Investigators discover enzyme essential for healthy lung development

Eya1 phosphatase controls fate of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells

2011-03-30

(Press-News.org) LOS ANGELES (March 29, 2011) – Investigators at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have provided the first evidence that Eya1 protein phosphatase is a crucial regulator of the development of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells.

The correct functioning of lung epithelium is essential to life. Cellular polarity of lung epithelial cells, meaning that they have an asymmetrical orientation or a front and back, is crucial. Dysregulation of cell polarity has been associated with developmental disorders as well as cancer. Until now, little has been known about the mechanism that controls cell polarity, cell fate and self-renewal of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells. David Warburton, MD, director of Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine at The Saban Research Institute, and Ahmed El-Hashash, PhD, senior research scientist carrying out this study, will release their findings in the upcoming issue of Development.

"We know that loss of polarity in pulmonary epithelial cells is associated with lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Knowing that Eya1 regulates polarity, we now have another target for intervening in those disease processes," said Dr. Warburton.

They have determined that Eya1, a protein phosphatase, controls cell polarity, cell fate and self-renewal in the mouse embryonic lung epithelial stem cells. They have also provided the first evidence that these stem cells are polarized with characteristic perpendicular cell divisions.

In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that interfering with Eya1 phosphatase function resulted in defective epithelial cell polarity and mitotic spindle orientation; disrupted Numb, a cell fate determinant; and inactivated Notch signaling, which is involved in cell segregation and division, thereby establishing Eya1 as an important regulator in the development of embryonic lung stem cells.

"Identification of Eya1 mechanisms of regulating cell polarity, cell fate and self-renewal, will help to harness the regenerative potential of lung stem cells, and to identify novel targets for the prevention or rescue therapy of fatal lung disease, and for lung regeneration. This will also help to develop stem cell-based therapy to treat patients with lung diseases, " said Dr. El-Hashash, PhD. "Solutions to the problems concerning regeneration of lung tissue for restoration of functional alveoli are at the cutting edge of identifying novel therapeutic options for lung diseases like COPD and fibrosis."

INFORMATION:

For more information, visit www.CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: www.WeAreCHLA.org.

About Children's Hospital Los Angeles

Children's Hospital is one of only eight children's hospitals in the nation – and the only one in the western United States – named to the national "Honor Roll" of children's hospitals in the 2010 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Children's Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States and is one of America's premier teaching hospitals, affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.

[Attachments] See images for this press release:

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Grand Canyon Whitewater Adds Hiker's Special Trip in 2012 Season

2011-03-30

April is a wonderful time for hiking and rafting in the Grand Canyon. The weather is ideal with average daytime highs in the mid-80s and nighttime lows in the mid-50s. The illustrious Grand Canyon flowers are in bloom during April. The incredible spring wildflower season only occurs in the Grand Canyon from March to early May, just in line with the Hiker's Special trip. The Hiker's Special will include many different types of hiking opportunities in Grand Canyon. Hike up narrow slot canyons of beautiful sandstone, hike to the source of grand waterfalls where the water ...

Frequency of fat talk associated with increased body dissatisfaction, regardless of waistline

2011-03-30

Los Angeles, CA (MARCH XX, 2011) College women who engage in "fat talk" (women speaking negatively about the size and shape of their bodies) face greater dissatisfaction with their bodies and are more likely to have internalized an ultra-thin body ideal than those who engage in fat talk less frequently, according to a review article from Psychology of Women Quarterly (published by SAGE). Study results found that while frequency of fat talk was associated with increased dissatisfaction with women's own bodies, over half of the participants reported that they believe fat ...

Poor behavior doesn't always lead to poor academics

2011-03-30

Los Angeles, CA (MARCH 2011) Despite popular belief, a new study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions (published by SAGE) finds that students who have poor behavior in the classroom do not always have poor grades. Researchers from the University of North Carolina - Charlotte (Bob Algozzine, Chuang Wang and Amy Violette) followed 350 students in seven at-risk schools over a 5-year period. They assessed both teacher perceptions of student behavior and academic achievement, as well as actual performance. They found that teachers ...

Bariatric surgery highly cost-effective treatment for type 2 diabetes in the obese

2011-03-30

NEW YORK (March 29, 2011) -- Bariatric surgery is an especially cost-effective therapy for managing Type 2 diabetes in moderately and severely obese patients. These findings and others were presented today at the 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes, hosted by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College. Cost effectiveness is central to the larger issue of access to surgical treatment of diabetes, says Dr. Francesco Rubino, director of the Congress and director of gastrointestinal metabolic surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian ...

Whale and dolphin death toll during Deepwater disaster may have been greatly underestimated

2011-03-30

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010 devastated the Gulf of Mexico ecologically and economically. However, a new study published in Conservation Letters reveals that the true impact of the disaster on wildlife may be gravely underestimated. The study argues that fatality figures based on the number of recovered animal carcasses will not give a true death toll, which may be 50 times higher than believed. "The Deepwater oil spill was the largest in US history, however, the recorded impact on wildlife was relatively low, leading to suggestions that the environmental damage ...

Study: Emissions trading doesn't cause pollution 'hot spots'

2011-03-30

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Programs that allow facilities to buy and sell emission allowances have been popular and effective since they were introduced in the U.S. two decades ago. But critics worry the approach can create heavily polluted "hot spots" in low-income and minority communities. A new study by Evan Ringquist, professor in the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, finds the problem hasn't materialized -- that the efficiency gains of allowance trading have not come at the expense of equitable treatment of minorities and the poor. "There ...

Rx-webmasters.com is Your Number One Choice for Affordable Medications

2011-03-30

Everyone knows where to look for the medications that you might have a need for one day. Online pharma shops have proven to be a reliable source for medication but how can you be sure that you are buying from the right generic Viagra merchant? www.rx-webmasters.com can easily satisfy your uncertainty with high-quality services provided all over the world. Through years of successful and prosperous development, the company has launched an inevitable upgrade, bringing a brand-new drug store to your attention - www.lelamed.org. You don't have to question anything due to ...

Newport Festivals Foundation Announces 2011 Newport Folk Festival Line-up and Welcomes New Partnership with Alex and Ani

2011-03-30

An exciting mix of folk music's founding voices and modern favorites highlights the 52nd edition of the Newport Folk Festival set for July 30-31 at Fort Adams State Park, it was announced today by the Newport Festivals Foundation, the recently-formed 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization which produces the event. Tickets go on sale worldwide on Thursday, March 31, at 10:00 am at www.newportfolkfest.net. The Newport Folk Festival welcomes Alex and Ani (www.alexandani.com), a celebrated eco-friendly jewelry and lifestyle brand, as sponsor of the Harbor Stage. Located ...

Smithsonian scientists help block ship-borne bioinvaders before they dock

2011-03-29

The global economy depends on marine transportation. But in addition to cargo, the world's 50,000-plus commercial ships carry tiny stowaways that can cause huge problems for the environment and economy. A new model created by Smithsonian scientists will facilitate accurate screening of vessels for dangerous species before they unload. The team's findings are published today in the journal Environmental Science & Technology. Ballast water taken up by ships in coastal waters teems with plankton and microbes. When discharged at the next port of call, these hitchhikers can ...

Interventional radiology treatment takes blood pressure to new lows -- and results last

2011-03-29

CHICAGO, Ill. (March 28, 2011)—Interventional radiologists have completed the first human randomized controlled trial of therapeutic renal denervation or RDN—a procedure that uses a catheter-based probe inserted into the renal artery that emits high-frequency energy to deactivate the nerves near the kidneys (or in the renal artery) that are linked to high blood pressure. The researchers say these results confirm that RDN may be an effective therapy for reducing—and consistently controlling—resistant hypertension when current medications have failed. The results were presented ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

AI finds undiagnosed liver disease in early stages

The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announce new research fellowship in malaria genomics in honor of professor Dominic Kwiatkowski