Genetically Linked Scientists: The One-Two Punch for Nfatp Knockout

The comprehensive report in this issue by Ranger et al. 1 is a landmark contribution for several reasons: first, it identifies an important regulatory agent that functions in several diverse mesenchymal pathways; second, it shows that transcription factors that affect differentiation pathways in adults are not necessarily prominent in embryonic events; third, it documents that alert and inquisitive minds are most effective when their field of vision is not restricted to the narrow limit of their specialized fields; and finally, it demonstrates that collegial and scholarly networks are important in scientific inquiry. In the context of this last point, it is important to point out that although the physician–basic scientist phenotype is being squeezed by fiscal and organizational constraints and is, thus, endangered, the physician-scientists are well positioned as bridging components and are uniquely contributory to the progress of...