Adipogenesis — the differentiation of a cell into a fat cell. Angiogenesis — the sprouting of new capillary vessels from pre-existing vasculature, a process involved in the formation of new blood vessels. Amino acid — one of the 20 building blocks of proteins. Antibody — specialized proteins made by white blood cells that help to neutralize foreign proteins, toxins or microrganisms and thus help the body defend itself against infection (see also monoclonal antibodies). Antigen — a molecule such as a protein that elicits an immune response in the body. Assay — technique for measuring a biological response. cDNA (Complementary DNA ) — DNA synthesized from a messenger RNA rather than from a DNA template. This type of DNA is used for cloning as it encodes a copy of a gene that is readily usable. Chromatin — the DNA complex and associated proteins, most notably histones, that are found in the nucleus of a cell. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) — the molecule that carries the genetic information for most living systems. The DNA molecule consists of four bases (adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine) and a sugar phosphate backbone arranged in two connected strands. Endogenous — produced or originating within the organism or system. Functional domain — a protein domain that naturally up- or down-regulates gene expression. Gene — a segment of DNA within a chromosome. Most genes direct the synthesis of proteins while others have regulatory functions. Gene expression— the process of producing a protein from its DNA and mRNA coding sequences. Genome —the entire DNA sequence of an organism or species. Genomics — a term that refers to mapping, sequencing and analysis of the entire DNA sequence of an organism or species. Granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) —A potent factor known to activate the immune system to recognize tumor antigens. High-throughput small molecule screening —is used to rapidly test large libraries of chemical compounds for their effects on cellular proteins that have a role in a disease process enabling identification of candidate drug lead compounds. Immuno-staining — a technique used to visualize a protein in fixed tissues and cells by allowing it to combine with an antibody that carries a marker such as a florescent tag. In vitro — refers to experiments done in test tubes, other laboratory apparatus or in tissue culture cells. Contrast to in vivo which refers to experiments done within a living organism. Isoforms — slightly different forms of the same protein encoded by a gene that yields different mRNA splice variants. Monoclonal antibody — derived from a single clone of cells that recognizes only one kind of antigen. Cells that produce monoclonal antibodies are made by fusing myeloma cancer cells (that multiply very fast) with antibody producing cells to generate a cell that generates large quantities of monoclonal antibody. Neuropathic — relating to a disease or abnormality of the nervous system. Nuclear localization signal — a specific amino acid sequence in a protein that enables it to be transported into a cell’s nucleus. Protein — the essential components of muscles, skin and most of the body. Proteins are usually large molecules composed of chains of amino acids in a specific order that is determined by the DNA sequence of a gene. Proteins are required for the structure, function and regulation of the body’s cells, tissues and organs. Almost all disease is caused by the production of or lack of certain proteins. Recognition domain — the zinc finger DNA binding domain that directs the ZFP TF to a specific DNA sequence. Restriction endonuclease— an enzyme that cuts DNA. mRNA (messenger RNA) — nucleic acid that carries instructions to a ribosome for synthesis of a particular protein. RNA is made as an exact copy of a gene from its DNA sequence. It contains regions called “introns” that do not code for protein and that split the coding region of the gene into “exons.” To make the final mRNA molecule the introns are removed and exons joined (spliced) together to form a continuous coding sequence. RNA splice variants — mRNA molecules that are generated from the same gene but contain combinations of exons that have been spliced together differently to yield different forms (isoforms) of the same protein. Transcription — making an RNA copy from a sequence of DNA (a gene). Transcription is the first step in gene expression. Translation — making a protein from a sequence of RNA. Translation is the process whereby the genetic code carried by messenger RNA directs the production of proteins from amino acids. Transcription factors — proteins that recognize and bind to specific DNA sequences associated with a particular gene, thereby affecting the expression of that gene. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) — a protein that stimulates the growth of blood vessels. There are several types encoded by different genes (e.g. VEGF A, VEGF B) and each has several different isoforms encoded by different splice variants of that particular gene. Zinc finger DNA binding proteins (ZFPs) — the most abundant class of DNA binding proteins found in nature. Each finger recognizes a 3 base pair triplet of DNA and can be designed to recognize particular triplet sequences. “Fingers” can then be linked together to recognize larger sequences and can be used as the DNA recognition domain of engineered ZFP transcription factors (ZFP TFs). ZFP transcription factors (ZFP TFs) — mimic a natural mode of gene regulation in living organisms and consist of two parts: a recognition domain, the zinc finger DNA binding domain that directs the ZFP TF to the proper location on a DNA sequence, and a functional domain that causes the target gene to be turned on or off.