Proper patterning of the nervous system requires that develo** axons find appropriate
postsynaptic partners; this entails microns to meters of extension through an extracellular …

Estradiol is the most potent and ubiquitous member of a class of steroid hormones called
estrogens. Fetuses and newborns are exposed to estradiol derived from their mother, their …

Regulated biophysical cues, such as nanotopography, have been shown to be integral for
tissue regeneration and embryogenesis in the stem cell niche. Tissue homeostasis involves …

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and proline-rich tyrosine kinase 2 (Pyk2) are related tyrosine
kinases that have important cellular functions, primarily through regulation of the …

Netrins are secreted proteins that were first identified as guidance cues, directing cell and
axon migration during neural development. Subsequent findings have demonstrated that …

Motile growth cones lead growing axons through develo** tissues to synaptic targets.
These behaviors depend on the organization and dynamics of actin filaments that fill the …

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex and heritable eating disorder characterized by
dangerously low body weight. Neither candidate gene studies nor an initial genome-wide …

Nonsyndromic cleft lip with or without a cleft palate (NSCL/P) is among the most common
human congenital birth defects and imposes a substantial physical and financial burden on …

Growth cones, found at the tip of axonal projections, are the sensory and motile organelles
of develo** neurons that enable axon pathfinding and target recognition for precise wiring …

Develo** neurons use a combination of guidance cues to assemble a functional neural
network. A variety of proteins immobilized within the extracellular matrix (ECM) provide …