Background—Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) circulate in adult peripheral blood (PB)
and contribute to neovascularization. However, little is known regarding whether EPCs and …

Adiponectin is an anti-diabetic adipokine. Its receptors possess a seven-transmembrane
topology with the amino terminus located intracellularly, which is the opposite of G-protein-…

Osteoclasts are bone-resorbing cells that play a pivotal role in bone remodeling. Osteoclasts
form large multinuclear giant cells by fusion of mononuclear osteoclasts. How cell fusion is …

Various stimuli, such as telomere dysfunction and oxidative stress, can induce irreversible
cell growth arrest, which is termed 'cellular senescence' 1 , 2 . This response is controlled by …

We report here the identification of angiopoietin-related growth factor (AGF) as a positive
mediator for angiogenesis. To investigate the biologic function of AGF in angiogenesis, we …

Recently, a family of proteins structurally similar to the angiogenic regulating factors
angiopoietins was identified and designated “angiopoietin-like proteins” (Angptls). Encoded by …

Recent studies of obesity have provided new insights into the mechanisms underlying insulin
resistance and metabolic dysregulation. Numerous efforts have been made to identify key …

Angiopoietin-related growth factor (AGF), a member of the angiopoietin-like protein (Angptl)
family, is secreted predominantly from the liver into the systemic circulation. Here, we show …

Obesity and related metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and
hyperlipidemia are an increasingly prevalent medical and social problem in developed and …

In obese patients with type 2 diabetes, insulin delivery to and insulin-dependent glucose
uptake by skeletal muscle are delayed and impaired. The mechanisms underlying the delay …