Psoriasis is now considered a genetically programmed, immune-mediated, inflammatory disease, in which intralesional T lymphocytes trigger keratinocytes to proliferate and perpetuate the disease process. Interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-22 produced by Th1/Th17 lymphocytes induce IL-8 secretion by keratinocytes, a key event in the pathogenesis of the disease. It is now clear that mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) (extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) 1 and 2) activity is required for IL-17-induced IL-8 synthesis by keratinocytes, and, in fact, MAPK activity is increased in lesional psoriatic skin. Here,

we demonstrate both in vitro and in vivo on primary psoriatic lesions that pharmacological inhibitors of ERKs as well as hydrogen sulfide Selleckchem MDV3100 not only reduce the basal expression and secretion of IL-8, but also interfere with IL-17- and IL-22-induced IL-8 production. These observations, together with the known anti-inflammatory find more activity of H(2)S, are relevant to understanding some previously unexplained biological effects exerted by sulfur therapy. Laboratory Investigation (2011) 91, 1188-1194; doi:10.1038/labinvest.2011.76; published online 9 May 2011″
“Muscle regeneration provides a paradigm by which to study how extrinsic signals coordinate gene expression in somatic

stem cells (satellite cells) by directing the genome distribution of chromatin-modifying complexes. Understanding the signal-dependent control of the epigenetic events underlying the transition of muscle stem cells through sequential regeneration stages holds the promise to reveal new targets for selective interventions toward repairing diseased muscles. This review describes the

latest findings on how regeneration cues are integrated at the chromatin level to build the transcription network that regulates progression of endogenous muscle progenitors throughout the myogenic program. In particular, we describe how specific epigenetic signatures can confer responsiveness to extrinsic cues on discrete regions of the muscle stem cell genome.”
“In adulthood, new neurons and glial cells are generated from stem cells in restricted zones else of the brain, namely the olfactory bulb (OB), rostral migratory stream (RMS), subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle, sub-callosum zone (SCZ) and sub-granular layer (SGL) of the dentate gyrus. What makes these zones germinal? We previously reported that N-sulfated heparan sulfates (N-sulfated HS) present in specialized extracellular matrix structures (fractones) and vascular basement membranes bind the neurogenic factor FGF-2 (fibroblast growth factor-2) next to stem cells in the anterior SVZ of the lateral ventricle, the most neurogenic zone in adulthood.