Endocrine Abstracts

The extracellular matrix protein laminin forms polymers both in vivo and in vitro. Acidification of pH leads to the formation of an artificial polymer with biomimetical properties, named poly-laminin (polyLM). Follicular cells in the thyroid are in close contact with laminin, but their response to this important extracellular signal is still poorly understood. Thyroid PCCL3 epithelial cells cultivated either on glass, regular laminin (LM) or laminin previously po...

We have previously reported dominant negative missense mutations (P467L, V290M) in human PPAR gamma (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma) in association with severe insulin resistance, early onset type 2 diabetes and hypertension. In a large UK kindred, where the proband presented at age 15 years with severe insulin resistance (acanthosis nigricans, hyperinsulinaemia, PCOS), we have identified a novel heterozygous frameshift premature stop mutation in the PPAR gam...