Look Out for Traps

Look Out Autophagy, Ubiquilin UPS Its Game

Mutations in Ubiquilin-2 are linked to the onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, but its connection to disease processes has remained unknown. Hjerpe et. al now report that Ubiquilin-2 enables the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) to single-handedly clear aggregated proteins, a cellular function previously thought to rely at least partially on autophagy.

Unexplained bleeding: another player to look out for!

Look out heme, Mac is back in town.

In this issue of Blood, Kovtunovych et al report the curative effect of a nonmyeloablative bone marrow transplant for anemia and organ dysfunction in heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1)-deficient mice by restoring the ability to detoxify heme through the repopulation of the tissues with wild-type macrophages. These findings provide the basis for new therapies for this lethal disorder in children lacking th...

We can work it out: an enactive look at cooperation

The past years have seen an increasing debate on cooperation and its unique human character. Philosophers and psychologists have proposed that cooperative activities are characterized by shared goals to which participants are committed through the ability to understand each other's intentions. Despite its popularity, some serious issues arise with this approach to cooperation. First, one may ch...

Another look at blow-out fractures of the orbit.

Thirty cases of orbital floor blow-out fractures proven by tomography were retrospectively reviewed to determine the accuracy of the plain films. Using the maximum diameter from the tomograms, the area and volume of the fractures were calculated and correlated with the presence of diplopia and enophthalmos at the time of presentation and at subsequent follow-up. Nine of the 30 cases underwent s...