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Overview
Y. Peng Loh's Section on Cellular Neurobiology explores the mechanisms of intracellular trafficking and secretion of peptide hormones, neuropeptides, and neurotrophins in endocrine cells and neurons as well as the role of the prohormone processing enzyme carboxypeptidase E in stress, neuroprotection, and tumorigenesis. Major accomplishments over the past year include establishing the role of serpinin, a novel secreted chromogranin A–derived peptide, in regulating dense core secretory granule biogenesis through a cAMP-PKA-sp1 pathway, in an autocrine manner, in pituitary corticotrophic cells; elucidation of the mechanism of action of a novel splice isoform of carboxypeptidase E in promoting tumor metastasis; and clinical studies demonstrating that the isoform is a powerful prognostic biomarker for predicting metastasis in hepatocellular carcinoma and pheochromocytoma patients.