Journal Of Clinical Investigation Research Articles

Medical Research Genres in the English Academic Discourse

Introduction. The research article in English has recently been under scrutiny by theoretical and applied linguists. The understanding of research article is heterogeneous: it can be defined as a scientific manuscript, an independent text type or a separate genre. In Russian academic discourse the concept of the research article usually implies a scientific publication with the definite word count which is less than a monograph. However, this broad definition comprises a variety of heterogeneous genres. The English academic discourse, on the contrary, specifies research genres manifested in Research, Review, Editorial, Commentary, Clinical Case Report and other text names. Additionally, these research genres can vary according to the scientific discipline. The objective of this paper is to identify and classify academic research genres in medical discourse.Methodology and sources. The research corpus was collected from the original highimpact open-access medical journals, i.e., Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, British Medical Journal, Clinical Infectious Diseases, Journal of Clinical Investigation, Brain, Pediatrics, Diabetes, Heart, Journal of Neuroscience. The research procedure involved contextual, semantic and comparative analysis of the journal requirements on the article type and content presented in typical sections About the Journal, Authors Guidelines and Table of Contents.Results and discussion. The analysis has led to the development of differential parameters for further research genres classification. The findings have shown that a variety of research papers under different names can be classified as a system of research genres in the academic discourse represented by medical research publications. We have also found distinct correlations between medical journal requirements and linguistic characteristics of medical research genres.Conclusion. The academic medical discourse functions in a wide spectrum of article types, which can be classified as medical research genres according to discourse parameters.

Knowledge mapping of B cell and atherosclerosis over the past 20 years: A bibliometric analysis

ABSTRACT Atherosclerosis (AS) is the main underlying cause of cardiovascular disease, and B cells are considered a key immune cell type to regulate AS. So far, there is no bibliometric study on B cell and AS. This study aims to comprehensively analyze the scientific output about B cell and AS, summarize the literature characteristics, explore research hotspots, and point out emerging trends. We searched the literature from 2003 to 2022 from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and the R package “Bibliometrix” were used for literature analysis and visualization. A total of 1,062 articles and reviews were identified. The number of annual publications generally showed an upward trend. The United States and China were the most productive countries. Medical University of Vienna was the most productive research institution, and Binder Christoph J. was the most productive author, who was also from Medical University of Vienna. “Arteriosclerosis Thrombosis and Vascular Biology” was the most published journal and the most frequently cited journal. The most cited reference was written by Caligiuri G (2002) in “Journal of Clinical Investigation.” The most frequent keywords were “inflammation,” “macrophages,” “cardiovascular disease,” “T cells,” “apoptosis,” “immunity,” “cytokines,” “lymphocytes,” etc. The trend topics were mainly focused on “immune infiltration,” “immunoglobulins,” and “biomarkers.” The complex role of B cell subtypes and a variety of B cell mediators is the main research direction at present. In-depth analysis of B cell-specific targets can provide new ideas and methods for the prevention and treatment of AS.

Trends in estrogen and progesterone receptors in prostate cancer: a bibliometric analysis.

The bibliometric analysis aims to identify research trends in estrogen receptor (ERs) and progesterone receptor (PRs) in prostate cancer (PCa), and also discuss the hotspots and directions of this field. 835 publications were sourced from the Web of Science database (WOS) from 2003 to 2022. Citespace, VOSviewer, and Bibliometrix were used for the bibliometric analysis. The number of published publications increased in early years, but declined in the last 5 years. The United States was the leading country in citations, publications, and top institutions. Prostate and Karolinska Institutet were the most publications of journal and institution, respectively. Jan-Ake Gustafsson was the most influential author based on the number of citations/publications. The most cited paper was "Estrogen receptors and human disease" by Deroo BJ, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. The most frequently used keywords were PCa (n = 499), gene-expression (n = 291), androgen receptor (AR) (n = 263), and ER (n = 341), while ERb (n = 219) and ERa (n = 215) further emphasized the importance of ER. This study provides useful guidance that ERa antagonists, ERb agonists, and the combination of estrogen with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) will potentially serve as a new treatment strategy for PCa. Another interesting topic is relationships between PCa and the function and mechanism of action of PRs subtypes. The outcome will assist scholars in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the current status and trends in the field, and provide inspiration for future research.

Endocrinology and metabolomics of uterine fluid after breeding in the mare

Understanding the endocrinology and metabolome variations in the uterine milieu is essential for pregnancy success (Assman and Finlay; Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2016; 126(6):2031-2039). The aim of the study was to determine adipokines and metabolites in uterine fluid after breeding. Healthy oestrous mares (n=6; age 5 to 12 years), monitored by ultrasound for follicle development and screened for uterine inflammation were inseminated with fresh semen. Eight hours after insemination, a low volume uterine flush (50 ml of PBS) was performed and the supernatant was obtained for analysis. Adiponectin and leptin were assessed by radioimmunoassays, while metabolites were determined by spectrophotometry and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The concentration of adiponectin ranged from 5.6 to 17.6 ng/mL and leptin from 0.11 to 16.1 ng/mL. Albumin concentration ranged from 0.4 to 0.9 g/L, glucose 40 to 70 umol/L, globulins 0.8 to 1.5 g/L, and urea 0.4 to 1.8 mmol/L. Triglycerides and cholesterol were not detected in some samples or maximum concentrations were up to 12.4 mg/dL and 0.08 mmol/L respectively. NMR spectroscopy detected amino acids such as creatine, valine, isoleucine and taurine in the uterine fluid. High concentrations of lactate were observed, while lower contents of pyruvate, citrate, beta-hydroxybutirate and acetate were found (Figure 1). While albumin and globulins are present in equine uterine fluid (Tunón. et.al. Theriogenology.1998; 50(6): 821-831), this is the first report on adipokines and metabolites in uterine fluidafter breeding. Many of the metabolites are considered biomarkers of cell signaling regulation (Tríbulo.et.al. Molecular Reproduction and Development. 2019; 86(1):75-87) and metabolic stress in cattle (López Radcenco.et.al. Dairy 2021; 2:356-366) and may affect sperm transport and bacterial removal from the uterus. Adipokines and metabolome variations in uterine fluid as diagnostic markers may allow to investigate therapeutic strategies and thus improve reproductive performance in the mare.

A novel role for the histone modifier PRDM6 and an opportunity to understand hypertension

Renin-secreting cells are critical for survival. These cells control blood pressure (BP), fluid-electrolyte homeostasis, tissue perfusion, kidney development, and repair of damaged glomeruli 1 Sequeira-Lopez M.L.S. Gomez R.A. Renin cells, the kidney, and hypertension. Circulation Research. 2021; 128: 887-907 Crossref PubMed Scopus (12) Google Scholar . Renin-secreting cells descend from mesodermal-derived precursors that differentiate into the mural cells of the kidney arterial tree 1 Sequeira-Lopez M.L.S. Gomez R.A. Renin cells, the kidney, and hypertension. Circulation Research. 2021; 128: 887-907 Crossref PubMed Scopus (12) Google Scholar . Mature renin-secreting cells are confined to the tips of the renal arterioles near the glomeruli, thus their name juxtaglomerular (JG) cells 1 Sequeira-Lopez M.L.S. Gomez R.A. Renin cells, the kidney, and hypertension. Circulation Research. 2021; 128: 887-907 Crossref PubMed Scopus (12) Google Scholar (Figure 1a). Other renin-lineage cells along the afferent arterioles can re-express renin in response to decreased kidney perfusion or fluid losses, resulting in an increased number of renin-secreting cells to restore homeostasis 1 Sequeira-Lopez M.L.S. Gomez R.A. Renin cells, the kidney, and hypertension. Circulation Research. 2021; 128: 887-907 Crossref PubMed Scopus (12) Google Scholar . Understanding how these cells differentiate and regulate renin expression and release may improve the management of hypertension and cardiovascular and kidney diseases. In a recent article published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Gunawardhana and colleagues present a novel approach to study the underlying mechanisms of hypertension and hypothesize a possible role for the vascular smooth muscle cell gene Prdm6 in determining the abundance of renin-secreting cells. 2 Gunawardhana K.L. Hong L. Rugira T. Uebbing S. Kucharczak J. Mehta S. Karunamuni D.R. Cabera-Mendoza B. Gandotra N. Scharfe C. Polimanti R. Noonan J.P. Mani A. A systems biology approach identifies the role of dysregulated PRDM6 in the development of hypertension. The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2023; : 133 Google Scholar

Extracorporeal Photopheresis Suppresses Transplant Fibrosis by Inducing Decorin Expression in Alveolar Macrophages.

Extracorporeal Photopheresis Suppresses Transplant Fibrosis by Inducing Decorin Expression in Alveolar Macrophages.

Effects of age on hypoxic tolerance in women

Effects of age on hypoxic tolerance in women

Highlights from Recent Cancer Literature

Highlights from Recent Cancer Literature

Highlights from Recent Cancer Literature

Highlights from Recent Cancer Literature

A Novel Electrochemical Differentiation between Exosomal-RNA of Breast Cancer MCF7 and MCF7/ADR-Resistant Cells

Improving health is a crucial social target that has a direct impact on better lives for billions and an indirect impact on the economy. Cancer is considered one of the most burdening diseases on better lives and hence the economy in all countries due to the high cost of health care and productivity deficiency. Therefore, the efforts to prevent, early detect, cost-effectively treat cancer become more important than ever. Chemotherapy is an essential step for cancer treatment in numerous cases. However, chemotherapy has severe side effects and a significant portion of patients do not respond to the treatment while suffering from these painful side effects. Doxorubicin, commercially known as Adriamycin, is a chemotherapy medication for several types of cancer. Our work aims for identifying the patients who have a resistance to Adriamycin chemotherapy.Exosomes nanovesicles contain proteins, mRNA, and microRNAs (miRNAs) that exist in most body fluids and are expelled by multiple cell types including cancer cells1. Exosomes' unique composition allows them to represent their parental cells, which makes them promising biomarkers for tumor prognosis2. Conventional detection techniques necessitate enormous amounts of samples and extensive technical steps. Exosomal-RNA has been significantly used as a promising biomarker for tumor prognosis3. Herein, we describe the construction of a novel and cost-effective electrochemical system to sensitively differentiate between the exosomal-RNA of breast cancer MCF7 and MCF7/ADR-resistant cells, using four different electrochemical techniques; Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Square Wave Voltammetry (SWV), Normal Pulse Voltammetry (NPV), and Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV). The high sensitivity of the proposed bio-electrochemical sensor opens the door for further investigation that address the other type of cancer cells. References R. Kalluri, Journal of Clinical Investigation, 126, 1208–1215 (2016).H. Im, K. Lee, R. Weissleder, H. Lee, and C. M. Castro, Lab on a Chip, 17, 2892–2898 (2017).D. Taller et al., Lab on a Chip, 15, 1656–1666 (2015).

Cross-protection by SARS vaccines is improved by booster vaccination

Abstract Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines have shown extraordinary efficacy against SARS-CoV-2. Recently, we demonstrated that prime-boost coronavirus vaccine regimens can protect against heterologous coronaviruses (Dangi, The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2021). However, it remains unclear whether boosters are required for such cross-protection. In this study, we show that booster immunizations are critical to elicit cross-protection against heterologous coronaviruses. We first vaccinated BALB/c mice intramuscularly with a poxvirus-based SARS-CoV-1 vaccine developed in 2004 (MVA-SARS-CoV-1) and compared cross-protection following an intranasal SARS-CoV-2 challenge, evaluating cross-protection after a prime-only regimen versus a prime-boost regimen. Interestingly, we show cross-protection only in mice that received boosters. We are currently testing the durability of cross-protection elicited by prime-boost vaccine regimens, and we are also extending these results to humans. Overall, our findings provide a rationale for universal coronavirus vaccines, and highlights the importance of boosters as a strategy to broaden cross-protection to other coronaviruses different than SARS-CoV-2. Supported by NIDA DP2 Avenir (1DP2DA051912-01) EREEP Grant Northwestern University

An open chat with… Laszlo Nagy.

Laszlo Nagy has been on the Editorial Board of FEBS Open Bio since the journal’s inception and is a passionate supporter of FEBS Press and other society journals. Currently, he is also an editor of FEBS Letters and The Journal of Clinical Investigation (JCI). He studied medicine at the University Medical School of Debrecen in Hungary, where he graduated with an M.D. and later Ph.D., and then moved to the United States to conduct postdoctoral research at the University of Texas–Houston and subsequently the Salk Institute in San Diego. Laszlo is a Professor of Medicine and Biological Chemistry at John Hopkins School of Medicine, where he is Co‐Director of the Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research and Associate Director of the Center for Metabolic Origins of Disease, and Adjunct Professor at the University of Debrecen. Formerly, he was a Professor and Founding Director of the Genomic Control of Metabolism Program at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute. He is also a member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO), Academia Europaea, the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and The Henry Kunkel Society, and recipient of several awards, including the Boehringer Ingelheim Research Award, Cheryl Whitlock/Pathology Prize, a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship in Biomedical Sciences, and three Howard Hughes Medical Institute International Research Scholar Awards. In this fascinating interview, Laszlo Nagy shares the advice that changed his career trajectory, relates his views on scientific publishing, discusses new developments at The Johns Hopkins Center for Metabolic Origins of Disease, and outlines the prospects for future development of research and technology infrastructures in eastern Europe.

Alan Hofmann (1931‐2021): A career well spent understanding bile acids

Alan Hofmann has been a leader in the field of bile acids for much of his 6- decade career. In his Master's Perspective published in Hepatology in 2009, Alan entitled his journey as "Bile Acids: Trying to Understand Their Chemistry and Biology with the Hope of Helping Patients". He clearly achieved those ambitious goals, driving forward our understanding of these complex molecules with a highly energetic, engaging and encouraging manner that touched nearly every member of the bile acid field.

Effect of Linseed Oil Supplementation on Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Capacity in Pregnant Overfed Obese Rats and Their Offspring

Effect of Linseed Oil Supplementation on Lipid Peroxidation and Antioxidant Capacity in Pregnant Overfed Obese Rats and Their Offspring

Structural Properties of Alkanethiolates and Their Influence on The Stability and Reproducibility of Impedimetric Sensing

The utilization and commercialization of electronic based point of care (PoC) diagnostic devices has been hindered by the lack of repeatability and stability associated with such devices. Consequently, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) remains the dominant immunoassay used for the detection of serological diseases despite the numerous drawbacks associated with this platform.1, 2 Most notably, the ELISA relies on trained laboratory personnel to perform the assay in a centralized laboratory, which increases both the cost and time to actionable treatment. An electrochemical impedance biosensor is an example of a label-free biosensing platform that has high sensitivity and can be easily miniaturized and mass produced at a low cost, thus improving the time to actionable treatment.3-7 It has been shown that the repeatability and stability of electronic based biosensors is not associated with the transducing element but rather is dependent on the sensor-molecule interface.8 This interface typically consists of an alkanethiolate-based self-assembled monolayer (SAM) chemisorbed onto a gold (Au) substrate. In the case of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) sensing, the SAM forms a barrier to the ionic transport of the selected redox coupling agent. The molecular structure of the alkanethiolate determine the uniformity and density of the SAM, which directly affects its ability to impede the ionic transport of the redox coupling agent. Molecular dynamics studies have shown that shorter, less-ordered alkanethiolates rotate more easily than longer alkylthiolates.9 Their ability to rotate facilitates the gradual coverage of pinholes and defects present on the sensor-molecule interface.9 A separate study has shown that short chain (6C) alkanethiolates leads to significant drift in EIS measurements.10 The drift in charge transfer resistance of the 6C SAM was hypothesized to be associated with the surface reorganization of these thiols. The observed drift in the SAM measurements has been reported to be greater in magnitude than the measured change in charge transfer resistance upon binding of a receptor, thus compromising the reliability of biosensing measurements.10 This work uses a 16C alkanethiolate SAM to show that the stability and reproducibility of EIS measurements is directly dependent on the coverage of pinholes and defects present on the Au substrate as well as the crystallinity of the SAM. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) were used to measure the density and uniformity of the SAM, respectively. We show that stability in EIS measurements of the sensor-molecule interface directly corresponds to stable and reproducible measurements associated with the attachment of the selected receptor and lastly of the target analyte. Thus, through the rational design of a stable sensor-molecule interface we can minimize the drift associated with the SAM, and consequently the receptor interface. Thus, improving both the sensitivity and limit of detection of EIS based sensors.References Yalow, R. S.; Berson, S. A., Immunoassay of endogenous plasma insulin in man. The Journal of clinical investigation, 1960, 39 (7), 1157-1175.Prevention, C. f. D. C. a. Understanding the EIA Test. https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/diagnosistesting/labtest/twostep/eia/index.html Cui, Y., Wei, Q. Q., Park, H. K., and Lieber, C. M., Nanowire nanosensors for highly sensitive and selective detection of biological and chemical species, Science, 2001, 293, 1289-1292.Park, I., Li, Z., Pisano, A. P., and Williams, R. S., Top-down fabricated silicon nanowire sensors for real-time chemical detection, Nanotechnology, 2001, 21, 015501.Patolsky, F., Zheng, G. F., Hayden, O., Lakadamyali, M., Zhuang, X. W., and Lieber, C. M., Electrical detection of single viruses, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2004, 101, 14017-14022.Pui, T. S., Agarwal, A., Ye, F., Ton, Z. Q., Huang, Y. X., and Chen, P. Ultra-sensitive detection of adipocytokines with CMOS-compatible silicon nanowire arrays, Nanoscale, 2009, 1, 159-163.Stern, E., Vacic, A., Rajan, N. K., Criscione, J. M., Park, J., Ilic, B. R., Mooney, D. J., Reed, M. A., and Fahmy, T. M. Label-free biomarker detection from whole blood, Nature Nanotechnology, 2010, 5, 138-142.Tarasov, A.; Tsai, M.-Y.; Flynn, E. M.; Joiner, C. A.; Taylor, R. C.; Vogel, E. M., Gold-coated graphene field-effect transistors for quantitative analysis of protein–antibody interactions. 2D Mater. 2015, 2, 044008.Jiang, L., Sangeeth, C. S., Yuan, L., Thompson, D., & Nijhuis, C. A. (2015). One-Nanometer thin Monolayers remove the deleterious effect of substrate defects in Molecular Tunnel Junctions. Nano Letters, 2015 15(10), 6643-6649.Xu, X.; Makaraviciute, A.; Kumar, S.; Wen, C.; Sjödin, M.; Abdurakhmanov, E.U.; Danielson, H.; Nyholm, L.; Zhang Z.; Structural Changes of Mercaptohexanol SelfAssembled Monolayers on Gold and Their Influence on Impedimetric Aptamer Sensors, Analytical Chemistry., 2019 91 (22), 14697-14704

Unraveling the mechanisms of IVIG immunotherapy in MIS-C

In The Journal of Clinical Investigation, Zhu et al.1 report that intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) targets IL-1β+ neutrophils to exert anti-inflammatory effects in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a post-infectious inflammatory condition associated with COVID-19.

Can we talk about myoblast fusion?

Can we talk about myoblast fusion?

T Cells Expressing Anti-B-Cell Maturation Antigen (BCMA) Chimeric Antigen Receptors with Antigen Recognition Domains Made up of Only Single Human Heavy Chain Variable Domains Specifically Recognize Bcma and Eradicate Tumors in Mice

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an almost-always incurable malignancy of plasma cells. Chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) are artificial fusion proteins that incorporate antigen-recognition domains and T-cell signaling domains. CAR T cells have been shown to have substantial activity against leukemia and lymphoma, which has generated great interest in developing CAR T-cell therapies for MM. CAR T cells targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) have been shown to have substantial activity against MM (Ali et al. Blood. 2016. 128(13). 1688-1700). Improvements in CAR T-cell therapies for MM are needed. One possible limitation of CAR T-cell therapies is generation of recipient anti-CAR immune responses. Recipient anti-CAR immune responses have been reported in patients on clinical trials of anti-CD19 CARs (Turtle et al. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 2016. 126 (6). 2123-3138). Recipient anti-CAR immune responses could potentially develop against murine antibody variable region domains that are included in the single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) of most CARs. In addition, recipient anti-CAR immune responses could develop against the artificial linker domain in the scFv or against junctions between different CAR components.We designed CARs with antigen-recognition domains of single fully-human heavy-chain-only variable domains (FHVH). The FHVH CARs do not contain a light chain variable region domain or a linker. The fully-human variable region, lack of a linker, and the minimized number of junctions should all lead to reduced immunogenicity for the FHVH antigen-recognition domain compared with a standard scFv.We constructed CARs with 4 different FHVH domains designated FHVH32, FHVH33, FHVH74, and FHVH93. We designed CARs with each of these FHVH domains along with a CD8-alpha hinge and transmembrane domain, either a CD28 or a 4-1BB costimulatory domain, and a CD3-zeta T-cell activation domain. DNA encoding these CARs was ligated into a gamma-retroviral vector, and primary human T cells were transduced with gamma-retroviruses encoding each of the CARs. We tested the T cells for CAR expression and a variety of T-cell functions. We assessed T-cell surface CAR expression by staining with phycoerythrin-labeled BCMA protein. T cells from 3 MM patients were transduced with genes encoding each of the CD28-containing CARs. The following mean percentages of T cells expressed each CAR after transduction: FHVH32-CD828Z (47.3%), FHVH33-CD828Z (49.6%), FHVH74-CD828Z (51.3%), and FHVH93-CD828Z (46.6%). The mean T-cell surface CAR expression of the 11D5-3-CD828Z CAR containing a standard murine scFv with a heavy chain variable domain and a light chain variable domain connected by a linker was 60.4%. Importantly, we found that each of the FHVH CARs specifically recognized BCMA in functional assays. Specific interferon gamma production by the CARs is shown in the Table. We also demonstrated BCMA-specific tumor-necrosis factor-alpha release, cytotoxicity, and proliferation by T cells expressing each of the 4 FHVH CARs containing CD28. We have previously reported clinical anti-myeloma responses with infusions of T cells expressing the 11D5-3-CD828Z CAR (Ali et al. Blood. 2016. 128(13). 1688-1700). T cells expressing FHVH CARs with CD28 domains, especially FHVH33-CD828Z and FHVH74-CD828Z, had BCMA-specific functions including cytokine release that were equal to or superior to those of T cells expressing 11D5-3-CD828Z (Table). We have demonstrated that human T cells expressing either FHVH33-CD828Z or FHVH74-CD828Z can eliminate established tumors of BCMA-expressing human RPMI8226 cells from immune-deficient mice.We also assessed FHVH CARs with 4-1BB costimulatory domains. Of the 4-1BB CARs, FHVH33-CD8BBZ CAR had the highest percentage of T cells with surface CAR expression (mean 52.1%, n=3). T cells expressing FHVH33-CD8BBZ exhibited BCMA-specific cytokine-release, degranulation, cytotoxicity, and proliferation.In summary, we have designed, constructed, and tested a novel type of CAR with an antigen-recognition domain made up of only single fully-human heavy-chain variable region domains. These CARs specifically recognized BCMA in vitro, and they eradicated tumors from mice. The simple, fully-human antigen-recognition domains in these CARs offer a potential advantage of decreased immunogenicity compared to other CAR designs. [Display omitted] DisclosuresTrinklein:TeneoBio: Employment. Buelow:TeneoBio: Employment. Kochenderfer:Bluebird bio: Research Funding; N/A: Patents & Royalties: I have multiple patents in the CAR field.; Kite Pharma: Research Funding.

A critical relationship between bone and fat: the role of bone marrow adipose-derived RANKL in bone metabolism.

Recent studies have unveiled unique functions of the bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT), which represent over 10% of the total adipose tissue mass in healthy adults. Increasing evidence is emerging as to how BMAT deposition and osteoporosis are linked under normal and pathophysiological conditions, which is opening up novel treatment avenues. However, the means by which bone marrow adipocytes (BMAs) regulate bone remodeling and their involvement in osteoporosis remained unknown. A study in this issue of EMBO Reports (Hu et al, 2021) and a study in Journal of Clinical Investigation (Yu et al, 2021) reports independently that BMA-derived RANKL regulates osteoclastogenesis and bone remodeling, indicating that excessive RANKL generated by BMAs is an underlying cause for osteoporosis.

Editorial introductions.

Current Opinion in Gastroenterology was launched in 1985. It is one of a successful series of review journals whose unique format is designed to provide a systematic and critical assessment of the literature as presented in the many primary journals. The field of gastroenterology is divided into 12 sections that are reviewed once a year. Each section is assigned a Section Editor, a leading authority in the area, who identifies the most important topics at that time. Here we are pleased to introduce the Journal's Editor and Section Editors for this issue. EDITOR Ciarán P. KellyCiarán P. KellyCiarán P. Kelly, MD, is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Director of Gastroenterology Training and Medical Director of the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachussets, USA. Dr Kelly earned his medical degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland where he was a Foundation Scholar and recipient of numerous academic awards. Dr Kelly has also received postgraduate clinical and research awards from the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, the American Gastroenterological Association and the National Institutes of Health. He is an American Gastroenterology Association Fellow and a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology. Dr Kelly has longstanding clinical and research interests in intestinal infection and inflammation. He has been involved in patient care and research in Clostridium difficile infection for more than 25 years and leads NIH-funded research programs that evaluate potential C. difficile vaccines and other immune-based treatments. His interest in the pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of celiac disease is also longstanding and, as Medical Director of the Celiac Center at BIDMC which he founded in 2004, he heads clinical, research and educational programs in celiac disease. Dr Kelly has served as a committee member of the NIH, Center for Scientific Review as well as FDA, CDC and NIH committees on celiac disease and C. difficile infection. Dr Kelly is the author of more than 250 clinical and basic research book chapters, invited reviews, and peer-reviewed, original articles appearing in such journals as Infection & Immunity, American Journal of Physiology, Gastroenterology, Journal of Biological Chemistry, Journal of Clinical Investigation, New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet. SECTION EDITORS Mark H. WilcoxMark H. WilcoxProf. Mark H. Wilcox is a consultant microbiologist and the Head of Research and Development in Microbiology at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals (LTHT), where he is also the Infection Lead of Leeds NIHR Diagnostic Technologies Medical Technology and In Vitro Diagnostic Co-operative; Professor of Medical Microbiology at the University of Leeds, UK; and Lead on Clostridium difficile for Public Health England (PHE). He serves in multiple advisory roles, including to UK SAGE (COVID-19), as co-chair of the UK Technical Validation Group for COVID-19 test, as a medical advisor to the National Infection Prevention & Control Lead (NHSImprovement/England, the Medical Research Council's Infection and Immunity Panel, as Chair of PHE's Rapid Review Panel (reviews the utility of infection prevention & control products for the NHS) and member of the UK NHS Antimicrobial Resistance Programme Board. He has formerly been the Director of Infection Prevention (4 years), Infection Control Doctor (8 years), Clinical Director of Pathology (6 years) at LTHT and Head of Microbiology (15 years). Prof Wilcox leads a Healthcare Associated Infection Research Group at the University of Leeds, comprising ∼30 doctors, scientists and nurses. Projects include multiple aspects of Clostridium difficile infection, diagnostics, antimicrobial resistance and the gut microbiome, infection prevention and control interventions, and the clinical development of new antimicrobial agents. Eamonn M.M. QuigleyEamonn M.M. QuigleyEamonn M.M. Quigley is Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, USA, Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and David M Underwood Chair of Medicine in Digestive Disorders. A graduate of University College Cork, Ireland, Dr Quigley trained in internal medicine in Glasgow and Manchester, and in gastroenterology in Glasgow, the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA, and Manchester. In 1986, he joined the faculty at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, where he ultimately served as Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Returning to Cork in 1998, he served as Dean of the Medical School at UCC for 7 years and was a principal investigator at its Alimentary Pharmabiotic Center from its inception. He served as president of both the American College of Gastroenterology and the World Gastroenterology Organization and is a past editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Gastroenterology. Clinical and research interests include irritable bowel syndrome, gastrointestinal motility and the role of the gut microbiota and probiotics in health and in gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders.