Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is one of the candidate factors that are thought to mediate the downstream profibrotic action of TGF-beta. However, its precise role in renal interstitial fibrogenesis has not yet been clarified. It was demonstrated previously that CTGF was expressed in tubular epithelial cells that had been engulfed by interstitial fibrosis in the remnant kidney of the su...

JNCI | Editorials 1141 Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor, comprising 52% of all primary brain tumors. Despite advances in treatment, glioblastoma remains virtually incurable, with a median survival of approximately 15 months. A chief cause of the high mortality of glioblastoma is the invasive nature of the tumor, which renders full resection of tumor cells practically impossib...

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/ CCN2) is a 38-kDa secreted protein, a prototypic member of the CCN family, which is up-regulated in many diseases, including atherosclerosis, pulmonary fibrosis, and diabetic nephropathy. We previously showed that CTGF can cause actin disassembly with concurrent down-regulation of the small GTPase Rho A and proposed an integrated signaling network connecti...

Background: The pro-fibrogenic cytokine connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) plays an important role in the development and progression of fibrosis in many organ systems, including liver. However, its role in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-induced liver fibrosis remains unclear. Methods: In the present study, we assessed CTGF expression in HCV-infected hepatocytes using replicon ...

OBJECTIVE We evaluated the predictive value of baseline plasma connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in a prospective study of patients with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Subjects were 198 type 1 diabetic patients with established diabetic nephropathy and 188 type 1 diabetic patients with persistent normoalbuminuria. Follow-up time was 12.8 years. Prediction of end-stage renal...

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) is a potent angiogenic factor. In this report, we describe for the first time that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-mediated induction of the ctgf/ccn2 gene was a post-transcriptional event that was inhibited by a novel angiogenic inhibitor, DN-9693, in human umbilical vein endothelial cells. Steady-state mRNA levels of ctgf/ccn2 were remarka...

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF, CCN2) is a member of the CCN family of secreted proteins, which also includes Cyr61, NOV, WISP1, WISP2 and WISP3 (Bork, 1993; Moussad and Brigstock, 2000; Perbal, 2001). CTGF is a major inducer of extracellular matrix (ECM) production in fibrotic diseases, which are characterized by excessive collagen deposition. CTGF is overexpressed in fibrotic lesions, ...

Key roles for connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/CCN2) are demonstrated in the wound repair process where it promotes myofibroblast differentiation and angiogenesis. Similar mechanisms are active in tumor-reactive stroma where CTGF is expressed. Other potential roles include prevention of hypoxia-induced apoptosis and promoting epithelial-mesenchymal transistion (EMT). CTGF expression in tum...

Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF, CCN2) is a member of the CCN family of secreted proteins, which also includes Cyr61, NOV, WISP1, WISP2 and WISP3 (Bork, 1993; Moussad and Brigstock, 2000; Perbal, 2001). CTGF is a major inducer of extracellular matrix (ECM) production in fibrotic diseases, which are characterized by excessive collagen deposition. CTGF is overexpressed in fibrotic lesions, ...

Primordial follicle assembly is a process that occurs when oocyte nests break down to form individual primordial follicles. The size of this initial pool of primordial follicles in part determines the reproductive lifespan of the female. Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) was identified as a potential regulatory candidate for this process in a previous microarray analysis of follicle develo...