Stem Cells, Self-Renewal, and Lineage Commitment in the Endocrine System

The endocrine system coordinates a wide array of body functions mainly through secretion of hormones and their actions on target tissues. Over the last decades, a collective effort between developmental biologists, geneticists, and stem cell biologists has generated a wealth of knowledge related to the contribution of stem/progenitor cells to both organogenesis and self-renewal of endocrine organs. This review provides an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the role of tissue stem cells in the development and self-renewal of endocrine organs. Pathways governing crucial steps in both development and stemness maintenance, and that are known to be frequently altered in a wide array of endocrine disorders, including cancer, are also described. Crucially, this plethora of information is being channeled into the development of potential new cell-based treatment modalities for endocrine-related illnesses, some of which have made it through clinical trials

Synthesis of α,α′‐Disubstituted Linear Ethers by an Intermolecular Nicholas Reaction – Application to the Synthesis of (+)‐cis /(–)‐trans ‐Lauthisan and (+)‐cis /(+)‐trans ‐Obtusan

A new and efficient methodology to prepare α,α′‐disubstituted linear ethers through an intermolecular Nicholas reaction (interNR) is described. cis ‐2,8‐Disubstituted oxocanes, cis ‐2,9‐disubstituted oxonanes, their trans isomers, and their parent unsaturated precursors were prepared from the corresponding Co2(CO)6–cycloalkynic ethers. Key steps in such syntheses were the ether linkage formation by interNR, RCM of the suitable acyclic dienyl ether, and montmorillonite K‐10 induced isomerization of the complexed cycloalkyne. By taking advantage of the developed methodology a short synthesis of (+)‐cis ‐ and (–)‐trans ‐lauthisan and (+)‐cis ‐ and (+)‐trans ‐obtusan are described.Peer reviewe