Clear cell carcinoma of the pelvic side wall arising from endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a condition wherein an ectopic layer of endometrial tissue arises in an extra-uterine location, often effecting significant pelvic pain and infertility. While very uncommon, there have been reported cases of endometriosis undergoing malignant transformation, frequently involving the ovaries and seldom in extra-gonadal regions. We recount a case depicting a 63 year-old woman who presented with an apparent inguinal hernia in 2017; she was ultimately diagnosed with a pelvic side wall clear cell carcinoma and attendant metastatic disease to the medial groin, which emanated from endometriosis.

Increased angiogenesis and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor during scarless repair.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a dimeric heparin-binding glycoprotein that is a potent endothelial cell-specific mitogen with increased expression during adult cutaneous wound healing. VEGF activity is mediated by two receptors, VEGFR-1 (Flt-1) and VEGFR-2 (Flk-1/KDR), which are expressed primarily in vascular endothelial cells. Initiation of profibrotic cytokine expression likely coordinates the transition from scarless healing to scar formation in fetal wounds.

Skin repair and scar formation: the central role of TGF-beta.

Wound healing is a complex process that we have only recently begun to understand. Central to wound repair is transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), a cytokine secreted by several different cell types involved in healing. TGF-beta has diverse effects, depending upon the tissue studied.

Ontogenetic transition in fetal wound transforming growth factor-beta regulation correlates with collagen organization.

Fetal rat skin transitions from scarless fetal-type repair to adult-type repair with scar between day 16 (E16) and day 18 (E18) of gestation (term = 21.5 days). Deficient transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 and -beta 2 injury response has been proposed as a mechanism for scarless fetal-type repair.

Anal canal cancer: a population-based reappraisal.

Purpose: This study was designed to obtain an updated population-based perspective on anal canal cancer incidence rates, demographics, and outcomes using a nationwide database. Eight-five percent of all carcinomas of the anus are anal canal cancers, and previous studies suggest that incidence rates may be rising. Although the most successful treatment for anal canal cancer has been chemoradiation, little information at the population-level exists regarding demographics, treatment, and survival.

Scarless fetal wounds are associated with an increased matrix metalloproteinase-to-tissue-derived inhibitor of metalloproteinase ratio.

In contrast to adult cutaneous wounds, early fetal wounds heal scarlessly. Fetal rat skin transitions from scarless repair to healing, with scar formation between days 16.5 (E16) and 18.

Decreased expression of fibroblast and keratinocyte growth factor isoforms and receptors during scarless repair.

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are a family of 21 cytokines with a broad spectrum of activities, including regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration. The various FGFs bind to one or more of four different tyrosine kinase receptor types. FGFs 1, 2, 5, 7, and 10 are up-regulated during adult cutaneous wound healing.

The identification of novel wound-healing genes through differential display.

Effective methods to identify novel genes in complicated dynamic tissue processes are needed in molecular biology research. Traditional techniques primarily target known genes and are inefficient in the pursuit of unknown genes. Here we describe the use of a modified differential display polymerase chain reaction (DD-PCR) protocol for the identification of genes differentially expressed in wound healing.

Rat extramedullary adipose tissue as a source of osteochondrogenic progenitor cells.

Human liposuction aspirates contain pluripotent adipose-derived mesodermal stem cells that have previously been shown to differentiate into various mesodermal cell types, including osteoblasts and chondrocytes. To develop an autologous research model of bone and cartilage tissue engineering, the authors sought to determine whether rat inguinal fat pads contain a similar population of osteochondrogenic precursor cells. It was hypothesized that the rat inguinal fat pad contains adipose-derived multipotential cells that resemble human adipose-derived mesodermal stem cells in their osteochondrogenic capacity.

Confocal microscopic analysis of scarless repair in the fetal rat: defining the transition.

Fetal wounds pass from scarless repair to healing with scar formation during gestation. This transition depends on both the size of the wound and the gestational age of the fetus. This study defines the transition period in the fetal rat model and provides new insight into scarless collagen wound architecture by using confocal microscopy.