Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases Commons^™

Investigation Of Β-Catenin-Mediated Regulation Of Igfbp-6 And The Roles Of Igfbp-6 And Igf-Ii In Dupuytren's Disease, Christina N. Raykha

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Dupuytren’s Disease (DD) is a benign and heritable connective tissue fibrosis that affects the palmar fascia and typically results in permanent finger contracture(s). Similar to other fibroses, DD is characterized by increased fibroblast proliferation, myofibroblast differentiation and excess collagen deposition. Currently, there are no truly effective treatment options for connective tissue fibroses.

Increased levels of β-catenin, an intracellular trans-regulator of gene transcription, have been previously reported in DD. Genes that are associated with, and therefore potentially transcriptionally regulated by, β-catenin during DD development were identified in this thesis. One of these gene targets, IGFBP6, was shown to consistently be …