Transcriptomic analysis of the 12 major human breast cell types reveals mechanisms of cell and tissue function.

A fundamental question in biology, central to our understanding of cancer and other pathologies, is determining how different cell types coordinate to form and maintain tissues. Recognizing the distinct features and capabilities of the cells that compose these tissues is critical. Unfortunately, the complexity of tissues often hinders our ability to distinguish between neighboring cell types and, in turn, scrutinize their transcriptomes and generate reliable and tractable cell models for studying their inherently different biologies.

COX-2 Deficiency Promotes White Adipogenesis via PGE2-Mediated Paracrine Mechanism and Exacerbates Diet-Induced Obesity.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) plays a critical role in regulating innate immunity and metabolism by producing prostaglandins (PGs) and other lipid mediators. However, the implication of adipose COX-2 in obesity remains largely unknown. Using adipocyte-specific COX-2 knockout (KO) mice, we showed that depleting COX-2 in adipocytes promoted white adipose tissue development accompanied with increased size and number of adipocytes and predisposed diet-induced adiposity, obesity, and insulin resistance.