Current Molecular Medicine - Volume 2, Issue 1, 2002

Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) encompasses a diverse group of lesions with specific pathogenesis, morphological characteristics and clinical features. The modified World Health Organization-classification of GTD includes complete and partial hydatidiform mole, invasive mole, choriocarcinoma, placental site trophoblastic tumor, epithelioid trophoblastic tumor, exaggerated placental site, and placental site nodul Read More

Homeobox genes encode transcriptional regulators of embryonic development. Many genetic disorders affecting multiple organ systems have been associated with a diverse array of mutations in one or another of at least 27 different members of this gene family. We briefly describe the affected genes and the major phenotypes presented by the patients that carry the mutations. Although cause-and-effect relationships are difficul Read More

Mammalian sex differentiation involves the action of a cascade of genes. Discovery of the sex-determining region of the Y chromosome (SRY) marked the beginning of the delineation of the genes in the cascade. Studies of the genetics of mammalian sex reversal and the embryogenesis of the mice are essential in this endeavor. A number of genes involved in the pathway have been identified and all except one of these gen Read More

Despite an externally symmetric body plan, the internal viscera of all vertebrates are asymmetric with respect to the left-right body axis. Determination of the handedness of this asymmetry is nonrandom and highly conserved among vertebrates. Errors in patterning along the left-right axis, which occur in about 1 in 10,000 human births, may result in significant morbidity and mortality. During early embryonic devel Read More

The development of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and its associated parenchymal organs depends on Hedgehog signals from the endoderm to the surrounding mesoderm. During development, Hedgehog signaling is essential for patterning the GI tract along anterior-posterior (A-P), dorsal-ventral (D-V), and radial axes, as well as in maintenance of stem cells. Our knowledge about these roles for Hedgehog signaling is derive Read More

Most lysosomal storage diseases (LSD) exhibit neurological symptoms and there has been limited success in their treatment. Innovative treatments employing novel therapy or gene therapy may offer the prospect of improvement. Recent attempts to treat the neurological forms of LSD include neural stem cell therapy, mesenchymal stem cell therapy, hematopoietic stem cell therapy and gene therapy. Additional approaches ha Read More