edited by Bernard Perbal (Université Paris, France) & Masaharu Takigawa (Okayama University, Japan)

The CCN Proteins are thought to play key roles in the biology of normal cell, tissue, organ, and body, and altered expression of CCN proteins is associated with several pathologies, including fibrosis and cancer. Because of its importance, the CCN field is expanding at a fast pace. Research articles in this field have recently increased logarithmically, and a book that is up-to-date, comprehensive, authoritative and affords insights into the biological roles of CCN proteins, is timely.

CCN Protein: A New Family of Cell Growth and Differentiation Regulators presents the most recent progress in the field of CCN proteins, a new family of secretory signaling molecules that are involved in several fundamental biological progress. These proteins share a unique multimodular organization and present a partial identity with four families of regulatory proteins controling growth and development. The book covers the roles of CCN proteins in the control of cell proliferation and differentiation during normal development, wound repair, chondrogenesis and bone development, angiogenesis, tissue regeneration, fibrosis, renal diseases and cancer development.

• The CCN Family of Proteins: An Overview (B Perbal & M Takigawa)
• Roles of CCN2/CTGF in the Control of Growth and Regeneration (M Takigawa et al.)
• Integrin-Mediated CCN Functions (L F Lau & S C-T Lam)
• Expression and Roles of CCN2 During Odontogenesis (M Kanyama et al.)
• CCN Genes and the Kidney (B L Riser et al.)
• CCN Proteins in Liver Injury and Disease (A W Rachfal & D R Brigstock)
• Genetic Analysis of CCN Gene Function in Mammalian Development (L M Dornbach & K M Lyons)
• CCN Family in Embryonic Development (Non-Mammalian Models) (B Latinkic)
• CCN3 Expression and its Role During Development (K-I Katsube)
• Regulation of CCN Proteins by Alternations of the Cytoskeleton (B Chaqour & M Goppelt-Struebe)
• Pathogenesis of Systemic Sclerosis and CCN2 (Connective Tissue Growth Factor) (K Takehara)
• Function and Regulation of CCN5 (M R Gray & J J Castellot Jr)
• CCN3: A Multifunctional Signaling Regulator (N Planque et al.)
• CCN Proteins and Connexins: Interactions and Growth Control (C Fu et al.)
• The Role of CCN1 in Tumorigenesis and Cancer Progression (J O'Kelly & H P Koeffler)
• CCN4 and CCN6 Variants in Wnt-Inducible Signaling Pathway (S Tanaka)