A team of researchers, led by Ronna Hertzano from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (USA) and Michael Bowl from the MRC Harwell Institute (United Kingdom), has identified the gene Ikzf2 as a key regulator critical for the functional maturation of cochlear outer hair cells. The cochlea is part of the inner ear (Figure 1). … Read more
One of the mysteries in scholarly publishing is the peer-review process. I created this short video to help scientists understand the process editors use in selecting reviewers. I describe it as a game of dodge ball. The editor typically has a large pool of potential reviewers who have the right expertise and scientific background, but … Read more
Antibodies are proteins. In the body, they are made by B cells of the immune system. To produce antibodies as therapeutics, they are synthesized by cells in culture. The structure of an antibody is defined by the amino acid sequence of the protein (Figure 1). The incredible diversity of antibodies, which is essential to our … Read more
You may have read the commentary “Stem Cells Repair Injured Hearts” and then heard about the National Institutes of Health (NIH) decision to suspend a clinical trial using stem cells to treat heart failure due to oxygen deprivation, as occurs in a heart attack. The work highlighted in the commentary is by different authors and … Read more