Editorial
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved
World J Gastroenterol. May 14, 2010; 16(18): 2195-2201
Published online May 14, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i18.2195
Serum response factor: Look into the gut
Cristina Modak, Jianyuan Chai
Cristina Modak, Jianyuan Chai, Department of Research (09-151), VA Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, CA 90822, United States
Jianyuan Chai, Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, CA 90822, United States
Author contributions: Modak C prepared the manuscript; Chai J revised the manuscript.
Supported by The Department of Veterans Affairs of the United States and the American Heart Association grants to Dr. Chai J
Correspondence to: Jianyuan Chai, PhD, Department of Research (09-151), VA Long Beach Healthcare System, 5901 E. 7th St, Long Beach, CA 90822, United States. jianyuan.chai@va.gov
Telephone: +1-562-8268000 Fax: +1-562-8265675
Received: January 26, 2010
Revised: February 27, 2010
Accepted: March 6, 2010
Published online: May 14, 2010
Abstract

Serum response factor (SRF) is a transcription factor that regulates many genes involved in cellular activities such as proliferation, migration, differentiation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. Although it has only been known for about two decades, SRF has been studied extensively. To date, over a thousand SRF studies have been published, but it still remains a hot topic. Due to its critical role in mesoderm-derived tissues, most of the SRF studies focused on muscle structure/function, cardiovascular development/maintenance, and smooth muscle generation/repair. Recently, SRF has received more attention in the digestive field and several important discoveries have been made. This review will summarize what we have learned about SRF in the gastrointestinal tract and provide insights into possible future directions in this area.

Keywords: Angiogenesis; Cell invasion; Myofibroblast differentiation; Smooth muscle contraction; Serum response factor; Wound healing