Fibroblast growth factor 18 gives growth and directional cues to airway cartilage.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives/hypothesis

The majority of congenital airway anomalies arise from deficits in the respiratory tract cartilage, emphasizing the importance of this cartilage to the form and function of the upper airway. The primary objective of this study was to characterize molecular mechanisms that regulate rate and direction of chondrocyte growth in the larynx and trachea. Our hypothesis for this study was that fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18) provides proliferative and directional cues to the developing laryngeal and tracheal cartilage in the mouse by up-regulating the cartilage-specifying gene, Sox9.

Study design

Molecular genetic and histological analyses of gene expression and cartilage growth in a mouse model.

Methods

Controlled mating of wild-type FVB/N (Friend V

SUBMITTER: Elluru RG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2693282 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature