Biological Pathways in the Development of Dupuytren’s and Peyronie's Diseases

Dupuytren's and Peyronie's diseases are cumbersome conditions that may lead to contractures of the fingers and the penis. Both disorders have similar ways of developing, and in this thesis, I describe pathways in cells that are either overactive or inhibited. A process called Wnt signaling seems to be overactive in genes and proteins from patients sustaining these diseases. We are able to inhibit this process in laboratory conditions on tissues that we got from surgery on patients. This leads to favorable results: we see less fibrosis (scar formation) and thereby a possible future target for medication. Next, we describe differences in the condition of collagen in cords and nodules that we find in the palm of the hands of Dupuytren's patients. Finally, our studies show similar patterns in tissues from Peyronie's patients, which confirms the common way of developing.

Dissertation: http://hdl.handle.net/11370/64daf63a-31af-4c71-957b-5a3bf352d1b5