Multiple myeloma (MM) is characterized by accumulation of monoclonal plasma cells in the bone marrow and progression of lytic bone lesions. MM cells enhance bone resorption by triggering a coordinated increase in RANK ligand and decrease in osteoprotegerin in the bone marrow. Macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1alpha and (MIP)-1beta are secreted by MM cells, and play a major role in the enha...

To determine the spectrum of secreted proteins that are present in the extracellular space of early Xenopus embryos, a direct secretion screen was performed. Surprisingly, 24% of previously identified bona fide secretory proteins corresponded to four secreted Wnt antagonists of the same family: frzb-1, sizzled, sfrp-2 and crescent. sfrp-2 and crescent are novel components of the growing cocktai...

The Wnt/frizzled cell signaling pathway has been implicated in the determination of polarity in a number of systems, including the Drosophila retina. The vertebrate retina develops from an undifferentiated neuroepithelium into an organized and laminated structure that demonstrates a high degree of polarity at both the tissue and cellular levels. In the process of searching for molecules that ar...

background: it has been reported that secreted frizzled-related protein-4 known as an antagonist of wnt signaling pathway plays a role in luteinization process of rodent granulosa cells. the purpose of this study was twofold: 1) to determine whether recombinant human secreted frizzled-related protein-4 (rhsfrp-4) could directly induce terminal differentiation of rat granulosa cells (gcs) and 2)...

The extracellular antagonists of the Wnt signalling pathway can be divided into two broad classes. Both classes of molecule prevent ligand-receptor interactions, but by different mechanisms: members of the first class, which include the sFRP (secreted Frizzled-related protein) family, WIF (Wnt inhibitory factor)-1 and Cerberus, primarily bind to Wnt proteins; the second class comprises certain ...