Bone Abstracts

The healing of bone fractures is a tightly regulated process where released growth factors and cytokines interplay within an inflammatory environment in order to reestablish the functional bone. Recent studies have suggested that endothelial cells may dedifferentiate into mesenchymal multipotent cells via a mechanism called endothelial-to-mesenchymal-transition (EndoMT). Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) plays a critical role inducing EndoMT. Subsequent differenti...

Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer in men and metastatic spread to bone is detected in up to 80% of patients with advanced disease at autopsy. PCa can progress from treatable androgen-dependent stage to castration-resistant stage with distant metastases for which novel therapeutic targets and strategies are urgently needed. Here we identify the cell surface/secreted oncoprotein Cripto as a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of metastatic prostate cancer...