This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Immune checkpoints are an effective way that cancers evade the immune system, but they're not the only one. In the case of pancreatic ductal carcinoma, or PDAC, tumor fibrosis also plays an important role. To understand how fibrosis might translate to poor outcomes among patients with PDAC, researchers examined the ARF6-AMAP1 molecular pathway, which research suggests is activated during fibrosis. Findings revealed that AMAP1 correlated with elevated expression of PD-L1, a molecule that tumor cells present on their surface to elude attack by the immune system. AMAP1 was also linked to elevated fibrosis. Consistently, silencing AMAP1 in a mouse model of human PDAC reduced PD-L1 and fibrosis in their tumors. Suppressing the ARF6-AMAP1, therefore, could be one way to ensure that PDAC tumors can’t hide from immune defenses, offering the prospect of more effective immunotherapies for patients with pancreatic ductal carcinoma..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Biology is designed for multi-semester biology courses for science majors. It is grounded on an evolutionary basis and includes exciting features that highlight careers in the biological sciences and everyday applications of the concepts at hand. To meet the needs of today’s instructors and students, some content has been strategically condensed while maintaining the overall scope and coverage of traditional texts for this course. Instructors can customize the book, adapting it to the approach that works best in their classroom. Biology also includes an innovative art program that incorporates critical thinking and clicker questions to help students understand—and apply—key concepts.

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe how signaling pathways direct protein expression, cellular metabolism, and cell growthIdentify the function of PKC in signal transduction pathwaysRecognize the role of apoptosis in the development and maintenance of a healthy organism

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the extracellular matrixList examples of the ways that plant cells and animal cells communicate with adjacent cellsSummarize the roles of tight junctions, desmosomes, gap junctions, and plasmodesmata

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Cardiac fibrosis, or scarring of heart tissue, is a common finding in many disorders of the heart, including myocardial infarction, hypertension, and cardiac hypertrophy. A key step in this form of scarring is the transformation of fibroblasts, cells that provide structural, electrical, and chemical support into myofibroblasts, more muscle-like cells expressed only in stressed or failing hearts. A new review explores the important role played by noncoding RNAs in this transformation. Noncoding RNAs, studies are showing, regulate fibrotic scarring through the TGF-β and WNT signaling pathways. TGF-β signaling participates in a variety of heart-related processes, including cardiac repair, hypertrophy, fibrotic remodeling, and fibroblast activation. WNT signaling, meanwhile, is implicated in the pathogenesis of many diseases. Crosstalk between the TGF-β and WNT pathways could be responsible for the transcription of genes that promote fibrosis..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation, is a critical step in tumor formation and development. In addition to enabling the growth of individual tumors, angiogenesis helps tumor cells metastasize to distant organs, which makes the factors involved in angiogenesis potential targets for cancer therapies. For example, small enclosed sacs called extracellular vesicles (EVs) that are released from tumor cells can promote angiogenesis. These EVs encapsulate proteins and RNA molecules that can activate nearby endothelial cells in the tumor microenvironment. In turn, the endothelial cells release their own EVs, whose contents may help remodel the extracellular matrix and regulate immunity to facilitate tumor progression. EVs’ ability to deliver materials while evading immune surveillance is especially promising for cancer treatment. Specifically, EVs can be engineered to carry cancer-fighting drugs or small RNA molecules that silence certain genes..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Osteochondral allograft transplantation is well established for the treatment of large cartilage defects. But despite advancements in this transplantation method, the factors that influence graft survival remain poorly understood—including how long grafts are stored before they’re implanted. In a new study reported in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers examined the effect of storage time on allograft survival in patients undergoing transplantation for symptomatic cartilage defects. Their findings suggest that prioritizing early transplantation could improve the survival rates of osteochondral allografts. The team analyzed data gathered for 132 patients who underwent osteochondral allograft transplantation by a single surgeon with at least 2-year follow-up. The 111 patients who met the study’s inclusion criteria fell into two groups: an early-transplant group who received allografts stored for 19 to 24 days; and a late-transplant group receiving grafts stored for 25 to 28 days..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Cancer cells interact with neighboring cells through proteins in the extracellular matrix (ECM), a scaffold of molecules that support cells and tumor development. As part of this process, cancer cells release extracellular vesicles that participate in tumor progression, either interacting with ECM or tumor surrounding cells, allowing tumor cells to develop, metastasize, and become drug-resistant. Adhesion receptors called integrins are found in extracellular vesicles (EVs) from tumor cells. These receptors are responsible for the interaction of tumor cells/EVs with the ECM. EVs – nanovesicles secreted from cells and packed with bioactive cargo can mediate communication between cells. EVs are classified according their size, biogenesis mechanism and cargoes (SEVs: size 50–150 nm, LEVs: size 100–1000 nm). Integrins in EVs have been shown to promote cancer cell migration and metastasis, although how this happens is unclear..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"While it might seem that bone must be solid to support our moving bodies, it's actually a dynamic tissue containing not only blood vessels but also nerves suggesting that they may have closely linked functions, particularly during bone formation and regeneration. A recent study evaluated the role of innervation on blood vessel formation during bone regeneration. Using a microfluidic culture system, researchers examined two types of cells from rats – sensory neurons, which convey neurological signals and endothelial cells, which are responsible for blood vessel generation and repair. They found that two neuropeptides – CGRP and SP – were secreted by sensory neurons when cultured with endothelial cells which drove an increase in markers of blood vessel formation in endothelial cells. The levels of tissue remodeling proteins called matrix metalloproteinases were also increased in endothelial cells..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Liver fibrosis is a scarring process that accompanies most chronic liver diseases. That process is believed to be linked to the expression of Follistatin-like 1 (Fstl1), a glycoprotein tied to diseases such as cancer and heart disease. To understand Fstl1’s role in liver fibrosis, researchers analyzed liver tissue from patients with chronic liver disease and from mice with chemically induced liver disease. Patients with liver disease, and therefore with liver fibrosis, showed significantly increased concentrations of Fstl1 compared with healthy controls. In mice, genetically silencing Fstl1 expression significantly reduced the extent of liver fibrosis. Similar results were obtained when mice were treated with an antibody designed to interrupt Fstl1 expression. Further experiments revealed that Fstl1 is part of a genetic circuit that involves two factors that help control cell growth, proliferation, and death: the growth factor TGF-β and the non-coding RNA miR29a..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Prostate cancer that has spread to bone doesn’t completely respond to the standard androgen- targeting therapies. Rather, it tends to progress into castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which is fatal. The extracellular matrix protein tenascin-C (TNC) facilitates bone metastasis of prostate cancer, and the androgen receptor variant-AR-V7 is associated with treatment-resistant CRPC, but the potential interactions between these proteins remain unclear. To learn more, a new study examined TNC signaling and AR-V7 regulation in 3D tissue cultures called organoids. In the organoids, the interaction of prostate cancer cells with bone precursor cells (preosteoblasts) upregulated both TNC and AR-V7 expression, and this effect was enhanced by the anti-androgen drug enzalutamide. Further experiments on prostate cancer cells revealed that TNC regulates AR-V7 splicing, protein stability, and nuclear localization by activating the Src signaling pathway..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Cancer cells don’t just exist in isolation. Their dynamic interactions with cells and non-cell components in the tumor microenvironment (TME) allow cancer cells to grow and evolve. A new review highlights the complexity of the TME, the implications for cancer therapy, and advances in TME research. Tumor cells control the function of their environment, co-opting complex signaling networks for their own benefit, resulting in multi-drug resistance, metastasis, and cancer progression. To fully understand this phenomenon, we must go beyond 2D systems, using novel technologies such as 3D platforms and lab-on-chip devices to better simulate TME biology and function. Researchers can replicate the behavior of cells in the TME, including tumor epithelial cells, pericytes, cancer-associated fibroblasts, and tumor-associated macrophages. Non-cellular factors, including extracellular matrix components, exosomes, circulating free DNA, and apoptotic bodies, are also more easily studied using 3D systems..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Fibroblasts are responsible for producing and assembling the extracellular matrix (ECM), the scaffolding material that gives tissues their structure, which is critical in shaping the form and function of muscle throughout the body. Fibroblast function is aided by the shuttling of extracellular vesicles (EVs) – tiny sacs of cellular material that facilitate communication between cells. EV research has focused largely on their role in cancer, but a new study has examined their function in human muscle. Proteomics experiments revealed three distinct profiles for EVs released from tendon fibroblasts, muscle fibroblasts, and differentiating myoblasts. Fibroblast-derived EVs were more similar to one another than to EVs from myoblasts. However, while EVs from tendon fibroblasts showed an abundance of proteins supporting ECM synthesis. EVs from muscle fibroblasts were enriched in proteins that support myofiber function and components of the skeletal muscle matrix..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Cancer-related mortality, a leading cause of death in the US, is driven by tumor invasion and metastasis. Implicated in these processes is epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, or EMT. EMT drives invasion through a dramatic reorganization of a cell's cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. Because EMT is a rare event, undergone by a few abnormal cells, it is difficult to view directly in a patient. But new research methods are providing a lens into this critical process. Culturing cells on planar surfaces is revealing how their EMT behavior is coordinated and driven by leader cells. Research on the protein vimentin highlights its role in enabling cells to contort during migration or proliferation. Other studies examine how topographically patterning culture surfaces changes the behaviors of cells as they slip into and out of EMT. And 3D matrices are being used to examine the dissemination and disorganization of multicellular clusters..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"A new study reports that treating certain liver cells with a metabolite of vitamin A could lead to better disease management, particularly for conditions linked to liver fibrosis. The cells in question are hepatic stellate cells, which play a key role in liver function. In healthy tissue, the cells are mostly inactive. But when the liver is injured, they kick into gear to help repair the damage. The problem is that unabated activation of the cells can lead to the development of conditions such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, a global public health concern. The cells can even become permanently activated, triggering more serious conditions like fibrosis or cirrhosis. Liver function often becomes impaired once fibrosis sets in, and the scarring can also provide a fertile environment for tumor growth. For example, hepatocellular carcinoma occurs more frequently in patients with liver cirrhosis than those without it..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.