the molecular control of epithelial stem cells and their niches. Here, we investigate the interaction between the developing epithelium and its surrounding mesenchyme in one such system, the taste papillae and sensory taste buds of the mouse tongue. We identify follistatin (FST) as a mesenchymal factor that controls size, patterning and gustatory cell differentiation in developing taste papillae.

Clinical review: a critical evaluation of the role of soy protein and isoflavone supplementation in the control of plasma cholesterol concentrations.

Context: The purpose of this review was to critically evaluate current research on the effect of soy protein and isoflavone supplements on plasma lipoproteins and place the potential role of soy in the prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD) into a clinical perspective.

Evidence Acquisition: An extensive literature search was performed using a variety of medical and scientific databases including Medline, PubMed, Science Direct, Ovid, NIST, and Infotrac to identify relevant articles. Journal articles were cross-referenced for additional sources of information.