In autoimmune arthritis, traditionally classified as a T helper (Th) type 1 disease, the activation of T cells results in bone destruction mediated by osteoclasts, but how T cells enhance osteoclastogenesis despite the anti-osteoclastogenic effect of interferon (IFN)-γ remains to be elucidated. Here, we examine the effect of various Th cell subsets on osteoclastogenesis and identify Th17, a specialized inflammatory subset, as an osteoclastogenic Th cell subset that links T cell activation and bone resorption. The interleukin (IL)-23–IL-17 axis, rather than the IL-12–IFN-γ axis, is critical not only for the onset phase, but also for the bone destruction phase of autoimmune arthritis. Thus, Th17 is a powerful therapeutic target for the bone destruction associated with T cell activation.

No abstract

Self-tolerance to immune reactions is established via promiscuous expression of tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) in medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs), leading to the elimination of T cells that respond to self-antigens. The transcriptional regulator Aire has been thought to be sufficient for the induction of TRAs, despite some indications that other factors may promote TRA expression in the thymus. Here, we show that the transcription factor Fezf2 directly regulates various TRA genes in mTECs independently of Aire. Mice lacking Fezf2 in mTECs displayed severe autoimmune symptoms, including the production of autoantibodies and inflammatory cell infiltration targeted to peripheral organs. These responses differed from those detected in Aire-deficient mice. Furthermore, Fezf2 expression and Aire expression are regulated by distinct signaling pathways and promote the expression of different classes of proteins. Thus, two independent factors, Fezf2 and Aire, permit the expression of TRAs in the thymus to ensure immune tolerance.

angiogenesis ͉ gastric cancer ͉ molecular targeting therapy ͉ pancreatic cancer

The tumor suppressor p53 exerts its versatile function to maintain the genomic integrity of a cell, and the life of cancerous cells with DNA damage is often terminated by induction of apoptosis. We studied the role of Noxa, one of the transcriptional targets of p53 that encodes a proapoptotic protein of the Bcl-2 family, by the gene-targeting approach. Mouse embryonic fibroblasts deficient in Noxa [Noxa −/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs)] showed notable resistance to oncogene-dependent apoptosis in response to DNA damage, which was further increased by introducing an additional null zygosity for Bax. These MEFs also showed increased sensitivity to oncogene-induced cell transformation in vitro. Furthermore, Noxa is also involved in the oncogene-independent gradual apoptosis induced by severe genotoxic stresses, under which p53 activates both survival and apoptotic pathways through induction of p21 WAF1/Cip1and Noxa, respectively. Noxa −/− mice showed resistance to X-ray irradiation-induced gastrointestinal death, accompanied with impaired apoptosis of the epithelial cells of small intestinal crypts, indicating the contribution of Noxa to the p53 response in vivo.Supplemental material is available at http://www.genesdev.org.